Statistical analysis shows that climate change is due to human activities. The accepted reason being the greenhouse effect, which is based on the erroneous assumption that homonuclear gases are opaque to thermal energy. The reality is that all polyatomic gases absorb and then radially radiate thermal energy, as proven by their heat capacities. The greenhouse effect, then becomes secondary. Thermal energy generated by human activities is part of Earth’s anthroposphere which is where climate change is measured. Such human-generated thermal energy is absorbed by all our atmosphere’s polyatomic gases, which is then radially radiated by those very gases. Therefore, our whole atmosphere forms Earth’s thermal blanket, and human’s activities becomes the root cause of climate change. Our Sun’s influx starts outside of Earth’s thermal blanket, with much of its visible light reaching Earth’s surface. However, the majority of the Sun’s insolation is at thermal wavelengths, which are readily absorbed by Earth’s atmosphere, and whose energy are then radially radiated by its polyatomic gases.

The sciences have evolved around elastic collisions although most collisions are inelastic. Elastic collisions allow for simpler mathematical modelling, that may not be particularly suitable for cosmology. Inelastic collisions create photons. This has led to consideration of an ensemble of inelastic collisions producing CMB. This will further lead to brief discussions concerning the nature of dark matter, and dark energy. This will then be followed by a simpler analogy concerning the creation of Hawking’s radiation. A consequence of collisions being inelastic is that as a mathematical contrivance, entropy may only be an approximation when applied to the real world. And this fits well with this author’s “New Thermodynamics”.

Most collisions that we witness are inelastic. Irrationally, the sciences have evolved around elastic collisions, which allows for simpler mathematical modelling. Since a result of inelastic collisions are photons, we examine the feasibility of an ensemble of inelastic collisions producing a blackbody spectrum. This will lead to reconsideration of how the light that governs our lives is produced, i.e., light from both the stars and incandescent lightbulbs. A brief discussion of entropy being a mathematical contrivance based upon elastic collisions is included. A consequence of collisions being inelastic becomes, entropy can only be an approximation when applied to the real world. And this fits well with “New Thermodynamics”.

The various relationships between the temperature’s witnessed here on Earth, the Sun’s isolation, thermal energy and blackbody radiation are all poorly understood. Herein, the interrelations are examined, and a new theory concerning their relationships is presented. This also puts limitations upon temperature being related to a system’s thermal energy density. It also gives new insights into why inferences based upon infrared spectrometry, do not match those associated with heat capacities. Furthermore, new understandings concerning the inelastic nature of both intermolecular and intramolecular collisions will be proposed. This all will have profound implications to our understanding of thermodynamics, such as what is blackbody radiation, thermal radiation, and temperature, cumulating in profound implications concerning how we view global warming.

Accepted assertions concerning entropy and reversibility in both isentropic and adiabatic processes will be investigated and challenged. The ultimate conclusion being that accepted thermodynamics is an over-complication. Furthermore, the need for natural logarithmic functions will be explained. This functionality no longer depends upon entropy, whatever entropy’s true guise turns out to be. Moreover, it will be discussed how isothermal entropy change is embedded in circular logic.

Inefficiencies of expanding systems are traditionally taught in terms of entropy, and the second law. Herein, it will be shown that such traditional explanations are an over-complication of reality. This will be accomplished by providing a simpler understanding as to why such inefficiencies exist in a piston-cylinder apparatus. This introduces many to a new perspective which is founded on lost work, and the inherent inefficiencies when converting a gas’s kinetic energy into actual work.

Employing elastic collisions rather than the reality of inelastic collisions simplifies much of the theoretical sciences. The consequences of such simplification is completely ignored/unrealized by the majority, hence must be addressed. At the crux of the problem is arguably the illusion of elastic collisions in kinetic theory, but this extends to other realms of physics including statistical theory, Lagrangian mechanics and the Navier-Stokes equations.

A previously published new kinetic theory not only improves the fit with accepted empirical findings, it also means that intermolecular collisions are inelastic. Combined with a previously published new understanding of lost work and the realization that the whole atmosphere acts as a thermal blanket completely changes our understanding, as to how man’s activities relate to global warming.

By redefining a gas’ kinetic energy as translational plus rotational, an alternative kinetic theory was disclosed by this author that was a superior fit with empirical findings than the accepted kinetic theory. This alternative kinetic theory’s fit for monatomic, diatomic and triatomic gases is exceptional, however the same cannot be said of large polyatomic gases. Accordingly, a new consideration called “flatlining” is proposed in order to explain the discrepancy between theory and the known empirical finding for heat capacities of large polyatomic gases.

Entropy remains a part of so many thermodynamics relations, yet its true identity lacks clarity. We shall show that entropy may be nothing more than a mathematical contrivance, one that is illogically used to explain too many phenomena. In so doing, we shall question many traditional thermodynamic conceptualizations, as well as provide a unique understanding as to how Boltzmann's constant relates to a system's ability to do work. (C) 2015 Physics Essays Publication.

The concept of energy lost by expanding systems is reconsidered. The implications to thermodynamic are profound especially to concepts such as reversibility and the second law thermodynamics. (C) 2015 Physics Essays Publication.

We shall reconsider the pressure within a bubble, when we take into account all the cohesive forces within a liquid, which surrounds a bubble. These principles will be applied to maximum bubble pressure method, providing a new plausible explanation as to why measured bubble's pressures do not correlate with traditional Young-Laplace based theory. Finally, we shall explain why probes do not measure increased pressures within bulk liquids. (C) 2014 Physics Essays Publication.

We are going to introduce the concept of "kinematic numbers" and their application to the probability function. We shall then see how this may help explain both the latent heat of vaporization and the critical temperature. Moreover, our intuitive approach allows us to understand both phenomena based upon kinetic theory, and the Boltzmann factor. We shall also discuss the limitations of Avogadro's hypothesis, and show a unique interpretation for the Clausius-Clapeyron equation. (C) 2013 Physics Essays Publication.

We will discuss the fact that our traditional thermodynamic perspective may be skewed and present some alternatives. (C) 2011 Physics Essays Publication. [DOI: 10.4006/1.3597597]

Traditionally in thermodynamics mechanical work is defined in terms of PdV. Although it is empirically correct to consider all mechanical work in terms of PdV, we shall show that it is theoretically incorrect to do so. More specifically, from a theoretical perspective, mechanical work should often be expressed in terms of VdP and not PdV.