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Doesn't medicine go against the second law of thermodynamics?
Originally posted by Cowboy DO
I believe it states that every isolated system becomes disordered over time.
Originally posted by doctorcynical
Doesn't medicine go against the second law of thermodynamics?
Originally posted by doctorcynical
Wow I'm surprised an DOer knew what it was.
Originally posted by Gleevec
The human body isnt an isolated system.
Originally posted by doctorcynical
The universe is an isolated system. Aren't we contributing to the universe. Doesn't the promotion of life contribute to the universe? Life sort of disobeys the overall picture. I might be wrong here Gleevac. Enlighten me.
Originally posted by Gleevec
Depends on what kind of entropy you're talking about, you sound like you're talking about logical or philosophical entropy (which has no laws based in physics), as opposed to thermodynamic entropy.
The 2nd law only applies to thermodynamic entropy.
And while indeed human bodies contribute to the universe, the human body itself is not a closed system at all, it has all sorts of inputs and outputs (in the form of matter and energy) that make it an open system, and thus even if we wanted to try to apply the laws of thermodynamic entropy to logical/philosophical entropy we couldnt because the body is an open system relative to the environment.
Closed/open/isolated is all relative anyway, depending on your frame or reference.
Originally posted by doctorcynical
Wow I'm surprised an DOer knew what it was.
Originally posted by doctorcynical
Baylor???? What the hell happened to Duke. I was banking on being anatomy partners with you.
Originally posted by Gleevec
Baylor = $6,200 for four years
Duke = $135,000 for four years
Originally posted by Cowboy DO
Complex organisms contribute more to the overall disorder than simple organisms, thus they are selected for because they are actually deceasing the amount of time it will take for the universe to reach disorder. It is argued that natural selection is actually selecting for organisms that use the most energy.
Oh and ill pretend you didnt just make that DO comment.
Originally posted by Cowboy DO
Complex organisms contribute more to the overall disorder than simple organisms, thus they are selected for because they are actually deceasing the amount of time it will take for the universe to reach disorder. It is argued that natural selection is actually selecting for organisms that use the most energy.
Oh and ill pretend you didnt just make that DO comment.
Originally posted by doctorcynical
I suppose you are right. Besides there is not much in Durham, NC.
Originally posted by doctorcynical
Do complex organisms that use more energy not use this energy to create order?
Do complex organisms that use more energy not use this energy to create order?
I think in current physics, heat is considered the most useless (in terms of doing work) form of energy because it is so disordered.
Originally posted by Cowboy DO
Anytime you do work energy is lost in the form of heat and contributes to disorder. Even if we create something that is seemingly ordered, for example a house, how much fuel and labor when into the building of that house? A house that will eventually be pulled down to the ground by gravity anyway. I don?t know exactly how you would quantify order but some would argue that the order created is < the amount of disorder created.
Originally posted by doctorcynical
My question is then. Why are humans fascinated with creating order. e.g. building homes or preserving life. It seems like this is the purpose of life. To defy the 2nd law of thermodynamics. Mathematically it seems we are suppose to lose. And that is when faith comes in....
Originally posted by Cowboy DO
In essence life in general is like a catalyst in a chemical reaction. We dont change the outcome but we make the transition easier/quicker. We make ordered things because we need them to survive, and in trying to survive we hasten our eventual doom. Kinda bleak huh? Remember this is just a theory.
Originally posted by doctorcynical
THE ELEGANT UNIVERSE by Brian Greene is amazing. If you guys get the chance read the book. I have also seen the NOVA special and he does an excellent job of dumbing down string theory. I was at my med school interview at UMich and I brought that book to read. My interviewer made a sarcastic crack on the book and I quickly responded with "there is no way in hell I am going to school here." I walked out of my interview and haven't looked back. Although I wish I could get my plane ticket reimbursed.