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Q: Entropy and time reversal ( Answered 3 out of 5 stars,   1 Comment )
Question  
Subject: Entropy and time reversal
Category: Science > Physics
Asked by: leonchik-ga
List Price: $2.00
Posted: 25 Aug 2006 12:18 PDT
Expires: 24 Sep 2006 12:18 PDT
Question ID: 759509
How time reversal of wave function and 2nd law of thermodynamics of
entropy are settle together?
Answer  
Subject: Re: Entropy and time reversal
Answered By: hedgie-ga on 25 Aug 2006 22:05 PDT
Rated:3 out of 5 stars
 
The issue is not settled. It is an open question in physics.

Resolutions which have been proposed, and are neatly summarised here:

http://dmoz.org/Society/Philosophy/Philosophy_of_Science/Physics/Time_and_Timelessness/

Of particular interest is article of Prof. Stenger
...
Time symmetry at the quantum level makes it possible to draw a model
of underlying reality that is simpler and more symmetric than the
conventional view.  This reality is timeless, with no beginning, no
end, and no arrow of time. Observations at the smallest distances and
highest energies reveal a picture of localized, discrete material
bodies moving along definite spacetime paths in an otherwise empty
void, with no fundamental distinction between past and future and no
need to introduce  "real" continuous fields.  This is the picture
revealed to us by the standard model of elementary particle and
forces, which is fully consistent with all empirical data..."
http://www.colorado.edu/philosophy/vstenger/void.html

There are also some speculations that 'act of measurement' itroduces element
of irreversibility into QM.  (It is the Shrodinger (or Dirac) eq. of QM which
has time-symmetry), the measurment 'theory' is sort of ad-hoc addition:

However, that also is not universally accepted and depenfs on interpretation:

http://dmoz.org/Science/Physics/Quantum_Mechanics/Interpretations/
leonchik-ga rated this answer:3 out of 5 stars

Comments  
Subject: Re: Entropy and time reversal
From: pinkfreud-ga on 25 Aug 2006 12:22 PDT
 
This might help:

http://www.ncsu.edu/felder-public/kenny/papers/entropy.html

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