Opening doors to understanding: The refrigerator and the universe, understanding the laws of energy

This text provides an explanation of the laws of thermodynamics for science buffs and neophytes alike. It begins with a presentation of the historical development of thermodynamics, then goes on to show how the laws follow from the atomic theory of matter. Examples of their applicability to such diverse phenomena as the radiation of light from hot bodies, the formation of diamonds from graphite, the carriage of oxygen by blood and the history of the earth are provided. The laws of energy, the authors conclude, have something to say about everything, even if they do not tell us everything about anything.