Can entropy be reversed?

[Garrett Fitzgerald]

Well, it kind of tied in to Clarke's recent death. After re-reading "The Nine Billion Names of God" online, it reminded me of "The Last Question", so I went looking for it and found this page. I was highly amused, so I wanted to link to it, but if I had explained why, I would have been spoiling the joke.

*slinks off to the !@#$%ed-out corner*

[Kathy Li]

Consider yourself !@#$%ed out.

Guys, remember that the one-liner thing is a simplification--the spirit of the rule is keep your signal-to-noise ratio high. Even DD has posted one-liners in her time. But you'll note that Garrett's and DD's one-liners have content and substance to them--they're meant for everybody who reads the board and are of interest therewith. They know how not to waste their posts (well, usually. This time, not so much, hence the !@#$%ing out).

[Garrett Fitzgerald]

Eric, the whole point of the post was to link to it, so not clicking through kind of defeats the purpose.

Given the emphasis on holding off entropy in the YW books, it seemed relevant.

And Kathy gets to !@#$% me out on netiquette issues: you, not so much. *grin, duck and run*

[EricG1793]

*Shrugs* I'm just answering the question of the topic; I didn't read the thing Garrett linked to.

Hmmmh.... When I think of entropy in my mind, I think of things degrading, getting "worn out", etc. So, wouldn't these things, as they have the effect of entropy put on them, RELEASE the energy that they once held and have it go in to other things around them?

Bringing "energy" in to the equation makes things more complicated.

[alla]

Eric, I don't think you understand the point of the question. It's amusing that Multivax comes up with that answer.

As for your example, what about reversing the energy that is used up in that situation? You must use energy to sand off the floor, and then more energy to reapply the stain. So even if you re-sand and re-apply the stain, you haven't replaced the energy that has been used, so entropy hasn't been reversed.

[EricG1793]

This isn't the first time I've seen Garrett make a one-liner as a mod.

Now, can entropy be REVERSED.... Interesting question.

Well, you can look at it this way. Your hard wood floor is finished, painted, etc. Entropy takes its affect on the floor; the finish rubs off, and there are "paths" all over the floor.

So, you decide to further increase the entropy - you sand off the remaining of the good finish. The floor is as bad as it gets now.

Then, you put brand new stain, paint, whatever, on to the floor, and it's as good as new.

So, in this particular case, I find that it CAN be reversed.

[Garrett Fitzgerald]

Well, it's a two-liner, technically, but if I explained it, it would ruin the humor. :-)

I'm trying to decide whether "The Last Question" or "The Nine Billion Names of God" is better: 9B has better writing, I think, but TLQ sticks with you.

[Dragon Writer]

A one liner, from a MOD? I am shocked and appaled, garrat...Shocked and appaled, indeed. :P *thinks it should be theoreticall y possible, even if not neccesarily theoretically plausible* anything's possible, given enough time...whether or not there IS enough time is the main question.

[Garrett Fitzgerald]

Dunno.

Ask Multivax.