In case you missed it, an Irish R&D organisation called Steorn have recently announced that they have discovered an energy generator. Now, most “generators” are actually converters of energy (e.g. converting from energy stored in a chemical solution to heat, or electricity to motion etc.). Normally, such machines are less than 100% efficient (losing some energy, often to heat, in the conversion process). A machine which is 100% efficient could form the basis of a perpetual motion device (i.e. something which carries on doing a task, without needing any external energy source). Such a machine has been thought impossible. So widespread is this belief, that the US Patents office will not even accept a patent for such a device, on account of it being impossible etc. Steorn have gone one better than a perpetual motion machine, and created a device which actually produces energy out of nothing. They've apparently got close to being 400% efficient.
I like this.
I like it for many reasons:-
a) If such a discovery were true, it would be the most revolutionary discovery in the past 200 years. Or something. Steorn's website is more relaxed, saying: Steorn’s technology produces free, clean and constant energy. This provides a significant range of benefits, from the convenience of never having to refuel your car or recharge your mobile phone, to a genuine solution to the need for zero emission energy production.
b) I like it that it is contrary to everyone's belief. It is a bit like discovering that someone has a door in their cellar that leads to the moon.
c) I like the slight amateur-hour nature of the announcement. “We've had dozens of people with PhDs looking at it, and none of them have been able to find any flaws, but none of them will actually come out and say so”. This charms me.
d) I like the whole open-ness and honesty with which the company seems to be going about its business.
e) I like that there has been no attempt to have an IPO on the promise of this technology. I'm not really sure how anyone stands to make a great deal of money out of this announcement (unless it turns out to be true).
f) They are not a bizarre cult who claim to have cloned humans.
Anyway, there is a challenge to test Steorn's technology. You can register to take part (or just register to receive the results as they are made available).
Posted by nikn