Linking thermodynamics with life

One of the great triumphs of 19th-century science was the formulation of the first and second laws of thermodynamics. The first law is now simply seen as a rephrasing of the more basic notion of energy conservation, but the second law has several formulations, each with its own subtleties. These have, in turn, generated the introduction of new concepts, most importantly that of entropy. However, the interpretation of the second law is still a matter of debate, particularly in connection with our more recent improved understanding of the passage from reversible to irreversible thermodynamics.