On Tue, Jul 10, 2018 at 1:46 AM, Tim <xxxxxx@little-possums.net> wrote:

On Mon, Jul 09, 2018 at 10:14:19PM -0400, Richard Aiken wrote:
> What is the list's opinion of this doohickey?

Do you have a link to information about this doohickey?

Sorry!

This is the article which sparked my curiousity:

http://www.powerelectronics.com/alternative-energy/new-discovery-could-lead-commercial-production-permanent-magnet-motors

From the comments below the article, this site seems to have a pretty good reputation for scientific accuracy. At least, it did before publishing the above. The current version of the above contains an internal link to a follow-up article, written in response to criticism from readers.

The inventor in question claims to have figured out a way to overlap the attraction/repulsion fields of pairs of permanent magnets (very powerful and expensive ones!) in such a way that the complete arrangement continues to spin without energy input. Interestingly, he doesn't appear to claim a net energy *output,* merely the possibility of such.

Richard Aiken

"Never insult anyone by accident." Robert A. Heinlein

"I studied the Koran a great deal. I came away from that study with the conviction there have been few religions in the world as deadly to men as Muhammed." Alexis de Tocqueville

"We know a little about a lot of things; just enough to make us dangerous." Dean Winchester (fictional monster hunter portrayed by Jensen Ackles)

"It has been my experience that a gun doesn't care who pulls its trigger." Newton Knight (as portrayed by Matthew McConaughey), to a scoffing Confederate tax collector facing the weapons held by Knight's young children and wife.