82 THE PHYSICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF ENTROPY 



is very simple and direct, viz., when waste is incurred there is a 

 growth in the number of complexions, the complexity of the 

 molecular motions has been increased. Less of the stored-up 

 energy is available, less is capable of being directed into certain 

 technical channels. Evidently the greater the complexity of 

 the molecular motions the less governable they are by any direct 

 external force or influence we can bring to bear. This is because 

 we are unable to act directly on the individual molecules and 

 sway them to our special technical purpose. Our external forces 

 and agencies can only operate on the aggregates comprising our 

 system and must obey the one-sided law imposed on all such 

 aggregates. 



