JAN 17, 2017

What is the Purpose of Life? (Chemically Speaking)

WRITTEN BY: Jennifer Ellis

Astrobiologist Michael Russell believed the purpose of life is to hydrogenate carbon dioxide. This is a far cry from the meaning of life, which many people are constantly searching for. However, it does seem that all life consistently increases entropy in the universe.

Life is able to sustain itself due to this change in entropy. Biological systems and chemical reactions work together to create energy to sustain life. When energy is converted, it changes the state of entropy in the environment. Stars are efficient suppliers of their own energy and in the conversion of this energy into a higher state of energy. Since stars are older than life, maybe the purpose of life is to continue this flow of energy and aid the stars in increasing entropy.