2020/11/24 Thermodynamics vs Kinetics
Man has far less self-control than he thinks he has. We like to think that every action we do is by our own choice, but if you scratch beneath the surface and don't fall for this fantasy, you'll discover that we primarily act out of impulse, instinct and habit. Whilst we can instruct ourselves to 'imagine a pink elephant' or whatever else, we usually imagine things by habit or by impulse, fantasising about the same scenarios over and over seemingly without reason. For instance, on the way to Uni today, I kept imagining that I was rescuing an old man who had tripped and cracked his head open on the pavement. I imagined this for ten minutes, after which I realised: "what on earth had I been doing all this time". Actions also are very much out of our control. We get home, we put on some YouTube or some anime or whatever else you typically do. Doesn't matter if you want to do that at the time - you just do it out of impulse, out of habit, even if there are more meaningful things you want to do.
Bearing that in mind, let's look at some chemistry since, contrary to what my blog may suggest, chemistry is my chosen subject at Uni. In chemistry, there is the idea of a "Kinetic" product and a "Thermodynamic" product, where two separate reactions can occur between the same two molecules. The graph below should help in visualising this in terms of energy:
The plot we see here is Free Energy - basically the energy of the molecules in a single reaction, vs Course of Reaction - how far in reacting have the molecules gone. In graph A, we see Activation Energy which is the amount of energy required for the reaction occur - a big hump of energy needed to get the reaction going. It's needed because the molecule has to contort itself into a Transition State - a dislocated arrangement which it doesn't like being in, in order to reorganise itself into the new, more stable position. Below Activation Energy, is Change in Free Energy which is how much energy is released from the reaction (energy of final molecules vs energy of starting molecules). Also bear in mind that for a reaction to occur there must be a net loss in Free Energy, since the product we produce must be more stable (have less Free Energy) than the starting materials.
Graph B includes this same idea, with the large humps of Activation Energy and the dip in Free Energy Change visible. Here we see those terms we mentioned earlier - the Kinetic Product and the Thermodynamic Product. The Kinetic Product, as the graph shows, has a lower Activation Energy but also has a lower Free Energy Change, meaning that it doesn't take much energy for the reaction to happen but it doesn't create as low an energy product (as stable a product). In contrast, the Thermodynamic Product, which has a higher Activation Energy, meaning it takes more energy for the reaction to get going, and a higher Free Energy Change, meaning the reaction produces a more thermodynamically stable product. So how do the molecules choose their path? The Kinetic reaction favours kinetics - fast and quick reactions - the natural instinctive route for the reaction to barrel down. It can get there quicker but may not be the best choice if the molecules had more time to ponder where would be optimum to go. The Thermodynamic reaction creates the more thermodynamically stable product - it sits and ponders it's choices as to which path is best to go down: it's in no rush. In short, it really depends on the molecules which you're using - some are short tempered and go for the kinetic reaction, other's ponder and go for the thermodynamic reaction. Heating up your vessel is also a good way to enrage your molecules, making them prefer the Thermodynamic route.
Now I've explained some chemistry, what bearing does this have to with anything? The thread I'm trying to tie together is that we often take the kinetic route. Just going down the first path which makes itself known to us is so much easier, but it doesn't bring as much satisfaction. At the moment, I'm taking a month away from YouTube - a necessary task every once in a while to regain a modicum of productivity back in your life. But I know that should I have not been fasting, I would've slumped down in my food coma'ed state, stuck on a podcast or educational lecture (the most dangerous kind of YouTube which makes you feel productive) and become a vegetable, vicariously living through a virtual man's thoughts. But instead, I'm writing this. And even if no one reads this, I've created something, worked on something, done something with my time. I took the Thermodynamic route, instead of the Kinetic route. Instead of taking the path of least resistance, I exercised some willpower, used a greater Activation Energy, to achieve something and create a greater Free Energy Change. In order to become the lowest energy molecule - a perfect diamond - you have to keep taking the thermodynamic route, lest you'll be caught up in a web of your own habits, forgetting how to activate your own willpower to resist the magnetic allure of the Kinetic route.
The plot we see here is Free Energy - basically the energy of the molecules in a single reaction, vs Course of Reaction - how far in reacting have the molecules gone. In graph A, we see Activation Energy which is the amount of energy required for the reaction occur - a big hump of energy needed to get the reaction going. It's needed because the molecule has to contort itself into a Transition State - a dislocated arrangement which it doesn't like being in, in order to reorganise itself into the new, more stable position. Below Activation Energy, is Change in Free Energy which is how much energy is released from the reaction (energy of final molecules vs energy of starting molecules). Also bear in mind that for a reaction to occur there must be a net loss in Free Energy, since the product we produce must be more stable (have less Free Energy) than the starting materials.
Graph B includes this same idea, with the large humps of Activation Energy and the dip in Free Energy Change visible. Here we see those terms we mentioned earlier - the Kinetic Product and the Thermodynamic Product. The Kinetic Product, as the graph shows, has a lower Activation Energy but also has a lower Free Energy Change, meaning that it doesn't take much energy for the reaction to happen but it doesn't create as low an energy product (as stable a product). In contrast, the Thermodynamic Product, which has a higher Activation Energy, meaning it takes more energy for the reaction to get going, and a higher Free Energy Change, meaning the reaction produces a more thermodynamically stable product. So how do the molecules choose their path? The Kinetic reaction favours kinetics - fast and quick reactions - the natural instinctive route for the reaction to barrel down. It can get there quicker but may not be the best choice if the molecules had more time to ponder where would be optimum to go. The Thermodynamic reaction creates the more thermodynamically stable product - it sits and ponders it's choices as to which path is best to go down: it's in no rush. In short, it really depends on the molecules which you're using - some are short tempered and go for the kinetic reaction, other's ponder and go for the thermodynamic reaction. Heating up your vessel is also a good way to enrage your molecules, making them prefer the Thermodynamic route.
Now I've explained some chemistry, what bearing does this have to with anything? The thread I'm trying to tie together is that we often take the kinetic route. Just going down the first path which makes itself known to us is so much easier, but it doesn't bring as much satisfaction. At the moment, I'm taking a month away from YouTube - a necessary task every once in a while to regain a modicum of productivity back in your life. But I know that should I have not been fasting, I would've slumped down in my food coma'ed state, stuck on a podcast or educational lecture (the most dangerous kind of YouTube which makes you feel productive) and become a vegetable, vicariously living through a virtual man's thoughts. But instead, I'm writing this. And even if no one reads this, I've created something, worked on something, done something with my time. I took the Thermodynamic route, instead of the Kinetic route. Instead of taking the path of least resistance, I exercised some willpower, used a greater Activation Energy, to achieve something and create a greater Free Energy Change. In order to become the lowest energy molecule - a perfect diamond - you have to keep taking the thermodynamic route, lest you'll be caught up in a web of your own habits, forgetting how to activate your own willpower to resist the magnetic allure of the Kinetic route.