Local subsystems tend to configurations that maximize the total entropy of themselves and the environment. This is mostly determined by exchange of conserved quantities such as energy. Energy increases accessible state-space, so subsystems "want" to give away energy.

What does this have to do with objects? Due to the above, objects will sit at a local maximum of system+environment entropy, or in units of energy, a local minimum of "free energy". Small perturbations from the minimum will be pushed back by the dynamics.

This is what gives objects their stability. To oversimplify a bit we can identify objects with particular local minima(basins really); the diversity of objects reflects the richness of this landscape.

How are objects created? High temperatures and applications of large amounts of work(applied force) can move systems between local minima. They then become stable in less extreme conditions.

Temperature gradients and directed work are themselves due to burning fuel like wood, due to sunlight, due to the sun's density, ultimately due to gravitational collapse of the simple initial conditions.

So that's (part of) why objects exist! LW crosspost: lesswrong.com/posts/pLapRTLo… Next I will cover spatial chaos and the interpretation of quantum mechanics!