Expert: Walter Hintz - 2/7/2007

Question
If the second law (entrophy) is true, then how can evolution occur?  Biologists insist that life began on this planet as simple unicellular organisms that experienced the forces of the environment, and in response to those forces (natural selection), changed into progressively more complex kinds of organisms over billions of years.  Obviously birds, insects, and humans are more complex than bacteria and protozoa.  Does this mean that you have to suspend the Second Law of Thermodynamics for Evolution to occur?  How is it possible for the complexity of this phenomenon we call life to increase, rather than winding down?  Every scientist that I know of maintains that it is impossible to escape the Second Law.  But, if this is true, how is it possible for evolution to produce more and more complex organisms on this planet?  How can this seeming impossibility exist?

Answer
Good question Chastity.  The Law of entropy states that with any change of energy from one form to another there is a loss of useful energy.  Life does not violate this tenet.  In a living system the 2nd law is continually in force during the metabolic process.  When the process ceases (death) the cell return to order as each component breaks down to the individual atoms. (dust to dust.
 For a better explanation go here:
 http://www.entropylaw.com/