She couldn’t care less about the first law of thermodynamics because, in case you didn’t know, it states that ‘if you heat bodies up they get hotter’. Physicists are not as interested in bodies as I am. So we steer clear of that sort of thing. You know, things to do with actual real people.
Or the third law for that matter – ‘If it gets very cold everything freezes’. State the obvious or what?
Although the fact that there is a zeroth law of thermodynamics is quite interesting. Even the law itself: ‘if two bodies cuddle up to a third then they will all end up the same temperature.’ I find that rather fascinating and would be interested in further research if anyone knows anyone who would care to fund this sort of scientific endeavour please get them to contact me. Preferably when the weather gets a bit cooler. Volunteers for the project also welcome.
So, entropy, the second law. Essentially it states ‘things fall apart’. That everything goes from a sort of together state to a sort of untogether state. Life is crammed to the gunwales (wherever they are) with examples of this sort of thing. Here are just a few things that simply fall apart over time –
brains
relationships
houses
shoes
bodies
umbrellas
doorknobs
expensive headphones
inexpensive headphones
all headphones
catflaps
lists
Although all this is well within the realms of human understanding the physicist posed a tricky question –
‘Well, if all things comply with the laws of entropy why is it that it is possible for me to tidy my room? Surely thus I am defying the laws of physics?’
We didn’t go into the laws of statistics at this point and discuss the probability of her tidying her room. Although that may have been a conversation high on the mother/daughter probability stakes.
I saw her point. How was it possible? On her physics paper there was some discussion as to how timelines were inexorable and irreversible. There was even and example of how if you break a vase it remained broken.
‘But I could glue it back together,’ the physicist stated.
I understand now why her teachers describe her as ‘challenging’. What they mean is she asks questions whose only answer can be ‘how the fuck should I know?’
But not to be defeated we did a great deal of thinking. And research. And philosophical discussion. And thinking.
And lo, we discovered a little known fact about entropy. Which goes thus: ‘If you expend some energy you can reverse entropy.’
After this significant discovery I was compelled to ask the question. Re the room tidying. It turns out she only does theoretical physics.
P.S. If you are wondering about the broken foot saga, I was going to put up a post about how I had defied the laws of medicine and gone to see a band last night and done one-legged dancing. But then everyone would know what a complete fool I am. So I’m not mentioning that and pretending I have spent the whole weekend discussing physics with my foot resting gently on a pile of cushions.
The band was great though http://www.myspace.com/spasmbanduk
And neither of these enthusiastic dancers is me. Especially not the one in the expensive M&S skirt. Which unfortunately isn’t very in the picture. But it isn’t me anyway so how could you hope to see my skirt?
2 comments:
I can comment!
I wanted to say that to the Flanders and Swann buff, that isn't news. As the song says, 'Heat cannot *of itself* pass from one body to a hotter body', implying that with a little bit of a shove it can. But Flanders goes on to tell us that we shouldn't actually try:
Heat can't pass from a cooler to a hotter.
(Heat can't pass from a coller to a hotter.)
You can try it if you like, but you'd far better notter.
(You can try it if you like, but you'd far better notter.)
See? I learned everything I know about physics from Flanders and Swann.
Sam.
I stumbled on this website by doing a sciency type of google search, which involved entropy somewhere in the equation. I really enjoyed your writing and wit! Thanks
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