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Time's Arrow and Evolution
The description for this book, Time's Arrow and Evolution, will be forthcoming.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1951
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August 18, 2024
WHAT IS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ENTROPY (2nd Law) AND EVOLUTION?
Harold Francis Blum (1899-1980) was a medical researcher at the University of California, Temple University, Columbia University, Harvard Medical School, Princeton University, the Naval Medical Research Institute, the National Cancer Institute, and the State University of New York at Albany.
He wrote in the Preface to this 1951 book, "I first began to think about possible relationships between the second law of thermodynamics and organic evolution during the summer of 1933... I feel I should point out that, so far as I am aware, none of the ideas presented are in conflict, indeed they seem complementary to, the concepts of modern Darwinism... it is difficult to believe that the evolution of living things... could be independent of the great principle of irreversibility. I have attempted in this book to examine various relationships between the second law of thermodynamics and organic evolution..." (Pg. vii-viii) He added in the Preface to the Second (1954) Edition, "the principal theme seems to stand without more than minor modification. The need to take the second law of thermodynamics into our thinking about evolution appears to me all the more certain." (Pg. ix)
He states, "All real processes go with an increase of entropy. The entropy also measures the randomness or lack or orderliness of the system... What has been said about the universe also applies to any isolated part thereof, so long as that isolated part---we call it a system---does not exchange energy with the rest of the universe. But within any system in the universe which is not so isolated... the entropy may either increase or decrease in the course of a real process. Living organisms constitute such systems... The fact that the entropy can sometimes decrease within such a system is no controversion of the second law of thermodynamics." (Pg. 15)
He later argues, "The spontaneous formation of a polypeptide of the size of the smallest known proteins seems beyond all probability. This calculation alone presents serious objection to the idea that all living systems are descended from a single protein molecule, which was formed as a 'chance' act---a view that has been frequently entertained." (Pg. 158)
He suggests, "The riddle seems to be: How, when no life existed, did substances come into being which today are absolutely essential to living systems yet which can only be formed by those systems? It seems begging the question to suggest that the protein molecules were formed by some more primitive 'nonprotein living system,' for it still remains to define and account for the origin of that system." (Pg. 164) He adds, "Natural selection itself seems only possible in systems having a complexity corresponding to at that least that of the proteins. What were the evolutionary steps that antedated the origin of such systems?" (Pg. 165) He admits, "although it may be obvious that the gene could not have arisen before there existed complex molecules, how can it be decided whether or not such molecules arose before the initiation of life itself? We may have to remain without an answer to such questions, lacking as we do a time machine." (Pg. 171)
He explains, "we see living systems developing and maintaining what appears to be high complexity and organization... Does this mean that they do not obey the second law of thermodynamics...? ... such a question only arises if we fail to grasp what is implied in the term 'isolated system.'" (Pg. 190) He points out, "Since any increase in order within the biosphere must be very small compared to the increase of entropy in the sun-earth system there is no reason to think that evolution controverts the second law of thermodynamics, even though it may appear to do so if viewed as a thing apart." (Pg. 200-201)
This book will be of interest to persons studying the theory of evolution.
Harold Francis Blum (1899-1980) was a medical researcher at the University of California, Temple University, Columbia University, Harvard Medical School, Princeton University, the Naval Medical Research Institute, the National Cancer Institute, and the State University of New York at Albany.
He wrote in the Preface to this 1951 book, "I first began to think about possible relationships between the second law of thermodynamics and organic evolution during the summer of 1933... I feel I should point out that, so far as I am aware, none of the ideas presented are in conflict, indeed they seem complementary to, the concepts of modern Darwinism... it is difficult to believe that the evolution of living things... could be independent of the great principle of irreversibility. I have attempted in this book to examine various relationships between the second law of thermodynamics and organic evolution..." (Pg. vii-viii) He added in the Preface to the Second (1954) Edition, "the principal theme seems to stand without more than minor modification. The need to take the second law of thermodynamics into our thinking about evolution appears to me all the more certain." (Pg. ix)
He states, "All real processes go with an increase of entropy. The entropy also measures the randomness or lack or orderliness of the system... What has been said about the universe also applies to any isolated part thereof, so long as that isolated part---we call it a system---does not exchange energy with the rest of the universe. But within any system in the universe which is not so isolated... the entropy may either increase or decrease in the course of a real process. Living organisms constitute such systems... The fact that the entropy can sometimes decrease within such a system is no controversion of the second law of thermodynamics." (Pg. 15)
He later argues, "The spontaneous formation of a polypeptide of the size of the smallest known proteins seems beyond all probability. This calculation alone presents serious objection to the idea that all living systems are descended from a single protein molecule, which was formed as a 'chance' act---a view that has been frequently entertained." (Pg. 158)
He suggests, "The riddle seems to be: How, when no life existed, did substances come into being which today are absolutely essential to living systems yet which can only be formed by those systems? It seems begging the question to suggest that the protein molecules were formed by some more primitive 'nonprotein living system,' for it still remains to define and account for the origin of that system." (Pg. 164) He adds, "Natural selection itself seems only possible in systems having a complexity corresponding to at that least that of the proteins. What were the evolutionary steps that antedated the origin of such systems?" (Pg. 165) He admits, "although it may be obvious that the gene could not have arisen before there existed complex molecules, how can it be decided whether or not such molecules arose before the initiation of life itself? We may have to remain without an answer to such questions, lacking as we do a time machine." (Pg. 171)
He explains, "we see living systems developing and maintaining what appears to be high complexity and organization... Does this mean that they do not obey the second law of thermodynamics...? ... such a question only arises if we fail to grasp what is implied in the term 'isolated system.'" (Pg. 190) He points out, "Since any increase in order within the biosphere must be very small compared to the increase of entropy in the sun-earth system there is no reason to think that evolution controverts the second law of thermodynamics, even though it may appear to do so if viewed as a thing apart." (Pg. 200-201)
This book will be of interest to persons studying the theory of evolution.
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