Kent Hovind Debunked: Second Law of Thermodynamics Argument
"Evolution is impossible because the Second Law of Thermodynamics says everything goes from order to disorder. You can't get complexity from simplicity."
This is one of the most common creationist arguments and one of the most thoroughly refuted. It rests on a fundamental misunderstanding of what the Second Law actually states.
What the Second Law actually says: The total entropy of an isolated system tends to increase over time. The key word is “isolated” — a system with no external energy input.
Why this doesn’t apply to evolution:
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Earth is not an isolated system. It receives approximately 174 petawatts of energy from the Sun. This constant energy input drives weather, photosynthesis, and all biological processes.
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Local decreases in entropy are normal. Ice freezes, crystals grow, embryos develop, and stars form — all represent local increases in order, paid for by larger entropy increases elsewhere. A refrigerator makes things colder inside by expelling heat outside.
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The math doesn’t support Hovind. Physicist Daniel Styer calculated that the entropy decrease associated with evolution is negligibly small compared to the entropy increase from solar radiation absorbed by Earth. The Second Law is satisfied by an enormous margin.
Hovind’s version omits “isolated system” and substitutes “order to disorder” for the precise concept of entropy. No physicist supports this argument against evolution. It reflects a misunderstanding of introductory thermodynamics.