Tuesday 21 January 2020

Why are the laws of thermodynamics "supreme among the laws of Nature"?


Eddington wrote



The law that entropy always increases holds, I think, the supreme position among the laws of Nature. If someone points out to you that your pet theory of the universe is in disagreement with Maxwell's equations — then so much the worse for Maxwell's equations. If it is found to be contradicted by observation — well, these experimentalists do bungle things sometimes. But if your theory is found to be against the second law of thermodynamics I can give you no hope; there is nothing for it but to collapse in deepest humiliation.



and Einstein wrote



[classical thermodynamics] is the only physical theory of universal content which I am convinced will never be overthrown, within the framework of applicability of its basic concepts.




Why did they say that? Is it a very deep insight they had, or is it something one can be convinced of quite easily? Or even, is it trivial?




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