Skip to main content

Entropy-The Energy of a System and Obamacare


 
Thanks to Thomas Pynchon, I became aware of the definition of Entropy while reading, “The Crying of Lot 49”. While watching the roll-out of Obamacare, entropy immediately came to mind. A definition of the term  is clearly needed here.  I wish I could provide it, but the science is far too complex for my tiny mind. The best description I can bring forth is that entropy defines the energy within any given system.
 
We know from the law of thermodynamics that over time, in any given system, the energy will decrease. Eventually, this will lead to the death of the system, but to quote from the scientific analysis of thermodynamics, “interesting things continue to happen at increasingly low levels of energy.”  That sounds like a deliberately provocative statement. Of course interesting things may happen…but the fact that they may happen at increasingly low levels of energy makes me think of dying.  There is something about the waning energy in any given system that immediately calls to mind the aging process.  The fact is, no matter what you do to prevent the loss of energy, most systems will eventually lose steam and die. That applies to man but not always to machines. What about information?
Actually, when talking about the energy of a system- any gain in entropy always means loss of information and nothing more. This they figured out in 1930. They applied the theory to data at that point, and concluded that the higher the energy in a system, the more frequent are the signaling errors. The lack of order or predictability in a system leads to a gradual decline and disorder.
Why does this matter? Because it applies to data, it would stand to reason that it applied to the health care rollout. Was it not inevitable that the system created to distribute a new healthcare program would be designed to fail? According to this model, it was not intended to do anything but fail! On a massive scale, the healthcare system crashed. The notion that one man or one party should be called upon to fix a broken system is absurd. The Health care system in the United States has been broken for a while. It’s in everyone’s interest to see it fixed. It’s government by the people, of the people and for the people. The two-party system is the next one that comes to mind regarding the definition of Entropy. That, too is in a state of gradual decline and disorder. Whether or not it’s within anyone’s power to fix it is another story.

 
 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A list of Land Mines Trump is headed for

Here's the "short list" of all of Trump's incoming land mines as he hurtles towards his date with Destiny at the Inauguration. List of Donald Trump Landmines 1) Conflicts of Interest- His Business Interests are global 2) Billionaire (& Military) Cabinet appointments 3) Trump's Foreign Affair Shortfalls: The Knowledge Gaps 4) Trump's Mind-set: Bigotry, Racism, Misogyny- Remember how much "the blacks" loved him? 5) Race-baiting  Divisive Language : His Pettiness & Ego 6) The Conspiracy Theories -the weird beliefs-beginning with Birtherism. 7) His Temperament & Tweets & Trade wars -just the Tweets & Marketing that could turn on him 8) Immigration! -Building the Wall 9) Obamacare Repeal- what do you do with 20 million people +? Democratic Strongholds: Hillary's Laundry List of just some of the initiatives that were promoted by her in her speeches and on her website. These should be the bedrock ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Making America Great Again....Really

The MAGA mantra is a lie…They didn’t vote to make America GREAT again but instead to blow up the system….Not all of the people who voted for the MAGA slogan still believe it will become true. There is too much solid evidence of the hollowness of the promises. Mexico is not paying for a wall, and we don’t have a better health system than the ACA that helps people with pre-existing conditions. The actual components of what it would take to make America Greater still are just not there. Making American Great again would entail working together to create a better health care system for all that would include those with pre-existing conditions. Making America Great Again would mean working on infrastructure to make America a showcase that is the envy of the world.  Making America Great would mean working to be a global leader in NATO and with our allies to not only create peaceful solutions in existing conflicts, but also to work to prevent conflicts and to bu...
Post a Comment
Read more

Barbaric Acts in the Modern Age and the Appalling Sound of Silence

Why would any group choose to behead someone? In the 21 st Century,  the words barbarians and beheadings should both be viewed as arcane language. Instead, we see South and Central American drug cartels plus groups of extremists fighting in the Middle East using beheadings as a frequent and popular method of murder. For those of us living in the relative shelter and peace of the Continental United States, it’s hard to fathom the black hole of hatred and darkness seen and used by these people. Why do they behead people? One clue concerning the Islamic extremists leads us to the time of Mohammed. Even in the prophet’s time, (570 AD to 632 AD), he was condemned for an act of violence which left seven-hundred Jewish men beheaded at the siege of Banu Qurayza. In certain parts of Italy and in the U.S., the Mafia and drug cartels of South America use beheadings to serve as warnings to those who would stand in their way. Sadly, we probably have not reached the end of this appall...
Post a Comment
Read more