Legum non sanximus, eam tantum exsequimus.
(We don't make the laws, we just enforce them.)
Contact the ThermoDynamic Police.
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ThermoDynamic Police
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Sunday, April 27, 2003
A recent article discussed in the National Geographic gave us pause. NG discusses the possibility of dangling a long rope from a satellite in space to the earth's surface and using this connection as a sort of elevator to lift objects into space. This technology sounds too good to be true. Therefore we ask our officers to investigate this technology as a possible and proposed violation. Would this proposal violate one of the immutable laws?
6:29 PM
Thursday, April 24, 2003
The newspaper headline read "Man who sold shares in 'perpetual motion machine' dies". And with that it was too late for the TDP to swing into action. According to the story Edwin V. Gray had been selling shares in his company, Zetex. "An estimated 2,000 shareholders, half of them from Kansas, invested about $10 Million in Zetex stock." His machine reportedly could launch missiles and space shuttles and fuel electric cars. This was obviously something for nothing, a case for the TDP. But the SEC and the Grim Reaper got to him first.
5:59 PM
Sunday, April 20, 2003
The University of Wisconsin hosts an interesting web site call The Scout Report. A report is issued weekly and presents a brief description, with a link, of web sites of potential interest. Web sites described are from a broad range of fields of interest. I usually find one or two sites of interest and link to and look at them in more depth. There is a related site that provides the same review services in the life and physical sciences.
7:12 AM
Thursday, April 17, 2003
In 1989 the world was abuzz with a furor over “Cold Fusion”. Drs. Stanley Pons and Martin Fleischmann purported to be able to produce energy through a cold fusion reaction. The ThermoDynamic Police remained skeptical. In May 1989 the ThermoDynamic Police sent the following letter to Dr. Pons, then working at the University of Utah.
"When I read some time ago in the Wall Street Journal that you may have discovered a workable cold fusion process I thought of two possible outcomes. Either you had made a discovery that would shake the world or you would qualify for a case history for my organization, the ThermoDynamic Police. Over the last few weeks I have read with interest many articles from and about supporters and detractors. It would be easy for an organization such as the ThermoDynamic Police to immediately condemn. I am certain that you are relieved to hear, however, that we have chosen to take a wait and see attitude. We wish you the best with your process and all hope to benefit from it some day.
The ThermoDynamic Police were formed in order to enforce the laws of thermodynamics. Our members consist of engineers, scientists, attorneys, and other more wholesome people concerned about the lack of Federal and State enforcement. We are also aware of many projects being proposed that would violate the laws. Since President Bush chose to put no moneys in the Federal budget for enforcement, following in the footsteps of his predecessor, we decided to act. Our motto is ‘Legum non sanximus, eam tantum exsequimus’ (We don’t make the laws we just enforce them). We are a small, yet dedicated group, and like to say we are 49% serious and 51% fun. (A proper mix in this business)
We are happy to offer you a complementary membership in our worthwhile organization and in the spirit of open-mindedness we send our official cap. We hope you wear it proudly.
If you would like to join please sign the enclosed oath and return it to me. Your official certificate of membership would follow. Once again, we send our best wishes for your success."
Both Dr Pons and Fleischmann subsequently signed the oath of office, received their cap and certificate, and are members of the ThermoDynamic Police.
8:41 PM
Wednesday, April 16, 2003
A search on Google using the key words "creationism" and "thermodynamics" produces an interesting set of sites that address this hotly contested battle of beliefs. Without endorsing any one of them consider this site as a place to start.
From looking at some of the sites it appears the ThermoDynamic Police may have to assign a special agent to this issue.
6:01 PM
Saturday, April 12, 2003
We ride to work on our Carnot cycles.
6:48 PM
Wednesday, April 09, 2003
The British scientist C.P. Snow had a convenient way of remembering the three laws:
1. You cannot win (that is, you cannot get something for nothing, because matter and energy are conserved).
2. You cannot break even (you cannot return to the same energy state, because there is always an increase in disorder; entropy always increases).
3. You cannot get out of the game (because absolute zero is unattainable).
6:29 PM
Third Law of Thermodynamics (absolute zero) -- The entropy of a hypothetical pure, perfect, crystalline substance at absolute zero temperature is zero.
6:26 PM
The Second Law of Thermodynamics (entropy) states -- in all energy exchanges, if no energy enters or leaves the system, the potential energy of the state will always be less than that of the initial state.
6:17 PM
First Law of Thermodynamics (conservation) -- Energy is neither created nor destroyed, it changes from one form to another.
6:12 PM
ThermoDynamic Police officers have identified several projects attempting to violate the Laws. For example, there was the man who jacked up the rear end of his volkswagon. That way it would get better gas mileage, since it was always going downhill.
6:01 PM
The Thermodynamic Police was formed to enforce the Laws of Thermodynamics. The oath of office reads:
I, ____________________________, being of sound mind, do hereby swear to protect and reinforce, to the best of my ability, the Laws of Thermodynamics. I promise and affirm that I will assist, to the extent necessary, in maintaining the energy content of the Universe constant and will encourage, aid and assist in the effort to assure that the total entropy, Universe-wide, continually increases, all for the benefit of human kind without regard to race, sex, religion, color, creed, national origin, or sexual preference.
I affirm my duty to actively intervene using the authority vested in me as a member of the ThermoDynamic Police to apprehend, arrest, detain and deliver up to the appropriate tribunal any and all persons, beings, forces or groups of whatever kind, type, nature or origin attempting to mute the immutable laws of nature.
So help me God.
Dated this _____ day of ________________ in the Year of our Lord __________.
_____________________
(Signature of Member)
Legum non sanximus, eam tantum exsequimus.
6:43 AM
Monday, April 07, 2003
Welcome to the Thermodynamic Police Blog.
1:44 PM
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