---
slug: paper-ulanowicz-r-e-2009-increasing-entropy-heat-death-or-perpetual-harmony
title: Ulanowicz 2009: Increasing Entropy – Heat Death or Perpetual Harmonies?
canonical: https://miscsubjects.com/a/paper-ulanowicz-r-e-2009-increasing-entropy-heat-death-or-perpetual-harmony
---

## What Ulanowicz Saw
Ulanowicz examined the second law of thermodynamics. He focused on the Boltzmann formulation of entropy. Classical views tie entropy increase only to disorder and eventual heat death. Ulanowicz identified a dual aspect.

## Core Results
Entropy measure combines order and disorganization. In nonequilibrium conditions, order production becomes inevitable. Perpetual harmonies arise from collapse of nonequilibrium configurations. Ecosystem trophic networks show a preferred dissipation-to-order ratio near 1:e.

## Exact Primary Passages
Ulanowicz, R.E. 2009. Increasing entropy: heat death or perpetual harmonies? Int. J. of Design & Nature and Ecodynamics 4(2):83–96.

Abstract states: “A strictly logical take on the Boltzmann entropy reveals, however, that the measure amalgamates order with disorganization. Hence, under some nonequilibrium circumstances, the production of order becomes an inevitable feature of increasing entropy. In particular, perpetual harmonies can emerge from the collapse of nonequilibrium configurations.”

Further: “Data from networks of trophic interactions in real ecosystems reveal a preferred balance between dissipation and order at an approximate ratio of 1:e.”

The paper ends: “The larger picture, however, admits of two possible end points – classical heat death or a configuration of perpetual harmony (a = 1).”

## Convergence Patterns
The work touches flow networks in ecosystems. It shows bounded structures from energy dissipation. It aligns with scale-invariant patterns in trophic webs. It evidences memory in persistent configurations.

## Support for OIP/GRAIN Synthesis
Energy flows produce structural patterns beyond pure dissipation. Local order emerges reliably in open systems. This fits the grain of reliable flow-to-structure sequences. The reader observes these patterns from within the dissipative universe.

See /a/oip-the-ladder for the difference-to-mind sequence. See /a/oip-principles for object invocation mechanics.

## Distance from Full Synthesis
The paper stays at mechanistic thermodynamic and ecological levels. It reaches speculative cosmological endpoints. It does not address mind or Mirror Layer directly.

## Honest Limits and Disconfirming Edges
Evidence rests on ecosystem data and Boltzmann logic. Isolated systems still trend toward heat death. No direct test of perpetual harmony at cosmic scale exists. Reductionist accounts of entropy as pure disorder remain compatible with parts of the data.

Claims rest on one 2009 paper. Further empirical work on nonequilibrium networks would strengthen or refute the ratio observation.
