Andrew_Bardsley

Entropy as an Arrow of Time takes you on a sweeping journey through one of physics’ most enduring mysteries: why does time seem to move in only one direction? Drawing on insights from classical thermodynamics, quantum mechanics, and cosmology, this book unpacks how entropy underpins time’s forward flow at every scale of nature.
From the foundations of entropy and time in Chapter One, you’ll progress through the second law of thermodynamics, explore macroscopic and microscopic perspectives on irreversibility, and engage with Boltzmann’s legacy and paradoxes that shaped modern statistical mechanics. Delve into realms beyond thermodynamics by examining biological and informational frameworks for entropy, then tackle quantum considerations of decoherence and measurement. Follow the arrow of time out to cosmic scales in the cosmological arrow and confront advanced debates around boundary conditions and the fate of the universe.
The later chapters deepen this conversation, revealing philosophical and psychological arrows that reflect how human memory and causality mirror entropy’s dictates. Concluding with future perspectives, unsolved problems, and an analytical survey of key references, Entropy as an Arrow of Time offers a clear, accessible path through one of the most compelling puzzles of science—why the clock of our universe never ticks backward.

Table of Entropy as an Arrow of Time

Table of contents

Volume 1