?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Adc&rft.title=Maxwell's+Demon&rft.creator=Shenker%2C+Orly&rft.creator=Hemmo%2C+Meir&rft.subject=Probability%2FStatistics&rft.subject=Thought+Experiments&rft.subject=Classical+Physics&rft.subject=Classical&rft.subject=Reductionism%2FHolism&rft.subject=Physics&rft.subject=Statistical+Mechanics%2FThermodynamics&rft.description=%22Maxwell's+Demon%22%2C+the+famous+thought+experiment+of+James+Clerk+Maxwell%2C+has+been+devised+in+1867+as+a+counter+example+for+the+Second+Law+of+thermodynamics.+During+the+140+years+since+the+Demon+was+first+suggested%2C+numerous+attempts+have+been+made+to+counter+Maxwell's+argument.+The+attempts+have+been+to+show+that+Maxwell+was+wrong%2C+since+his+Demon+cannot+work+for+one+reason+or+another+(see+Leff+and+Rex+2003+for+details+and+references).+In+this+paper+we+show+(following+an+argument+by+Albert+2000%2C+Ch.+5.)+that+Maxwell+was+basically+right%2C+in+the+sense+that+his+thought+experiment+is+compatible+with+the+laws+of+mechanics+as+well+as+with+central+principles+of+statistical+mechanics.+We+then+derive+some+(weak)+restrictions+on+the+Demon's+efficiency.+Finally%2C+we+prove+that+the+Demon's+cycle+of+operation+can+be+completed+(in+particular%2C+the+Demon's+memory+can+be+erased)+without+increasing+the+total+entropy+of+the+universe.+We+draw+some+conclusions+about+the+way+to+understand+the+meaning+and+role+of+probability+in+classical+statistical+mechanics&rft.date=2006-12&rft.type=Preprint&rft.type=NonPeerReviewed&rft.format=doc&rft.identifier=http%3A%2F%2Fphilsci-archive.pitt.edu%2F3795%2F1%2FHemmo%2526Shenker_Maxwell_Demon_December2007_Archive.doc&rft.identifier=Shenker%2C+Orly+and+Hemmo%2C+Meir+(2006)+Maxwell's+Demon.+[Preprint]&rft.relation=http%3A%2F%2Fphilsci-archive.pitt.edu%2F3795%2