Into the Cool: Energy Flow, Thermodynamics and Life

Some say its love that makes the world go ‘round, some say its money. Schneider and Sagan, wise in the way the world really works, credit the flow of energy mandated by the second law of thermodynamics. Earth is positioned in a gradient of energy between the hot sun and the cool of outer space (and makes its own geochemical contribution to that gradient). Organisms live by the flow of energy, drawing upon it to support work functions such as biosynthesis, motility, and reproduction.