Doesn't it bother you guys that Evolution defies the 2nd law of Thermodynamics?

Question

Evolution seems to defy all logic, how can, in such a hostile environment, something good come out of something so destructive? And then against all odds, keep getting better and better? And if it took thousands of failed tries for something to change even more for the better, doesn't it seem odd that suddenly, it worked perfectly?
Especially when the 2nd law of thermodynamic states that given time, only increased disorder will result.

Answer 1

Macroevolution (neo-Darwinian style) most certainly has its problems. However, this 2nd Law thing isn't one of them, so I wish you'd quit harping on it. Every time matter changes state from gas to liquid, or liquid to solid, its entropy is reduced, and this is just one common example. This local decrease occurs at the expense of an overall increase in global entropy. If you define some portion of the earth's surface as a local environment, its entropy *can* decrease relative to everything around it.

Keep looking for /actual/ scientific evidence, but please let go of the red herrings, and please stay away from people like Ken Ham, Duane Gish, Russell Humphreys, et al. They reflect poorly on those of us who know better.

Answer 2

Nice hypothesis, but evolution does not defy the laws of thermodynamics. The entropy of the universe is still increasing, even if small pockets of disorder are getting more ordered. You can wash your dirty car or clean your room to create order, but you are giving off useless heat in the process that can never be recovered. The increase in entropy is greater then the order you have created. If you are seeking to question evolution, an entropic argument is not the place to start.

Answer 3

I don't think evolution defies thermodynamics. The evolution process have created more entropy than it created order in the form of life. Globally, the entropy increased. However, clearly evolution implies that the level of entropy must have been low to begin with. Because, otherwise there would only be chaos and no life would be possible.

Answer 4

The 2nd Law of Thermo doesn't disprove evolution at all. If you think it does then you are ignorant. The 2nd Law of Thermo is about entropy, and thus heat. It says nothing about genetics or the formation of life.

Answer 5

The evolution of millions of separate species is a kind of disorder when you consider that they all split away from one original lifeform.

Evolution is absolutely rational, a lot of very small changes over a very long time.
Creationism, is the preserve of loonies, it breaks just about every law of physics, chemistry and logic (and a few ethical ones as well).

Answer 6

If that were really the case, then life itself would violate the 2'nd Law.

You really should learn a bit about thermodynamics, evolution, and adaptive/self-organizing systems before you start pontificating about them ☺

Doug

Answer 7

If you think evolution defies the second law, I suppose you also disbelieve in refrigerators, snowflakes, hurricanes, the Sun, and babies.

Answer 8

No, because it doesn't. What does bother me, though, is how Creationists continue to bring up this red herring endlessly. I won't try to explain it again because I know you just won't get it. A little book larn'in goes a long way, though. Those little pamphlets they left at your door don't count. Read Kittel's Thermal Physics. When you understand it, get back to us.

Answer 9

Oh i dunno, mate, go ask this guy:

http://users.ox.ac.uk/~dawkins/

but look at the disorder in Iraq. Or in the Big Brother household. Booooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I hate Reality TV