Nick, Tread carefully when using George as a tutor—especially if you're aiming to go deep rather than just skim the surface.
If you want to feel entropy in your bones, I wouldn’t rely too much on standard AI models (like our friend George here). He has a tendency to hallucinate—not in a poetic, Einstein-on-a-bike kind of way, but more in the “sending-you-down-the-wrong-rabbit-hole” sense. The nuances of entropy are subtle, and it’s easy to be misled if your guide has a shaky grip on the terrain. So, what do I suggest? Abandon George altogether in your quest for entropy? Not quite. Start with Khan Academy (https://www.khanacademy.org/) — their basic thermodynamics content gives you a solid foundation, and yes, entropy is part of the curriculum. It's clear, structured, and free. If you hit a wall, consider their premium AI tutor, Khanmigo ( https://www.khanmigo.ai/) . This is also a George—but one designed specifically to teach, not just chat. He's less likely to wander off-topic and more likely to actually help you make sense of the second law of thermodynamics. It's not free though. Hope that helps! On Tue, 17 Jun 2025 at 05:32, Santafe <desm...@santafe.edu> wrote: > Zen moment Nick: > > On Jun 17, 2025, at 12:00, Nicholas Thompson <thompnicks...@gmail.com> > wrote: > > I’ve gone back to feeling that I don’t even know enough to ask a > question. > > > Just there for an instant, the teacup dipped below full. btw.: this > sentence is a wonderful encapsulation of the difference between the > metaphysician and the scientist. Welcome back. > > Frank’s language below is good. It’s work to understand it, of course, > but the crucial starting point is that it admits an understanding because > there is a consistent thing being asserted. > > Eric > > > You've probably done this. Nick. > > Yes, entropy (S) is a state variable in thermodynamics. > Here's what that means: > * Definition of a State Variable: A state variable (or state function) is > a property of a thermodynamic system that depends only on the current state > of the system, not on the path or process taken to reach that state. If a > system is in a particular equilibrium state, its state variables will have > specific, unique values. > * Why Entropy is a State Variable: > * Path Independence: The change in entropy between two states is the > same regardless of the reversible or irreversible path taken to go from the > initial state to the final state. > * Unique Value for a Given State: For any given equilibrium state of a > system (defined by other state variables like temperature, pressure, and > volume), there is a unique value of entropy. > * Mathematical Property: Mathematically, a quantity is a state variable > if its differential is an exact differential, meaning that its integral > over a closed path is zero. This is true for entropy. > * Contrast with Path Variables: In contrast, quantities like heat (Q) and > work (W) are not state variables. The amount of heat transferred or work > done depends entirely on the specific path followed during a process. > In summary, entropy is a fundamental property that characterizes the state > of a thermodynamic system and is independent of its history. > > > --- > Frank C. Wimberly > 140 Calle Ojo Feliz, > Santa Fe, NM 87505 > > 505 670-9918 > Santa Fe, NM > > On Sun, Jun 15, 2025, 9:27 AM Nicholas Thompson <thompnicks...@gmail.com> > wrote: > >> Same setup as before. Cylinder with two plungers and a peggable slider at >> dead center. Lets fill our compartments with bbs of the same volume. Unpeg >> the divider. Now lets tap on the two opposite plungers with a series of >> blows of the same average magnitude but different but different positive >> skew in the distribution of magnitudes. Will the divider move? >> -- >> Nicholas S. 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