On Fri, 19 Apr 1996, Brian D. Harper wrote:
> When I was in high school someone (can't remeber who) "explained"
> to me how evolution violates the second law of thermodynamics.
> I must admit, the argument seemed very convincing at the time.
Yes indeed. For those not familiar with the field itself the "argument"
seems water tight. And for years I used this "argument" and never once
did I run into someone that was reasonably well-read in the field, so the
"argument" remained a pillar in my antievolutionism.
I can even remember a time when I was a doctoral student in
theology and witnessing to a Chem PhD (cand). Interesting, the guy could
not respond to the standard thermodynamics "argument". You could tell how
the challenged caught him off guard and with only other theologues in
the room you can imagine how powerful the argument seemed to both me and
them.
> It was only 2
> or 3 weeks into my first course in thermo that I discovered the
> fallacy in the entropy argument.
In my case it was not that I understood the fallacy, but I was in
residence with some kid who was in engineering doing a course on
thermodynamics. Just looking at the math in his textbook one day was all
I needed to realize I DIDN'T HAVE A CLUE what thermodynamics was about.
Heck, I didn't even have the math to read the introductory chapter.
So, being fully aware that this thermodynamics problem is way out of my
league, is it possible to offer a cartoon on what this second law stuff is
all about for the "mathematically unclean" like me? Or is it such
that these categories are not "translatable" into understandable
layperson terms? And if that is the case, that's OK. Merci.
Blessings,
Denis
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Denis O. Lamoureux DDS PhD PhD (cand)
Department of Oral Biology Residence:
Faculty of Dentistry # 1908
University of Alberta 8515-112 Street
Edmonton, Alberta Edmonton, Alberta
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CANADA CANADA
Lab: (403) 492-1354
Residence: (403) 439-2648
Dental Office: (403) 425-4000
E-mail: dlamoure@gpu.srv.ualberta.ca
"In all debates, let truth be thy aim, and endeavor to gain
rather than expose thy opponent."
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