photo neededIn existographies, Wilbert C. Lepkowski (c.1935-) (CR:7), commonly cited as 'Wil Lepkowski', is an American chemist and science writer noted, in human thermodynamics, for his 1979 article “The Social Thermodynamics of Ilya Prigogine”, wherein he argues that the nonequilibrium thermodynamics of Belgian chemist Ilya Prigogine can lead to new ways of understanding social processes in the form of 'social thermodynamics'.

Lepkowski is also noted for the 1977 article “Researchers, Policy makers Related Entropy Concepts to Economics”, in which he explains how the second law and entropy logic can be used in energy and economic policy considerations, covering subjects germane to economic thermodynamics. [2]

Social thermodynamics
In 1979, Lepkowski, in Chemical and Engineering News, published “The Social Thermodynamics of Ilya Prigogine”, the abstract of which is as follows along with an image section (shown adjacent):

“The application of nonequilibrium thermodynamics could lead to new ways of understanding social processes.”
Lepkowski social thermodynamics
Image and description from Lepkowski's 1979 “The Social Thermodynamics of Ilya Prigogine”. [1]

Lepkowski’s article, while not necessarily being of much theoretical forces, is notable as being one of the earliest articles to make a formal suggestion for the premise and applicability of a science of sociological thermodynamics or "social thermodynamics", as he referred to it, has since been cited by those including: Jeremy Rifkin (1980), David Monieson (1981), Neil Schore (1981), Henry Morris (1985), Yi-Fang Chang (2009), etc. [6]

Religion and science
Lepkowski’s 1984 article “Scientists Discuss Ways to Integrate Science with Christianity” outlines various views on attempts to reconcile conflict between science and Christianity, with focus on the group American Science Affiliation (ASA), or a membership of scientists affiliated with the Christian faith. [4] Lepkowski is described by the ASA as: “Brought up a Catholic, at one stage in his spiritual and intellectual journey he turned away from the church to explore various 'religious trips' that attracted many in the '60s and '70s. Then he married Helene, a Jewish woman who has become a Christian. Through Helene and other believers, Wil found his way back to Jesus Christ. That book review was one way of flying his new flag.” [5] Lepkowski would thus be close to one on the Dawkins scale of belief in the existence of god.

Education
Lepkowski completed his BS in chemistry at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and his MS in biochemistry in 1961 with a thesis on “The partial purification and properties of galactokinase from Saccharomyces fragilis yeast” at Ohio State University. He was a fellow in the advanced science writing program at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. Most of his career has been as a science writer and reporter for Chemical & Engineering News, on and off from circa 1965 to 1969 and 1977 to 1999. [3] He has taught graduate courses on writing at the Virgina Institute of Technology. His writing tends to focus on the interrelationship of science, technology. and society.

References
1. Lipkowski, Wil C. (1979). “The Social Thermodynamics of Ilya Prigogine”, (Ѻ) Chemical and Engineering News, 56(13): 30-33. April 16.
2. Lepkowski, Wil. (1977). “Researchers, Policy makers Related Entropy Concepts to Economics” (abstract), Chemical and Engineering News, 46: 18-19, Nov.
3. Wil Lepkowski (overview) – Consortium for Science, Policy, and Outcomes, Arizona State University.
4. Lepkowski, Wil. (1984). “Scientists Discuss Ways to Integrate Science with Christianity”, Chemical and Engineering News, 62(35): 36-38.
5. Anon. (1984/85). “At the Right Time”, Newsletter of the American Scientific Affiliation: Canadian Scientific and Christian Affiliation, Dec 1984 / Jan 1985. 26(6).
6. (a) Rifkin, Jeremy. (1980). Entropy: A New World View. Publisher.
(b) Schore, Neil E. (1981). “Chemistry and Human Awareness: Natural Scientific Connections” (abs), in: Metaphors of Consciousness (editors: R.S. Valle and R. Eckartsberg) (pgs. 437-460). Springer/Plenum.
(c) Monieson, David D. (1981). “Marketing and the Theory of Dissipative Structures”, in: Proceedings of the 1981 American Marketing Association Educators Conference, no. 47.
(d) Morris, Henry. (1985). “Does Entropy Contradict Evolution”, Arts & Facts, 14(3).
(e) Chang, Yi-Fang. (2009). “Social Synergetics, Social Physics and Research of Fundamental Laws in Social Complex Systems” (Ѻ), ArXiv.org, Nov 6.

External links
● Lepkowski, Wilbert Charles – WorldCat Identities.

TDics icon ns