[AndrewC]

Imagining another broken law from some Indian law breakers.

[AndrewC]

Ping. Ratcheting up the pressure or Maxwell's demon does exist.

[RightWhale]

How about carbon nanotubes? Could they act like a chain of decreasing size ball-bearings?

[Doctor Stochastic]

What law is supposed to be broken here? The experiment seems in accord with ordinary thermodynamics.

[jlogajan]

This is a theoretical result, not a lab result. It also doesn't violate anything because the more energetic reactions are proceeding toward the less energetic reactions -- as is normal. By mixing reactions in a non-bell shaped distribution, they arrive at funny averages (the thermometer temperature) but this seperation cannot be sustained except by energy input.

So no laws of thermodynamics are being broken. Not a one.