[dinopello]

There is that saying...

"You can't win. You can't break even. You can't get out of the game."

[emailking]

1. Energy is conserved.

(dU = dQ + dW)

2. The disorder in the universe (or an isolated system) will never decrease. It will increase unless you're really, really careful.

(dS >,= dQ/T with = for reversible process)

3. No laymen's explanation. Entropy of an isolated system appraoches a universal constant as the absolute temperature approaches zero.

(S = k*ln(Omega) )

Edit: I guess for 3 you could say...things slow down as it gets colder.

But it's not if you drop it, it breaks. That's #2.

[bobcousins]

Does the layman actually need to know anything about the laws of thermodynamics? Apart from it's some technical stuff scientists use?

All you need to know is:

1. Every dynamic process (life, machines) requires energy

2. Energy that is economically accessible is limited

3. So don't waste it.

[rogerhb]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('bobcousins', 'D')oes the layman actually need to know anything about the laws of thermodynamics?

[Doly]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Aaron', '.')..we don't talk about Thermodynamics.

The second rule of Thermodynamics is, we don't talk about Thermodynamics.

[rogerhb]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Doly', 'H')ow are you going to punish him?

[Vexed]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', '"')You can't win. You can't break even. You can't get out of the game."

[MadMarcus]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('rwwff', 'G')o to Rice.
Take Thermo your sophmore year.
Scream the primal scream.

Try to forget the experience as quickly as absolutely possible.

[rwwff]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('MadMarcus', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('rwwff', 'G')o to Rice.
Take Thermo your sophmore year.
Scream the primal scream.

Try to forget the experience as quickly as absolutely possible.

[Aimrehtopyh]

"This is your life and it's ending one minute at a time."
"Even the Mona Lisa is falling apart."
"...everything's a copy of a copy of a copy."
"On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero."

Sounds like entropy to me.

[Graeme]

Update on the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'W')ith the recent rise in interest in alternative energy technologies and other breakthrough clean technologies has come the inevitable rise in questionable business ideas promising unbelievable benefits: "free" energy, "free" electricity, etc. Let's just call these the "Huh" companies -- they typically invite people to sign up to be an early customer for free (just, hey, you will need to write a big deposit check, but you know, you'll get that back, no worries...), so what's not to like?

Any venture capital financing deal is typically the result of a very thorough diligence process, where any business model or technology that can't withstand deep scrutiny will not pass muster. And VCs are by nature pretty jaded on all this kind of wild-eyed stuff. So the "Huh" companies typically don't get venture funding, and cleantech VCs don't pay much mind to them. But as the cleantech sector grows, VCs are going to need to be concerned about the "Huh" companies, simply because when they inevitably implode it can have negative impacts on the overall market acceptance of related, serious approaches -- many of which the VCs have actually backed.

A few illustrative examples:

[Plasma]

Many modern day physicists are re-visiting the Aether in the name of zero point energy, quantum foam and vacuum potential.

Since cancelling gravity has not been done (not publicly acknowledged anyway), it is not inconceivable that a gravity-cancellation technology could be used in the production of energy.

The electrical flying machine was Tesla's life long dream you don't hear much about. The name he had for it was his 'flivver'. Although most literature claims it was his VTOL craft, it was really his electrogravitic machine. Read the book, Pentagon Aliens, if you want to know the fascinating story.

If you research enough, you may come to believe that what is 'common knowledge' in physics as to what is possible and what is not, may not necessarily be accurate.

Here are a few links related to the Aether you may find interesting and mind expanding.
http://www.16pi2.com/
http://montalk.net/notes/the-etheric-or ... -magnetism
http://www.rialian.com/rnboyd/subquantum.htm
http://home.wanadoo.nl/raccoon/

As Tesla once said, 'One day mankind will connect his machines to the very wheelworks of nature.'

[bobcousins]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'I')f you research enough, you may come to believe that what is 'common knowledge' in physics as to what is possible and what is not, may not necessarily be accurate.

[Plasma]

Is the one who believes everything has been invented or is known or even that everything they have 'learned' is the truth and is incapable of unlearning and re-learning.

Lots of people thought heavier than air flight, nuclear power, radio, etc were impossible. Just because YOU think you know something is impossible...doesn't make it so.

Yeah, there's one born every minute...those who KNOW what can't be done, because someone told them so.

[EnergyUnlimited]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Plasma', 'I')s the one who believes everything has been invented or is known or even that everything they have 'learned' is the truth and is incapable of unlearning and re-learning.

Lots of people thought heavier than air flight, nuclear power, radio, etc were impossible. Just because YOU think you know something is impossible...doesn't make it so.

Yeah, there's one born every minute...those who KNOW what can't be done, because someone told them so.

[shortonoil]

bobcousins said:

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', '"')There is one born every minute"

[fluffy]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('shortonoil', '[')b]bobcousins said:

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', '"')There is one born every minute"

[bobcousins]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('shortonoil', '[')b]bobcousins said:

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', '"')There is one born every minute"

[EnergyUnlimited]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('shortonoil', '
')Energy from the vacuum is real, the Chasmere Effect has proven it over, and over again. What has not been definitely determined is the energy density of the vacuum. Some have estimated that there is enough energy from the vacuum in a glass of water to boil all the oceans of the world. Other calculations seem to show that it may only be a nominal amount. But, if energy production from the vacuum does ever occur it would not violate any Laws of Thermodynamics, it would just be recognition of a new energy source. To a Clovis era hunter/gather, petroleum would have appeared as an unimaginable energy source. To Homo erectus burning some sticks represented energy production of magical proportions.

[shortonoil]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'G')reat! It's Casimir, not cashmere, but otherwise I can't wait to invest in your new Cashmere Online company (ticker: CON). Where do I sign?