Reminds me of the short story "The Nine Billion Names of God": https://urbigenous.net/library/nine_billion_names_of_god.htm...

>> Thrown into the scientific revolution that was soon to come, it would eventually result in the laws of thermodynamics (which prohibit any kind of perpetual device).

Um, no. The laws of thermodynamics specifically state that all motion is perpetual, that the motion of an object will continue unless acted upon. This idea replaced the previous notions that motions/speed were dictated by the medium through which an object moved, that all moving objects eventually slowed.

> Um, no. The laws of thermodynamics specifically state that all motion is perpetual, that the motion of an object will continue unless acted upon.

The spirit of a 'perpetual device' is one that does work without the input of energy, and this is in conflict with the laws of thermodynamics.

The entire paragraph is discussing perpetual motion machines.