Entropy And Human Aging
Have you ever wondered why our bodies seem to become more disorganized as we get older? It turns out that a concept from physics called entropy, which measures disorder or randomness, plays a significant role in the aging process. This increasing disorder isn’t just a vague idea; it arises from countless random molecular interactions and damage that accumulate throughout our biological systems over time. This research suggests that this accumulation of disorder is a fundamental characteristic of aging. Scientists have found ways to quantify this biological disorder. For instance, by using a statistical method called Mahalanobis distance, they can measure entropy in something as common as an electrocardiogram (ECG), which records the electrical activity of your heart. What’s fascinating is that the level of disorder observed in one system, like your heart, can actually predict other aging-related health issues, such as your risk of bone fractures and even overall lifespan. This work underscores the idea that aging is a systemic process of increasing disorder and opens up new avenues for understanding and potentially influencing how we age.
Source: link to paper