Entropy and the immutable law of death

NJ asks: There is a name for the process that leads to the death of every individual. You have probably heard it mentioned on this forum once or twice. It is called (drum roll) EVOLUTION. In a forever non-changing environment, immortality is no problem. But environments do change, sometimes drastically. Therefore, 'adapt or die' (referring to the population or species) is the order of the day. This is why, for example, that HIV has been so recalcitrant to being cured. We (and our immune systems) keep trying to change its environment, but the little buggers keep evolving too fast to be wiped out. Individual virus die in droves, but the population, and the disease, lives on.Nature always chooses the easiest, simplest way to do things.* The simplest way to arrange for life to adapt to its changing environment is through reproduction with variation, coupled with death. Even this process is far from perfect and if the environment changes too rapidly, entire populations and species will not be able to evolve fast enough to adapt to the changes and will be extinguished. This is why the great cataclysms of the past are referred to as extinction events.So, death is really further evidence for the validity of the theory of evolution.* I know this phrasing anthropomorphizes nature and makes it sound goal directed when natures processes are in fact always mindless and purposeless, simply stumble to the next step, but our languages derive from our evolved propensity to see tigers behind every wind shaken bush, and evil intent behind every happenstance. So I know of no better way to state this without using some very clumsy wording.

NJ asks: There is a name for the process that leads to the death of every individual. You have probably heard it mentioned on this forum once or twice. It is called (drum roll) WRATH OF GOD. Before the fall, there was no death, but god's uncontrolled, irrational anger* at some kid's sneaking a piece of fruit from the fruit bowl resulted in every living thing being cursed with a "Life is hard. And then you die." existence.* I know this phrasing makes god sound mindless and purposeless when we know in fact that his every move is well planned and thought out from the beginning of time. It's just that from our perspective, many of god's actions seem like road rage on steroids.