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From: ran@ho95b.UUCP (RANeinast)
Newsgroups: net.misc,net.physics,net.sci
Subject: More Perpetual Motion
Message-ID: <340@ho95b.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 20-Mar-85 11:37:52 EST
Article-I.D.: ho95b.340
Posted: Wed Mar 20 11:37:52 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 21-Mar-85 03:48:08 EST
Organization: AT&T-Bell Labs, Holmdel, NJ
Lines: 29
Xref: watmath net.misc:7583 net.physics:2266 net.sci:299

> This morning (Wed.  3/13/85) I heard on National Public Radio's
> "Morning Edition" about some inventor in Louisiana who applied for a
> patent for a machine that puts out more energy than it takes in (don't
> start laughing yet).

This reminds me of another story I heard on NPR about 2-3 years ago.
They were serious in their reporting (not intended as a joke).
It also highlights general incompetence and non-scrutiny by the media 
of things scientific.


Anyways, they had a long story, complete with interview with the inventor
(no working model, of course) of a way to use the energy of weight to
power all the cars in the country.  All roads would have giant
bellows under them.  As cars drove over them, it would compress the fluid
in the bellows.  The fluid would then drive some turbine or something and extract
"the energy of weight".  They would then store the energy in batteries
that could be used to recharge the cars.  Ta-da!  All that energy
for free; no need to stay with those evil oil companies!

Nobody involved had the slightest idea that weight!=energy,
and NPR didn't address why the scheme wouldn't work, or even
talk to a competent engineer who could tell them *why*
it wouldn't work with his hands tied behind his back.
-- 

". . . and shun the frumious Bandersnatch."
Robert Neinast (ihnp4!ho95b!ran)
AT&T-Bell Labs