Why the Second Law of Thermodynamics is Incorrect

Quinton Porter

Mrs. Allen
Pre-AP English II
10 May 2016

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Abstract
Formulated by Sadi Carnot in 1824, the Second Law of Thermodynamics states
that the universe can only move from a state of complexity to entropy, or instability. In
most cases, such as the increasing thermal energy of the universe or the unrest of a
disturbed stack of blocks, chaos is the primary result, but the most impactful moments in
the history of the universe are defined by a diminution in entropy and disorder. These
moments are called "Goldilocks Conditions," a term coined by Fred Spier. The big bang,
the conception of stars, and the position of the Earth are prime examples of these
"Goldilocks Conditions." Upon the fabrication of DNA, these conditions have become
more and more frequent. The purpose of this paper is to validate the idea that the
plethora of examples that demonstrate a shift in the universe from disorganization to
organization directly renounces Carnot's Law.

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Why the Second Law of Thermodynamics is Incorrect

The Second Law of Thermodynamics is partially incorrect because it states that
the universe constantly moves towards a state of entropy, but the most defining moments
in the history of the universe depict a reality that moves towards a state of degeneration
to organization.
In order to comprehend the flaw in the Second Law of Thermodynamics, you first
need to understand its content: The Second Law of Thermodynamics states that as
energy is transferred or transformed, more and more of it is wasted. The Second Law also
states that there is a natural tendency of any isolated system to degenerate into a more
disordered state (Lucas). Theorized by French chemist Sadi Carnot in 1824, the law
basically means that everything in the universe becomes more disorganized over time,
and cannot return to its original state of complexity. You can see this in a broken egg
being unable to return to its original complex state or the diffusion of gasses throughout a
room. However, according to David Christian, the universe can create complexity, but
with great difficulty. In pockets, there appear what my colleague, Fred Spier, calls
"Goldilocks conditions" -- not too hot, not too cold, just right for the creation of
complexity. Few places and times in history fit these Goldilocks conditions, but when
these situations do arise new forms of intricacy develop, and more often than not
continue to develop. Ever since the Earth produced the first single-celled organism with
DNA, these situations become more and more frequent as life advances further and
further.

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The first instance of an increasingly complicated universe is its materialization.
Around us, there's nothing. There's not even time or space. And then suddenly, bang! A
universe appears, an entire universe. The universe is tiny; it's smaller than an atom. It's
incredibly hot. It contains everything that's in today's universe, so you can imagine, it's
busting. And it's expanding at incredible speed. Within the first second, energy itself
shatters into distinct forces including electromagnetism and gravity. And energy does
something else quite magical: it congeals to form matter -- quarks that will create protons
and leptons that include electrons. And all of that happens in the first second (Christian).
An entire universe of complexity just formed out of nowhere, and expands out of dense
mush into organized space. The universe forms many new intricate systems in one
second; the four basic forces of electromagnetism, gravity, fission, and fusion, and the
most basic subatomic particles that make up the tangible universe. 280,000 years later,
the first atoms and elements form. Historian David Christian states in his talk, gravity
starts compacting clouds of hydrogen and helium atoms. So we can imagine the early
universe breaking up into a billion clouds. And each cloud is compacted, gravity gets
more powerful as density increases, the temperature begins to rise at the center of each
cloud, and then, at the center, the temperature crosses the threshold temperature of 10
million degrees, protons start to fuse, there's a huge release of energy, and -- bam! We
have our first stars. From about 200 million years after the Big Bang, stars begin to
appear all through the universe, billions of them. And the universe is now significantly
more interesting and more complex. Hydrogen and Helium, the first and most basic
elements, form. They compact into massive superheated clouds called nebulae. One of
the four basic forces, fusion, causes protons of hydrogen and helium to fuse together and

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form massive heated, brilliant celestial objects called stars, and now the universe is more
than clouds; it is a significantly more elaborate cosmos, and a violation the Second Law
of Thermodynamics.
The universe progresses even further with the obliteration of stars. When very
large stars die, they create temperatures so high that protons begin to fuse in all sorts of
exotic combinations, to form all the elements of the periodic table. So now the universe is
chemically more complex. And in a chemically more complex universe, it's possible to
make more things. And what starts happening is that, around young stars, all these
elements combine, they swirl around, the energy of the star stirs them around, they form
particles, they form snowflakes, they form little dust motes, they form rocks, they form
asteroids, and eventually, they form planets and moons. And that is how our solar system
was formed, four and a half billion years ago. Rocky planets like our Earth are
significantly more complex than stars because they contain a much greater diversity of
materials (Christian). Supernovae create such large quantities of nuclear energy and
thermal energy that many new elements are created, and now the universe has developed
solid objects. The elements form into small planets and asteroids, forming the most
complex structure yet; the solar system. The most important piece in the solar system
from the humanist perspective prevalent in western culture is our planet, Earth.
According to the American National Museum of History, [Earth] is the right distance
from the Sun, it is protected from harmful solar radiation by its magnetic field, it is kept
warm by an insulating atmosphere, and it has the right chemical ingredients for life,
including water and carbon. The processes that shape the Earth and its environment
constantly cycle elements through the planet. The Earths position from the sun allows

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for it to have the perfect temperature for the formation of life, the most complex thing
known to mankind. The elements available on earth, hydrogen and oxygen for water,
carbon for life substance, and nitrogen and oxygen for air, are perfect for the creation of
life, the paramount evidence against the Second Law of Thermodynamics.
The conception of DNA led to far greater thresholds of complexity. Life is more
than just exotic chemistry. How do you stabilize those huge molecules that seem to be
viable? You don't stabilize the individual; you stabilize the template, the thing that carries
information, and you allow the template to copy itself. And DNA, of course, is the
beautiful molecule that contains that information. So, DNA contains information about
how to make living organisms. So, it copies itself and scatters the templates through the
ocean. As it copies itself, once in every billion rungs, there tends to be an error. It's
accumulating new ways of making living organisms because some of those errors work.
(Christian). The formation of DNA from underwater chemical vents is a huge step in the
sophistication of the cosmos, and possibly the best piece of evidence to repudiate the
Second Law. The ability of DNA to mutate to allow for natural selection is another huge
universal advancement because it prevented life from being a bunch of bacteria in the
ocean. The intricacy of human civilization began with the evolution of hominids to form
the first human beings capable of language. The newest human breed, Homo sapiens
sapiens, of which all humans in the world today are descendants, originated about
120,000 years ago in sub-Saharan Africa. They developed a language gene, which
allowed them to make a much wider variety of sounds (Stearns). The evolution of
humans allowed for the first languages, a hugely complex system that literally allows
people to transfer thoughts through vibrations in the air molecules surrounding them.

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This started the first migrations of African hominids to all over the world, which set the
stage for not only the first civilizations, cultures, religions, and buildings, but also for the
technologically advanced world we live in today. Upon completing their migrations,
people in Egypt, Mesopotamia, Latin America, South Asia, and China began an
agricultural revolution. About 10,000 B.C. hunters and gatherers took to cultivating the
earth and domesticating animals, which led to a population boom and the development of
the first civilizations (Birmingham). This is the Neolithic Revolution. It started all over
the world at various different times and essentially was the invention of agriculture.
Being able to farm instead of hunt allowed people to settle in one spot, and form
civilizations with written languages, cities, religions, occupations other than hunter and
gatherer, social stratification, and the codification of law. Thousands of years later, a new
revolution swept the globe. The Industrial Revolution, which took place from the 18th
to 19th centuries, was a period during which predominantly agrarian, rural societies in
Europe and America became industrial and urban (History.com Staff) Ideally,
technological advancement would remain the same or decrease over time, but instead,
there was a huge technological revolution that allowed for a more complex society. This
revolution led to nuclear weapons, the internet, and many more ultra-complex things that
shouldnt exist under the Second Law.
To put it briefly, Fred Spiers theory of Goldilocks Conditions states that there
are small and infrequent pockets in time and space that allow the universe to move from
turmoil and chaos to multifariousness, which disproves The Second Law of
Thermodynamics claim that the universe can only move from a state of organization to
entropy.

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Works Cited
Birmingham, David. "Central Africa: The Agricultural Revolution." Encyclopedia
Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2016.
Christian, David. "Transcript of "The History of Our World in 18 Minutes"" David
Christian: The History of Our World in 18 Minutes. TED, Apr. 2011. Web. 28
Apr. 2016.
History.com Staff. "Industrial Revolution." History.com. A&E Television Networks, 01
Jan. 2009. Web. 28 Apr. 2016.
Lucas, Jim. "What Is the Second Law of Thermodynamics?" LiveScience. TechMedia
Network, 22 May 2015. Web. 28 Apr. 2016.
Stearns, Peter N. World Civilizations: The Global Experience. 7th ed. New York:
Longman, 2007. Print.
"Why Is the Earth Habitable?" AMNH. American Museum of National History, n.d. Web.
28 Apr. 2016.