This book presents a clear and readable description of one of the most mysterious concepts of physics: Entropy. It contains a self-learning kit that guides the reader in understanding the concepts of entropy. In the first part, the reader is asked to play the familiar twenty-Question game. Once the reader feels comfortable with playing this game and acquires proficiency in playing the game effectively (intelligently), he or she will be able to capture the elusive and used-to-be mysterious concept of entropy.There will be no more speculative or arbitrary interpretations, nor "older" or "modern" views of entropy. This book will guide readers in choosing their own interpretation of entropy.

This book tells the story of a whole field of research which went disastrously wrong in many different directions when the wrong tools were used and the wrong targets aimed at, to solve a problem.It all started from the misinterpretation of Schellman's experiments which were carried out in the mid-1950s, and which were later encapsulated by the so-called 'Hydrogen-bond inventory argument.' As a result, hydrogen bonding was ignored in protein folding; along with that a whole repertoire of other possible hydrophilic effects were not even considered. Against this background the hydrophobic effects, as suggested by Kauzmann, became the single most important effects in protein folding.In addition, as a result of the misinterpretation of Anfinsen's hypothesis, as well as misunderstanding of the Second Law, people made futile attempts to search for the structure of proteins in the global minimum of either the Energy, or the Gibbs Energy Landscape.

This book tells the story of a whole field of research which went disastrously wrong in many different directions when the wrong tools were used and the wrong targets aimed at, to solve a problem.It all started from the misinterpretation of Schellman's experiments which were carried out in the mid-1950s, and which were later encapsulated by the so-called 'Hydrogen-bond inventory argument.' As a result, hydrogen bonding was ignored in protein folding; along with that a whole repertoire of other possible hydrophilic effects were not even considered. Against this background the hydrophobic effects, as suggested by Kauzmann, became the single most important effects in protein folding.In addition, as a result of the misinterpretation of Anfinsen's hypothesis, as well as misunderstanding of the Second Law, people made futile attempts to search for the structure of proteins in the global minimum of either the Energy, or the Gibbs Energy Landscape.

This book is about the definition of the Shannon measure of Information, and some derived quantities such as conditional information and mutual information. Unlike many books, which refer to the Shannon's Measure of information (SMI) as 'Entropy,' this book makes a clear distinction between the SMI and Entropy.In the last chapter, Entropy is derived as a special case of SMI.Ample examples are provided which help the reader in understanding the different concepts discussed in this book. As with previous books by the author, this book aims at a clear and mystery-free presentation of the central concept in Information theory - the Shannon's Measure of Information.This book presents the fundamental concepts of Information theory in a friendly-simple language and is devoid of all kinds of fancy and pompous statements made by authors of popular science books who write on this subject. It is unique in its presentation of Shannon's measure of information, and the clear distinction between this concept and the thermodynamic entropy.Although some mathematical knowledge is required by the reader, the emphasis is on the concepts and their meaning rather on the mathematical details of the theory.

This book is unique in presenting all aspects of water. It includes discussion of the theory of a water molecule, its properties, both in the pure state and as a solvent. In particular, it emphasizes the relevance of water to life.Water is the most important liquid. It is also a vital component of all living systems. It has very unusual properties which makes it the most interesting for research and study.

'This is a thought-provoking book that would be of interest to anyone wanting to ponder the concept of time, and to develop more critical thinking skills that may be useful when reading popular science books or articles.'IEEE Electrical Insulation MagazineThe aim of this book is to explain in simple language what we know about time and about the history of time. It is shown that the briefest (as well as the lengthiest) history of time can be described in one or two pages.The second purpose of the book is to show that neither entropy, nor the Second Law of Thermodynamics has anything to do with time. The third purpose is to educate the lay reader how to read popular science books, critically. Towards this goal, detailed reviews of four books on time are presented.There are many popular science books on Time, on the beginning of Time and the end of Time. This book is unique in the following two senses:

This textbook introduces thermodynamics with a modern approach, starting from four fundamental physical facts (the atomic nature of matter, the indistinguishability of atoms and molecules of the same species, the uncertainty principle, and the existence of equilibrium states) and analyzing the behavior of complex systems with the tools of information theory, in particular with Shannon's measure of information (or SMI), which can be defined on any probability distribution. SMI is defined and its properties and time evolution are illustrated, and it is shown that the entropy is a particular type of SMI, i.e. the SMI related to the phase-space distribution for a macroscopic system at equilibrium. The connection to SMI allows the reader to understand what entropy is and why isolated systems follow the Second Law of Thermodynamics. The Second Llaw is also formulated for other systems, not thermally isolated and even open with respect to the transfer of particles. All the fundamental aspects of thermodynamics are derived and illustrated with several examples in the first part of the book. The second part addresses important applications of thermodynamics, covering phase transitions, mixtures and solutions (including the Kirkwood-Buff approach and solvation thermodynamics), chemical equilibrium, and the outstanding properties of water.This textbook is unique in two aspects. First, thermodynamics is introduced with a novel approach, based on information theory applied to macroscopic systems at equilibrium. It is shown that entropy is a particular case of Shannon's measure of information (SMI), and the properties and time evolution of the SMI are used to explain the Second Law of Thermodynamics. This represents a real breakthrough, as classical thermodynamics cannot explain entropy, nor clarify why systems should obey the Second Law. Second, this textbook offers the reader the possibility to get in touch with important and advanced applications of thermodynamics, to address the topics discussed in the second part of the book. Although they may go beyond the content of a typical introductory course on thermodynamics, some of them can be important in the curriculum chosen by the student. At the same time, they are of appealing interest to more advanced scholars.

'Ben-Naim convincingly argues that SMI not only gives a simpler and more broadly applicable definition of entropy, but also clears up much of the historical and modern confusion surrounding the second law. This book will interest any individual who wants to understand how SMI gives a clear definition of entroy.'CHOICE ConnectThis book discusses the proper definitions of entropy, the valid interpretation of entropy and some useful applications of the concept of entropy. Unlike many books which apply the concept of entropy to systems for which it is not even defined (such as living systems, black holes and the entire universe), these applications will help the reader to understand the meaning of entropy. It also emphasizes the limitations of the applicability of the concept of entropy and the Second Law of Thermodynamics. As with the previous books by the author, this book aims at a clear and mystery-free presentation of the central concept in thermodynamics - the entropy.In this book, the concepts of entropy and the Second Law are presented in a friendly, simple language. It is devoid of all kinds of fancy and pompous statements made by authors of popular science books who write on this subject.

'Ben-Naim convincingly argues that SMI not only gives a simpler and more broadly applicable definition of entropy, but also clears up much of the historical and modern confusion surrounding the second law. This book will interest any individual who wants to understand how SMI gives a clear definition of entroy.'CHOICE ConnectThis book discusses the proper definitions of entropy, the valid interpretation of entropy and some useful applications of the concept of entropy. Unlike many books which apply the concept of entropy to systems for which it is not even defined (such as living systems, black holes and the entire universe), these applications will help the reader to understand the meaning of entropy. It also emphasizes the limitations of the applicability of the concept of entropy and the Second Law of Thermodynamics. As with the previous books by the author, this book aims at a clear and mystery-free presentation of the central concept in thermodynamics - the entropy.In this book, the concepts of entropy and the Second Law are presented in a friendly, simple language. It is devoid of all kinds of fancy and pompous statements made by authors of popular science books who write on this subject.

The aim of this book is to explain in simple language what we know and what we do not know about information and entropy - two of the most frequently discussed topics in recent literature - and whether they are relevant to life and the entire universe.Entropy is commonly interpreted as a measure of disorder. This interpretation has caused a great amount of 'disorder' in the literature. One of the aims of this book is to put some 'order' in this 'disorder'.The book explains with minimum amount of mathematics what information theory is and how it is related to thermodynamic entropy. Then it critically examines the application of these concepts to the question of 'What is life?' and whether or not they can be applied to the entire universe.

The aim of this book is to explain in simple language what we know and what we do not know about information and entropy - two of the most frequently discussed topics in recent literature - and whether they are relevant to life and the entire universe.Entropy is commonly interpreted as a measure of disorder. This interpretation has caused a great amount of 'disorder' in the literature. One of the aims of this book is to put some 'order' in this 'disorder'.The book explains with minimum amount of mathematics what information theory is and how it is related to thermodynamic entropy. Then it critically examines the application of these concepts to the question of 'What is life?' and whether or not they can be applied to the entire universe.

This book starts out by presenting the evidence for the importance of hydrophilic interactions in biochemical processes and then goes on to describe the applications of the hydrophilic interactions in these processes, specifically protein folding, protein association, self assembly and molecular recognition. In this volume it is shown that the new paradigm, based on the hydrophilic effect, brings us as close as one can hope to the solutions of the protein folding problem, as well as the problem of self assembly and molecular recognition. In addition, the new paradigm also provides an explanation of the high solubility of globular proteins. The change in the paradigm is shown symbolically in the cover design of this book.

This book starts out by presenting the evidence for the importance of hydrophilic interactions in biochemical processes and then goes on to describe the applications of the hydrophilic interactions in these processes, specifically protein folding, protein association, self assembly and molecular recognition. In this volume it is shown that the new paradigm, based on the hydrophilic effect, brings us as close as one can hope to the solutions of the protein folding problem, as well as the problem of self assembly and molecular recognition. In addition, the new paradigm also provides an explanation of the high solubility of globular proteins. The change in the paradigm is shown symbolically in the cover design of this book.

In this unique book, Arieh Ben-Naim invites the reader to experience the joy of appreciating something which has eluded understanding for many years -- entropy and the Second Law of Thermodynamics. The book has a two-pronged message: first, that the Second Law is not "infinitely incomprehensible" as commonly stated in textbooks of thermodynamics but can, in fact, be comprehended through sheer common sense; and second, that entropy is not a mysterious quantity that has "resisted understanding" but a simple, familiar and easily comprehensible concept. Written in an accessible style, the book guides the reader through an abundance of dice games and examples from everyday life. The author paves the way for readers to discover for themselves what entropy is, how it changes, and most importantly, why it always changes in one direction in a spontaneous process.

This book presents a new approach to the Protein Folding Problem. It starts with a clear description of what the protein folding problem involves. Then, it suggests non-conventional answers to some of the questions posed. In particular, it emphasizes the importance of hydrophilic interactions and hydrophilic forces, rather than the hydrophobic effects, for the stability of the native structure of proteins, as well for the speed of the folding process.

This book presents a new approach to the Protein Folding Problem. It starts with a clear description of what the protein folding problem involves. Then, it suggests non-conventional answers to some of the questions posed. In particular, it emphasizes the importance of hydrophilic interactions and hydrophilic forces, rather than the hydrophobic effects, for the stability of the native structure of proteins, as well for the speed of the folding process.

This is a unique book which explains the concept of probability and its applications with almost no mathematics. As the title states, the reader will discover the concept of probability, learn how to use it, and be made aware of some misuses of, and sometimes even abuse of, probability. The reader will come to know that a basic knowledge of probability is useful in life.It is a novel, self-teaching book that is easy to read, oftentimes entertaining and full of useful information on both probability and information theory. The style is reader-friendly. It will appeal to anyone who is interested in the "laws" that govern our daily lives.The detailed examples in the book are taken from daily life which anyone can identify with. The last section introduces the Shannon measure of information and its relationship to probabilities.

This is a unique book which explains the concept of probability and its applications with almost no mathematics. As the title states, the reader will discover the concept of probability, learn how to use it, and be made aware of some misuses of, and sometimes even abuse of, probability. The reader will come to know that a basic knowledge of probability is useful in life.It is a novel, self-teaching book that is easy to read, oftentimes entertaining and full of useful information on both probability and information theory. The style is reader-friendly. It will appeal to anyone who is interested in the "laws" that govern our daily lives.The detailed examples in the book are taken from daily life which anyone can identify with. The last section introduces the Shannon measure of information and its relationship to probabilities.

The book presents a clear and unique approach to statistical thermodynamics based on Shannon's measure of information, and provides applications to problems of interest in the life sciences.There is no other book which presents the fundamentals of statistical thermodynamics on Information theory, yet also includes many applications which usually do not feature in such textbooks.

In this unique book, the reader is invited to experience the joy of appreciating something which has eluded understanding for many years - entropy and the Second Law of Thermodynamics. The book has a two-pronged message: first, that the second law is not infinitely incomprehensible as commonly stated in most textbooks on thermodynamics, but can, in fact, be comprehended through sheer common sense; and second, that entropy is not a mysterious quantity that has resisted understanding but a simple, familiar and easily comprehensible concept.Written in an accessible style, the book guides the reader through an abundance of dice games and examples from everyday life. The author paves the way for readers to discover for themselves what entropy is, how it changes, and, most importantly, why it always changes in one direction in a spontaneous process.In this new edition, seven simulated games are included so that the reader can actually experiment with the games described in the book. These simulated games are meant to enhance the readers' understanding and sense of joy upon discovering the Second Law of Thermodynamics.

The book presents a clear and unique approach to statistical thermodynamics based on Shannon's measure of information, and provides applications to problems of interest in the life sciences.There is no other book which presents the fundamentals of statistical thermodynamics on Information theory, yet also includes many applications which usually do not feature in such textbooks.

'It can be used as a supplementary material for teaching thermodynamics and statistical physics at an undergraduate or postgraduate level and can be a great read for undergraduate and postgraduate students of Sciences and Engineering.'Contemporary PhysicsIn this unique book, the reader is invited to experience the joy of appreciating something which has eluded understanding for many years - entropy and the Second Law of Thermodynamics. The book has a two-pronged message: first, that the Second Law is not infinitely incomprehensible as commonly stated in most textbooks on thermodynamics, but can, in fact, be comprehended through sheer common sense; and second, that entropy is not a mysterious quantity that has resisted understanding but a simple, familiar and easily comprehensible concept.Written in an accessible style, the book guides the reader through an abundance of dice games and examples from everyday life. The author paves the way for readers to discover for themselves what entropy is, how it changes, and, most importantly, why it always changes in one direction in a spontaneous process.In this new edition, seven simulated games are included so that the reader can actually experiment with the games described in the book. These simulated games are meant to enhance the readers' understanding and sense of joy upon discovering the Second Law of Thermodynamics.All errors in the previous edition were corrected and a whole new section (7.7) has been added in which the meaning of entropy is explain in simple lanaguage.

'It can be used as a supplementary material for teaching thermodynamics and statistical physics at an undergraduate or postgraduate level and can be a great read for undergraduate and postgraduate students of Sciences and Engineering.'Contemporary PhysicsIn this unique book, the reader is invited to experience the joy of appreciating something which has eluded understanding for many years - entropy and the Second Law of Thermodynamics. The book has a two-pronged message: first, that the Second Law is not infinitely incomprehensible as commonly stated in most textbooks on thermodynamics, but can, in fact, be comprehended through sheer common sense; and second, that entropy is not a mysterious quantity that has resisted understanding but a simple, familiar and easily comprehensible concept.Written in an accessible style, the book guides the reader through an abundance of dice games and examples from everyday life. The author paves the way for readers to discover for themselves what entropy is, how it changes, and, most importantly, why it always changes in one direction in a spontaneous process.In this new edition, seven simulated games are included so that the reader can actually experiment with the games described in the book. These simulated games are meant to enhance the readers' understanding and sense of joy upon discovering the Second Law of Thermodynamics.All errors in the previous edition were corrected and a whole new section (7.7) has been added in which the meaning of entropy is explain in simple lanaguage.

The principal message of this book is that thermodynamics and statistical mechanics will benefit from replacing the unfortunate, misleading and mysterious term "entropy" with a more familiar, meaningful and appropriate term such as information, missing information or uncertainty. This replacement would facilitate the interpretation of the "driving force" of many processes in terms of informational changes and dispel the mystery that has always enshrouded entropy.It has been 140 years since Clausius coined the term "entropy"; almost 50 years since Shannon developed the mathematical theory of "information" - subsequently renamed "entropy". In this book, the author advocates replacing "entropy" by "information", a term that has become widely used in many branches of science.The author also takes a new and bold approach to thermodynamics and statistical mechanics. Information is used not only as a tool for predicting distributions but as the fundamental cornerstone concept of thermodynamics, held until now by the term "entropy".The topics covered include the fundamentals of probability and information theory; the general concept of information as well as the particular concept of information as applied in thermodynamics; the re-derivation of the Sackur-Tetrode equation for the entropy of an ideal gas from purely informational arguments; the fundamental formalism of statistical mechanics; and many examples of simple processes the "driving force" for which is analyzed in terms of information.

The principal message of this book is that thermodynamics and statistical mechanics will benefit from replacing the unfortunate, misleading and mysterious term "entropy" with a more familiar, meaningful and appropriate term such as information, missing information or uncertainty. This replacement would facilitate the interpretation of the "driving force" of many processes in terms of informational changes and dispel the mystery that has always enshrouded entropy.It has been 140 years since Clausius coined the term "entropy"; almost 50 years since Shannon developed the mathematical theory of "information" - subsequently renamed "entropy". In this book, the author advocates replacing "entropy" by "information", a term that has become widely used in many branches of science.The author also takes a new and bold approach to thermodynamics and statistical mechanics. Information is used not only as a tool for predicting distributions but as the fundamental cornerstone concept of thermodynamics, held until now by the term "entropy".The topics covered include the fundamentals of probability and information theory; the general concept of information as well as the particular concept of information as applied in thermodynamics; the re-derivation of the Sackur-Tetrode equation for the entropy of an ideal gas from purely informational arguments; the fundamental formalism of statistical mechanics; and many examples of simple processes the "driving force" for which is analyzed in terms of information.