(August 29, 2016 at 2:19 am)Thumpalumpacus Wrote:Locally...what about globally? As in all the external ramifications of the entire process at all affected locations, not just the shiny trinket at the end.(August 28, 2016 at 11:56 pm)Arkilogue Wrote: The original order is no more.
That doesn't matter. When measuring entropy, what matters is relative order. The original order may be no more -- it may be replaced by a higher level of orderliness -- and that is certainly not entropy.
The original order of a metal ore -- say, bauxite -- is entirely destroyed by the extraction of the aluminum. That doesn't mean that you have increased chaos. Indeed, because you've separated the aluminum and the dross, you've increased the order, locally.
In the mining/metal smelting example we are exploring, it seems a great deal of environmental destruction (disorder) is require to make a very little amount of ordered/refined material.
Of course are biased to think highly of the ordered part because we get to play with the shiny trinket at the end.
"Leave it to me to find a way to be,
Consider me a satellite forever orbiting,
I knew the rules but the rules did not know me, guaranteed." - Eddie Vedder
Consider me a satellite forever orbiting,
I knew the rules but the rules did not know me, guaranteed." - Eddie Vedder
