Entropy Without Collapse: Why the Universe is Not Just Falling Apart

The second law of thermodynamics describes the universe’s tendency toward disorder, suggesting that all systems eventually succumb to entropy. Yet many structures, including cells, stars, and civilizations, persist far longer than energy-based models predict. This paper introduces recursive collapse as a complementary framework to explain systemic failure and persistence. Recursive collapse refers to the amplification of internal misalignments in systems that build upon themselves through repeated operations. Unlike thermodynamic entropy, which is scalar and statistical, recursive collapse is directional and structural. It accounts for the breakdown of coherence within feedback-driven processes and recursive architectures. We argue that systems persist not merely by resisting energy loss but by embedding correction mechanisms that absorb, route, or repurpose recursive error. By exploring examples from biology, computation, and cosmology, we show how longevity emerges from structural resilience rather than energy abundance. This dual perspective reframes entropy as both energy dispersion and architecture failure, offering a broader theory of why complex systems endure.