Yup, I was discussing something like this with my dad some time ago, and told him: "do you think it would be possible for all the oxygen molecules in a room to move in the corner, occupying a 1 cubic meter volume on the opposite side of you and have you suffocate?" He answered with: "of course it is impossible!"
Well, no, it isn't, in their random movement they are just extremely unlikely to move all in the same direction and remain relatively stationary there for a sizable amount of time without any external force, and I mean, so incredibly unlikely that getting out and finding the love of your life, then marrying her, then having a lightning strike kill her in front of you all in the same day is more probable.
Though, if something that should happen once in a million times, happens together with more million to one chances, like it seems to be the case this US election?
Fuck it, it's very likely an external force is influencing this shit.
Molecules move randomly, entropy in this case very strongly favours an even concentration of them throughout the room.
But moving randomly and independently from one another doesn't completely exclude the remote possibility of them all moving towards the same point. It's not completely impossible, but it would be so damn unlikely that I don't expect it to ever be witnessed in the whole life of the universe.
Yup, I was discussing something like this with my dad some time ago, and told him: "do you think it would be possible for all the oxygen molecules in a room to move in the corner, occupying a 1 cubic meter volume on the opposite side of you and have you suffocate?" He answered with: "of course it is impossible!"
Well, no, it isn't, in their random movement they are just extremely unlikely to move all in the same direction and remain relatively stationary there for a sizable amount of time without any external force, and I mean, so incredibly unlikely that getting out and finding the love of your life, then marrying her, then having a lightning strike kill her in front of you all in the same day is more probable.
Though, if something that should happen once in a million times, happens together with more million to one chances, like it seems to be the case this US election?
Fuck it, it's very likely an external force is influencing this shit.
I would argue that it is impossible due to the diffusion gradient. There isn't enough inherent energy in the system overcome that type of entropy.
Furthermore it would need to retain that state for enough time for you to suffocate.
It is so far off the realm of possibilities.
Molecules move randomly, entropy in this case very strongly favours an even concentration of them throughout the room. But moving randomly and independently from one another doesn't completely exclude the remote possibility of them all moving towards the same point. It's not completely impossible, but it would be so damn unlikely that I don't expect it to ever be witnessed in the whole life of the universe.
Never thought I'd see some statistical mechanics on TDW, yet here we are :D
I'm a Chemist, had an exam on that in uni, hated it at the time, but gotta say, thinking back on it it was fun.