Ginsberg's theorem
Ginsberg's theorem is a parody of the laws of thermodynamics in terms of a person playing a game. The quote was first attributed to the poet Allen Ginsberg in a 1975 issue of the Coevolution Quarterly[1]
It is possible that the quote originates as a slight misstatement of the opening lines of "You Can't Win," by Charlie Smalls, as the copyright date for Small's song is 1974, earlier than the first attribution to Ginsberg.[2]
Theorem
The "theorem" is given as a restatement of the consequences of the first, second, and third laws of thermodynamics:[3][4][5][6]
- You can't win. (consequence of first law of thermodynamics)
- You can't break even. (consequence of second law of thermodynamics)
- You can't even get out of the game. (consequence of third law of thermodynamics)
It is sometimes stated as a general adage without specific reference to the laws of thermodynamics.[7][8][9]
References
- ↑ "Article". Coevolution Quarterly: 135. 1975.
- ↑ Charlie, Smalls,. "Michael Jackson "You Can't Win" Sheet Music in F Major (transposable) – Download & Print". Musicnotes.com. Retrieved 2016-05-05.
- ↑ Bloch, Arthur (2003). Murphy's Law. New York, N.Y: Perigee. p. 20. ISBN 0-399-52930-6.
- ↑ Zanella, Andrew; Copp, Newton (1993). Discovery, innovation, and risk: case studies in science and technology. Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press. p. 142. ISBN 0-262-53111-9.
- ↑ Jim August (1999). Applied reliability-centered maintenance. Tulsa, Okla: PennWell. p. 341. ISBN 0-87814-746-2.
- ↑ Philip Ackerman-Leist (2010). Up Tunket Road: The Education of a Modern Homesteader. White River Junction, VT: Chelsea Green Publishing. p. 217. ISBN 1-60358-033-6.
- ↑ Robert A. Bethem; Boyd, Robert W.; Bob Boyd; Cecilia Basic (2008). Trace quantitative analysis by mass spectrometry. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons. p. 109. ISBN 0-470-05771-8.
- ↑ Newhouse, John (2008). Boeing versus Airbus: The Inside Story of the Greatest International Competition in Business (Vintage). London: Vintage. p. 4. ISBN 1-4000-7872-5.
- ↑ Mastrosimone, William (1981). The woolgatherer: a play in two acts. New York: S. French. p. 36. ISBN 0-573-61821-6.
External links
- Quotations related to Thermodynamics at Wikiquote
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