THE POETRY OF THERMODYNAMICS - ENERGY, ENTROPY EXERGY AND QUALITY/

The new thermodynamics of non-equilibrium and complex systems enables a greater understanding of natural processes, including ecosystems and life, To the classic variables of Energy and Entropy, it adds Exergy. Its development comes at the same time as an enhanced awareness of th e social and cultural aspects of natural science. Combining these two trends, we explore the possibility of the enrichment of our understand ing of both predominantly natural and predominantly cultural ('reflexi ve') systems through their poetry. For this, the concept of Quality se rves for the synthesis of systems thinking. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.