Re:As they say... (Score 1)

No. The laws of thermodynamics were not developed until well after the concept of the heliocentric model of the Solar System was well established, and a few thousand years after the Earth was proven to be spherical.

"We" redrew the model of the Solar System based on observations that did not match the predictions of the current model. This is what tempted Copernicus to abandon the old Ptolemaic model and adopt a heliocentric model. His version was better, but still not right.

But you are correct: laws are hypotheses that have been thoroughly tested and have never been found to be wrong. Since we have never found an exception to the laws of thermodynamics, it is a safe bet that this device, if it works, is converting one form of energy into another, even if its is not obvious to the observer(s) what is transpiring.