Heat: The Symbol of the Universe’s Intelligence

Ehsan Shirkhanlo reporting from the Vice-Presidency for Research and Technology News Desk of the University of Tehran:

Professor Kazem Alavipanah, full professor of the Department of Remote Sensing and GIS at the University of Tehran, originator of the “Thermal Hypothesis” in the world and recipient of the Distinguished Knowledge Medal in 2023, in an in-depth interview explained the fundamental role of heat in the mechanisms of nature. He believes that heat is not only the physical driver of natural changes but also represents the “intelligence of the universe” in response to disorders and crises caused by human activities.

Heat: The Root of All Changes

According to Alavipanah, many common perceptions of climate change are incorrect:

“It is a misconception that climate change has caused global warming; in fact, it is global warming that affects everything and gives rise to climate change.”

 

He explained that heat is the foundation of all physical, chemical, biological, and even emotional changes in the world. For this reason, he elaborated his theory in a book entitled Heat: The Driving Force of the Universe.

Alavipanah began his academic path in soil science. During his doctoral studies in Europe, he realized that using only reflective data for soil classification was insufficient, and he proposed the idea of incorporating thermal data. This innovation was initially met with skepticism and even ridicule, yet, as he recounts, his supervisor responded enthusiastically:

“This is a truly novel and beautiful idea. Continue with it seriously!”

That encouragement permanently drew him into the world of thermal research.

Nature Is Eliminating Humans!

Alavipanah emphasized that in the future, “subsurface temperature” will play a vital role in infrastructural activities—an issue that has not yet been taken seriously in Iran:

“I have repeatedly warned that in the future, infrastructure projects will be influenced by subsurface thermal changes. Unfortunately, this concern is absent in urban policy-making, and the future will reveal the consequences of such negligence.”

He further explained the results of his recent research:

“An increase of only two degrees in temperature over forty years may appear minor, but it has irreversible consequences. Even a half-degree change can disrupt many activities. Consider the human body: how a single degree rise in temperature puts the entire body under stress.”

In Alavipanah’s view, heat functions as a form of “defensive intelligence” against the disorder created by human actions:

“The universe, in order to restore its balance, changes climates, generates droughts, unleashes storms and tsunamis to eliminate disruptive beings. Know this, people of the world: science pursues its course and jokes with no one!”

 

Why Have We Reached This Point?

Criticizing existing scientific and social structures, he added:

“It is our duty as researchers to be courageous and to present the results of our studies without hesitation. In a letter to the President of the University of Tehran, I proposed that criteria be defined to assess the courage of faculty members so that the University of Tehran can pioneer this approach worldwide.”

Conclusion

Alavipanah warned that global warming is not merely an environmental issue but an existential threat to human civilization. Referring to intensified soil erosion and temperature changes in West Asia, particularly Iran, he stressed:

“If the current trend continues, climate change will no longer be linear but will accelerate exponentially, and at that point, no action will be effective.”

His final message is clear: universities and researchers must, with courage, place science at the service of public awareness and the restoration of global balance.

Watch the interview clip with English subtitles below.