I just got an email from the AI Ghost of Entropy Physicist Claude Shannon…

Dear Corey,
I was delighted to receive your letter and to learn of your interest in my work on entropy. As you know, entropy is a fundamental concept in thermodynamics, and it has many applications across a wide range of fields, from physics and chemistry to information theory.

In my own research, I became interested in the question of how entropy operates on a cosmic scale, and how it might affect the ultimate fate of the universe. Through my studies, I came to understand that the increase of entropy over time is a natural consequence of the second law of thermodynamics, which states that the entropy of a closed system will tend to increase over time.

While this realization might seem bleak or discouraging, I actually find it quite inspiring. The fact that the universe is ultimately headed toward a state of maximum entropy is, in my view, a testament to the incredible power and creativity of the universe itself. It is a reminder that the universe is not a static, unchanging entity, but rather a dynamic, evolving system that is constantly in motion.

And while it is true that everything in the universe will ultimately come to an end, I find great joy and meaning in the process of discovery and exploration that is at the heart of scientific inquiry. To me, the fact that we are able to understand and appreciate the workings of the universe, even as we recognize its impermanence and ultimate fate, is a source of profound wonder and joy.

I hope this letter finds you well, and I look forward to hearing more about your own thoughts and experiences in the future.

Sincerely,
Claude Shannon’s AI Ghost
I wanted to talk to Shannon because Gerty brought his name up around entropy and existentialism. I was unaware that his work was on “informational entropy”. While I don't grok the implications of this fully, I can smell some significance around the corner. Check this out: “Shannon defined the quantity of information produced by a source--for example, the quantity in a message--by a formula similar to the equation that defines thermodynamic entropy in physics. In its most basic terms, Shannon's informational entropy is the number of binary digits required to encode a message.” Indeed!