So Steorn’s Orbo technology is on display in Dublin. They have multiple live video streams, but at the #3 view at this hour shows “Offline” and “The channel owner has prohibited viewing from this web page”. Public viewing hours run from 10a to 7p six days a week. What is it? There’s a detailed exploded…
Tag: energy
As part of the 300 program, Steorn recently released specific details about their technology, which was pretty much the whole point of the 300. The general reaction has been vaguely positive and appreciative (like this posting), though there is a huge self-selection bias in play. Their key operating principle is clever and unlike anything I’ve…
The Steorn 300 program is underway, and yes, I am one of the 300 looking at their information which is coming out in once-a-week bursts in the form of educational modules. So far, nothing interesting. Some basic physics lessons, and somewhat more interesting forum activity. But all signs seem to be pointing in the wrong…
60 Minutes covers it. Disclaminer: haven’t seen it, the video doesn’t even play in my browser. Let me know if you have better success in viewing. -m
This article seems encouraging. I’ve never been able to come to grips with the anti-CF bias of the scientific community. Sure a few researchers made fools of themselves two decades ago, but what has that got to do with falsifiable hypotheses? A small amount of research goes on with minimal funding, under the newer name…
[Update: now featuring Actually Correct Math. Somebody stop me before I late-night-blog again…] Recent news coverage mentions a badly-needed breakthrough at MIT in battery technology. Using a slight variation of existing lithium materials, much faster charge and discharge rates are possible. The money quote is that [Professor Gerbrand Ceder and graduate student Byoungwoo Kang] went…
I’m (just barely) enough of a writer that I can spend cycles on Steorn‘s claims without being branded a crackpot. After all, the novel I’m working on involves a similar device being invented 4,000 years ago. It’s all research. Imagine if Earth’s gravitational field, instead of being a constant 1.0G, rocked back and forth between…
Steorn is making noise again about the free energy device they claim to have invented. The proper scientific attitude to have toward such claims is skepticism, though most responses (always from individual who have never seen it) goes well beyond that. But think of the downside if every phone, iPod, refrigerator, car, air conditioning unit,…
This month’s electric bill is brought to you by GE: “We bring good things to light.” ™ (c) Usage by GE appliances: $0.18 per KW/h totaling $23.48 Usage by Kenmore appliances (see note 1): $0.53 per KW/h totaling $50.23 Usage by unlisted appliances: $0.26 per KW/h totaling $39.32 Total Due: $113.03 Note 1: PG&E is…
Tough economic times? Take 1.2 volt, 2.5 Amp/hr NiMH batteries (technically “cells”). Call it 3 W/hrs of energy each. The going electricity rate here is about $0.15/KW-hr. Thus fully charging four batteries with a 50% efficient charger costs approximately $0.0036. More collected Geek Thoughts at http://geekthoughts.info.
Cringely writes that a mandatory ban on incandescent lighting would cut U.S. electricity consumption by 18% within a year. What else could have a big impact? The Onion Radio News reported on a new eco-friendly Hummer that kills its owners. (aired Aug 7, 2008) That’s not bad, but a tax on SUVs of one dollar…
A food calorie (kilocalorie) is the amount of energy required to heat one liter of water one degree C. Therefore, when you drink one liter of ice water your body has to warm it up to 37C, giving it an effective calorie content of negative 37. Room temperature (25 degree C) water, on the other…