In the grand story of the universe, we often imagine order and chaos as opposites — light against dark, structure against collapse. But what if they’re not enemies, but partners in a cosmic dance?
At the heart of this mystery is a principle that touches physics, philosophy, and consciousness alike: the conservation of information.
The Conservation of Information: Nothing Is Lost
The conservation of information tells us that, like energy or momentum, information can’t be created or destroyed — only transformed.
This idea runs so deep that it shaped Stephen Hawking’s groundbreaking study of black holes, which led to the holographic principle — the idea that all the information inside a region of space can be described on its boundary.
But information isn’t just a theoretical curiosity. It’s closely tied to one of the most famous concepts in physics: entropy.
Entropy and Information: Disorder and Order Intertwined
In thermodynamics, entropy measures the amount of disorder in a system. As entropy increases, disorder grows.
At first glance, this seems to clash with the idea of information, which represents order — the arrangement of things in meaningful, recognizable patterns. But here’s the fascinating part: these two concepts are deeply intertwined.
Entropy and information don’t cancel each other out — they shape each other.
From the Big Bang to Consciousness: A Cosmic Evolution
To see this relationship in action, we need to travel back to the beginning of everything.
In the moments just after the Big Bang, the universe was in a state of almost perfect order, or what physicists call low entropy. But at the same time, the universe had minimal information spread — there was little complexity or differentiation.
As the universe expanded and aged, entropy increased. But rather than pure chaos, this growing disorder gave rise to new forms of complexity: particles, forces, galaxies, and eventually, life.
Humanity: Order Rising from Cosmic Chaos
Fast forward billions of years, and here we are — conscious beings capable of reflection, reasoning, and building civilizations.
Our lives, cultures, and societies are structured and ordered. Yet they arose from the universe’s deepening disorder. Paradoxically, our increasing order has been made possible by the universe’s increasing chaos.
It’s as if our existence is the price the universe pays for its expanding entropy — the yin of humanity balancing the yang of the cosmos.
The Universal Dichotomies: Discovering the Patterns
I call these kinds of pairings Universal Dichotomies — fundamental dualities that link the universe to consciousness.
I believe there are many more waiting to be explored. Consider the relationship between reasoning and knowledge (where knowledge is information crystallized), or between uncertainty and discovery, limitation and creativity.
By recognizing these deep connections, we may uncover not just scientific truths, but insights into the nature of consciousness itself — and into what it means to exist in a universe where order and chaos dance together.
Finding Meaning in the Dance
The next time you marvel at a city skyline, a mathematical equation, or a work of art, remember this: that order was born from the universe’s march toward disorder.
And in that paradox — the balance of chaos and order — may lie the secret to understanding our place in the cosmos.