Energy is simply "the ability to do work". It can neither be created nor destroyed (1st Law of Thermodynamics), it always "goes downhill" (2nd Law) and it can never be reduced to ZERO (3rd Law).
Its incredible beauty and mystery, though, is that it can be converted from one form into another, essentially infinitely, and can, as Albert showed, be converted into mass and back again. In fact, mass and energy are simply two sides of the singularity coin. All energy on Earth comes from the energy of fusion (the conversion of H into He) generated in the sun, converted by plants into chemical energy, and then taken for a ride throughout the biomass and back again. Beautiful! Be good to your mitochondria today; they convert oxygen and glucose into your ability to enjoy this lovely day!
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