30th Annual Student Research Conference
Do You Believe in the Power of Entropy?
Emily M. Leddin
Dr. James McCormick, Faculty Mentor
Entropy is a thermodynamic principle that describes the amount of disorder in a system. Thermodynamics describes all systems, including the universe we live in. Many religions believe in a monotheistic God. If God is a living God, according to the New Testament, then God must be a heat engine. No heat engines are perfect, which calls into question the validity that God is a perfect being. However, the notion of a monotheistic God and the theory of thermodynamics can come into agreement. In an isolated system, entropy is always increasing, according to the second law of thermodynamics. God can be removed from the system, which would negate religious claims of God determining the end of the world in favor of the inevitable heat death of the universe.
Keywords: Entropy, Thermodynamics, Philosophy, God, Religion, Ultimate Heat Death of the Universe
Topic(s):Chemistry
Physics
Philosophy & Religion
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 204-2
Location: MG 1098
Time: 10:00