it starts out fine, explaining how complex systems are, well, complex. but then it starts to seem a bit odd because it ignores statistical properties (you can't predict the movement of every gas molecule in a box, but you can know the average temperature pretty damn accurately). and then suddenly it jumps to "constructal law":
> The Constructal Law applies to all flow systems which are far from equilibrium, like a river or the climate.
wtf? how can something as vague as "the climate" follow a law? and what's the constructal law? and so you go to wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constructal_theory - and it all starts to look a bit flakey...
thanks. something still seems odd to me, but perhaps i am just too cynical. or perhaps it is being misapplied? when i have more time i will look at constructural theory in more detail.
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is this kosher?
it starts out fine, explaining how complex systems are, well, complex. but then it starts to seem a bit odd because it ignores statistical properties (you can't predict the movement of every gas molecule in a box, but you can know the average temperature pretty damn accurately). and then suddenly it jumps to "constructal law":
> The Constructal Law applies to all flow systems which are far from equilibrium, like a river or the climate.
wtf? how can something as vague as "the climate" follow a law? and what's the constructal law? and so you go to wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constructal_theory - and it all starts to look a bit flakey...
[edit: less flippant]
Adrian Bejan, the guy who created/discovered Constructal Theory doesn't seem to be flakey at all: http://hcr3.isiknowledge.com/author.cgi?&link1=Search... and http://www.mems.duke.edu/fds/pratt/MEMS/faculty/abejan/
Although the "James Harry Potter Gold Medal" sounds kind of weird, it is a real award: http://www.asme.org/Governance/Honors/SocietyAwards/James_Ha...
"For outstanding snitch catching on the Quidditch pitch, I present to you..."
thanks. something still seems odd to me, but perhaps i am just too cynical. or perhaps it is being misapplied? when i have more time i will look at constructural theory in more detail.