From: utzoo!decvax!harpo!seismo!hao!hplabs!sri-unix!gwyn.BRL-VLD@BRL
Newsgroups: net.physics
Title: Re:  Off the Wall. . . - (nf)
Article-I.D.: sri-unix.4873
Posted: Fri Dec 17 00:45:55 1982
Received: Wed Dec 22 00:02:19 1982

From:     Doug Gwyn <gwyn.BRL-VLD@BRL>
The question "If the laws of thermodynamics say that entropy continually
increases, then how did it all get started?" is a very interesting one.
Some of the answers I have heard include:
	1) It started with an energetic "big bang".
	2) It goes in cycles and we're in an entropy-gaining part of the cycle.
	3) It's all proportional (exponential decline).
	4) It's local, and we're in an entropy-increasing pocket.
	5) It depends on cosmological considerations of various sorts.
Not necessarily all (or any) of these is correct but maybe these will stir
up some discussion.

Erwin Schrodinger had a very nice treatise called "What Is Life?" that
discusses some aspects of the problem.  (P.S.  He basically predicted
the DNA helix well before it was proven, mainly on theoretical grounds.)