Added: 2 years ago
From: pyrrho314
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  • Well life creates a decrease in entropy states temporarily, in exhange with the universe for being able to increase total entropy after metabolism is completed.

  • right, but consider this, when we turn on a refrigerator we start a process "explained" by thermodynamics, and entropy is reduced inside... the part that is not explained is choosing to turn the switch on.

  • I think a lot of people view the laws of physics as the actual physical properties that govern the way the world functions, as opposed to the "proposed rules" of physics, in which case everything that happens in the world is working within those laws. Walking uphill does not appear to be defying the law of gravity, because other physical laws allow gravity to be overpowered temporarily,etc.

    Does that make sense or did I miss your point?

  • no, that all makes sense, and there are multiple connotations... Walking uphill defies the known laws of physics due to no explanation for you making the choice to do so, or not do so.

    One other thing, if people want to refer to actual nature, they should not call them laws. Calling them laws invokes a totally innappropriate metaphor, imo. There are patterns, but no laws.

  • I hadn't thought of it that way before. That something defies the law of physics, but not of nature. It's interesting to think of. But, just because we don't understand why something works the way it does at the time doesn't mean that there won't be an explanation for it somewhere down the road.

  • nature doesn't have laws, it has pattern I think. We only ever see part of the pattern at a time, and the language works out much better to think there are patterns IN nature rather than laws.

  • watch out for that Pioneer 10 anomaly

    ...must be that damn golden plate slowing it down :)

  • Could you explain what you mean by defy? Which law of physics is being defied? Please explain this evidence that you have? How do things appear to you exactly? And what new physics? Propose something! Your line of argument can easily lead to magical beliefs and an argument for any notion of religious beliefs. As far as ideas and such they do have at least some origin in the brain. If you are arguing something different than such please be clear.

  • how do we prevent someone using this argument to say that something like magic is conforming to an as yet undiscovered law of physics though?

  • By asking them what they mean by something conforming to an undiscovered law?

  • Sorry, that was a bit of a glib response. Really I mean that if someone has the information to be able to say that something is 'conforming' then they have the information to infer what it is that is being conformed to. Then we can look at the law they suggest and see if it works and if we need it.

  • Thanks, I suppose this is an area where i feel uncomfortable because i dont really know what might be the best response to such a tactic. I like hearing suggestions from people who have dealt with this question before because its one of those areas in my mental toolbox thats still incomplete

  • we don't, what we do is prevent ourselves from putting much stock in that unless there really does seem to be a new physical law at play.

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