September 04, 2006

• Very interesting to see how this pans out. I'm automatically sceptical, but they are being very steady and calm about it. This is different from the guy who created fully AI chatbots to 'catch paedophiles' on chatrooms, then went ballistic when AI experts told him they didn't believe him. He turned out to be a Holocaust denier, didn't he?
• But its still stupid bullshit, almost certainly. Why don't they just start selling really cheap energy to people, and become the richest men in the world? Who cares about having scientists verify your claims if it works, and you can sell it
• Sure, it's free. It's powered by bullshit, of which they have an endless supply. Their website says nothing. And for all we know, the anonymously registered "steornwatch.com" was registered by steorn as a hype multiplier. Now, if they'd actually make a substantive claim ...
• It's powered by bullshit Yeah. But shit, I wish it wasn't.
• I wager 2000 galactic credits on the inventor monkey-boy!
• Jesus, you whine-bags and your fucking laws of thermodynamics. WAAH WAAH WAAH BABY'S SCARED OF MAXWELL'S DEMON. Enjoy your wärmetod, lusers - I for one welcome our new Irish magnet-lords and their perpetual craic machine.
• I should point out that I'm interested in the way the hoax pans out, rather than the possibility that it may be true. Just making that clear. Yep. Pigshit is good for making power, as Aunty Entity would tell you...
• it's an expensive hoax, if it is one, and cui bono?* granted the information published is way too patchy, but why spend 75 grand for an ad in the economist? why piss off a bunch of people and become the new fleischmann-pons? for what? a new form of viral marketing? i don't see the angle for a hoax. * paul hewson is
• Well, at this point, it's all speculation. And they seem fine with that. Very suspicious.
• *very impressed by the way un- twirls his mustache
• I'm still thinking viral marketing or a hoax on this one.
• >>it's an expensive hoax, if it is one When you find yourself reading about a perpetual motion machine, it either means 1.) the most fundamental laws of physics are about to go out the window, or 2.) somebody's running a scam. The fact that the mechanics of the scam aren't immediately obvious doesn't make #1.) any likelier. That said, I wish it were true, too...
• and also 3) incompetence. They may genuinely think they've come up with something but they're mistaken.
• Irish Physics ~
• I'm sorry. I've not been as sorry as when Westlife were unleashed upon the earth, but I am sorry.
• I, for one, believe them. They have a very nice, professional looking website and anyone with a nice, professional looking website can't be a bad person. Excuse me, I have to go buy some stocks. They sent me such a lovely email about some company that's really cheap right now.
• I think I used that same Dreamweaver template at work last week.
• O you doubters. 3000 galactic credits!
• I, too, violate the laws of physics. I just don't assay mere profit from it.
• > 3) incompetence yeah, i've been wondering about that. i'm hoping that their system involves gyroscopes.
• Hehe. You said "ass".
• you bet I did! And I'd do it again! ass ass ass!!
• We all know this is almost certainly either a hoax or the result of overzealous hope, but wouldn't the effects be fascinating if it turned out to be true? We would potentially get to watch astounding scientific developments as new insights into physics were develeoped. Powerful, world straddling energy corporations would gird themselves for war as they attempted to control or deny this technology from widespread use. The landscape of the Third World could change within a few years as cheap abundant energy became widely available. It would be a very interesting time to be alive.
• Fes, I'm citing you for violations of the following laws: 1. conservation of mass-energy 2. conservation of momentumness 3. conservation of spinly parity and the fine is.... *opens envelope* ...3000 galactic credits!
• The endless energy could power our personal rapid replication machines!
• 2. conservation of momentumness That's totally not even a law. More of a guideline, really. How about I, ah, buy you a coffee, Officer? *slips StoryBored a 500-credit galactodisk* Paperwork's such a pain, isn't it? (he said innocently and apropos of nothing at all)

• RepRap "Wealth without money..."

  but why not teach the machines to replicate money? maybe darwinian money that could learn to go out and spend itself when i couldn't be arsed leaving the flat on a wet saturday afternoon when the rugby's on.
• >>i'm hoping that their system involves gyroscopes. Or spirographs.
• its already batting a 70 on the crackpot index, and thats just the press release. I'd give them another 10 points for having a press release instead of submitting a paper, and another 10 for not describing where this "free energy comes from". And thats just the first page. If you actually get to the part where they say it "sort-of" violates the law of conservation of energy I think they buried the needle.
• Pitching claim directly to the media is one of the seven warning signs of bogus science. And if you think you'ld just start selling free energy (wait? sell? free?) you're thinking far too small. If I had an unlimited supply of cost-free energy, I'd be able to... repair the environment, put a house anywhere I wanted to, make fresh water from dirty, cheaply, grow food in virtually any environment, travel the galaxy, build a working time machine, etc... Why would I even bother with a press release. I'd be too busy going "Wheeee!"
• *pockets 500 credit disk* Fes, I can see this was a totally understandable misunderstanding. I absolve you of the violations outta kindness....although you'll have to speak separately to pete about the Law of Ass.
• I will do that, sir! I appreciate your candor, and I ass-ure you that I will stick to the straight and narrow from now on. Good day to you!
• Ass-ide from public approbation and the derision of the science community for the rest of their natural lives or until people forget about them, do they face any penalties for fraud if they fail to deliver?
• Then again, perhaps they have developed the windmill.
• Eh... not so constant. Nevermind.
• You would think that with endless energy and reprap machines money would become obsolete. After all, now anyone can have (make) that Ferrari. But money does not represent anything physical. It represents scarcity. And there will still be things that are scarce - like space. And there will still be things that are more wanted than others - like locations. After all, there can be only one who gets to live on top of Mount Everest...
• Hence the joke about the Golgafrinchans adopting the leaf as currency, then burning all the forests to stop rampant inflation. Also, as Lex Luthor said, nobody makes land. Robbie the Robot was a rapid replicator (who liked his whisky) but he never replicated himself.
• *sets up raprep machine to rep mt everest. only taller.*
• If you join my religion, then we have ways you can violate the laws of physics. In perverted ways.
• Uh, would we get a uniform? I need to look the part before I surrender my logical faculties.
• You're already fighting the truth. Let it perch atop your head as a golden fez. Surrender to the truth of non-truth, the yin of yang, and the comfort of quality footwear.
• I have a golden apple here...
• If we had unlimited energy we could build as many mount everests as we want... on the moon.
• Hey, Mord, that "bogus science" link is pretty good.
• nobody makes land. Not true! I make land. I make land out of sand with my hands.
• Land, ho!
• Hoscist!
• i will build a new mount everest to meet the moon and incorporate it. the top of mount everest will therefore become a dome. this will be a geodesic dome, with added gyroscopes.
• ...and spirographs.
• "would we get a uniform?" Of *course* you get a uniform. You get a Fez, & you get a silk gown with epaullettes. Or, if you prefer, a kimono, or one of those kung-fu jackets. You also get to choose an animal totem symbol thingie. Pants optional. I'm toying with the idea of driving around in a little car, but the Shriners got there first.
• i will build a new mount everest to meet the moon and incorporate it. the top of mount everest will therefore become a dome. this will be a geodesic dome, with added gyroscopes. Got to admit this is a pretty good plan. I back it 150%.
• I've got a hat that says "Lion Tamer."
• I didn't know Dylan Thomas was still touring. Can you get him to sign my copy of A Child's Christmas in Wlase?
• I've got a hat that says "Lion Tamer." You're in.
• Wlase.. is that something like malaise only for dyslexics?
• 1. Free, clean, constant energy allows rural property owners (like me!!!) to use energy, at any scale, without any record of the creation or use of that energy. 2. Property owners that can create and use unlimited, free, untraceable energy can, on their own premises and hidden from public view, use that energy for wahtever purpose suits them without fear of discovery: 2a. Grow operation. 2b. Still. 2c. Personal laser-based surface to air missile defense system. 2d. Time machine. 2e. Bug zapper that kills trespassing elephants. 2f. Electromagnetic field that captures low-flying aircaft in a tractor beam. 2g. Laser pointer that covers the moon's surface with paid advertising. 2h. Recreational Electric Chair. 2i. Force field that prevents snow and rainfall. 2j. Death Ray. 2k. Orgasmatron. (needs work). 2l. Olympic-sized Hot Tub. 2m. Retractable roof. 2n. Temperature-controlled lawn. 2o. Lightning bugs that produce actual lightning. 2p. Night baseball.
• 2m. Retractable roof. I believe this is why free energy is critical to our survival as a species.
• If you join my religion, you get an Orgasmatron that really works. We got the secret books from Reich that he never published.
• Pants-optional uniform and Orgasmatron. Sounds very wrong. Count me in.
• As deranged sect leader head of your religion, I'd expect you to be wearing this august garment, Chy. And regarding free, unlimited energy... I can imagine many chilling uses for it. *shivers recalling the neighbours' retina-burning christmas ornaments*
• 2o. Lightning bugs that produce actual lightning. OOOOOOOOH!
• Much like beer, free unlimited energy would solve, and cause, a great deal of problems. Of course, one should never fail to factor into the equation the sheer volume of free-range hyper-valent industrial-strength human fuckery that invariably would attach itself to something like this.
• It's similar in a way to the effect near-infinite computing power would have. It would certainly be a Singularity, and I think it may render the Kardashev Scale redundant.
• Orgasmascist! or, if you're a bit snippy about the -scist thing, MonkeyFilter: free-range hyper-valent industrial-strength human fuckery Aaaand two your change, and we thank you.
• From muteboy's article on Kardashev Scale: Type III — A civilization that is able to harness all of the power available from a single galaxy, approximately 10**36 W. This figure is extremely variable, since galaxies vary widely in size. Kardashev's original definition was 4×10**37 W. Imagine the kinda spam those guys could send out.
• If energy can be neither created nor destroyed, then there is another civilization out there in the universe that is so screwed.
• That's one of our tenets, nunia. At least, it is now.
• Let's pick on the Andromedans and their pathetic little spiral galaxy.
• Chy, I would be happy to collect more followers for your great wisdom. But first, I must learn how to bring people to our cause. Ah, yes. Our scientific brothers will show us the way.
• 2q. Bore a hole through the entire diameter of the earth that is at least twice as wide as a human's body , and jump in. Okay, science types, what would happen?
• Ralph: it wouldn't happen. The forces within the Earth would close up the hole once you had reached a certain depth. You'd get crushified.
• I think you would meet Bugs Bunny somewhere along the line.
• Turn left at Albuquerque. Trust me on this one.
• Ralph, that's almost as stupid an idea as night baseball.
• *gasp*
• You'd get crushified That's right, because one definition of a planet is a body whose mass is so large that its gravity overcomes its structural integrity, so it collapses into a sphere. Asteroids aren't big enough to do that. Oh but what about satellite moons? They do that, and they're not planets. Bugger.
• Okay but what if you lined the bore hole with solid diamond, eh? What then, eh?
• Close yer bore hole!
• Diamond has planes of weakness that would cause it to collapse if the forces upon it were not isometric. Next.
• Okay, but we have infinite energy on our side. So we push back just as hard as gravity is pushing in. What happens?
• Or, as we dig the hole, we fill it with water, which cannot be compressed. As we dive down the water hole we need only combat the atmospheres of pressure from the water. Now, I suppose you are going to tell me that at some point the water will get so hot it will turn into a gas. Must you spoil everything?
• Anything is incompressible as long as the walls hold. But, water at depth always fractures rock, since rock at depth becomes plastic, so you're left with the same problem of crushination. All of the energy in the ooniverse is not likely to overcome the lithostatic stress problem.
• Not without counteracting all crushinating forces, that is.
• MonkeyFilter: you're left with the same problem of crushination
• Hey, I saw some crappy movie where a penis-shaped drill filled with sterotyped photogenic scientists reaches the center of the earth and has enough energy to make it spin; so, if hollywood says it can be done, IT DOES, OK?
• No. *rips chevron from Flagpole's sleeve*
• I would like to point out that at least five characters in that movie are listed as having doctorates. So, I think your puny "lithostatic stress" argument is wearing pretty thin, rock bitch.
• All of the energy in the ooniverse is not likely to overcome the lithostatic stress problem. * orders a more powerful ooniverse*
• Ooh...TheDog called me a bitch. Are you coming on to me, hot potato? *grrr* FURTHERMORE, you are wrong. And indeed, you know you are wrong. And furtherhencemore, those schmucks are not real doctors, but they play them on teevee. And hencetofore, may a morlock peepee in your food bowl. So let it be spittled, so let it be done.
• The singularity is coming, and as it does, so will my tunnel through the core of the Earth. And then you will be sorry about this whole food bowl incident. You ignorant slut.
• What about, say, a tunnel the diameter of one human hair? Geek that, you rocks!
• *strokes chin* yes, yes, of course! A human hare, burrowing at the rate of 10 parsecs per hour. But what about the molemen? And dare i say it, the nasty nunchuks of nunia?
• Nasty Nun Chicks? I rented that once!
• You ignorant slut. Stop playing coy with me, Pupster. And quit humping my leg. Your singularity is more like hilarity, and I will be laughing my ignorant slut rock bitch head off when your kibbles and bits are crushified into RalphTheDust. Oh yes. My glory shall be glorified. *replaces the batteries in Ralph's calculator with Foldgers Crystals*
• Oh, my relatively hard, naturally formed mineral or petrified matter-loving friend: I love you even though you can't spell Folgers, you deny me my SphereSplitter SuperHighway, and you shake me from your well-formed calf before I am finished with my business. When I finally get my hands on endless quantiies of free, clean, constant energy, I will invite you to the SSSuperhighway Grand Opening, and we can go down together. So to speak. Insert your relatively hard, naturally formed joke here.
• I'd do that were i not so sedimentary.
• I love you even though you can't spell Folgers Hey now, I meant to do that. It was a play on folding, which is a structural term for ductile deformation of...bah. I mispelled it. You caught me. I love you too, you fleabag, even though you're building a deathtrap to kill us all. But heck, once a philosopher, right? Count me in. I'll sew berets for everyone and we can make it a day.
• So is somebody going to do it, or what? *loosens belt on trenchcoat*
• nunia, come visit my hometown! It has, I think, the highest ratio of black berets to old men of any town in the US. (Also the sandals and socks in winter/old men ratio=quite high.) You could probably swipe a couple hundred just walking down the street. Also, I read of your portable toilet obsession in your profile. I giggled with glee on a work road trip recently to see the "Crescent Moon" portable toilet factory, with all units a crisp purple or mint green, lined up like so many tin soldiers. I wanted to get a picture, but my coworker wouldn't pull over.
• Monkeyfilter:I will be laughing my ignorant slut rock bitch head off when your kibbles and bits are crushified
• I giggled with glee on a work road trip recently to see the "Crescent Moon" portable toilet factory... Do not tease me about clever porta-potties. This is a compulsion that I canna control. I demand pics. DEMAND PICS. There isn't gonna be any pics, is there? *whimpers*
• We screwed up Perhaps the only thing more impressive than claimed possession of an "infinite free energy" machine is the refusal to give-in under the weight of the world's skepticism-turned ire.
• By "we screwed up", I think he means: "we didn't get enough investment money before we had to actually had to demonstrate this farce, and now we can't afford to move to Fiji and those one-way tickets we bought aren't refundable."
• They're back... Jaysus, never say die, lads. Wired has a piece on it. I'll be back in Dublin in late December but I'm going to miss the showcasing I think :-(
• Well, the first couple seconds are truth in advertising, at least. Oh, how I want to believe!