Science Odyssey: Probing the Mysteries of Entropy and Information

By Clay Farris Naff

Entropy has been called the supreme law of the universe, yet more than a century after Ludwig Boltzmann wrote down the equation for it, entropy remains a deeply confusing concept. In that regard, it's much like its cousin, information.

In Part 1 of this program, we hear from Chemistry Professor Emeritus Frank Lambert of Occidental College on his effort to correct what he sees as a fundamental misunderstanding about entropy.

In Part 2, we turn to  the distinguished physicist and computer scientist Steven M. Girvin of Yale to learn about the curious relationship of entropy and information and how it complicates the effort to develop quantum computing.

Entropy, Part 1
Entropy, Part 2

Clay Farris Naff is (claynaff.com) is a science author and blogger whose weekly radio program, Science Odyssey, airs Saturday mornings from 8:30 to 9 a.m. CST on KZUM, Lincoln's community radio station. You can hear it over the air at 89.3 FM or on the web live at kzum.org. Clay's science and religion blog on the Huffington Post can be seen here.