Living beings are more complexthan nonliving systems. Furthermore,
humans are more biologically complex than lower life forms suchas
monkeys. Entropy is a measure of randomness, the opposite ofcomplexity.
The evolution of life from nonlife, or of a more complex organismfrom less
complex ones must then increase the organizational complexity, andthus
decrease the entropy.
The second law of thermodynamics tells us that in a spontaneousprocess the entropy must increase and can neverdecrease. Therefore spontaneous evolution, either as the ultimatesource of live, or in the development of more complex living systems, is impossible.
From a thermodynamic perspective, this statement is fatallyflawed.
A. Carefully explain whyit is flawed.
B. What would a correctlyapplied entropy argument say about evolution?
Living beings are more complexthan nonliving systems. Furthermore,
humans are more biologically complex than lower life forms suchas
monkeys. Entropy is a measure of randomness, the opposite ofcomplexity.
The evolution of life from nonlife, or of a more complex organismfrom less
complex ones must then increase the organizational complexity, andthus
decrease the entropy.
The second law of thermodynamics tells us that in a spontaneousprocess the entropy must increase and can neverdecrease. Therefore spontaneous evolution, either as the ultimatesource of live, or in the development of more complex living systems, is impossible.
From a thermodynamic perspective, this statement is fatallyflawed.
A. Carefully explain whyit is flawed.
B. What would a correctlyapplied entropy argument say about evolution?
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