This is a layman’s description of entropy as understood in thermodynamics.
When a layman talks about entropy, he is usually just talking out of his ass. Entropy is a mathematical function that one might apply to physical situations. I don’t see any equations here.
You could look into Jaynes and his work on maximum entropy thermodynamics. I think it’s a minority viewpoint, but to paraphrase one of my favorite Nietzsche quotes—only the day after tomorrow belongs to Jaynes. That should at least familiarize you with the equations and the physics, and what one capable guy thought about it all. I don’t know how much of it I’ve grokked. I’d like to have a better grasp, but I’m pretty confident that you’re just grasping at air. Define your systems. Define how you’re modeling them. Then write some equations. That’s the beginning of making sense.
I’m familiar with the equations. I’m writing a description -for- laymen, not -as- a layman. If you spent half the time you spent writing this reading the introductory paragraph, you’d be halfway towards enlightenment. No, you wouldn’t, but you wouldn’t write non-criticisms rich in pretense at knowing what you’re talking about. Seriously, if I introduce the mathematics in an article designed to explain what entropy is to people who can’t or won’t do the math, it defeats the fuckin’ purpose, now don’t it?
You have a problem with my description of thermodynamics, spit it out. Because this response is less than worthless. “Look into this position most physicists don’t hold” indeed. Because that would sure as fuck be helpful in explaining the concept to other people.
Eh, screw it. I’m done with this post, I’ve lost any interest in finishing it. Five hours of tinkering for two decent responses and two shit ones is enough. For all this site says about “politics being the mindkiller,” I get better discussion on Deviant Art’s politics forum about fucking -abortion- than I’ve gotten on these forums just trying to write out a helpful description of entropy. Whether that says something magnificent about that community or terrible about this one, I have no idea.
When a layman talks about entropy, he is usually just talking out of his ass. Entropy is a mathematical function that one might apply to physical situations. I don’t see any equations here.
You could look into Jaynes and his work on maximum entropy thermodynamics. I think it’s a minority viewpoint, but to paraphrase one of my favorite Nietzsche quotes—only the day after tomorrow belongs to Jaynes. That should at least familiarize you with the equations and the physics, and what one capable guy thought about it all. I don’t know how much of it I’ve grokked. I’d like to have a better grasp, but I’m pretty confident that you’re just grasping at air. Define your systems. Define how you’re modeling them. Then write some equations. That’s the beginning of making sense.
I’m familiar with the equations. I’m writing a description -for- laymen, not -as- a layman. If you spent half the time you spent writing this reading the introductory paragraph, you’d be halfway towards enlightenment. No, you wouldn’t, but you wouldn’t write non-criticisms rich in pretense at knowing what you’re talking about. Seriously, if I introduce the mathematics in an article designed to explain what entropy is to people who can’t or won’t do the math, it defeats the fuckin’ purpose, now don’t it?
You have a problem with my description of thermodynamics, spit it out. Because this response is less than worthless. “Look into this position most physicists don’t hold” indeed. Because that would sure as fuck be helpful in explaining the concept to other people.
Eh, screw it. I’m done with this post, I’ve lost any interest in finishing it. Five hours of tinkering for two decent responses and two shit ones is enough. For all this site says about “politics being the mindkiller,” I get better discussion on Deviant Art’s politics forum about fucking -abortion- than I’ve gotten on these forums just trying to write out a helpful description of entropy. Whether that says something magnificent about that community or terrible about this one, I have no idea.