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Published on: August 18, 2023
External Entropy Production and Human Evolution Toward Multi-Body Life.
Yasuji Sawada1,2, Kenji Toma1,2,3
1Division for Interdisciplinary Advanced Research and Education, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8578, Japan.
Entropy (Basel, Switzerland)
|June 26, 2026
Summary
Ancient humans developed external entropy production through tool use and fire control, leading to rapid brain growth and cooperation. This thermodynamic evolution influences modern challenges like global warming.
Area of Science:
- Thermodynamics
- Evolutionary Biology
- Archaeology
Background:
- Life's internal entropy production dissipates energy within organisms.
- Ancient humans introduced external entropy production via tool use and fire control.
- Rapid brain size increase in humans correlates with tool and fire use ~2.5 million years ago.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate the mechanism of external entropy production in human evolution.
- Analyze the relationship between brain growth, awareness, and cooperation.
- Explore the thermodynamic basis of human evolution and its implications.
Main Methods:
- Theoretical investigation of external entropy production mechanisms.
- Analysis of coupled equations for brain growth and interacting human group size.
- Examination of archaeological data on human evolution and tool/fire use.
Main Results:
- External entropy production is linked to tool use, fire control, and cooperation.
- Brain size growth is associated with increased awareness and group interaction.
- External entropy production per human is estimated to increase over millions of years.
Conclusions:
- Human evolution involves both internal and external entropy production.
- Understanding external entropy production is key to addressing psychological issues and global warming.
- Thermodynamic evolution theory offers insights into technological development and environmental challenges.
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