Lisa, in this house, we obey the laws of thermodynamics!

[The2ndWheel]

Said by the brilliant Homer Simpson.

http://www.energybulletin.net/32445.html

I am often asked about this or that “new” idea that promises some kind of “free energy” and whether I had looked into it because it could “change the debate” about energy.

The answer is usually that I havent looked into it because I already know that these “new” ideas will not change the energy debate. Arrogance! Closed mindedness! How can we possible know such things wont work unless we find out about them? After all, we cannot really be sure they wont work, can we?

A recent example that has been much publicized is the Irish company Steorn who placed an advert in the Economist earlier this year claiming to have produced such a device called the Orbo which uses magnets to produce energy. (Magnets are a standard “free energy” idea; another would be various different kinds of electrolysis to extract hydrogen from water etc..)

[phantom power]

1. Thermodynamics aside, how did he ever expect the name "Orbo" to be taken seriously?

The mind bobbles.

[rhiannon55]

2. and boggles, too.

:)

[phantom power]

3. Heh. "bobbles" is an obscure reference to the show "married with children."

The ditzy blonde daughter once used the phrase "the mind bobbles."

Somehow, that seemed even more perfect than "boggles" to me.

[rhiannon55]

4. 'k. Didn't know the reference, and couldn't resist

being a DU vocabulary cop. Heh.:P

[4dsc]

5. My favorite line

I like this line from the article.

But how can it be in this day and age that otherwise well-educated and sophisticated people- members of the most educated generation perhaps of all time- growing up in a world surrounded by the gadgets and conveniences of a science-based modern society be so misinformed about the difference between scientific understanding and religious beliefs? Why this strong conviction- often encountered in the environmental movement, and, Im sorry to say, amongst Permaculture people who really should know better, that science can’t really “be sure” of anything?

[DCKit]

6. But, but....

If we don't have hydrogen or perpetual motion to save us, how will we run our flying cars?