Swedish entropy

There's an old rule (some say a law of the universe) about gases expanding in volume to fill the space available to them. Some wit has pointed out that the same law seems to apply to desk clutter as well. I personally have observed that it also applies to furniture and place-settings when throwing a party. You distribute tables and chairs evenly throughout the space available. That is, of course, unless you’re Swedish.

Swedish party--which I attended--flagrantly in violation of the law of entropy.

H and I (by which I mean J) attended a thoroughly entertaining party last night, thrown by the Exchange Committee of the SSE. (More on some of the festivities later.) For now, notice the width of the aisles between the tables—and notice the width of the aisles left on either side of the room.

What flagrant, astonishing, and yet nonchalant defiance of the second law of thermodynamics! Have the Swedes invented entropy buffers? Have they installed them in all of their buildings? Or are they just really, really, really fond of order? So fond that they’ll risk very narrow service aisles, because several times during the evening an abruptly-rising diner nearly toppled a fully-loaded server. But at least they were serving white wine…