Thanks for the clarification

Post #46,301 by ben_tilly 7/21/02 4:23:31 PM Reply	Thanks for the clarification But from the popularized article it looked to me like the billions of particles are a red herring. Rather what matters is the relative motion of the hundred particles that they watched. Did something get lost in the popularization? How did they measure the entropy of the system? Thanks, Ben "... I couldn't see how anyone could be educated by this self-propagating system in which people pass exams, teach others to pass exams, but nobody knows anything." --Richard Feynman
Post #46,310 by Ashton 7/21/02 7:49:44 PM Reply	Heh.. how do we 'measure' the entropy of the Cosmos (?) It would appear that the imaginary line between micro and macro is neither fine nor broad - but entirely situational (too). Unless we imagine we shall score a lateral arabesque around that ol Debbil - the effects of the Observer (?) or in present case: the light energy to watch those small balls. hmmmm maybe ~ menstrual cycle simile at work elsewhere.. Games are fun though; you can always construct a New one. :-\ufffd
Post #46,354 by neelk 7/22/02 9:23:17 AM Reply	Re: Thanks for the clarification The reason that billions wasn't a red herring was because an individual bead in the water was getting a useful work from the thermal kicks the surrounding water imparted to it. This means that the relevant number is the number of water molecules striking the bead at each moment. I'm not sure how they did the measurements, because I was only able to find the abstract, and a short note in the AIP Bulletin. I probably wouldn't be able to understand them anyway, since my physics degree is now 5 years old. :) [link\|http://link.aps.org/abstract/PRL/v89/e050601\| [link\|http://link.aps.org/abstract/PRL/v89/e050601\|http://link.aps.org.../v89/e050601] ] [link\|http://www.aip.org/enews/physnews/2002/split/598-1.html\| [link\|http://www.aip.org/enews/physnews/2002/split/598-1.html\|http://www.aip.org/...t/598-1.html]]
Post #46,430 by ben_tilly 7/22/02 7:59:48 PM Reply	Hey, at least you have a physics degree Me, I am an interested amateur who skipped the minor when I realized that if I didn't get the minor then I could avoid taking thermodynamics from one of the worst teachers I have had the displeasure of meeting. As for the description, that does sound more suprising than what I assumed. Cheers, Ben "... I couldn't see how anyone could be educated by this self-propagating system in which people pass exams, teach others to pass exams, but nobody knows anything." --Richard Feynman

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