RE: virus: An open letter to John Paul II

carlw (carlw@lisco.com)
Sat, 6 Feb 1999 12:40:47 -0600

First and Second Law - Flanders and Swann

Inspired by C.P. Snow's theme of bringing Science and Art together...

[Michael:] Snow says that nobody can consider themselves educated who doesn't know at least the basic language of Science. I mean, things like Sir Edward Boyle's Law, for example: the greater the external pressure, the greater the volume of hot air. Or the Second Law of Thermodynamics - this is very important. I was somewhat shocked the other day to discover that my partner not only doesn't know the Second Law, he doesn't even know the First Law of Thermodynamics.

Going back to first principles, very briefly, thermodynamics is of course derived from two Greek words: thermos, meaning hot (if you don't drop it), and dinamiks, meaning dynamic, work; and thermodynamics is simply the science of heat and work and the relationships between the two, as laid down in the Laws of Thermodynamics, which may be expressed in the following simple terms...

After me...

The First Law of Thermodymamics:
Heat is work and work is heat
Heat is work and work is heat
Very good!

The Second Law of Thermodymamics:
Heat cannot of itself pass from one body to a hotter body (scat music starts)
Heat cannot of itself pass from one body to a hotter body Heat won't pass from a cooler to a hotter Heat won't pass from a cooler to a hotter You can try it if you like but you far better notter You can try it if you like but you far better notter
'Cos the cold in the cooler with get hotter as a ruler
'Cos the cold in the cooler with get hotter as a ruler
'Cos the hotter body's heat will pass to the cooler
'Cos the hotter body's heat will pass to the cooler

First Law:
Heat is work and work is heat and work is heat and heat is work Heat will pass by conduction
Heat will pass by conduction
Heat will pass by convection
Heat will pass by convection
Heat will pass by radiation
Heat will pass by radiation
And that's a physical law

Heat is work and work's a curse
And all the heat in the Universe
Is gonna cooool down 'cos it can't increase Then there'll be no more work and there'll be perfect peace Really?
Yeah - that's entropy, man!

And all because of the Second Law of Thermodynamics, which lays down:

That you can't pass heat from the cooler to the hotter Try it if you like but you far better notter
'Cos the cold in the cooler will get hotter as a ruler
'Cos the hotter body's heat will pass to the cooler
Oh, you can't pass heat from the cooler to the hotter You can try it if you like but you'll only look a fooler
'Cos the cold in the cooler will get hotter as a ruler
That's a physical Law!

Oh, I'm hot!
Hot? That's because you've been working! Oh, Beatles - nothing!
That's the First and Second Laws of Thermodynamics!

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-virus@lucifer.com [mailto:owner-virus@lucifer.com]On Behalf Of Tim Rhodes
Sent: Saturday, February 06, 1999 12:19 PM To: virus@lucifer.com
Subject: Re: virus: An open letter to John Paul II

I wrote:

>What was that first law of thermodynamics again?

Sorry, that should be Newton's first law.

-Tim