Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Second Law of Thermodynamics02:49

Second Law of Thermodynamics

27.5K
In the quest to identify a property that may reliably predict the spontaneity of a process, a promising candidate has been identified: entropy. Processes that involve an increase in entropy of the system (ΔS > 0) are very often spontaneous; however, examples to the contrary are plentiful. By expanding consideration of entropy changes to include the surroundings, a significant conclusion regarding the relation between this property and spontaneity may be reached. In thermodynamic models, the...
27.5K
Second Law of Thermodynamics00:53

Second Law of Thermodynamics

70.0K
The Second Law of Thermodynamics states that entropy, or the amount of disorder in a system, increases each time energy is transferred or transformed. Each energy transfer results in a certain amount of energy that is lost—usually in the form of heat—that increases the disorder of the surroundings. This can also be demonstrated in a classic food web. Herbivores harvest chemical energy from plants and release heat and carbon dioxide into the environment. Carnivores harvest the...
70.0K
Entropy Changes Accompanying Specific Processes01:21

Entropy Changes Accompanying Specific Processes

28
Entropy, a measure of disorder in a system, changes during phase transitions like freezing or boiling. At the transition temperature Ttrs, where two phases are in equilibrium, the phase transition is a reversible process. The entropy change can be calculated from a substance's enthalpy of transition using the equation ΔStrs = ΔtrsH /Ttrs.When a perfect gas expands isothermally from one volume to another, entropy increases logarithmically with volume. Conversely, isothermal compression...
28
Path Between Thermodynamics States01:21

Path Between Thermodynamics States

4.7K
Consider the two thermodynamic processes involving an ideal gas that are represented by paths AC and ABC in Figure 1:
4.7K
Dynamic Equilibrium02:20

Dynamic Equilibrium

65.2K
A reversible chemical reaction represents a chemical process that proceeds in both forward (left to right) and reverse (right to left) directions. When the rates of the forward and reverse reactions are equal, the concentrations of the reactant and product species remain constant over time and the system is at equilibrium. A special double arrow is used to emphasize the reversible nature of the reaction. The relative concentrations of reactants and products in equilibrium systems vary greatly;...
65.2K
Entropy02:39

Entropy

37.0K
Salt particles that have dissolved in water never spontaneously come back together in solution to reform solid particles. Moreover, a gas that has expanded in a vacuum remains dispersed and never spontaneously reassembles. The unidirectional nature of these phenomena is the result of a thermodynamic state function called entropy (S). Entropy is the measure of the extent to which the energy is dispersed throughout a system, or in other words, it is proportional to the degree of disorder of a...
37.0K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Dynamical diversity in conductance-based neuron response to kilohertz electrical stimulation.

Physical review. E·2026
Same author

Relativistic Lévy processes.

Physical review. E·2025
Same author

Delay suppression control of β-oscillations: a proposal for dual-target adaptive deep brain stimulation on STN-GPe network model.

Biological cybernetics·2025
Same author

Power-law behavior around bifurcation points of 1D maps: A supertracks approach.

Chaos (Woodbury, N.Y.)·2025
Same author

Wave amplitude gain within wedge waveguides through scattering by simple obstacles.

Physical review. E·2024
Same author

Lattice thermal conductivity of 2D nanomaterials: a simple semi-empirical approach.

Physical chemistry chemical physics : PCCP·2023

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 10, 2026

An Analog Macroscopic Technique for Studying Molecular Hydrodynamic Processes in Dense Gases and Liquids
11:03

An Analog Macroscopic Technique for Studying Molecular Hydrodynamic Processes in Dense Gases and Liquids

Published on: December 4, 2017

9.1K

Punctuated equilibrium as an emergent process and its modified thermodynamic characterization.

M E Wosniack1, M G E da Luz1, L S Schulman2

  • 1Departamento de Física, Universidade Federal do Paraná, C.P. 19044, 81531-980 Curitiba-PR, Brazil.

Journal of Theoretical Biology
|December 17, 2016
PubMed
Summary

Ecosystems may exhibit evolutionary punctuated equilibrium, alternating between rapid and stable phases. Achieving this balance requires careful tuning of species interactions and connectivity, mimicking complex systems behavior.

Keywords:
Complex systems thermodynamicsMacroevolutionPunctuated equilibriumStatistical mechanics

More Related Videos

Submillisecond Conformational Changes in Proteins Resolved by Photothermal Beam Deflection
10:02

Submillisecond Conformational Changes in Proteins Resolved by Photothermal Beam Deflection

Published on: February 18, 2014

9.5K
Author Spotlight: Exploring Light-Driven Chemical Reactions and Energy-Harnessing Devices in Photochemical Research
08:12

Author Spotlight: Exploring Light-Driven Chemical Reactions and Energy-Harnessing Devices in Photochemical Research

Published on: February 16, 2024

16.5K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 10, 2026

An Analog Macroscopic Technique for Studying Molecular Hydrodynamic Processes in Dense Gases and Liquids
11:03

An Analog Macroscopic Technique for Studying Molecular Hydrodynamic Processes in Dense Gases and Liquids

Published on: December 4, 2017

9.1K
Submillisecond Conformational Changes in Proteins Resolved by Photothermal Beam Deflection
10:02

Submillisecond Conformational Changes in Proteins Resolved by Photothermal Beam Deflection

Published on: February 18, 2014

9.5K
Author Spotlight: Exploring Light-Driven Chemical Reactions and Energy-Harnessing Devices in Photochemical Research
08:12

Author Spotlight: Exploring Light-Driven Chemical Reactions and Energy-Harnessing Devices in Photochemical Research

Published on: February 16, 2024

16.5K

Area of Science:

  • Ecology
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Theoretical Biology

Background:

  • Ecosystems display complex dynamics, including periods of rapid change and stability.
  • Understanding the conditions that drive evolutionary punctuated equilibrium is crucial for ecological theory.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the conditions under which ecosystem interaction networks facilitate evolutionary punctuated equilibrium.
  • To analyze the role of species connectivity and interaction strengths in driving these dynamics.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized the Tangled Nature model for flexible analysis of interspecies interactions.
  • Applied an extended form of thermodynamics, defining out-of-equilibrium collective functions.
  • Characterized punctuated equilibrium using entropy-like and free energy-like quantities.

Main Results:

  • A balance of connectivity and interaction intensities is necessary for natural cooperation and competition dynamics.
  • Evolutionary punctuated equilibrium emerges as a characteristic of complex systems.
  • A simulated annealing-like protocol, by controlling mutation rates, accelerates convergence to stable phases.

Conclusions:

  • Ecosystems can exhibit emergent evolutionary punctuated equilibrium.
  • Thermodynamic analogies provide a framework for understanding and potentially controlling evolutionary dynamics.
  • Adaptive mutation rate control can enhance evolutionary stability and exploration.