Entropy Quote by Arthur Eddington
““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 to collapse in deepest humiliation.””
About This Quote
Source Lecture: The Nature of the Physical World, 1928
The second law of thermodynamics is an inviolable constraint; any theory contradicting it is untenable.
In simple terms: Second law cannot be broken.
Key Takeaway
Check theories against entropy.
Themes
physics
law
entropy
theory
science
Mood
reflective
analytical
Type
philosophical
scientific
When to use this quote
- research proposals
- theoretical physics
- engineering designs
- policy decisions
Key Concepts
thermodynamics
fundamental limits
scientific method
Questions to Reflect On
- Can any system truly defy entropy?
- How do we reconcile apparent violations?
A Different Perspective
Entropy increase is statistical, not absolute, allowing local decreases.
![“Professor Eddington has recently remarked that 'The law that entropy always increases - the second law of thermodynamics - holds, I think, the supreme position among the laws of nature'. It is not a little instructive that so similar a law [the fundamental theorem of natural selection] should hold…” quote by Ronald Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/ba5/ronald-fisher-14852_biological-science_professor-eddington-has-recently-remarke_3010389.jpg)
