Naked Science Forum

Non Life Sciences => Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology => Topic started by: geordief on 18/06/2023 13:57:28

Title: How do or can we measure entropy in a system?
Post by: geordief on 18/06/2023 13:57:28: If this is possible can we measure the entropy of an individual mind or a system of minds?

And what about the observable universe ,would there be any rough number associated with it?
Title: Re: How do or can we measure entropy in a system?
Post by: Origin on 18/06/2023 15:32:01: Quote from: geordief on 18/06/2023 13:57:28
If this is possible can we measure the entropy of an individual mind or a system of minds?
Do you mean entropy of a brain? What in the world is a 'system of minds'.
Title: Re: How do or can we measure entropy in a system?
Post by: geordief on 18/06/2023 16:54:50: Quote from: Origin on 18/06/2023 15:32:01
Quote from: geordief on 18/06/2023 13:57:28
If this is possible can we measure the entropy of an individual mind or a system of minds?
Do you mean entropy of a brain? What in the world is a 'system of minds'.
Yes ,the brain (but the mind is a "property" of the brain)

A system of minds? Could be the interactive network of any group of people or living, sentient beings.

A book club.A pack of hounds.A political grouping with constituent parts that interact with each other

Fo those groupings exhibit degrees of entropy ?They are ordered, aren 't they?

And what about the purely physical observable universe
?
How do we measure its entropy?Does it have a number?

Can we compare its number to that of the groups ,I listed above?
Title: Re: How do or can we measure entropy in a system?
Post by: Origin on 18/06/2023 17:17:37: Quite a bit of heat is lost from your head/brain but I would say that the entropy there is just part of the heat loss for the whole body.
Title: Re: How do or can we measure entropy in a system?
Post by: geordief on 18/06/2023 17:30:50: Quote from: Origin on 18/06/2023 17:17:37
Quite a bit of heat is lost from your head/brain but I would say that the entropy there is just part of the heat loss for the whole body.
Isn't entropy a measure of the degree of order in a physical system?

Well ,is a system of connected minds also an ordered system?

Can the concept of entropy apply in those cases as well ?

Or is the concept of entropy only applicable in physical systems?
Title: Re: How do or can we measure entropy in a system?
Post by: paul cotter on 18/06/2023 17:56:02: What is normally described is the change in entropy, say in a physical process from one state to another, rather than absolute values of entropy, dS.
Title: Re: How do or can we measure entropy in a system?
Post by: Origin on 18/06/2023 18:02:40: Quote from: geordief on 18/06/2023 17:30:50
Isn't entropy a measure of the degree of order in a physical system?
That is one definition.
Quote from: geordief on 18/06/2023 17:30:50
Well, is a system of connected minds also an ordered system? Can the concept of entropy apply in those cases as well ?
I can't imagine how you can apply entropy to that situation.
Title: Re: How do or can we measure entropy in a system?
Post by: Bored chemist on 18/06/2023 18:02:58: I presume Boltzmann is spinning under his gravestone.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludwig_Boltzmann#/media/File:Zentralfriedhof_Vienna_-_Boltzmann.JPG
Title: Re: How do or can we measure entropy in a system?
Post by: Zer0 on 18/06/2023 19:38:54: If the Mind is an Emergent property of the Brain, which inturn is in a Physical structure formed by Particles, then Yes entropy can be measured.

The Observable Universe is a bit Tricky.
(less than 5%)