{"id":15016,"date":"2025-06-25T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-06-25T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/?p=15016"},"modified":"2025-06-19T15:44:52","modified_gmt":"2025-06-19T15:44:52","slug":"einstein-debate-thermodynamics-law-proof-june-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/einstein-debate-thermodynamics-law-proof-june-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Physicist settles 120-year-old Einstein debate on a law of nature"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-gray-200-background-color has-background\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<h1 id=\"at-a-glance\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">At a Glance<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\">A physicist has settled a century-old debate by proving the Nernst heat theorem stems from the second law of thermodynamics, not a separate third law as believed.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">This finding directly refutes an idea popularized by Albert Einstein, who had detached the theorem from the second law and established it as an independent principle.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">The new proof&#8217;s key insight is introducing a virtual engine, a formal thermodynamic concept overlooked in the historic scientific argument.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">With this proof, the unattainability of absolute zero is also shown to be a direct consequence of the second law, unifying these concepts under one principle.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">This breakthrough significantly narrows the scope of the third law of thermodynamics, a change that could lead to significant revisions in how the subject is taught.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">A physicist has resolved a 120-year-old debate in thermodynamics, demonstrating that a long-standing principle thought to be a separate law of nature is a direct consequence of the well-established second law. In a paper published in <a href=\"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1140\/epjp\/s13360-025-06503-w\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>The European Physical Journal Plus<\/em><\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.us.es\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">University of Seville<\/a> professor <a href=\"https:\/\/www.us.es\/trabaja-en-la-us\/directorio\/jose-maria-martin-olalla\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Jos\u00e9 Mart\u00edn-Olalla<\/a> proves the Nernst heat theorem using only thermodynamic arguments. This finding restructures our understanding of physics at temperatures near absolute zero, the coldest possible limit in the universe at minus 273.15 degrees Celsius. The theorem, first proposed by Walther Nernst in 1905, observes that entropy exchanges \u2014 a measure of how energy and disorder are distributed in a system \u2014 approach zero as the temperature nears absolute zero.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img  decoding=\"async\"  src=\"data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABAQMAAAAl21bKAAAAA1BMVEUAAP+KeNJXAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAAApJREFUCNdjYAAAAAIAAeIhvDMAAAAASUVORK5CYII=\"  alt=\"\"  class=\" pk-lazyload\"  data-pk-sizes=\"auto\"  data-pk-src=\"https:\/\/scx2.b-cdn.net\/gfx\/news\/2025\/study-solves-120-year.jpg\" ><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A graph from the study illustrates the core of the new proof. It shows a theoretical system&#8217;s path from an initial state (E1) to absolute zero (T=0). As temperature (T) decreases, entropy (S), a measure of disorder, also decreases but reaches a specific minimum value at state E0. The shaded regions represent physically impossible states, and the proof demonstrates that this path is a direct consequence of the second law of thermodynamics. (Mart\u00edn-Olalla, 2025)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">The historical puzzle began in the early 20th century, pitting Nernst against Albert Einstein. The second law of thermodynamics states that the universe&#8217;s total entropy, or disorder, always increases. Nernst argued that his theorem was connected to this law, reasoning that if absolute zero were achievable, one could build a perfectly efficient engine that would violate the second law. Einstein countered that such a machine was impractical and could not be built, leading him to conclude that the Nernst theorem must be a separate third law of thermodynamics. This view has been the standard in physics for more than a century.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Mart\u00edn-Olalla\u2019s proof resolves this debate by introducing a crucial nuance that both Nernst and Einstein overlooked: the role of a virtual engine. His demonstration relies on a theoretical tool known as a Carnot thermometer, which is formalized by an idealized engine. Crucially, this engine is virtual \u2014 it is a thought experiment that does not consume heat or produce work and, therefore, does not violate the second law. By using this formal concept of a temperature scale tied to the second law, Mart\u00edn-Olalla shows that the Nernst theorem and the unattainability of absolute zero are both necessary outcomes of the second law itself, without needing to invoke a third.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img  decoding=\"async\"  src=\"data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABAQMAAAAl21bKAAAAA1BMVEUAAP+KeNJXAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAAApJREFUCNdjYAAAAAIAAeIhvDMAAAAASUVORK5CYII=\"  alt=\"\"  class=\" pk-lazyload\"  data-pk-sizes=\"auto\"  data-pk-src=\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/5\/53\/Carnot_theorem_paradox.jpg\" ><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">This diagram illustrates a foundational thought experiment used to understand the second law of thermodynamics. It shows two theoretical heat engines operating between a hot source and a cold sink. The logic proves that no engine can be more efficient than an ideal one, as it would violate the natural heat flow. Professor Mart\u00edn-Olalla&#8217;s new proof uses similar logical reasoning involving a &#8220;virtual engine&#8221; to extend the second law&#8217;s consequences to absolute zero. (&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/w\/index.php?curid=30126585\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Carnot theorem paradox<\/a>&#8221; by Netheril96 and Guy vandegrift is licensed under\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/3.0\/?ref=openverse\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">CC BY-SA 3.0<\/a>.)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">This work proposes a significant revision to physics textbooks, extending the second law&#8217;s reach while narrowing the third&#8217;s scope. With this proof, the third postulate of thermodynamics is refined to a more specific rule: that the entropy of a chemically uniform body cannot be negative. The other significant observation at low temperatures that the ability of a material to absorb heat also vanishes remains an important appendix but not a fundamental principle. &#8220;The students in the thermodynamics course I teach were the first to learn about this demonstration,&#8221; Mart\u00edn-Olalla said. &#8220;I hope that with this publication the demonstration will become better known, but I know that the academic world has a great deal of inertia.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h1 id=\"references\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">References<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\">Mart\u00edn-Olalla, J.-M. (2025). Proof of the Nernst theorem. <em>The European Physical Journal Plus<\/em>, <em>140<\/em>(6), 528. <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1140\/epjp\/s13360-025-06503-w\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1140\/epjp\/s13360-025-06503-w<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">University of Seville. (2025, June 17). <em>Thermodynamics revisited: Study solves 120-year-old problem and corrects one of Einstein\u2019s ideas<\/em>. Phys.Org; University of Seville. <a href=\"https:\/\/phys.org\/news\/2025-06-thermodynamics-revisited-year-problem-einstein.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/phys.org\/news\/2025-06-thermodynamics-revisited-year-problem-einstein.html<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A physicist has settled a historic debate involving Albert Einstein by proving that the third law of thermodynamics is a direct consequence of the second, reshaping our understanding of physics at absolute zero.\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":15018,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/images.unsplash.com\/photo-1708898817248-5af04ed36f15?q=80&w=1228&auto=format&fit=crop&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&ixid=M3wxMjA3fDB8MHxwaG90by1wYWdlfHx8fGVufDB8fHx8fA%3D%3D","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[13270,1061,13271,13275,864,13267,13274,13272,13281,13245,13280,13277,13269,13266,865,13273,13279,13276,13278,13268],"class_list":{"0":"post-15016","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-math-and-the-sciences","8":"tag-absolute-zero","9":"tag-albert-einstein","10":"tag-carnot-thermometer","11":"tag-einstein-debate","12":"tag-entropy","13":"tag-jose-martin-olalla","14":"tag-laws-of-physics","15":"tag-nernst-heat-theorem","16":"tag-physics-education","17":"tag-physics-news","18":"tag-redefining-thermodynamics","19":"tag-science-breakthrough","20":"tag-scientific-proof","21":"tag-second-law-of-thermodynamics","22":"tag-thermodynamics","23":"tag-third-law-of-thermodynamics","24":"tag-unattainability-of-absolute-zero","25":"tag-university-of-seville","26":"tag-virtual-engine","27":"tag-walther-nernst","28":"cs-entry","29":"cs-video-wrap"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15016","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15016"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15016\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15017,"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15016\/revisions\/15017"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15018"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15016"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15016"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15016"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}