[Big Bang = lowest entropy state]
Following the second law of thermodynamics, we can conclude that today's state originated from yesterday's state, which had lower entropy than today.
If we continue to apply this logic, yesterday was the day before yesterday, the day before yesterday was the day before yesterday… and so on, until we eventually reach the origin of the universe, when entropy was at its lowest, that is, the Big Bang.
The entropy was unimaginably low around the time of the Big Bang, and because it has not yet reached maximum entropy, the future is unfolding differently from the past.

[The Dance of Entropy: Creating Order]
Let us call the process of decreasing entropy the “entropic two-step process.”
Entropy within a physical system may decrease, but the total amount of entropy always increases because the increase in entropy of the surrounding environment is greater than the decrease within it.
Otherwise, the second law would have been abandoned long ago.
In a universe that becomes more disordered over time, it was only thanks to the two-stage entropy process that orderly structures such as stars, planets, and humans could form.
The energy flowing in the physical world (the energy generated by burning coal is released through steam after doing work on the outside) can maintain order and even create order by releasing entropy to the outside.
Life, the mind, and almost everything the mind holds dear came into existence through this “dance of entropy.”

[Why quantum mechanics? … I don't know.]
Why does reality follow the laws of quantum mechanics? I don't know.
There is no one who can answer this question.
We simply believe that the theory is correct because the theoretical results calculated over the past century have been in perfect agreement with numerous experimental results.
However, the results of quantum mechanics are not as tangible as those of classical physics, because they are concentrated in a small area that is incomparable to our everyday experience.
If human senses were sophisticated enough to perceive the quantum realm, our intuition would be based on quantum phenomena, and quantum mechanics would become second nature to us.
Just as Newtonian physics is ingrained in us today (we can quickly catch a glass that falls from a table because we intuitively know the trajectory of an object calculated using classical mechanics), we will also react almost instinctively to quantum phenomena.
However, since we do not have this intuition, we can only understand quantum reality indirectly through mathematics and experiments.

The difficulty of scientifically explaining 'consciousness'
We still cannot explain the experience of consciousness in scientific terms.
It fails to elucidate the process by which consciousness intervenes in the extremely personal world of sight, hearing, and sensation.
Even if someone claims that “consciousness exists outside of traditional science,” there is no compelling evidence to refute it, and it is unlikely to be discovered anytime soon.
Anyone who has thought deeply about consciousness knows how difficult it is to scientifically dissect the nature of consciousness.

How can the movement of particles in the brain give rise to emotions and sensations?
How can a mindless, thoughtless, and emotionless swarm of particles perceive color and sound, love and hate, joy and sorrow? While particles possess certain properties, including mass and electric charge (there's also something called nuclear charge, which is similar to electric charge but fundamentally different), these quantities are completely unrelated to subjective experience.
But how can the movement of particles in the brain (which is all there is to the brain) give rise to emotions, sensations and feelings?

Can free will be explained by the laws of physics?
Our individuality, our values, and our self-esteem seem to be our own creations, but if all of this is the result of the uncompromising laws of physics, then free will has no place to stand.
We seem to be nothing more than toys tossed around by the cold laws of the universe.
So the key question is:
Is there no way for free will to survive the tyranny of thoughtless, emotionless particles? If even free will is a product of the laws of physics, then the uniquely human pride that says, "I create what I am," will be mercilessly crushed.
So many philosophers have been constantly struggling to find a way out, and some of them have even abandoned the reductionist view in favor of free will.
Although experimental data demonstrate that we have a deep understanding of the laws that govern individual particles (electrons, quarks, neutrinos, etc.), the trillions of trillions of trillions of particles that make up the human body and brain may (partially) deviate from the laws that apply to the microscopic world.
If so, phenomena forbidden in the microscopic world (especially free will) may appear in the macroscopic world.

[Humanity is experiencing a very rare and special time throughout the history of the universe]
We are transient beings, impermanent and infinite.
But the short time we exist is a very rare and special time in the history of the universe.
During this time, we gave value to all things through self-reflection and created metaphysical value.
While we long to leave behind a lasting legacy, we already know, having surveyed the cosmic timeline, that this is an unattainable goal.
But it is truly remarkable that tiny particles can come together to perceive reality, reflect on themselves, realize how short-lived they are, and with tireless passion create beauty, establish connections, and unravel the mysteries of the universe.

--- From the text