tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7366878066073177705.post8445180688106569920..comments2024-02-09T18:16:45.614+00:00Comments on The Psy-Fi Blog: Maxwell's Demon Investortimarrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06254802085744425067noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7366878066073177705.post-87032623891627169842010-10-10T15:09:20.731+01:002010-10-10T15:09:20.731+01:00Hi John
You are - of course - correct. Entropy i...Hi John<br /><br />You are - of course - correct. Entropy is, if anything, a measure of disorder not order. In fact these days it's generally not linked to order at all, for various reasons too complex to deal with here, and it's probably more correct to define entropy in terms of dispersal of energy.<br /><br />Anyway, I need to go correct my cracked text :) Thanks!timarrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06254802085744425067noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7366878066073177705.post-91816902477382966442010-10-09T13:35:32.525+01:002010-10-09T13:35:32.525+01:00An interesting article as ever, thank you. I foun...An interesting article as ever, thank you. I found the comparison of net loss of energy from the system through friction effects to the effect of fees&other costs of investing a particulalry useful analogy.<br /><br />One correction on the science though; in thermodynamics the universe tends toward disorder not towards order. Spontaneous events can only occur if net entropy (that is net disorder) increases. The solid (ordered) ice cube melts in a drink, etc. Thermodynamics does allow for localised decreases in entropy (i.e. increases in order) to occur in a system - the a/c unit cools the room, thus increasing the order of the air molecules; they move more slowly - but only in return for a greater increase of entropy outside the system - the a/c unit warms the air outside the room to yield net increase in entropy. (as an aside in thermodynamic terms that's also why body temperature is higher than air temperature in most climates; and why we sweat in hot climates).Johnnoreply@blogger.com