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From: gwyn@brl-vgr.ARPA (Doug Gwyn )
Newsgroups: net.physics
Subject: Re: Thermodynamics and probability
Message-ID: <2833@brl-vgr.ARPA>
Date: Sat, 24-Mar-84 17:59:57 EST
Article-I.D.: brl-vgr.2833
Posted: Sat Mar 24 17:59:57 1984
Date-Received: Sun, 25-Mar-84 19:27:08 EST
References: <936@ihuxm.UUCP>
Organization: Ballistics Research Lab
Lines: 12

But every time someone peeks at the microbehavior of a macro system
such as a room full of air, he sees the micro-laws of physics being
obeyed (no flames about the incompleteness of our knowledge of the
laws, please).  This is overwhelming confirmation for the consensus
view of thermodynamics as statistical physics.

One important point about physical understanding that was not
emphasized in the schools I went to, but should have been, is that
different points of view are more or less suitable for dealing with
different situations.  Trying to apply one single tool such as
deterministic dynamics to all situations will get one in trouble
(for lack of computational resources, if for no other reason).