Energy Magnet Motor fan used as Free Energy Generator

[Brumby]

At least you grew up.

Some people are still trying to find the right light bulb and get it in the right place.

[james_s]

I had a similar idea when I was about 5. Hey just take a motor and use it to drive a generator, then take the power from the generator and use it to run the motor. My dad explained why that wouldn't work and it made sense even then. Now there have been lots of examples of people accomplishing things that others said were impossible but I think we're mostly past that era. We know enough about how the universe works and have amassed so much knowledge, all the easy stuff has been done already and we are past the era of one person coming up with a truly revolutionary invention in their garage. There are lots of things that are potentially feasible with enough technological development but unless we are radically wrong in our fundamental understanding, it will never be possible to violate the laws of energy.

[Delta]

Electricity and magnetism have been completely and thoroughly understood for well over a century. The next "big thing" in energy is not going to come from a bloke in a shed messing with coils and magnets.

[donotdespisethesnake]

(For some free energy lunacy retro style, try http://www.besslerwheel.com/. They are still trying to create a "gravity motor" with weights and levers.  )

I think even a well-equipped lab would struggle to find an "anomalous effect", that is something previously undiscovered but does not require "new physics", and finding something that can be exploited an a large scale even less likely. Things like cold fusion, EM drive, still not sure there is a real effect there.

I think any genuinely new physics will come out of experiments like LHC, but almost by definition those occur at energies which may not lead to practical use.

Perhaps the biggest avenue for research is in novel materials and bio-technology. e.g. tweaking photosynthesis to make it more efficient, high temperature super-conductors sort of stuff.

[DBecker]

Here is a good analogy to use when someone suggests a magnetic perpetual motion machine.

"That will work when you can find a material that will block (not just redirect) magnetic fields.  And I'll be able to float when I can find a material that will block gravitational fields."