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Yes, There Is Such a Thing as "Free" Energy
Independent Jury Rules On Steorn's Free Energy Machine: Guilty (Of Not Working)
Perepiteia Perpetual-Motion Machine May Actually Do...Something
The Rise and Fall of the Steorn Orbo Free Energy Machine

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infmom
09/30/09

In reply to Yes, There Is Such a Thing as "Free" Energy
And here all the broadcasters are just wasting that energy lighting up the fluorescent lights in their building without having to turn on the light switches.
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LastError
09/29/09

In reply to Yes, There Is Such a Thing as "Free" Energy
Wireless power has been a proven concept since Nikolai Tesla played with it. The problem is that the utility companies could never figure out how to METER it so they can bill you for it. Afterall, snatching juice out of the air is free, and businesses can't make money on free. Maybe somebody will figure out how to do that someday and make a mint. Until then, it may run gadgets but never a whole house.
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Pope John Peeps II
09/29/09

@LastError: Wireless power is unmeasurable, but more importantly it's also EXTREMELY INEFFICIENT.

I wish people would think about this every time they bring up Tesla's name as a solution to all world scientific problems. Why do so many people masturbate over Tesla these days? Cripes, the guy invented a couple of great things, then he went nuts and basically became a lunatic con artist. On balance, I think we can say that it all evens out.
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TuxRug
09/29/09

In reply to Yes, There Is Such a Thing as "Free" Energy
I remember I once made an AM radio from a kit that used no batteries, just the antenna and a ground wire clipped to the floor vent.
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infmom
09/30/09

@TuxRug: I fondly remember my little crystal radio shaped like a rocket. Picked up the local AM station fine, clipped to the aluminum frame of the window beside my bed.
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Trond Aasland
09/29/09

In reply to Yes, There Is Such a Thing as "Free" Energy
Anyone interested in this should check out the latest episode of the BBC show Bang Goes the Theory, where they demonstrate wireless power by a) flying an RC helicopter powered by a microwave oven, and b) show off IR antennae - basically solar panels that work through clouds and at night (by exploiting IR radiation emitted by the earth while cooling).
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Monty
09/29/09

In reply to Yes, There Is Such a Thing as "Free" Energy
Anyone who has ever been under an FM or AM broadcasting antenna (the AM ones are the really tall ones) during the winter will know how the amount of power pumped through these things actually warms the air. No question, there is enormous power out there for "free". Well, ignoring the fact that it is not "free", of course - we are merely borrowing the excess energy that is escaping from these broadcasting mechanisms.

That said, not to be a conspiracy theorist, but I still have a tough time understanding how this "free energy" floating in the air that can power things or warm us up on a cold day does not cause any harm to us as it passes through our bodies. Admittedly, the harm it could cause would be minimal, especially given the enormous number of these waves in the air today. However, much like the release of carbon dioxide into the air (if you believe what most scientists say), there may be a tipping point where the small amounts become a problem. Right?

Still, this is being typed by an obnoxious dude with a brain tumor, so it is entirely possible that I am just searching for something to blame. I am going after the bottled water people next. Oh yes, Aquafina, you are in big trouble now.
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lpranal
09/29/09

@Monty: I don't doubt that there has been a case of cancer or two out there that was somehow caused by this (not that you'd ever be able to prove it in any way mind you) but the problem with that theory isn't the amount of radiation but the kind- namely, that it's all non-ionizing radiation. Ionizing radiation (frequencies above ultraviolet) is the stuff that can readily harm humans. There's a nice little summary here:
[www.epa.gov]

The amount of both ionizing and non-ionizing radiation from manmade sources pales in insignificance when compared with the sun, cosmic rays, etc, except in very local, contained sources (nuclear power plants, x-rays, etc.)
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anexanhume
09/29/09

@Monty: It's not my fault that you didn't take your free club-issued tinfoil hat.
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Monty
09/29/09

@lpranal: Thanks for the link - much appreciated. I guess I am still not certain that I buy that waves that can travel through you and cook food will not disrupt DNA. But, I yield to the scientists who clearly know more than I do.

As anexanhume says, I will start wearing my tinfoil hat more regularly now - just in case.
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ColonelGentleman
09/29/09

In reply to Yes, There Is Such a Thing as "Free" Energy
This is a cool proof of concept, but 20% efficiency drop off at 1 meter? I'd love to know how much power you could get a couple miles from a tower, which is a reasonable distance you would expect to be from one.
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Wilson Rothman
09/29/09

@ColonelGentleman: That 80% refers to the in-house wireless power technology, which we'll hopefully see in products in a year or two. They don't even measure efficiency for the microwave harvesting, since it's basically picking up scraps--ultra ultra low "efficiency."
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anexanhume
09/29/09

In reply to Yes, There Is Such a Thing as "Free" Energy
The broadcasting station will feel the burden if the harvested EM waves cause a legitimate viewer to not receive a signal. Some may buy a better antenna, some may buy cable/satellite, and some may just not watch that channel at all. Granted, if it will be of inestimable impact, but it's still there.
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MarcusMaximus
09/29/09

@anexanhume: It doesn't really work like that. These radio waves are sent out in all directions, so having an antenna picking up some of them doesn't reduce the power at any other point. If any bit of the energy put out by the broadcasters isn't used, it's wasted and either collides with the earth, resulting in an incredibly small amount of heat, or(more likely) radiates out into space.
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anexanhume
09/29/09

@MarcusMaximus: No, but it reduces the power in a line of sight direction, which could feasibly have an impact in a dense metropolis.
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MarcusMaximus
09/29/09

@anexanhume: Even so, it wouldn't have any more impact than actually using it to receive a broadcast. Besides, most of the signal terrestrial antennas get is from the waves bouncing off nearby buildings/walls/whatever else.
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GitEmSteveDave_ForgotNametag
06/23/09

In reply to Independent Jury Rules On Steorn's Free Energy Machine: Guilty (Of Not Working)
I guess they should have learned that the laws of the Simpson house apply to the labs they tested their device in:

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Kaiser-Machead
06/23/09

In reply to Independent Jury Rules On Steorn's Free Energy Machine: Guilty (Of Not Working)
Many respectable physicists said that they weren't going to stand for this - partly because it was a debasement of science, but mostly because they didn't get invited to those sorts of parties.
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Heliophage
06/23/09

In reply to Independent Jury Rules On Steorn's Free Energy Machine: Guilty (Of Not Working)
What was the point of volunteering to have it peer reviewed if you knew it didn't work? Was their goal to waste people's time?
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OMG! Ponies!
06/23/09

In reply to Independent Jury Rules On Steorn's Free Energy Machine: Guilty (Of Not Working)

GUILTY! GUILTY! GUILTY!

Have fun in the Phantom Zone, Steorn! Send Zod my love.
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xair
06/23/09

@OMG! Ponies!: Hmmm, I was just a kid when I saw this superman film (and even then I didn't like it), but isn't it quite illogical that Marlon Brando has the S logo on his chest, when he's living in krypton, where they're supposed not to have any superpowers?
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Kaiser-Machead
06/23/09

@xair: The "S" symbol is the family crest of the House of El. If you rewatch, you'd notice the other "Lords" of Krypton don similar symbols of varying pattern.
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OMG! Ponies!
06/23/09

@xair: I'm sorry, you must have mistaken me for Richard Donner. And I love how you focus on Marlon Brando in lame.

Me - 30 years later, I still think that Ursa in black stiletto thigh-high boots is Pat Benatar HAWT!
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suburbancowboy
06/23/09

@xair: Superman II is by far my favorite Superman movie. Mainly because the villains were so bad ass.
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GitEmSteveDave_ForgotNametag
06/23/09

@suburbancowboy: Yeah, like Richard Pryor.
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closhedbb
06/23/09

In reply to Independent Jury Rules On Steorn's Free Energy Machine: Guilty (Of Not Working)
Damn those laws of thermodynamics! Always getting in the way of teh progress!
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GitEmSteveDave_ForgotNametag
06/23/09

@closhedbb:

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ktspaz
06/23/09

@JerseyCam.orgFounder_GitEmSteveDave:

Homer is not a lolcat, don't misspell words.
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GitEmSteveDave_ForgotNametag
06/23/09

@ktspaz: You don't like it, you make your own LOLSimpsons. These are mine. Next you'll tell me my LOLGhostbusters are wrong.
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