In the philosophy of thermal and statistical physics, Maxwell's demon is a thought experiment created by the physicist James Clerk Maxwell to "show that the Second Law of Thermodynamics has only a statistical certainty". It demonstrates Maxwell's point by hypothetically describing how to violate the Second Law: a container is divided into two parts by an insulated wall, with a door that can be opened and closed by what came to be called "Maxwell's demon". The demon opens the door to allow only the "hot" molecules of gas to flow through to a favoured side of the chamber, causing that side to gradually heat up while the other side cools down, thus decreasing entropy.
Read more about Maxwell's Demon: Origin and History of The Idea, Original Thought Experiment, Criticism and Development, Applications, Experimental Work, Adams and The Demon As Historical Metaphor, In Popular Culture
Famous quotes containing the words maxwell and/or demon:
“Poopsie, you’re just an eight-ball with hips.”
—Griffin Jay, Maxwell Shane (1905–1983)
“The Spirit of Place [does not] exert its full influence upon a newcomer until the old inhabitant is dead or absorbed. So America.... The moment the last nuclei of Red [Indian] life break up in America, then the white men will have to reckon with the full force of the demon of the continent.”
—D.H. (David Herbert)