On Mon, Apr 10, 2006 at 12:03:47AM -0700, Brent Meeker wrote: > > Russell Standish wrote: > > Unitary evolution preserves information. It is only through > > measurement by an observer that information can be created or > > destroyed. Usually, the second law is interpreted as the destruction > > of information (anyone observing a closed system will over time know > > less information about the system), so it puzzles me that you have the > > sign the other way. > > What? You're saying that if I observe a system, then I know less about it. > You > must be using some non-standard meaning of "know". > > Brent Meeker >
Yes - in the case of milk being stirred into coffee. Strange as it may seem, you know more information when the system is initially structured than after that initial structure has dispersed. And yes you need to observe it. Entropy is undefined without an observer. Cheers -- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- A/Prof Russell Standish Phone 8308 3119 (mobile) Mathematics 0425 253119 (") UNSW SYDNEY 2052 [EMAIL PROTECTED] Australia http://parallel.hpc.unsw.edu.au/rks International prefix +612, Interstate prefix 02 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Everything List" group. To post to this group, send email to everything-list@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/everything-list -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---