Editing 3006: Demons

{{comic
| number    = 3006
| date      = November 1, 2024
| title     = Demons
| image     = demons_2x.png
| imagesize = 285x458px
| noexpand  = true
| titletext = Though they do appreciate how much he improved the heating system for the flame pit.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a DEMI-DEMONIC DOORMAN - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

{{w|Maxwell's demon}} is a thought experiment devised by {{w|James Clerk Maxwell}} that appears to refute the {{w|second law of thermodynamics}}, which roughly says that heat always flows from hotter regions to colder. In the thought experiment, two chambers, both containing a gas at the same temperature, have a door between them. A being (later called a demon by {{w|Lord Kelvin}}) lets only fast-moving gas molecules move from the first chamber to the second, and only slow-moving ones move from the second chamber to the first. The second chamber's gas gradually warms as the average speed of its molecules increases, and the first chamber's gas likewise cools. This demon behaves very differently from mythological {{w|demons}}, which exist in the afterlife (usually some form of {{w|hell}}) and punish evil humans after death by causing them great suffering, as for example boiling them in oil or casting them into flame pits.

In this comic, Randall jokes that, if such a demon were to encounter more stereotypical mythological ones, he would probably not fit in very well, and would inevitably propose treating humans like the particles of the thought experiment. While a few physics-savvy humans might feel offended by such treatment, for most, the suffering would stem from the anxiety of knowing that, once they cross the door, they are not allowed to return for all eternity. So, unlike particles which move by simple virtue of having energy, they must ''choose'' when to cross it. This modern psychological approach to torture stands out from ancient techniques of physical torture such as being boiled in oil or cast into a flame pit.

The title text continues the joke by suggesting that while Maxwell's demon's idea for torturing the souls of the damned might seem whimsical to the other demons, it could still be used to heat the flame pits better. The other demons' appreciation of this technical improvement mirrors real-life situations where kids that "have trouble fitting in with the others" due to their unusual ideas for games and atypical interests (e.g. in thermodynamics) occasionally earn some appreciation when their cleverness is deemed useful.

This comic was published on 1 November, 2024, the day after Halloween, around the time when many contemporary comic strips have demonic, supernatural or other spooky themes.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[Three demons standing in hell, surrounded by fire. Each demon has two horns and a tail. The leftmost demon is holding a pitchfork.]
:Leftmost demon: What's our plan for the souls today? Boil them in oil? 
:Middle demon: We could cast them into the flame pit. 
:Rightmost demon: What if we set up two rooms with a door in between, but– get this– ''we only let them go through it one way!''

:[Caption below the panel:]
:Maxwell's Demon had trouble fitting in with the others.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Physics]]