Isolation Ward

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The pattern with crackpot inventions

Posted by Tony Lauck on March 21, 2011 at 11:53:19:
Perhaps I should explain why I found this reference... :-)
I was having a dinner conversation with a new friend a week ago and the subject of alternate energy came up. After some discussion, I agreed to check out a company that "had" one of these magnetic motors, Steorn. This one looks highly suspect on claims alone, since these include 485% output over input—were this to be the case any competent engineer could build a working generator that would not require any abuse of instrumentation to demonstrate success. Years have gone by since the company made those claims yet they are still looking for sources of funding. I think some curious and a little foolish people got started down the garden path, at least I don't think they intended to perpetrate a fraud at the outset. (I don't think this is sad, because if nobody tries "impossible" ideas there will never be progress. What's sad is when greed takes over and the marketing people are brought in before there is any working technology.)
From time to time, people ask me to debunk various "impossible" inventions. The first time was a system of modulation for transmitting information by a new method of modulation that did not require any sidebands. Unfortunately, it wasn't possible for me to be specific in my debunking, just rely on general principles. The reason was that I had been asked to make a purchase recommendation for the technology and there were to be no details unless my recommendation was in the affirmative and money paid over to the "inventor". (That alone should raise suspicions...) Many years later the details came out and the "technology" was debunked. I think you will enjoy the linked debunking. A brief quote to whet your appetite:
"This seems to be the quite the pattern with crackpot inventions: when demos fail and deliverables aren't delivered, the inventor falls out with the business guy. Pretty soon the two sides are locked in an expensive legal battle over the ownership of a technology that neither side can admit is utterly worthless. As usual, the only winners are the lawyers."

On one of those lawsuits I was employed by the lawyers as a technology consultant... :)