Captain John Smith and Thermodynamics

by John Church, PhD, Former Director AAAP

After various adventures in Europe and Africa, Captain John Smith helped found Jamestown in Virginia in 1607.   He also suggested the name “New England” for the northeastern part of our country after having explored its coast.  Not many are aware, however, that according to one story he was an early proponent of the first and second laws of thermodynamics.

By way of background, there was an alliance of the original inhabitants of Tidewater Virginia, headed by Chief Powhatan.  Captain Smith was visiting Powhatan when the chief concluded that Smith was a major problem.  Powhatan’s daughter Pocahontas acted as interpreter for what then transpired.

Powhatan:  Captain Smith, you and your companions have invaded our land.  Not only that, but your firearms make loud bangs.  I have decided to do away with you.

Smith:  Honorable Chief, we mean no harm.  We want to live in peace with you and your people.  Besides, I know some physics that you might find helpful.  Please let me explain.

P:  “Physics” sounds like another English trick.  I’ll listen to your last words.

S:  Thank you, Chief.  First of all, energy is conserved.  It can’t be created or destroyed, but it can be transformed from one form into another.  For example, the chemical energy contained in your arm muscles can be partially converted into kinetic energy of your club, and thence to fragmentation of my head.  Meanwhile, some heat will have been generated and lost, but if you carefully add everything up, it will all balance out.

But now comes the worst part.  Entropy, in other words the disorder of the universe, will have been increased.  Whatever help I might have otherwise been able to give you to improve your material condition would be lost forever if you kill me.  Please consider all these facts.

P:  Very interesting, Smith.   I appreciate the science lesson.  However, you are still going to die and we will just have to clean everything up.  I’m sure the universe will survive this minor increase in its entropy.  Put your head on this rock.

Pocahontas (interrupting):  Father, what he’s saying makes a lot of sense.  For example, suppose I visit England.  I could bring back some more physics and other things to help us.  If you kill Captain Smith, the Jamestown people will be very angry and this might never happen.  Please reconsider.

P:   Sorry, my child.  Captain Smith is toast.  Here goes!

Pocahontas:  Over my dead body!  I’m putting my head over Captain Smith’s.  Go ahead and hit if you really must, but you’ll be sorry!

P (relenting):  OK, Smith, get up. You can live, at least for now.  By the way, speaking of bangs, what’s all this I’ve been hearing about the Big Bang that is supposed to have started the whole universe?  You say energy can’t be created, but it was, right?  And the Big Bang made about as much disorder as possible, didn’t it?  How could things get any worse than that?  You and your physics can go pound sand.  And don’t get me going on string theory!

S:  Thanks, Chief.  We’ll talk again soon.  Bye now!

Author’s note:  The story about Captain Smith being saved by Pocahontas relies on the word of Smith himself, in a 1616 letter to King James’s wife, Queen Anne.  I’ve filled in the missing parts.

No disrespect is intended to Chief Powhatan.  In fact, he was honored by the creation of Powhatan County in 1777.   Pocahontas did go to England as the wife of John Rolfe.  She died in Kent at about 20 or 21.  Astronomer Percival Lowell is said to have been one of her descendants.