Entropy - Seeking a Simple Explanation

Unified Science
#1

Hi everyone, can anyone explain entropy to me please! In simple terms that are readily understood. Kindly note that it is not always helpful to explain a basic concept in terms of further concepts that are equally obscure. The following passage is taken from an article posted on Nassim Haramein’s facebook page tonight:

“The physics that describes the micro-scale ordering of a system is known as entropy, so obviously this is where we must turn. When we talk about entropy, we have to remember that the idea of entropy was derived assuming an isolated or closed system where an increase of entropy is essentially an increase in the amount of “lost” energy. Thermodynamically speaking, the system will be tending towards a state of thermal equilibrium – a state where no more work can be done on the system, unless from external sources – this is the state of maximal entropy.”

I have also recently read a small book by Carlo Rovelli “The Order of Time” where again, the fundamental principles of the book are all based around “Entropy”.

Of course I may be lacking in some basic knowledge of physics but still it does seem to me that a lot of new ideas are arising from the term Entropy - and yet I have to confess I am still not at all sure what exactly Entropy is. Over to you, and thank you.

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#2

Hi John,

This certainly is no scientific explanation, but the simple way I think of entropy is the following:
It describes and measures the energetic changes that happen within a system or an object when it adjusts itself to its surroundings. I.e. in terms of heat, the hotter object cools down to the temperature of its environment and heats up its environment in the process up to the point until they both stop changing and rest at that uniform found like temperature. There also is the notion of what happens at the molecular or atomic level in this process… when heating up molecules/atoms move faster or when cooling down they move slower. Often these movements are considered irregular or chaotic (i.e. not fully understood) or stated differently, they move in disharmony… A lot of what we learn in these courses is about the importance of the underlying laws of nature that are in fact quite harmonic and orderly (so the opposite of this rudimentary understanding of entropy and all objects striving toward this uniform state of sameness via chaotic state changes.)
So you could say that the opposite of entropy (i.e. fractals repeating in orderly and harmonious patterns from the infinitely small to the infinitely large - micro to macro describe the patterns and forms of life);
Entropy leads to disorderly loss of energy and ultimately death whereas negentropy (i.e. the opposite) is about focusing on the purity of harmonious frequencies describing living patterns that exist/survive to infinity.
I hope this helps and I would certainly welcome others to add and improve on this “lay(wo)man’s” non-scientific description.

Thanks,

Irmgard

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#3

Nassim channels Bucky Fuller. Entropy is one of the laws of thermodynamics that states energy flows from more to less. Nassim objects it is only true in a closed system, which doesn’t truly exist, but it gave us steam engines, the industrial age and catastrophic climatic change.

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#4

Here is an interesting article about energy creation using graphene, a single atom thick layer of graphite, https://phys.org/news/2020-10-physicists-circuit-limitless-power-graphene.html
I would love to better understand it in terms of how to view this from the unified physics perspective.
It does seem to focus on the more regular movements of electrons in a massless matter (graphene vs graphite that would have heavy mass) - suggesting an energy that harnesses vacuum??? (I’m really reaching here and may well have to be corrected!) - I just like the reference in this prior 2014 article here of “Self-Organized Platinum Nanoparticles on Freestanding Graphene.” https://phys.org/news/2014-02-platinum-nanoparticles-specific-patterns-bonded.html

Thoughts with respect to entropy and/or Unified Physics in this context?

Thanks,

Irmgard

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#5

This is 5 years more current:

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#6

Very cool, thanks Darryl, this article contains better explanations;
I wonder whether they used this in the circuit they created and claim it could be incorporated into chips which they announced yesterday (on the first link in my post)

Irmgard

#7

I’m unsure. I deflected into reading science news after drowning in COV19 political news. My understanding is they’ve used it in several circuits already, because it comes at no cost to students and can be tested in an hour as opposed to $10,000 and a half year+ of effort to do the same with cuprates. They did discuss using it for room temperature quantum computing, but these scientists are more into “pure” research rather than applied research. My take, for what it’s worth.

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#8

Dear John One of our mistake in physics is, to think an atom is a mechanics phenomenon, and an atom is following through entropy. this perception is totally wrong, therefore I am rejecting this ideology. I.e. an atom is using thermodynamic into motion (electron) and function without friction. or each atom has its own characteristic behavior, or each atom can/cannot interact with each other based on nature. But Entropy manifesto stating this action must have mechanics remark it is wrong.
Atoms are the smallest intelligent complete unit of universe. this is unprecedented statement, but that is fact. Read My paper or books on this regards. best wishes.

#9

Thanks for your contribution Javadf. However, I’d still like somebody to “define” the term Entropy for me, especially as its meaning seems to depend on the point of view of whoever is using it.