Abusing Thermodynamics: Andrew McIntosh
This is an article at Answers in Genesis that abuses thermodynamics.
http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/2007/02/12/just-add-energy
Andrew McIntosh is Professor of Thermodynamics and Combustion Theory at the University of Leeds. This guy really should understand this stuff, right? Let us see what he says:
S(i) < S(f)
... where S(i) is the initial energy, S(f) is the final energy.
That is all the Second Law says. Entropy at the end is greater than entropy at the start. There is nothing in there about mechanisms or machinery or anything about how the system gets from the start to the end. Hey, the guy pretty much says this too:
He does go on to say:
http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/2007/02/12/just-add-energy
Andrew McIntosh is Professor of Thermodynamics and Combustion Theory at the University of Leeds. This guy really should understand this stuff, right? Let us see what he says:
The principles of thermodynamics, even in open systems, do not allow a new functional biological structure to be achieved without new machinery already being in place.Wow. A Professor of Thermodynamics and Combustion Theory seriously said that? It is telling that McIntosh does not present any maths with the article; I would love to see how he works this requirement for "new machinery already being in place" into:
S(i) < S(f)
... where S(i) is the initial energy, S(f) is the final energy.
That is all the Second Law says. Entropy at the end is greater than entropy at the start. There is nothing in there about mechanisms or machinery or anything about how the system gets from the start to the end. Hey, the guy pretty much says this too:
The laws of thermodynamics have one law in particular—the Second Law of Thermodynamics—which says that in a closed system the amount of energy that is no longer available for useful work is increasing.He has worded it rather differently, but the energy not available for work is related to entropy; entropy goes up, the amount of unavailable energy goes up. I see nothing there about machinery of mechanisms. Odd that.
He does go on to say:
The principle of energy loss for useful work still applies in an open system, since there is no benefit unless there is a machine to use the energy added. Boeing 777s cannot be made in a car factory by adding loads of sunlight or electricity unless the machinery is available to use that energy to build Boeing 777s. Similarly the human brain cannot be formed from simpler machines just by adding energy if there is no machinery available to do this. Spontaneously forming of such machinery will not happen.This is clearly so, but it is not the Second Law. And a Professor of Thermodynamics and Combustion Theory must surely know that. This is a guy who is deliberately trying to fool people. He is making up stuff to prove his ideology.
ETA (18/Jun/20): Just discovered McIntosh has a website advertising himself as a speak, and besides saying his position as a retired professor, I could find nothing about entropy or thermodynamics on his site, or indeed much elsewhere from the last ten years. Is it too much to hope he has realised he was wrong?
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