▁improved ▁the ▁efficiency ▁of ▁the ▁existing ▁New com en ▁engine ▁by ▁adding ▁a ▁separate ▁cond enser . ▁This ▁is ▁difficult ▁to ▁explain ▁to ▁someone ▁not ▁familiar ▁with ▁concepts ▁of ▁heat ▁and ▁thermal ▁efficiency . ▁It ▁appears ▁that ▁the ▁story ▁was ▁created , ▁possibly ▁by ▁W att ' s ▁son ▁James ▁W att ▁Jr ., ▁and ▁pers ists ▁because ▁it ▁is ▁easy ▁for ▁children ▁to ▁understand ▁and ▁remember . ▁In ▁this ▁light ▁it ▁can ▁be ▁seen ▁as ▁a kin ▁to ▁the ▁story ▁of ▁Isaac ▁Newton ▁and ▁the ▁falling ▁apple ▁and ▁his ▁discovery ▁of ▁gravity . ▁ ▁Although ▁it ▁is ▁often ▁dismiss ed ▁as ▁a ▁myth , ▁the ▁story ▁of ▁W att ▁and ▁the ▁k ett le ▁has ▁a ▁basis ▁in ▁fact . ▁In ▁trying ▁to ▁understand ▁the ▁therm od ynam ics ▁of ▁heat ▁and ▁steam ▁James ▁W att ▁carried ▁out ▁many ▁labor atory ▁experiments ▁and ▁his ▁di aries ▁record ▁that ▁in ▁conduct ing ▁these ▁he ▁used ▁a ▁k ett le ▁as ▁a ▁bo iler ▁to ▁generate ▁steam . ▁ ▁Early ▁experiments ▁with ▁steam ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 7 5 9 ▁W att ' s ▁friend , ▁John ▁Rob ison , ▁called ▁his ▁attention ▁to ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁steam ▁as ▁a ▁source ▁of ▁mot ive ▁power . ▁The ▁design ▁of ▁the ▁New com en ▁engine , ▁in ▁use ▁for ▁almost ▁ 5 0 ▁years ▁for ▁p ump ing ▁water ▁from ▁mines , ▁had ▁hardly ▁changed ▁from ▁its ▁first ▁implementation . ▁ ▁W att ▁began ▁to ▁experiment ▁with ▁steam , ▁though ▁he ▁had ▁never ▁seen ▁an