[John Garner]

For Tom who noted:

When a system's energy is defined as the sum of its "useful" energy, (e.g. that used to push a piston), and its "useless energy", i.e. that energy which cannot be used for external work, then entropy may be (most concretely) visualized as the "scrap" or "useless" energy

It has been a l-o-n-g time since Physical Chemistry in college, but Thermodynamics was one of the toughest courses I took. After all the advanced calculus, everything boils down to:

H(Eigenfunction) = E(Eigenfunction) were Eigenfunction is the Greek character that looks like a glockenspiel.

Electron levels become s, p, d & f.
Energy levels become plain integers - 0, 1, 2 & 3 while electron spins can be plus or minus 1/2.

Depending on what text you have used, Entropy is either the second or third law of Thermodynamics (I learned it as the third law).

Entropy is always on the increase. OK, what does this mean for us?
Here are John's Two Laws, derived from Entropy:

1 - Garbage always expands to the space allocated to it.

Law 1 explains why it is so hard to clean up your room or the garage! Use it in self-defense if you get hassled by your S.O. to clean up. Everyone knows you can't repeal the laws of physics! Example: Gravity.

2 - You can clean up and even empty a room, but a week later, there will be stuff in it (probably not organized, either).

Law 2 explains why it seems futile to clean up. The best way to clean up is to move to a new, empty house!

Armed with this simple and basic knowledge, you can find excuses for almost any 'honey do' lists, and therefore, have more time for riding your Wing!

I hope this information was useful!

P.S.: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entropy

 

[Scott_MacMartin]

Interesting.

My purpose in life is to increase entropy.

This is accomplished from simple things like pushing snow down a mountain while skiing, (or cluttering the garage) to the more complex matters of converting hydrocarbons.

Thanks for the laugh, and excuse for the SO. :wink:

 

[zg1286]

Both my Brother-in laws live here and their main goal is to increase the Entrophy or maybe the trash here. I do an experiment every week to see how full the trash can can get. I am amazed at how they can pile it up and balance the trash on top
I may take pics and post them. It is really funny.

 

[Dream Catcher]

John Garner...You better have a permit for packin' that lethal mind! Somebody's gonna' get hurt! :lol: :lol:

zg1286... You're makin' this pretty hard to believe.
THREE bro-in-laws, in the same house...
and nobody dead yet!
Two of em actually USE a trash can....
Most can't get past dumpin' it on the counter. :lol: :lol:
DC

 

[KA7W]

At the rate that I learn new things on this site, In 34 days I will be smart !! :lol:

John, your laws 1 and 2 both pertain to my whole house !!


JMHO 8)

 

[John Garner]

I can attest to Rule 2. In my life, we have moved into three homes, the current one being the last one, known as The Last Resort.

In moving to my second home, I made two trips to the local dump.

In the move to PA, we had a two day, weekend garage sale. Whatever did not go was placed at the curb, where the piranha pick-up trucks scavenge everything. My wife & I would make bets on how many hours before items were taken.

I was ruthless, as I did not want to take any junk to our new home. Nevertheless, I was glad for the construction dumpsters after moving in, as some junk always slips through.

It took me one year to organize and cast out the remaining junk.
By the end of 2005, all the extras on the home were done, except for the Weber grill (connected to house gas) which came last spring.

I even gave away old 1500 stuff.

The last frontier is my closet, as I never got around to sorting older clothes that don't fit - but everything is neatly hanging up.

Local children visited us recently for a school fundraiser, and one of the kids commented - Your home is really clean, you must not have any children!

Yes, I've been fighting entropy ever since I took Physical Chemistry in 1967 and learned about entropy and disorder! However, most guys like my two rules.