Entropy

Entropy is state of disorder, randomness, or uncertainty in a thermodynamic system. Certain processes are irreversible or impossible, and can not violate the conservation of energy (the first law of thermodynamics). The second law of thermodynamics states that the entropy of systems cannot decrease with time and must always arrive at a state of thermodynamic equilibrium. Simply put, the total amount of entropy (disorder or chaos) always increases. This means that all things must pass; objects must rot, decay, rust, age, or fall apart. We never see total entropy decrease. For example, we never see fried eggs leap from the frying pan and back into the shell. We never see sugar crystals in a cup of coffee suddenly "unmix" and jump into your spoon.

The Kardashev Scale looks at only energy usage but this raises the concern that any civilization that lets its energy grow out of control may commit suicide. Efficiency, waste heat, and pollution must be taken into account. A civilization must grow in energy and information wisely, so that its planet does not become unbearably hot or deluged with waste. An example of this is Wall-E, where in the distant future we have so polluted and degraded the earth that we simply left the mess behind and lead self-indulgent lives in luxury cruise ships drifting in outer space.

So if civilizations of the future blindly produce energy as they rise to a Type II or III civilization, they will create so much waste heat that their home planet will become uninhabitable. Entropy, in the form of waste heat, chaos, and pollution, will essentially destroy their civilization.

An “entropy conserving” civilization is one that uses every means at its disposal to control excess waste and heat. As its energy needs continue to grow exponentially, it realizes that its energy consumption may change the planetary environment, making life impossible. The total disorder or entropy produced by an advanced civilization will continue to soar; that is unavoidable.

An “entropy wasteful” civilization continues to expand its energy consumption without limit. Eventually, if the home planet becomes uninhabitable, the civilization might try to flee its excesses by expanding to other planets. But the cost of creating colonies in outer space will limit its ability to expand. If its entropy grows faster than its ability to expand to other planets, then it will face disaster.

There are ways to control entropy growth. Appliances can be energy efficient via renewable energy and miniaturization. Nanotechnology gives us the opportunity to reduce waste heat even further as machines are miniaturized to the atomic scale. Room temperature superconductors will reduce waste heat in the form of friction, increasing the efficiency of our machines. An advanced civilization will be able to perform vastly more tasks with less energy than we use today, and the scale will need numerical limits on the entropy produced by an advanced civilization.