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Scientists report asymmetry between heating and cooling

phys.org

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Re: Scientists report asymmetry between heating and cooling

#11

Post by jmilloy »

schiffern wrote: post #5

>And have questions like: 'Why don't we have a device like a microwave oven for fast cooling?'" Isn't that... just a blast chiller? (AKA a convection oven in reverse) It's not commonly found in households, but that's different from saying "we don't have a device" that does this. EDIT: Yes folks, I do understand how the principles of operation differ. Point being that the humble countertop convection oven definitely q…

No, because I think microwaves heat in a very different way from radiant heat gain (or loss) such as in an oven or this chiller you're talking about. The internal water is heated directly.

Re: Scientists report asymmetry between heating and cooling

#12

Post by rpmisms »

EGreg wrote: post #6

Does this have anything to do with volatility drag in trading? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volatility_tax

Considering that Brownian motion applies (chaotic movement, generally in liquids, caused by heat), yes, the market mirrors the laws of physics here.

Re: Scientists report asymmetry between heating and cooling

#13

Post by cameronh90 »

kccqzy wrote: post #8
ThalesX wrote: post #2

Does this mean ideal building design is as cool as possible and using energy for heating?

I'm not an expert at all, but from my understanding, the ideal building is one that has so much insulation that its interior is kept at a set temperature with very little cooling and heating needed.

You still need to get rid of heat generated from inside buildings and potentially deal with the impact of ventilation.

Re: Scientists report asymmetry between heating and cooling

#14

Post by pitherpather »

bmitc wrote: post #3

I always feel a little stupid or strange reading a lot of these science headlines and introductions. I wasn't aware that people considered there to be a symmetry between heating and cooling. I thought that the entire point of thermodynamics is that they are asymmetric. Even the article mentions that it's been known that heating is more efficient than cooling.

> I wasn't aware that people considered there to be a symmetry between heating and cooling

Same here. By analogy, while any chemical reaction is in principle reversible, the kinetics "forward" and "backward" are unlikely to be equally favorable.

Likewise, with atomic nuclei, fission and fusion tend to be favored under distinctly different conditions.

The article does mention "far from equilibrium." Could this be a caveat similar to "in mice"?

Re: Scientists report asymmetry between heating and cooling

#15

Post by lelandbatey »

i-use-nixos-btw wrote: post #9

> While no immediate practical applications exist, the researchers envision enhanced efficiency in micromotors, microscale cargo transport, and materials that can self-assemble or self-repair. Everyone who has ever written a grant application will recognise this wording.

I'm curious what the meaning behind the recognition is. Is it "this has applications potentially anywhere!"

Is it actually code for "very dangerous military applications, DARPA please pay attention to me!"

Re: Scientists report asymmetry between heating and cooling

#16

Post by ptcrash »

i-use-nixos-btw wrote: post #9

> While no immediate practical applications exist, the researchers envision enhanced efficiency in micromotors, microscale cargo transport, and materials that can self-assemble or self-repair. Everyone who has ever written a grant application will recognise this wording.

Would you care to share for those of us who haven’t written a grant application before?

Re: Scientists report asymmetry between heating and cooling

#17

Post by lupire »

lelandbatey wrote: post #15
i-use-nixos-btw wrote: post #9

> While no immediate practical applications exist, the researchers envision enhanced efficiency in micromotors, microscale cargo transport, and materials that can self-assemble or self-repair. Everyone who has ever written a grant application will recognise this wording.

I'm curious what the meaning behind the recognition is. Is it "this has applications potentially anywhere!" Is it actually code for "very dangerous military applications, DARPA please pay attention to me!"

Swarm of killer robots.

Re: Scientists report asymmetry between heating and cooling

#18

Post by koolba »

lelandbatey wrote: post #15
i-use-nixos-btw wrote: post #9

> While no immediate practical applications exist, the researchers envision enhanced efficiency in micromotors, microscale cargo transport, and materials that can self-assemble or self-repair. Everyone who has ever written a grant application will recognise this wording.

I'm curious what the meaning behind the recognition is. Is it "this has applications potentially anywhere!" Is it actually code for "very dangerous military applications, DARPA please pay attention to me!"

It’s code for: We’re not sure what it can do, but throw some more money at us and we’ll eventually tell you!

Re: Scientists report asymmetry between heating and cooling

#20

Post by marcosdumay »

ptcrash wrote: post #16
i-use-nixos-btw wrote: post #9

> While no immediate practical applications exist, the researchers envision enhanced efficiency in micromotors, microscale cargo transport, and materials that can self-assemble or self-repair. Everyone who has ever written a grant application will recognise this wording.

Would you care to share for those of us who haven’t written a grant application before?

The writer can not imagine any realistic application for the foreseeable future. But hey, nothing is impossible.
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