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In reply to the discussion: Alan Alda poses question in new contest for scientists: What is time? [View all]longship
(40,416 posts)65. Precisely!! You nailed it.
The Second Law of Thermodynamics does not say entropy always increases. It only says that statistically it is much more likely that disorder will increase. There can still be local areas where disorder decreases. They are just rare because there are so many more arrangements of matter that are more disordered. In other words, the 2nd law is a statistical law.
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Alan Alda poses question in new contest for scientists: What is time? [View all]
The Straight Story
Dec 2012
OP
Toughie. You can't really even define a second. It depends how fast you're going.
tclambert
Dec 2012
#12
I'm not sure what time actually is, but I know it goes by faster as you get older.
meti57b
Dec 2012
#22
If Members of Congress can't understand what scientists are telling them, perhaps...
OldDem2012
Dec 2012
#24
Are we for certain that our universe will ever reach thermodynamic equilibrium?
Uncle Joe
Dec 2012
#75
"You've dedicated your life to educating the general populace about complex scientific ideas.
TheManInTheMac
Dec 2012
#83