Free, clean and constant energy

August 18, 2006 11:28 AM

Challenging the scientific world This company believe they have developed an infinite source of energy and have challenged any scientist to disprove their work.
posted by Fence (79 comments total)

Looks like they've invented a perpetual spam email address harvester machine.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 11:30 AM on August 18, 2006

WINDMILLS DO NOT WORK THAT WAY!
If you've developed it, you explain it. The burden of proof is theirs, not everyone else's.
posted by boo_radley at 11:30 AM on August 18, 2006

Is it just me, or is their website lacking in certain details, like, what the hell their "technology" is?
posted by jefgodesky at 11:34 AM on August 18, 2006

If history is any guide, this is complete horseshit.
posted by mrnutty at 11:35 AM on August 18, 2006

I have already disproven their work, and I challenge them to prove that I haven't disproven it.
posted by Wolfdog at 11:36 AM on August 18, 2006 [3 favorites]

Let me guess, their requirements for "proof" will never be stated clearly, will always change so that any experiment is wrong?

...because we've all seen these things happen before, and they'll happen again. Oops, you forgot to calibrate the flux capacitor, so our technology hasn't been disproven! Oops, you conducted the test inside a building so our technology hasn't been disproven! Oops, you had a woman on your team, so our technology hasn't been disproven!

Et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. Just look at the HIV deniers for some recent behaviors along these lines.

If their technology worked, they'd already be gods.

This is a front for something else. I don't know what, but something.
posted by aramaic at 11:37 AM on August 18, 2006

Anyone who believes this should be shot.
posted by Optimus Chyme at 11:38 AM on August 18, 2006 [1 favorite]

I'm really to be more optimistic and less cynical but shit like this isn't helping. And I didn't even click the link.
posted by OmieWise at 11:39 AM on August 18, 2006

What about people who use Power Point to prove "the technology", Optimus?
posted by boo_radley at 11:39 AM on August 18, 2006

Heh, and now the world gets to learn that just because it looks like its packaged in a "Web 2.0" sort of shell, doesn't mean that it is full of truth.
posted by taursir at 11:39 AM on August 18, 2006

1: Make Preposterous Claim
2: Face Widespread Public Ridicule
3: ???????
4: Profit!!!
posted by Freen at 11:41 AM on August 18, 2006

What about people who use Power Point to prove "the technology", Optimus?

Do you shoot them before or after you fire them? Tough call.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 11:43 AM on August 18, 2006

It seems to somehow involve "micro turbines" whatever those are.

If they are micro enough they could provide "lots of energy" relative to their size and still be useless for anything practical.
posted by Megafly at 11:48 AM on August 18, 2006

What about people who use Power Point to prove "the technology", Optimus?
posted by boo_radley at 11:39 AM PST on August 18

Then it would be necessary to cleanse the whole earth with the power of the atom.
posted by Optimus Chyme at 11:48 AM on August 18, 2006

Sigh. Poster is in Dublin Ireland. Company is in Dublin Ireland. No details on website - not even the usual preposterous explanation. Best guess: it's a bar bet between two friends to see how much traffic they can drive to their website in a day.

Can we just link to Timecube and be done with it?

Flagged as noise.
posted by jellicle at 11:48 AM on August 18, 2006

"... 2734 people have registered to recieve the results"

And 0 people have spellchecked their (sorry, "thier") front page.

But what a great way to collect the email addresses of gullible people.
posted by tkolar at 11:49 AM on August 18, 2006

To all the naysayers and detractors, consider this:

They've got a website and a press release.
posted by justkevin at 11:50 AM on August 18, 2006

Oh boy! it looks like the third future scenario on Ran Prieur's website has a shot! Good thing, too, since I dunno if I could survive the Mad Max apocalypse that we're sure to have without this great new technology!

(excerpt)
"An inventor discovers a way to generate unlimited free energy. The patent draws instant attention from the big media, who do not assume he must be a crackpot..."
posted by dubold at 11:53 AM on August 18, 2006

Is "Press Release" anything like "Press Enter |_|"?
posted by hank at 11:54 AM on August 18, 2006

Then it would be necessary to cleanse the whole earth with the power of the atom.
posted by Optimus Chyme at 2:48 PM EST on August 18 [+] [!]

Therefore, send not to know
For whom the Optimus chymes,
It chymes for thee.
posted by Pastabagel at 11:57 AM on August 18, 2006 [2 favorites]

is this new technology powered by Internet Buzz™?
posted by TechnoLustLuddite at 12:01 PM on August 18, 2006

...because, we've already proven that Internet Buzz is an unlimited source of.... something
posted by TechnoLustLuddite at 12:02 PM on August 18, 2006

Steorn’s technology appears to violate the ‘Principle of the Conservation of Energy’, considered by many to be the most fundamental principle in our current understanding of the universe. This principle is stated simply as ‘energy can neither be created nor destroyed, it can only change form’.

Steorn is making three claims for its technology:

1. The technology has a coefficient of performance greater than 100%.
2. The operation of the technology (i.e. the creation of energy) is not derived from the degradation of its component parts.
3. There is no identifiable environmental source of the energy (as might be witnessed by a cooling of ambient air temperature).

The sum of these claims is that our technology creates free energy.

"Thermodynamics? Yeah, we heard of that... doesn't apply to us. Nosirree, we gots our perpetuum mobile right here."
If you're making a claim like this you shouldn't use a website, you should mention this in your speech as you accept the Nobel prizes for physics, chemistry (and maybe the peace prize, too - after all, you just solved the world's energy problems!). This is way past ridiculous.
posted by PontifexPrimus at 12:03 PM on August 18, 2006

Yay! I just knew that the magic elves would come and save us!

Take that, toy Hummer haters! Hummers for all!
posted by jokeefe at 12:05 PM on August 18, 2006

It's tagged in Google Videos under "shite" and "hoax". Sounds like a bunch of Blarney.

Googling around, all I came up with was this miniature tidbit: It works with magnets...It is in the news but others also speculate if it's a crock or what.
posted by nickyskye at 12:07 PM on August 18, 2006

If you invented a free energy machine and your first impulse is to form a company to get rich, you are thinking so minisculely small that you deserve to be buried in the desert by GM.
posted by sonofsamiam at 12:08 PM on August 18, 2006

Reflecting upon remarks made by other posters, I've come to the conclusion that there should be one of two outcomes from all this:

1) the technology is real, the claims are true, and the creators go on to become the most famous human beings in all of history, far outclassing Jesus, Muhammed, Buddha, Zoroaster, et cetera.

2) the technology is not real, the claims are false, and the creators along with their families should be first imprisoned, and subsequently executed.

...given the huge payoff, it seems only fair that there be a huge penalty for failure. Don't try to become a god unless you're willing to sacrifice everything.
posted by aramaic at 12:09 PM on August 18, 2006

OK, now that we've gotten all possible snark out of the way, let's try something new.

What if their claims were real? A machine that generates more energy than it takes in. What would our world look like a year later?
posted by felix at 12:11 PM on August 18, 2006

Irish Independent:

DUBLIN-based technology risk management company, Steorn, has launched a new service, Technology Project Underwriting, designed to guarantee against the failure of technology projects.

Are they creating demand for their own service by producing a failure of technology projects?
posted by scottreynen at 12:12 PM on August 18, 2006

Even if it were true, I still don't see how it's gonna keep me from ever having to recharge my cell phone and refuel my car.
posted by nickmark at 12:12 PM on August 18, 2006

Sean McCarthy, the cofounder and chief executive of Steorn, said the firm’s products were based on the same principle as kinetic energy generators in watches. The products should be ready by the summer of 2007.

posted by zeoslap at 12:13 PM on August 18, 2006

felix: If this is real, we'll all be having dinner with Hover-Jesus in the 23rd dimension after a successful battle against Nazis riding Tyrannosaurs.
posted by boo_radley at 12:14 PM on August 18, 2006 [1 favorite]

Oh no felix, we haven't even begun to get the snark out of the way. There's a nearly limitless backlog to deal with first.

A machine that generates more energy than it takes in changes the entire universe. When I said the creators become gods I meant it. Literal gods. There wouldn't be anything they couldn't do.
posted by aramaic at 12:14 PM on August 18, 2006

OK, now that we've gotten all possible snark out of the way, let's try something new.

What if their claims were real? A machine that generates more energy than it takes in. What would our world look like a year later?
posted by felix at 2:11 PM CST on August 18 [+] [!]

Their claims are not real. Deal with it.

I mean why not speculate on what the world would be like if 2+2=tortilla or sunshine tasted like orange juice?
posted by ozomatli at 12:14 PM on August 18, 2006

Does seem like crap. Can anyone find a copy of the ad in the economist?
One thing - the company itself at least looks half real (rather than just a website) since there is actually a reference to them sponsoring a competition on Dublin Insititute of Technology's website (PDF). It's the same competition that just happened to be mentioned in the news section of the website (which amazingly has all it's stories put up yesterday... hmmmm.)
posted by Mave_80 at 12:15 PM on August 18, 2006

posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 12:16 PM on August 18, 2006

optimus_chyme: Anyone who believes this should be shot.

OK, quit screwing around and get back to work. I want those PowerPoints on my desk by the end of the day, dammit!
posted by lodurr at 12:16 PM on August 18, 2006

“0 - days since we challenged the world's scientists to test our revolutionary free energy technology”

Says it all.
Say, is this that same company from Ireland from before? An engineer buddy of mine wrote them and they never got back to him. He wanted to hook their energy machine up to his gravity shield.
posted by Smedleyman at 12:16 PM on August 18, 2006

Let's also have a discussion about what our world would be like if there were unicorns! Unicorns that shat GOLD!
posted by mrnutty at 12:18 PM on August 18, 2006

Felix, I'd speculate that it might look a bit like this (self link).
posted by localroger at 12:19 PM on August 18, 2006

Looks like they've invented a perpetual spam email address harvester machine.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 2:30 PM EST on August 18 [+] [!]

How true.
posted by caddis at 12:19 PM on August 18, 2006

Sigh. Poster is in Dublin Ireland. Company is in Dublin Ireland. No details on website - not even the usual preposterous explanation. Best guess: it's a bar bet between two friends to see how much traffic they can drive to their website in a day

I've nothing to do with the company, or website. Thought the story was interesting, that is why I posted it. But doubt if it is true.

Just because I live in the same city doesn't mean I know everyone here. We might be a small country, but I don't know all the inhabitants.
posted by Fence at 12:19 PM on August 18, 2006

/2+2 does = tortilla when you factor in correlated sunshine coefficients for multi-variate non-gaussian orange juice vectors.
And add guacamole.
posted by Smedleyman at 12:21 PM on August 18, 2006

FREE DENSE ANTI-ENERGY!!!



PRECIOUS ROY SAYS: BUY MY SALAD SHOOTER




SUCKERS!!!!


But seriously folks. Cute website they've got going. Unlimited free energy for everyone? That's Web 3.0 I guess.
posted by stenseng at 12:21 PM on August 18, 2006 [1 favorite]

The burden of proof is on the one making the claim.

Carl Sagan explains this nicely when he talks about the invisible, fire breathing dragon that lives in his garage.

He was shooting at both pseudoscience and religion, both of which often misplace the burden of proof.
posted by chrisamiller at 12:22 PM on August 18, 2006 [1 favorite]

/that's *Zap Branagan* guacamole btw
posted by Smedleyman at 12:22 PM on August 18, 2006

I'm always skeptical about companies that seem to pick their names based on domain name availability.
posted by obvious at 12:26 PM on August 18, 2006

Irish cranks and scam artists apparently have more flair for graphic and web design than American cranks and scam artists.
posted by Western Infidels at 12:29 PM on August 18, 2006

We might be a small country, but I don't know all the inhabitants.
Gee Fence, sounds like you need to get out more.
If you make a point of meeting just 7,000 new people a day, in only 2 years you'll know almost everybody there!
posted by Floydd at 12:30 PM on August 18, 2006

/2+2 does = tortilla when you factor in correlated sunshine coefficients for multi-variate non-gaussian orange juice vectors.
And add guacamole.
posted by Smedleyman at 2:21 PM CST on August 18 [+] [!]

Who drinks non-gaussian orange juice? It tastes like poisson.
posted by ozomatli at 12:31 PM on August 18, 2006 [2 favorites]

mentioned in the news section of the website (which amazingly has all it's stories put up yesterday... hmmmm.) - Mave_80

I noticed that, too. Even without the preposterous claim, this is evidence of what a a bunch of garbage this website is. I won't dignify the rest of their stupidity with a response. Somethings are just so clearly bunk that anyone who gets sucked in deserves the assload of spam they'll be subjected to.

Is it April 1st in Ireland today?
posted by raedyn at 12:35 PM on August 18, 2006

sounds fishy.
scaled back from the dirtier version
posted by sonofsamiam at 12:35 PM on August 18, 2006

If you make a point of meeting just 7,000 new people a day, in only 2 years you'll know almost everybody there!

But Floydd, then I wouldn't have any time to spend online!
posted by Fence at 12:40 PM on August 18, 2006

Let me guess, their requirements for "proof" will never be stated clearly, will always change so that any experiment is wrong?

Actually they're challenging the scientific community to design the experiment and the jury. Which is the intellectually honest thing to do, though of course the devil is in the details.

And to be fair to them, they don't claim to create energy, they claim that their device produces more energy than they knowingly put into it, which could be explained if it drew energy from some source and/or by some means not currently suspected. Suppose for example you left it running for a while, happily drawing energy from it, and suddenly the table it was sitting on crumbled to a pile of dust. You then weighed the dust and found it massed less than the original table had. You'd be on your way to an explanation that fits broadly within natural laws as we understand them.
posted by George_Spiggott at 12:43 PM on August 18, 2006

from the article that zeoslap linked to: Firm strives to extend mobile battery lifespans

this is obviously the practical application for a technology that can generate infinite energy from nothing, but i would imagine eventually someone would come up with other uses.
posted by snofoam at 12:44 PM on August 18, 2006

ozomatli, have my retarded internet babies.
posted by boo_radley at 12:46 PM on August 18, 2006

It tastes like poisson.

omfg spellcheck

Really though, that was funny.
posted by SmarterChild at 12:52 PM on August 18, 2006

Every time they turn on this thing, an angel loses its wings.
posted by George_Spiggott at 12:56 PM on August 18, 2006

aramaic said: If their technology worked, they'd already be gods.

This sounds like hyperbole, but it's pretty much exactly the truth. If we had an unlimited energy source, there'd essentially be nothing we couldn't accomplish.

If they really had unlimited free energy, they'd be able to do something neat, like writing their names on the Moon.

Or, more prosaically, they'd move to California, build one of their devices, and become extremely, extremely wealthy selling power back into the grid. They certainly wouldn't need a spam-harvesting website.
posted by Malor at 12:57 PM on August 18, 2006

ozomatli, have my retarded internet babies.
posted by boo_radley

You gotta take a number.
posted by ozomatli at 1:15 PM on August 18, 2006

I can tell you exactly what the world would be like if this device was real. As soon as I could get my hands on one, I'd plug all its over-unity output back into its input and let the energy build up exponentially until a)it detonated in an explosion of unprecedented magnitude or b) the build-up of mass-energy caused it to collapse into a black hole. Welcome to armageddon, bitches.

Why, oh why, do all my megalomaniacal fantasies have to violate the laws of physics...
posted by Humanzee at 1:16 PM on August 18, 2006

Where is my handy dandy Crackpot Index?

Oh, There it is.
posted by Andrew Brinton at 1:33 PM on August 18, 2006

Why, oh why, do all my megalomaniacal fantasies have to violate the laws of physics...

Violates the Principle of Conservation of Megalomania. Nature is wise enough to never allow Dr. Doom levels of misanthropic insanity to occupy the same position as the technical means to do us all in.
posted by sonofsamiam at 1:35 PM on August 18, 2006

Incidentally, violating the conservation of energy has bigger implications than having to twiddle thermodynamics a bit. Conservation of energy is a consequence of the laws of physics being the same over time - Noether's Theorem.

Not tremendously relevant, as even without that you'd think this lot was rubbish, but interesting nonetheless.
posted by edd at 1:43 PM on August 18, 2006

So, this perpetual motion machine. Does it vibrate?
posted by moonbiter at 1:49 PM on August 18, 2006

Well! The day I don't trust an arbitrary number of unnamed, off-the-record "scientists" is the day I die.

If their "technology" is the tech of making outlandish claims on a website that doesn't explain them, then I think we can guess that the amount of energy spent snarking on them will far outstrip the amount of energy they put into the website. Thus, mission accomplished. But not really.

If I had this kind of technology, though, my first priority wouldn't be collecting e-mail addresses and begging the scientific community to disprove me. My first priority would be to apply the technology to everything I could and rule the world with an alternating iron fist and gentle hand.

Then I would spam everybody, now that I think about it...

Dear God, are we simply witnessing the ground floor of their evil plan? Will those who register for the results be the only ones spared? I don't know what to think anymore!
posted by Navelgazer at 1:53 PM on August 18, 2006

Maybe God finally decided to hook us up with some'o'that infinite powah.
posted by LordSludge at 2:01 PM on August 18, 2006

Navelgazer, if they emerge from their labs in a few days time with the power to rain meteors down on those who disobey, don't say you weren't warned. I've already pledged my fealty to them and am awaiting my training to become a Steorntrooper.
posted by [expletive deleted] at 2:10 PM on August 18, 2006

Well, just to play it safe, I registered as "navelgazer".
posted by dubold at 2:25 PM on August 18, 2006

what the hell is a "coefficient of performance" anyway?
posted by sergeant sandwich at 2:26 PM on August 18, 2006

They know a way to harvest the emails of gullable people.
That is close to having a free money machine.
posted by Iron Rat at 2:31 PM on August 18, 2006

Presumably the coefficient of performance is the same as the ratio of output energy to input energy. Heat generated equals (1-coefficient of performance) multiplied by the amount of energy put in.

Now the awesome thing is that by this definition, a coefficient of performance greater than one reduces the temperature of the surrounding environment. Which would be too cool for school (literally).

It woul dbe nice if they at least gave us a hint of where the extra energy is coming from.
posted by GuyZero at 2:34 PM on August 18, 2006

The NEW TK: "Say something nice. Say something nice."

Uh. The website is sure pretty? Yup. It's a pretty website.
posted by tkchrist at 2:35 PM on August 18, 2006

[!] one loser marked this as a favorite
posted by snofoam at 2:35 PM on August 18, 2006

Probably it's just some kind of viral thing, or an ARG with a very big budget (they have even published an ad on the Economist).
posted by darkripper at 2:44 PM on August 18, 2006

From the crackpot index:
40 points for claiming that the "scientific establishment" is engaged in a "conspiracy" to prevent your work from gaining its well-deserved fame, or suchlike.

50 points for claiming you have a revolutionary theory but giving no concrete testable predictions.

That's quite a few points already, and I've only looked at the top five crackpot indicators.
posted by raedyn at 2:44 PM on August 18, 2006

He's probably stealing, or rather trading, energy with another dimension. It will probably cause our sun to explode in a few centuries.
posted by Citizen Premier at 3:36 PM on August 18, 2006

He's probably stealing, or rather trading, energy with another dimension. It will probably cause our sun to explode in a few centuries.

Oh. A few centuries. Screw those future fuckers. I say proceed. FULL STEAM AHEAD!

Providing my extra dimensional Doppelganger doesn't hitch a ride on the pernicious pilfering energy beam. He is SUCH an asshole.
posted by tkchrist at 3:53 PM on August 18, 2006

heeeey, is this company founded by Kilgore Trout?
posted by lumpenprole at 3:53 PM on August 18, 2006