When May questions whether Aida the android thinks, Coulson jokes "Maybe about electric sheep." This is in reference to the novel "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" more commonly known by its film adaptation Blade Runner (1982).
In the science lab, they make reference to the "Demon Core." Historically, it was one of three plutonium cores used during the research and building of the atomic bombs at Los Alamos during World War II and was slated for use in a third bomb had it been necessary. The core was named "Demon Core" after it was involved in two critical accidents that resulted in the deaths of two physicists at the lab.
The title is a reference to The Laws of Thermodynamics, the first law of which Eli Morrow believes he is breaking by "creating" matter.
The episode serves as the last in the first "pod" of episodes for the season, subtitled Ghost Rider.
This episode marks the first time the winter finale is the season's 8th episode instead of the 10th.