Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 25, 2026
26:41
Perspectives on Neuroscience
Published on: July 31, 2007
Sources of knowledge-causation begets entropy increase, time progression, and information flow
1University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States.
Frontiers in Cognition
|June 24, 2026
Summary
Causation drives information evolution, the basis for knowledge generation. Understanding this flow, measurable through Lyapunov exponents and information dimensions, is key to scientific inquiry.
Area of Science:
- Information theory
- Thermodynamics
- Philosophy of science
Background:
- Knowledge generation relies on information, distinct from belief.
- Causation, defined as property transfer (energy/momentum), has been debated.
- Time progression is linked to energy transfer and thermodynamic entropy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To define the underpinning of knowledge.
- To establish causation as the driver of information evolution.
- To link information flow to scientific inquiry and knowledge.
Main Methods:
- Information flow measurement using Lyapunov exponents and information dimensions.
- Analysis of causation as energy/momentum transfer.
- Characterization of time progression via heat transfer.
Main Results:
- Causation modifies thermodynamic entropy in all systems.
- Causation drives both time progression and information evolution.
- Observed information evolution during scientific inquiry forms the basis for knowledge.
Conclusions:
- Knowledge is fundamentally rooted in the information evolution driven by causation.
- Unobserved information dissipates over time and entropy, becoming inaccessible.
- This framework provides a unique definition for the generation of knowledge.
Related Concept Videos
02:39Entropy
Salt particles that have dissolved in water never spontaneously come back together in solution to reform solid particles. Moreover, a gas that has expanded in a vacuum remains dispersed and never spontaneously reassembles. The unidirectional nature of these phenomena is the result of a thermodynamic state function called entropy (S). Entropy is the measure of the extent to which the energy is dispersed throughout a system, or in other words, it is proportional to the degree of disorder of a...
01:18Entropy
The first law of thermodynamics is quantitatively formulated via an equation relating the internal energy of a system, the heat exchanged by it, and the work done on it. A quantitative formulation of the second law of thermodynamics leads to defining a state function, the entropy.
When an ideal gas expands isothermally, the disorder in the gas increases. From the molecular perspective, the gas molecules have more volume to move around in.
Consider an infinitesimal step in the expansion, which...
When an ideal gas expands isothermally, the disorder in the gas increases. From the molecular perspective, the gas molecules have more volume to move around in.
Consider an infinitesimal step in the expansion, which...
01:14The Second Law of Thermodynamics
In the quest to identify a property that may reliably predict the spontaneity of a process, a promising candidate has been identified: entropy. Scientists refer to the measure of randomness or disorder within a system as entropy. High entropy means high disorder and low energy. To better understand entropy, think of a student’s bedroom. If no energy or work were put into it, the room would quickly become messy. It would exist in a very disordered state, one of high entropy. Energy must be put...
02:49Second Law of Thermodynamics
In the quest to identify a property that may reliably predict the spontaneity of a process, a promising candidate has been identified: entropy. Processes that involve an increase in entropy of the system (ΔS > 0) are very often spontaneous; however, examples to the contrary are plentiful. By expanding consideration of entropy changes to include the surroundings, a significant conclusion regarding the relation between this property and spontaneity may be reached. In thermodynamic models, the...
00:53Second Law of Thermodynamics
The Second Law of Thermodynamics states that entropy, or the amount of disorder in a system, increases each time energy is transferred or transformed. Each energy transfer results in a certain amount of energy that is lost—usually in the form of heat—that increases the disorder of the surroundings. This can also be demonstrated in a classic food web. Herbivores harvest chemical energy from plants and release heat and carbon dioxide into the environment. Carnivores harvest the chemical energy...
01:22Entropy within the Cell
A living cell's primary tasks of obtaining, transforming, and using energy to do work may seem simple. However, the second law of thermodynamics explains why these tasks are harder than they appear. None of the energy transfers in the universe are completely efficient. In every energy transfer, some amount of energy is lost in a form that is unusable. In most cases, this form is heat energy. Thermodynamically, heat energy is defined as the energy transferred from one system to another that is...