Is Entropy Natural?

[malignd at aol.com]

Another source of confusion is that entropy is also a term from cybernetics, which P is as familiar with as he is with physics (see Norbert Wiener, The Human Use of Human Beings), so his analogies tend to cross.


-----Original Message-----
From: Mr.SpOOn <mr.spoon21 at gmail.com>
To: pynchon-l at waste.org
Sent: Wed, 29 Oct 2008 6:22 am
Subject: Re: Is Entropy Natural?








I think that one of the source in confusion in reguarding entropy is
comparing it to the notion of disorder, or thinking that it measures
the quantity of disorder. The concept of (dis)order is just relative
to the human perception and it's not applicable to sciences or to
physics or to any formal formulation. It just can be a fascinating
metaphor, but not a physical concept. Indeed, the usage of the term
"disorder" when talking about entropy is due to a misunderstood old
statement by Boltzmann (if I remember right).

If you are curious enough (and with a lot of time to read), there are
some good sites about this matter:

http://www.entropysite.com/#articles

http://www.2ndlaw.com/

Sometimes there are some formulas, but it explains everything in a
clear way. They also talk about the misconception about entropy and
evolution.

And here (http://www.entropysite.com/order_to_disorder.pdf), for
example, there is a real proof, with real numbers, about why it is at
least inappropriate using order and disorder to describe entropy.

One of the most clarifrying statement, I think, is that  entropy
doesn't have to do with patterns of object, but just with the
dispersal of energy. So, if your room is in a mess, and you try to put
order in it to decrease entropy, you are wrong: the entropy will
increase, due to the energy you are spreading out to put order.

Well, I hope you appreciate the sites.

Bye,
Carlo



 



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