Entropy and the arrow of time

Here is an interesting interview in the Wired Science blog. Physicist Sean Carroll is studying time. In the interview he talks about the “arrow of time,” the fact that we can know the past but not the future. There are processes that you cannot reverse. An omelet cannot be returned to an egg. Entropy is also discussed, the idea that things become more disorderly over time. The analogy he puts forth is that you are not surprised that an orderly desk becomes messy but you would be surprised if you left a messy desk to return and find it orderly. These two concepts seem related to auditing. Auditing studies the past. In addition, we are not surprised that well-designed services over time morph into inefficient and ineffective services.