Does the Second Law of Thermodynamics disprove evolution?

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Many honorable scientists have carefully examined the most basic laws of nature to see if evolution is possible given enough time and opportunity. Based on their research, they concluded that evolution is simply not feasible. One major problem is the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics.

The Second Law of Thermodynamics Disproves Evolution

The Second Law of Thermodynamics is commonly known as the Law of Increased Entropy. It can be stated in several ways, but a common formulation is:

“The total entropy of an isolated system always increases over time, and any reversible process within the system will also increase the total entropy.”

Here, entropy is a measure of the system’s disorder or randomness. In simpler terms, the second law of thermodynamics implies that natural processes tend to move towards a state of greater disorder or randomness.

While quantity remains the same (First Law), the quality of matter/energy deteriorates gradually over time that is, systems over time become more disordered. It is a universal law of decay; the ultimate cause of why everything ultimately falls apart and disintegrates over time. Everything appears to change eventually, and chaos increases. The effects of the 2nd Law are all around in earth and in the universe.

Therefore, left to themselves, chemical compounds ultimately break apart into simpler materials; they do not ultimately become more complex. Outside forces can increase order for a time (through the expenditure of relatively large amounts of energy, and through the input of design). However, such reversal cannot last forever.

Evolution Theory

Evolutionism claims that over billions of years everything is basically developing UPWARD, becoming more orderly and complex. However, this basic law of science (2nd Law of Thermodynamics) says the opposite. The pressure is DOWNWARD, toward simplification and disorder.

Charles Darwin in his book “The Origin of Species” presents the scientific theory that populations evolve over the course of generations through a process of natural selection. Charles Darwin states that evolution is going from chaos to a more orderly system.

If evolution goes forward from a lower order to a higher order, it does not harmonize with the second law of thermodynamics because this law shows that everything is moving towards chaos. This means not moving forwards but backwards. It is essential to recognize that Darwin’s idea is simply a theory not more, while the second law of thermodynamics is a law of nature.

Has the 2nd Law been circumvented? No, says expert Frank A. Greco: “An answer can readily be given to the question, ‘Has the second law of thermodynamics been circumvented?’ NOT YET.” Frank Greco, “On the Second Law of Thermodynamics,” American Laboratory, Vol. 14 (October 1982), p. 80-88.

There is no experimental evidence to disproves this law, say physicists G.N. Hatspoulous and E.P. Gyftopoulos: “There is no recorded experiment in the history of science that contradicts the second law or its corollaries…” E.B. Stuart, B. Gal-Or, and A.J. Brainard, editors, Deductive Quantum Thermodynamics in a Critical Review of Thermodynamics (Baltimore: Mono Book Corporation, 1970), p. 78.

Can an Open System Cause Life?

Evolutionists claims that the Second Law of Thermodynamics does not prevent Evolution on Earth, since our earth is an open system that gets its energy from the Sun. But, is the simple addition of energy all that is needed to accomplish evolution? Can the addition of energy make a dead plant alive?

A dead plant contains the same structure as a living plant. If there is evolutionary force at work in the universe, and if the open system of Earth makes the difference, why does the Sun’s energy not make dead things live again? In fact, if we apply heat to dead organisms it only speeds the decaying process.

The scientist, Dr. A.E. Wilder-Smith, puts it this way: “What is the difference then between a stick, which is dead, and an orchid which is alive? The difference is that the orchid has teleonomy in it. It is a machine which is capturing energy to increase order. Where you have life, you have teleonomy, and then the Sun’s energy in the “open system” can be taken and make the thing grow – increasing its order.”

Teleonomy is information stored within a living thing. It involves design and purpose and is stored within its genes. Where did the teleonomy of living things originate? Teleonomy does not reside in matter itself. Matter, itself, is not creative.

Dr. Wilder-Smith says: “The pure chemistry of a cell is not enough to explain the working of a cell, although the workings are chemical. The chemical workings of a cell are controlled by information which does not reside in the atoms and molecules.”

Creationists believe cells originated from designed and coded information.

Illustration

There is a natural tendency towards disintegration and chaos in the universe. In other words, in any closed system, the amount of disorder always increases with time. A simple illustration would be that of a cup of tea that cools off in an insulated room. Energy is not lost, it is transferred in the form of heat from the hot tea to the cool air. The closed system (consisting of the room and the tea) has undergone a “heat death.” There is no more available energy. And the second law says that the reverse cannot happen!

In the universe’s giant closed system, stars that are hot are cooling down, losing energy into space. The Universe is running out of usable energy going towards disorder and chaos. This principle is known as entropy. Since energy is continually changing from available to unavailable energy, someone had to give it available energy in the beginning!

This someone must not be bound by the second law of thermodynamics. He is outside this closed system. Thus, only the Creator of the second law of thermodynamics could violate the second law of thermodynamics, and create energy in a state of availability. It should be noted that science examines only what occurs in nature, not super-nature.

Conclusion

The Second Law of Thermodynamics disproves evolution. This law states that in an isolated system, the total entropy (a measure of disorder) must increase over time. The increasing complexity and order observed in evolution—from simple molecules to complex organisms—contradict this principle, as it seems to imply a decrease in entropy.

Evolution requires the spontaneous emergence of order from disorder, which is impossible under the Second Law. For the natural processes lead to increasing disorder, not the complex and highly ordered structures found in living organisms. Therefore, evolution, which posits a naturalistic process leading to increasing complexity over millions of years, is false.

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In His service,
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