Also, would a device that processes information via a dissipative structure qualify as a Prigogine Machine?
Remi,
Thank you for your questions and answers.
Before we go any further, would you agree that Morowitz's (putative) Fourth Law of Thermodynamics and Prigogine's work are consistent?
Doug
I was fortunate to have taken Morowitz's Irreversible / Nonequilibrium Thermo class 40(!) years ago. His Wikipedia bio gives what appears to be a direct quote of his formulation of the 4th Law.
Perhaps we should be calling this a Morowitz-Prigogine Machine. Let me take another try at a definition: An MP Machine is an actuator that immediately creates a dissipative structure in a system where the dissipative structure might have otherwise formed via fluctuations in the system.
The MP Machine could be:
1) A wind turbine blade that creates a vortex of air.
2) A group of amino acids in an enzyme that directs a dissipative structure of vibrations to the active site.
etc.
For Morowitz, perhaps reference number 10 from Wikipedia would help. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harold_J._Morowitz
For Prigogine, we have his Nobel lecture: http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/chemistry/laureates/1977/prigogine-lecture.pdf
I'll keep looking.
As an experimentalist, I would like to see some of these theories tested in a wind tunnel. Betz's law is important, but it does not use entropy.
Comparison of New and Old Thermodynamics
1. Logic of the Second Law of Thermodynamics: Subjectivism, Logical Jump, Interdisciplinary Argumentation.
2. New thermodynamics pursues universality, two theoretical cornerstones:
2.1 Boltzmann formula: ro=A*exp(-Mgh/RT) - Isotope centrifugal separation experiments show that it is suitable for gases and liquids.
2.2. Hydrostatic equilibrium: applicable to gases and liquids.
3. The second and third sonic virial coefficients of R143a derived from the new thermodynamics are in agreement with the experimental results.
3.1. The third velocity Virial coefficient derived is in agreement with the experimental data, which shows that the theory is still correct when the critical density is reached.
4. See Appendix Pictures and Documents for details.
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