Maxwell Zombies: Conjuring the Thermodynamic Undead

The second law of thermodynamics is one of the most venerable and consequential of physical principles. Originally inspired by steam engines and the boring of cannon barrels during the 19th century its sway has grown to encompass almost every process involving the movement of energy from fundamental chemistry to biological aging to the birth and death of the universe. Our wondrous world could not exist without it, for better--and for worse. The second law degrades high-quality energy into low-quality heat. It makes the world more disorganized, both microscopically and macroscopically. It is the reason that everything runs down and everything wears out. In human affairs, the second law is why we have to recharge our dead cell phone batteries, refill our empty gas tanks, repair broken windows, replace old cars, replant crops, relearn our forgotten French, renew, readjust, restore, rebuild, refurbish re-just about everything.