FEBA
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unstable equilibrium....
Please to inform me some examples of permanent or almost permanent unstable equilibrium on the planet earth.
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Mr. Wizard
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Some examples might be:
The presence of Oxygen in the atmosphere
the concentration of CO2 in the air
The presence of multi-cellular life on land
intelligent life on earth
the magnetic field of our planet
Western civilization
ice sheets
the Gulf Stream
the sun's energy output
All of these items make our world what it is today, and could be changed by very minor changes in 'feedback' to the equilibrium of the
system. Equilibrium may only be an illusion because of the short time span of observation.
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chloric1
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Western civilization
Europeans are not exempt from this phenomenon. 
Fellow molecular manipulator
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Mr. Wizard
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True, any civilization may end, as any student of history knows, most have; but I was mentioning the current 'big dog'. There is nothing in
nature that guarantees civilization must continue.
Here is one definition of Civilization:
From "The Story of Civilization" by Will Durant.
This is a 10 volume set started by Will Durant that had it's first volume, "Our Oriental Heritage" published in 1934. In the last
chapter he predicts our war with Japan. As you know this came true 7 years later. The list of essential elements of civilization starts on page 934.
1. The first element is labor-tillage, industry, transport and trade.
2. The second element is government-organization and protection of life and society through the clan and family, law and the state.
3. The third element is morality- customs and manners, conscience and charity; a law built into the spirit, and generating at last that sense of right
and wrong, that order and discipline of desire, without which a society
disintegrates into individuals, and falls forfeit to some coherent state.
4. The fourth element of civilization is religion- the use of man's supernatural beliefs for the consolation of suffering, the elevation of
character, and strengthening of social instincts and order.
5. The fifth element in civilization is science- clear seeing, exact recording, impartial testing, and the slow accumulation of a knowledge objective
enough to generate prediction and control.
6. The sixth element of civilization is philosophy the attempt of man to capture something of that total perspective which in his modest intervals he
knows that only Infinity can possess; the brave and hopeless inquiry into the first causes of things, and their final significance; the consideration
of truth and beauty, of virtue and justice, of ideal men and states.
7. The seventh element of civilization is letters- the transmission of language, the education of youth, the development of writing, the creation of
poetry and drama, the stimulus of romance, and the written remembrance of things past.
8.The eighth element of civilization is art- the embellishment of life with
pleasing color, rhythm and form.
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FEBA
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unstable equilibrium
Please to inform me some examples of permanent or almost permanent unstable equilibrium inside the planet earth.
I am looking for examples where are not related: organic bodies, solar energy or its manifestations (example: climatic changes)
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mick
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How can you have a permanently unstable equilibrium. You can have a dynamic equilbrium such as alcohol plus carboxylic acid and the ester. removal of
some water will shift the equilibrium or buffer solutions that will give a constant PH provided not too much acid or alkali is added.
A static equlibrium is completely destroyed by a minor alteration. Maybe a liquid just below its critical temperature, something just below its
detonation temperature or a very accurate beam type balance where the addition of one extra atom or something destroys the eqilibrium.
I think history shows that all civilizations have proved ultimately to be unstable, its just a matter of time.
mick
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Mr. Wizard
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I took his 'permanent' to be a time period minimum of a lifetime to a maximum of recorded history. I realize this is just a freeze frame in
the movie of the universe.
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Ramiel
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The universe is a stable equilibrium...
Remember that the earth isn't a closed system.. so without any external interference, the earth would eventually permute to a state of
equilibrium, isn't that so?
Caveat Orator
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Mr. Wizard
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Ramiel, I'm not sure about the universe being a stable equilibrium. There was a 'Steady State' ( Fred Hoyle) theory before the Big
Bang theory gained more credibility. To have an equilibrium you have to have at least two processes interacting to define what the current balance or
state is, hence the name equi-librium or equal balance, in the sense of a scale or weighing balance. The universe's final state is a subject of
much discussion, it may expand forever, hover at a certain point, or collapse into another Big Bang.
As to the Earth being at equilibrium, I guess it is, for a while. You have to assign a time frame to these things. There were periods in Earth's
history when the planet was frozen from the poles to equator, and when oxygen was removed from the atmosphere. We now enjoy a fairly moderate climate,
but this is the exception rather than the much more frequent ice ages.
Equilibrium is a concept, a temporary situation noted in a dynamic universe.
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