Second law of Thermodynamics

[Martin Taylor 2007.12.16.01.12]

[From Bill Powers (2007.12.14.0500 MST)]

Perhaps this has to do with your idea that the second law of thermodynamics is fundamental to the principles of negative feedback control.

When did I ever say that?

I have said, and will continue to say, that the second law of thermodynamics implies the necessity of feedback control in living systems.

I have said, and will defend, that a negative feedback control system is themodynamically a refigerator.

I'm trying to think of anything I might have said about entropy that might have led you to make the quoted suggestion.

(However, you have induced me to think whether there might in fact be some way that the second law of thermodynamics is be fundamental to the principles of negative feedback control. I can't think of any way at the moment, but one never knows. Random comments out of the blue like this are often what lead to unexpected insights.)

Anyway, at the moment I can't think of any connection with the degrees of freedom discussion, which is the context of "this has to do with".

Martin