6
   

Does the law of Entropy apply to organic material?

 
 
Reply Sat 1 Feb, 2014 02:48 pm
If Entropy states that all things suffer a gradual decline into disorder, how then does organic matter gradually become more complex?
 
View best answer, chosen by Calamity Dal
MontereyJack
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  3  
Reply Sat 1 Feb, 2014 03:05 pm
The law of entropy applies to closed systems, where there is no external energy (or resource) input. The earth is not a closed system. The sun continually supplies new energy to drive the system, so things get more complex. Of c ourse over time frames of billions of years, the sun will gradyally get hotter (that's how fusion works) then go nove, then get cooler and the solar system and the earth (if it survives the nova) will gradually wind down, and systems will get simpler. You simply have to look at the big picture, if you're going to talk about entropy. The creationists who use this as an argument aainst evolution are misapplying the concept, as they always do. No surprise there.
farmerman
 
  2  
Reply Sat 1 Feb, 2014 03:21 pm
@Calamity Dal,
iron rusts, organic matter decays.
Heres a little experiment you can do at home.
1Take a pound of freshly wrapped hamburger and unwrap it

2 Place it on a plate an bring to room temperature

3Keep it at room temperature for about 6 weeks.

4 What you smell is what we call decay.
Calamity Dal
 
  1  
Reply Sat 1 Feb, 2014 03:41 pm
@MontereyJack,
Cheers Jack, question answered
Calamity Dal
 
  1  
Reply Sat 1 Feb, 2014 03:42 pm
@farmerman,
do I have to.... my wife doesn't generally like me doing experiments in the house
0 Replies
 
fresco
 
  1  
Reply Sun 2 Feb, 2014 01:54 am
@Calamity Dal,
Quote:
Cheers Jack, question answered

However, note that it requires life (=consciousness) to define "simple" and "complex" ! Wink
0 Replies
 
 

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