Editing 2989: Physics Lab Thermostat

{{comic
| number    = 2989
| date      = September 23, 2024
| title     = Physics Lab Thermostat
| image     = physics_lab_thermostat_2x.png
| imagesize = 264x296px
| noexpand  = true
| titletext = Hopefully the HVAC people set it to only affect the AIR in the room.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a ChatGPT - as found on the talk page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

This comic is about a "physics lab thermostat," which instead of controlling temperature, it adjusts the {{w|Boltzmann constant}} (a constant that links temperature and energy in physics, equal to 1.38×10<sup>−23</sup> J/K, where J is {{w|joule}}s, a unit of energy, and K is {{w|kelvin}}s, a unit of temperature.) The dial shows different values for the constant, implying that it can be changed, which is absurd because the Boltzmann constant is a fundamental number that stays the same throughout the universe. In reality, you can't change the Boltzmann constant, so the comic is making fun of the idea of a scientist casually adjusting a fixed law of physics as if it were something simple like room temperature.

If the Boltzmann constant could be changed, it would directly affect how we experience temperature. The constant determines how much energy particles have at a certain temperature. If the constant were increased, more energy would be associated with the same temperature, so everything would feel hotter even if the temperature stayed the same. On the other hand, if the constant were decreased, less energy would be associated with the same temperature, and everything would feel colder than usual. The equivalent energy per kelvin at a constant temperature range from 4.2 zeptojoules on the left, corresponding to 29°C (84°F) relative to the actual Boltzmann constant, to 4.0 zJ on the right, corresponding to 15°C (59°F).

Beyond just how we feel, altering the Boltzmann constant would disrupt all sorts of processes that depend on temperature, like how fast chemical reactions happen or how heat moves around. A higher constant would make particles move faster and carry more energy at a given temperature, while a lower constant would slow things down.

There have previously been control panels for properties of the universe in [[1620: Christmas Settings]] and [[1763: Catcalling]]. A thermometer including units compatible with this thermostat is shown in [[2292: Thermometer]].

The title text builds on the absurdity of being able to adjust the Boltzmann constant. It suggests that if the constant could be changed, hopefully, it would only affect the air in the room and not the entire universe. Imagining that the {{w|heating, ventilation, and air conditioning}} (HVAC) system could contain such a change to just the room's air shows the ridiculousness of trying to isolate the effects of altering a universal constant.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

:[A black circular dial is shown with a white indicator line at the upper right. The label above the dial, enclosed in a rectangular box, says:]
:Local Boltzmann Constant
:[The two extremes of the dial are labeled as follows, the first value on the left and the second value on the right:]
:1.418×10<sup>-23</sup> J/K
:1.351×10<sup>-23</sup> J/K
:[The indicator line is pointing to a position on the dial somewhere around 1.375×10<sup>-23</sup> J/K (between the 12th and 13th large ticks clockwise out of 19 total).]
:[Caption below the panel:]
:Physics Lab Thermostat

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Physics]]