2nd law of thermodynamics in question

Any true EE knows that an enclosed box at room temperature containing
air, wire, and an appropriate load can generate so-called "free energy"
24 hours a day, 365 days a year from thermal noise.

The amount of continuous power for a single object is:

P = 4 K T dF

K is Boltzmann constant
T is temperature in Kelvin
df is bandwidth.

@ room temperature say 1 GHz dF we get just 17 pW. Not much power, but
such an object could be a nano particle. One trillion of such objects
generates 17 watts. Increase the bandwidth 1 THz and we get 17
kilowatts.

Quote taken from WikiPedia.org:
"Since any thermodynamic engine requires such a temperature difference,
it follows that no useful work can be derived from an isolated system
in equilibrium; there must always be an external energy source and a
cold sink. The second law is often invoked as the reason why perpetual
motion machines cannot exist."

^ The above statement is incorrect ^

I think the Philosopher / Physicist P.W. Bridgman, (1941) said it best
"There are almost as many formulations of the second law as there have
been discussions of it."

Regards,
Paul

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