hua@cmu-cs-edu1.ARPA (Ernest Hua) (05/21/85)
___________________________________________________________________________ > { From: throopw@rtp47.UUCP (Wayne Throop) } > > Having read many postings which attempt to show how the "entropy must > increase" rule of thermodynamics conflicts with evolution, I come to the > conclusion that there is no conflict. Well, I can agree with this statement, but with a different reason. > The argument as I understand it is this: > > o Evolution requires simple things to become more complicated with the > intervention of only fairly-well-understood "natural" forces. > > o The second law of thermodyamics (or isomorphs of this law in information > theory) states that closed systems tend to become "less ordered" with time. > > o Since the universe is a closed system, a conflict exists. The basic misunderstanding is, as you introduced in the segment which I am briefly summarizing, one of these: 1. Perceiving the earth as a closed system. 2. Ignorance of the possibility of local entropy reversal. 3. Blatant denial of the second law. Interestingly, Henry Morris himself is one of those guilty of #3, and as far as I know, he is a hydrolics engineer. You state later on that the second law is a powerful argument against cosmological evolution. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Thermo- dynamics do apply to everything, but it supports, rather than defeats evolutionary theories (biological and cosmological alike). A basic idea that can be drawn is that there can be defined, in some vague sense, a concept of organization which lower level entities tend to move toward, and in fact, will rarely suffer any reversal of the trend. Even in the case of the reversal in the trend, there exists other entities that will move further toward a higher organizational state while expending sufficient energy, a fraction of which will be transferred to the entities suffering the reversal. (I am sure many readers will jump at me for my usage of "organization" because it will hardly match their conception of "organization".) All comments, inquiries, suggestions, corrections and threats welcome. ___________________________________________________________________________ Live long and prosper. Keebler { hua@cmu-cs-gandalf.arpa }