# Absolute zaero--can't reach it due to Uncertainty?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absolute-zaero-cant-reach-it-due-to-uncertainty/77800>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 23, 2001, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absolute-zaero-cant-reach-it-due-to-uncertainty/77800 "2001-08-23T22:41:08Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\
**Post date:** [August 26, 2001, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absolute-zaero-cant-reach-it-due-to-uncertainty/77800/21 "2001-08-26T11:51:03Z")

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Some of my old physics professors would scream bloody murder if we ever called it the “Third Law of Thermodynamics”. They preferred “Nerst’s Theorem”.

> [@](#):
>
> One consequence of the third law is that it is impossible to reduce the temperature of any system, or part of a system, to absolute zero in a finite number of opertions.  
> _Dictionary of Theories_ by Jennifer Bothamley

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