Chasing the Impossible: The Enigma of Perpetual Motion (Encore) - Everything Everywhere Daily: History, Science, Geography & More

Summary

Podcast Summary: Everything Everywhere Daily – "Chasing the Impossible: The Enigma of Perpetual Motion (Encore)"

Host: Gary Arndt
Release Date: January 15, 2025
Executive Producer: Charles Daniel
Associate Producers: Benji Long and Cameron Keever

Introduction to Perpetual Motion

In the encore episode titled "Chasing the Impossible: The Enigma of Perpetual Motion," Gary Arndt delves into the captivating yet futile quest to create perpetual motion machines—devices that could operate indefinitely without an external energy source. Gary begins by highlighting the allure of such machines, emphasizing how they could revolutionize energy consumption and solve global energy crises if they were ever realized.

"Imagine a device that could supply an unlimited amount of energy. It would solve many of the world's problems in one fell swoop." (00:00)

Despite their enticing promise, perpetual motion machines defy the fundamental laws of physics, rendering them impossible. Gary sets the stage for a historical and scientific exploration of why these machines remain perpetually elusive.

Historical Attempts at Creating Perpetual Motion

Gary takes listeners on a chronological journey through history, uncovering various attempts to invent perpetual motion machines:

Bhaskara II's Perpetual Motion Wheel

Dating back to the 12th century in India, mathematician Bhaskara II introduced the Bhaskara wheel. This device featured compartments filled with weights or liquids arranged around a central axis, designed to create continuous rotation.

"The Bhaskara wheel consists of a series of containers or compartments arranged in a circular fashion around a central axis." (00:05)

Gary likens it to a bicycle wheel adorned with heavy weights on the spokes, intending to maintain perpetual momentum as gravity acts upon the weights. However, the inherent design flaws prevent true perpetual motion.

European Innovations and Leonardo da Vinci

Moving into the 13th century, French architect Villard de Honecourt conceptualized a similar device, although it was never constructed. Renowned polymath Leonardo da Vinci also sketched a comparable machine, featuring curved spokes resembling a nautilus shell. Despite these visionary designs, practical implementation was never achieved.

"In Leonardo's drawings, instead of straight spokes, there were curved spokes that looked like the lines of a nautilus shell." (00:15)

17th and 18th Centuries: Flourishing Claims and Demonstrations

The 17th century saw a surge in perpetual motion claims:

Cornelius Drebbel (1607): Created a clock that seemingly never required winding, demonstrating it at King James I's court. However, it operated based on atmospheric pressure changes, not true perpetual motion.

"It was cleverly designed, but it wasn't a perpetual motion machine. It ran on atmospheric pressure changes." (00:20)
Robert Flood (1618): Developed a closed-cycle water mill where water powered an Archimedes screw to maintain the wheel's motion. This system was inherently unsustainable without external energy input.
Robert Boyle: Introduced the "perpetual vase," a siphoning device incapable of sustaining perpetual motion.

In the early 18th century, Johann Bessler claimed to have built over 300 perpetual motion machines, garnering attention from intellectuals like Leibniz and Bernoulli. Despite public demonstrations and locked-inspections, skepticism prevailed regarding the authenticity of his inventions.

"It's now believed that Bessler was conducting some sort of fraud, although the exact mechanism of how he did it still isn't known." (00:35)

19th and 20th Centuries: Growing Understanding and Continued Attempts

As scientific understanding advanced, particularly with the formulation of the laws of thermodynamics, the impossibility of perpetual motion became clearer. Nonetheless, attempts persisted:

U.S. Patent Office (1868 & 1977): Granted patents for perpetual motion devices, such as rotary engines and magnetic propulsion systems, despite their impossibility.
Nikola Tesla (1900): Made vague claims about self-acting engines capable of powering machines indefinitely, though he never provided prototypes or detailed concepts.

"Perpetual motion claims kept coming in every few years, almost always from backyard tinkerers who claimed to have discovered a new type of physics." (00:55)

Modern Claims and Patent Office Policies

Despite the established scientific consensus, modern claims of perpetual motion machines continue to emerge, often dismissed as fraudulent or based on misunderstood physics. The U.S. Patent Office has since adopted stringent policies, refusing patents for perpetual motion machines unless accompanied by a working model.

"Eventually, the U.S. Patent Office issued a decree that they no longer would grant patents on perpetual motion machines unless a working model of the device could be provided." (01:10)

This policy change underscores the enduring recognition of the impossibility of perpetual motion within the scientific community.

The Physics Behind the Impossibility

Gary elucidates why perpetual motion machines defy established physical laws, focusing on the first and second laws of thermodynamics.

First Law of Thermodynamics: Conservation of Energy

The first law states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed from one form to another. This principle inherently negates the possibility of a device generating energy perpetually without an external source.

"Energy cannot be created or destroyed. It can only be transferred from one type to another." (02:10)

Devices that appear to exhibit perpetual motion often covertly draw energy from external sources, invalidating their perpetual nature.

Second Law of Thermodynamics: Entropy and Irreversibility

The second law introduces the concept of entropy, asserting that systems naturally progress towards disorder. In the context of perpetual motion, this means that any system will inevitably encounter energy losses due to friction, air resistance, and other forms of energy dissipation.

"The piper of entropy has to be paid. You cannot create a perfect vacuum, so there will always be minor amounts of air resistance." (02:40)

Even with advancements aimed at minimizing energy losses—such as vacuum chambers and magnetic bearings—perfect elimination of friction and resistance is unattainable, ensuring that perpetual motion remains impossible.

Case Study: The Beverly Clock

Gary references the Beverly Clock at the University of Otago in New Zealand as an example of a device that, while operational for over a century without winding, does not achieve perpetual motion. Instead, it relies on atmospheric pressure changes, halting when such changes cease.

"It's an incredibly clever device. In a similar vein to the clock built by Cornelius Drebbel in 1607, however, it isn't exhibiting perpetual motion." (03:10)

The Enduring Allure and Future Implications

Despite centuries of debunked claims, the fascination with perpetual motion persists. Gary posits that the allure stems from a fundamental human desire to achieve limitless energy and overcome natural limitations.

"Despite the fact that this is one of the most cut and dried laws of nature that there is, there probably always will be people who claim to have created perpetual motion machines." (04:00)

Understanding the principles that render perpetual motion impossible is crucial, especially in an era grappling with energy sustainability and environmental challenges. This episode serves as a reminder of the importance of adhering to scientific principles and critically evaluating extraordinary claims.

Conclusion

Gary Arndt wraps up the episode by reaffirming the impossibility of perpetual motion machines, grounded in the unwavering laws of thermodynamics. He encourages listeners to remain skeptical of such claims and to appreciate the intricate balance of energy within our universe.

"If you ever hear claims from someone who says that they've built a device that will solve the world's energy problems, just remember that you can't get around the laws of thermodynamics." (04:30)

Key Takeaways:

Perpetual Motion Defined: Devices that operate indefinitely without external energy sources.
Historical Attempts: From Bhaskara II’s wheel to Johann Bessler’s claims, history is replete with efforts to achieve perpetual motion.
Scientific Laws: The first and second laws of thermodynamics categorically prohibit perpetual motion.
Modern Skepticism: Continued claims are met with skepticism and regulatory barriers, such as stringent patent requirements.
Enduring Fascination: The quest for perpetual motion reflects deeper human aspirations for limitless energy.

Notable Quotes:

"Energy cannot be created or destroyed. It can only be transferred from one type to another." (02:10)
"The piper of entropy has to be paid." (02:40)
"You can't get around the laws of thermodynamics." (04:30)

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Support the Show:

A big thank you to all Patreon supporters, including executive producer Charles Daniel and associate producers Benji Long and Cameron Keever. Your support ensures the daily release of informative and engaging content.

Transcript

Gary Arndt (0:00)

The following is an encore presentation of Everything Everywhere Daily. Imagine a device that could supply an unlimited amount of energy. It would solve many of the world's problems in one fell swoop. Unfortunately, such a device is impossible to build, but that hasn't stopped people throughout history from trying. In fact, to this very day, people still claim that they've created perpetual motion machines. And they keep getting proven wrong. Learn more about perpetual motion machines, or the lack thereof on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. This episode is sponsored by Quince. I speak from firsthand experience when I tell you that dressing properly is the key to surviving winter. For the ultimate cold weather necessities made from premium materials, you've got to check out Quince. I literally write almost every episode of this podcast when I'm sitting on the couch covered in my Quince fisherman's blanket. It's incredibly warm, it's heavy, and it looks great. 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All Mint Mobile Wireless plans are $15 a month when you purchase a three month plan. Mint Mobile's secret is that they sell wireless services online. They don't have retail stores or salespeople. Moving to Mint Mobile is super easy. They use the same cell towers and networks as major carriers and you can use your current phone and phone number to get this new customer offer and your new three month unlimited wireless plan for just $15 a month. Go to mintmobile.comeed that's mintmobile.comeed cut your wireless bill to 15 bucks a month at mintmobile.comeed $45 upfront payment required equivalent to $15 a month. New customers on first three month plan only. Speed slower above 40 gigabit on unlimited plan. Additional tax fees and restrictions apply. See Mint Mobile for details. The idea of a perpetual motion machine is a tempting one, and if you know just enough physics to be dangerous, it's easy to think that such a device might be possible. A perpetual motion machine is, as the name would suggest, a device that can continuously operate forever without any external energy. As we'll see in a bit, such a device is physically impossible. But for almost a thousand years, people have been trying, usually creating similar devices over and over. The first known attempt at a perpetual motion device dates back to the 12th century in India. The Indian mathematician Bhaskara II created a device that became known as the Bhaskara wheel. The Bascara wheel consists of a series of containers or compartments arranged in a circular fashion around a central axis. Each compartment is filled with a weighted ball or a liquid, and the weight of the balls or liquid is carefully balanced to produce a continuous rotation of the wheel. The best way I can describe it would be to imagine that you had a bicycle wheel with heavy weights around the spokes. As the wheel turns, the weights near the center of the wheel would fall down the spoke to the edge, providing momentum to move the wheel. As the wheel turned, weights on the spoke near the edge would fall back towards the center due to gravity. In the theory of perpetual motion, the falling moving weights would be able to make the wheel turn indefinitely. One weight falls to provide momentum, which allows another weight to get into position. This design could also be done with water or other substances. I've done episodes in the past on a variety of inventions. In almost every case I can point to some very early, crudely designed version of the invention, and then a series of improvements made over time which developed into the invention that we know today. However, in the case of perpetual motion machines, it seems that most people who've claimed to have created such machines have really just reinvented the Bashkara wheel in a literal or modified form. And these are generally called overbalanced wheels. Bashkara might have been the first, but he certainly wasn't the last. A similar device was designed by the 13th century French architect Villard de Honecourt, but but he never built it. Leonardo da Vinci made drawings of a similar device. In Leonardo's drawings, instead of straight spokes, there were curved spokes that looked like the lines of a nautilus shell. A ball bearing would then roll down each curved ramp from the axis to the edge, just like with the Weights on a Bashkara wheel. There's no indication that Leonardo ever actually built such a device. In the 17th century, there were a host of attempts at making perpetual motion machines. In 1607, the Dutch inventor Cornelius Drebbel, who you might remember from my episode on the submarine, created a device that was a clock that never needed winding. He demonstrated the device at the court of King James I of England, who was amazed at what he created. It was cleverly designed, but it wasn't a perpetual motion machine. It ran on atmospheric pressure changes. In 1618, the English physician Robert Flood created something called the closed cycle water mill. This machine was water which fell over a water wheel. The turning water wheel then powered an Archimedes screw which brought water up to a higher level to then fall over the water wheel again. The chemist Robert Boyle, the creator of Boyle's law, created something called the perpetual vase. This was nothing more than a container with a tube that looped around and emptied into it, using the siphoning effect to refill the container that it came from. In the early 18th century, German entrepreneur Johann Bessler claimed to have built over 300 perpetual MOT. His machines garnered a great deal of interest among some of the great minds of his era, including Gottfried Leibniz and Johann Bernoulli. He would often give public demonstrations of his devices, always making sure to hide the internal mechanisms so no one could steal his ideas. However, he did allow his devices to be inspected by several scientists who could find no fraud in his demonstrations. In one demonstration, his giant perpetual motion wheel was locked in a room in a castle where no one could touch it. It remained locked in a room for almost two months, and when the door was opened, it was still rotating at 26 revolutions per minute. He demanded a payment of 20,000 pounds in return for the secret of his inventions. It's now believed that Bessler was conducting some sort of fraud, although the exact mechanism of how he did it still isn't known. In the 19th century, there was a greater understanding that perpetual motion machines were impossible in that they violated the laws of physics. However, that didn't stop even more claims of perpetual motion from being made. In 1868, the US Patent Office actually gave a patent to a perpetual motion device that was a type of rotary engine which claimed it could power a vehicle. In 1900, Nikola Tesla made a rather vague claim about self acting engines able to power a machine. And again, he never explained the concept and never built a prototype. Perpetual motion claims kept coming in every few years, almost always from backyard tinkerers who claimed to have discovered a new type of physics. In 1977, the U.S. patent Office issued patent number 4,215,330, titled Permanent Magnetic Propulsion System. Two years later, they issued another patent, U.S. patent 4,551,431, for a permanent magnetic motor that didn't require any flow of electrons. Eventually, the U.S. patent Office issued a decree that they no longer would grant patents on perpetual motion machines unless a working model of the device could be provided, according to their policy. With the exception of cases involving perpetual motion, a model is not ordinarily required by the office to demonstrate the operability of a device. If operability of a device is questioned, the applicant must establish it to the satisfaction of the examiner, but he or she may choose his or her own way of doing so. Despite centuries of failed attempts at creating perpetual motion machines, People are still making claims of having created them today. They almost always come from people who haven't formally studied science and then claim that there's some sort of conspiracy to hide the truth that they have discovered. So why exactly are perpetual motion machines impossible? It has to do with the laws of thermodynamics. The first law of thermodynamics is known as the law of conservation of energy. Energy cannot be created or destroyed. It can only be transferred from one type to another. And this means that you can't have a device that makes energy. Many of the devices which appear to actually exhibit perpetual motion are really getting energy from some outside source. For example, at the University of Otago in New Zealand is a device known as the Beverly Clock. It's been running since 1864 and it's never been wound. It's an incredibly clever device. In a similar vein to the clock built by Cornelius Drebbel in 1607, however, it isn't exhibiting perpetual motion. It actually runs on changes in atmospheric pressure. There have been several times over the last 160 years when it stopped running during periods when atmospheric pressure was stable. The second law of thermodynamics is the reason why devices like unbalanced wheels or the closed cycle water mill can't entropy. Let's suppose you have an unbalanced wheel or some other device that you think will keep on turning forever. There are going to be losses somewhere in the system. In the case of an unbalanced wheel, as it turns, it's going to encounter some air resistance. It might be small, but it will exist. And likewise, there will be friction on the axle of the wheel as it rotates. That friction will create a minor amount of heat, which, according to the first law of thermodynamics, is just being converted from the mechanical energy of the turning wheel. It's entirely possible to make such a device more efficient. You could place it inside of a vacuum chamber to remove air resistance, you could create magnetic bearings to reduce the friction of the axle, and you could make all the other moving parts out of some low friction material like Teflon. All of these changes could indeed make a very efficient wheel. And it's possible that such a wheel could turn for an incredibly long period of time. Ultimately, however, the piper of entropy has to be paid. You cannot create a perfect vacuum, so there will always be minor amounts of air resistance. And you can reduce friction, but you can't eliminate it completely. These laws of physics are why no perpetual motion device has ever and will never work. They are either straight up fraudulent in that there's some sort of external source of power, thereby putting energy into the system, or they will eventually stop due to entropy in the form of resistance or friction. Despite the fact that this is one of the most cut and dried laws of nature that there is, there probably always will be people who claim to have created perpetual motion machines. So if you ever hear claims from someone who says that they've built a device that will solve the world's energy problems, just remember that you can't get around the laws of thermodynamics. The executive producer of Everything Everywhere Daily is Charles Daniel. The associate producers are Benji Long and Cameron Keever. I want to give a big shout out to everyone who supports the show over on Patreon, including the show's producers. Your support helps me put out a show every single day and also Patreon is currently the only place where Everything Everywhere Daily merchandise is available to the top tier of supporters. If you'd like to talk to other listeners of the show and members of the Completionist Club, you can join the Everything Everywhere Daily Facebook group or Discord server. Links to Everything are in the show notes.