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Entropy: The Greatest Blunder in the History of science
The greatest blunder ever in the history of science. The Second Law of thermodynamics, the law of entropy, is one of the longest-standing laws of physics, unchanged even by the last century’s two drastic revolutions in physics. However, the concept of entropy has long been misinterpreted and misused � making it the greatest ever blunder in the history of science, propagated for decades by scientists and non-scientists alike. This blunder was initially and primarily brought on by a deep misunderstanding of the concept of entropy. Ironically, ignorance about the meaning of entropy has led some scientists to associate entropy with ignorance, and the Second Law with the “law of spreading ignorance.� In his book, Arieh Ben-Naim, a respected professor of physical chemistry, attempts to right these wrongs. He scrutinizes twelve misguided definitions and interpretations of entropy, brings order to the chaos, and finally lays out the true meaning of entropy in clear and accessible language anyone can understand.
- GenresScienceNonfiction
334 pages, Paperback
Published December 2, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
December 9, 2020
“No one knows what entropy really is.� � John von Neumann: A book of Correction!
Israeli author Arieh Ben-Naim is a professor emeritus for the Department of Physical Chemistry at Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the author of many books and articles on his area of special interest � the ‘mysteries� of entropy. MODERN THERMODYNAMICS, ENTROPY FOR SMART KIDS AND THEIR CURIOUS PARENTS, THE FOUR LAWS THAT DO NOT DRIVE THE UNIVERSE, INFORMATION ENTROPY LIFE AND THE UNIVERSE, DISCOVER PROBABILITY, TIME’S ARROW (?), ENTROPY DEMYSTIFIED, A FAREWELL TO ENTROPY, THE BRIEFEST HISTORY OF TIME, and INFORMATION THEORY are only a few of his highly regarded books. In this new book, ENTROPY: THE GREATEST BLUNDER IN THE HISTORY OF SCIENCE, he steps into a new stance � a meaningful critique of the concept of entropy.
Tackling a topic such as entropy is a difficult task, but one in which Ben-Naim succeeds. He is well aware of the confusion that surrounds the ‘word� � whether that state is due to the scientifically uneducated minds (that most of us possess!) or the actual investigation by learned scientists who somehow haven’t managed to comprehend it � yet.
One of the reasons this book is well worth reading is the manner in which the author approaches his postulates � in depth, but accessible to minds willing to navigate this subject. An example of his writing follows (from the Preface): ‘Entropy is described as an almighty power that causes everything, and drives everything, including the entire universe. It is this aspect of entropy that I plan to debunk in this book. As we shall see in this book, entropy is a result of a process, not a cause of it. Unfortunately, entropy is viewed not only as the cause of specific a specific process, but a cause for anything that happens including our thinking, feelings, and creation of the arts. I believe that such a claim is the most perverted view of entropy and the Second Law.�
That degree of communication makes this investigation of the ‘place� of entropy in science and in our general knowledge on of great interest. Yes, this is a book to read and absorb slowly (with some references to the dictionary), but the progress of understanding the topic increases with the author’s fine guidance.
Israeli author Arieh Ben-Naim is a professor emeritus for the Department of Physical Chemistry at Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the author of many books and articles on his area of special interest � the ‘mysteries� of entropy. MODERN THERMODYNAMICS, ENTROPY FOR SMART KIDS AND THEIR CURIOUS PARENTS, THE FOUR LAWS THAT DO NOT DRIVE THE UNIVERSE, INFORMATION ENTROPY LIFE AND THE UNIVERSE, DISCOVER PROBABILITY, TIME’S ARROW (?), ENTROPY DEMYSTIFIED, A FAREWELL TO ENTROPY, THE BRIEFEST HISTORY OF TIME, and INFORMATION THEORY are only a few of his highly regarded books. In this new book, ENTROPY: THE GREATEST BLUNDER IN THE HISTORY OF SCIENCE, he steps into a new stance � a meaningful critique of the concept of entropy.
Tackling a topic such as entropy is a difficult task, but one in which Ben-Naim succeeds. He is well aware of the confusion that surrounds the ‘word� � whether that state is due to the scientifically uneducated minds (that most of us possess!) or the actual investigation by learned scientists who somehow haven’t managed to comprehend it � yet.
One of the reasons this book is well worth reading is the manner in which the author approaches his postulates � in depth, but accessible to minds willing to navigate this subject. An example of his writing follows (from the Preface): ‘Entropy is described as an almighty power that causes everything, and drives everything, including the entire universe. It is this aspect of entropy that I plan to debunk in this book. As we shall see in this book, entropy is a result of a process, not a cause of it. Unfortunately, entropy is viewed not only as the cause of specific a specific process, but a cause for anything that happens including our thinking, feelings, and creation of the arts. I believe that such a claim is the most perverted view of entropy and the Second Law.�
That degree of communication makes this investigation of the ‘place� of entropy in science and in our general knowledge on of great interest. Yes, this is a book to read and absorb slowly (with some references to the dictionary), but the progress of understanding the topic increases with the author’s fine guidance.
May 8, 2021
From the book : [ In many textbooks, as well as in popular science books, you might find “formulations� of the Second Law as: The entropy tends to increase. The entropy of the universe always increases. The entropy of an isolated system increases until it reaches a maximum. All of the above sound similar, but in fact, they are different and all are wrong: The entropy, by itself, does not tend to increase! The entropy of the universe is not defined! The entropy of an isolated system is defined for an equilibrium state. As such, it does not “increase until it reaches a maximum!� ]
All I can say is, I think he is correct. If you've studies physics and read Sean Carrol, you going to want to read this.
All I can say is, I think he is correct. If you've studies physics and read Sean Carrol, you going to want to read this.
April 21, 2022
This guy has a major chip on his shoulder. And desperately needs to find an editor!
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