for fans of stat. physics ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Kerry P Forristall <kerryf(a)mit.edu> Date: Tue, Oct 9, 2012 at 8:37 AM Subject: [Biophysics-Seminar] Special Biophysics Seminar-Today 4:30 in 6-120 To: "biophysics-seminar(a)mit.edu" <biophysics-seminar(a)mit.edu> *MIT Biophysics Special Seminar* *Tuesday, 10/9/12 in room 6-120***** ** ** Christopher Jarzynski**** University of Maryland**** ** ** The Second Law of Thermodynamics at the Nanoscale**** How do the laws of thermodynamics apply to individual systems at molecular length scales? I will address one aspect of this question, summarizing recent progress related specifically to the second law. I will describe how three macroscopic signatures of the second law-dissipation, hysteresis and the arrow of time-scale down to microscopic systems, revealing genuinely novel features of nanoscale thermodynamics. In particular, I will show how a proper accounting of fluctuations allows us to rewrite familiar inequalities of macroscopic thermodynamics as equalities. **** Time: *4:30pm* Place: *6-120 *Host: *Jianshu Cao* **** For more information: http://biophysics.mit.edu/seminar**** ** ** ** ** [ Kerry Forristall ] Administrative Assistant | Department of Physics |8-310 | Tel (617) 715-4999 | kerryf(a)mit.edu**** ** ** _______________________________________________ biophysics-seminar mailing list biophysics-seminar(a)mit.edu http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/biophysics-seminar -- ******************************************** Semion K. Saikin, PhD Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology Harvard University 12 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 email: saykin(a)fas.harvard.edu phone: (619)212-6649 ********************************************