Adam Savage vs The "Perpetual Motion" Machine!

[@tested]

Thanks to Brady Haran for bringing us to The Royal Society! You can find his Objectivity videos at kzbin.info

[@dellabooty]

My man at Numberphile delivering the goods!

[@ekojar3047]

Is it possible that the boxes on the wheel are just full of a Gas that easily changes its temperature, where the top is always a different temperature than the bottom of the wheel? Kind of like how a Stirling engine works with heat or cold. The difference in temperature is what I'm thinking. And the magnets are the decoy .

[@Lethgar_Smith]

Is there another episode related to this coming? Would like very much to see what Adam comes up with.

[@BillySugger1965]

Martin Poliakov’s videos are also made by Brady Haran’s team and are very worthwhile watching. The channel is called Periodic Videos.

[@robertoromerro]

All the style of the device is telling that perpetual motion machine is primarily a Lord's privilege. I am not sure if you are not a lord you would want to work on it.

[@brennanruiz1803]

The hardest part of making a perpetual motion machine is always figuring out where to hide the batteries

[@robertdascoli949]

My guess is the box in the middle

[@Vinemaple]

There's a guy out near I live who used to make beautiful wooden flywheel-based perpetual motion machines, gorgeous and fascinatingly complex... they used line voltage, though, and the puzzle was simply to find the drive wheel. But they were GORGEOUS...

[@nicholastrawinski]

I remember one story about a PMM where the inventor had it mounted on a desk in his living room, and it turned out he had hidden a drive shaft in a support tube somehow, which ran to a pulley in the wall with an electric motor in the basement. Lol.

[@CoryzillaZombiekilla]

I read this comment in elctroboom's voice

[@boxhead6177]

That is the thing with any magic trick (or cheating device), where do you hid the mechanisms... and how do you misdirect the audience to not see them.

[@DnX5]

Great machine, I have one of these hanged on the wall, every 2-3 years I do some servicing, throw a double A in and it keeps on going. It also tells time with incredible precision. Marvelous.

[@speedstrn]

That's funny. I've got one too, but I keep it outside my house. From where I stand it's pretty slow; takes about 365 days plus 6 hours to make one revolution. Haven't had to service in years, it just keeps going.

[@sebasstein7014]

I have one that is so small I can wear it on my wrist, runs for years and so precise that I could even tell the time from its movement alone.

[@jimbeenee]

I have one on my wrist too! Unfortunately that lasts for about a day before requiring "servicing" but it has emmence features. It can tell me if I have had electric mail and even send one back. Many other features too.

[@geoschwa]

Mine is hung

[@dervakommtvonhinten517]

i wrote something similar xD

[@chrisnotap]

Another perpetual motion machine that runs for about 2 years is basically a wall clock motor. Swap out the 1.5v battery and your good to go for another 2-3 years.

[@ronnythompson9115]

The funny part is I use my dead AA batteries to run my clock. What other device runs for years off of a "dead battery"?

[@sonofmeh3182]

A calculator?

[@BeheadedKamikaze]

@@ronnythompson9115 The remote control for a wall-mounted AC unit

[@Xalgucennia]

A digital watch can actually run for about 7 to 10 years on a large coin battery like a cr2032

[@landlightning]

I came looking for this comment because that was my exact thought as well.

[@zackv3957]

Girl: "No one knows how it works, except 2 people." Adam: "You sure about that?"

[@Dominik40301]

They act very immature for their age. I mean, you claim you made perpetual motion machine, then prove it. If you dont prove it, and give details how its works and that does not defy laws to be perpetual motion, then its not perpetual motion machine. If i was his place, of guy in this video, i would say prove it its perpetual motion machine or dont waste my time. They claim something they avoid to prove, for no justified reason, if they cant prove it its like they dont have anything at all.

[@fleshboundtobone]

@@Dominik40301 it's a bit of fun in a museum, no-one is really claiming it is a real perpetual motion machine - she is just indulging Adam.

[@HappyBloke81]

​@@Dominik40301 the justified reason is tourist attraction

[@kylecorrea1238]

She got so defensive

[@deezkhajiit184]

@@Dominik40301 She's an archivist, not an engineer or scientist. It's probably just a cool little curiosity to her among tons of other things in the museum. You're the immature one for immediately attacking her character.

[@gremlinman9724]

a perpetual motion machine that only works if you send it back to the creator once every few months is like a magic trick that's really impressive as long as the entire audience closes their eyes when the trick happens

[@JoeLion55]

Exactly. That immediately negates the alure. A “machine that moves for a few months without external intervention” is hardly newsworthy…

[@Numbabu]

I think it’s funny.

[@haph2087]

It’s impressive how efficient they made it. Obviously toy can make the moving parts smaller and slower, or add more energy storage, but that makes the “hide the batteries” part of building a perpetual motion machine harder. I don’t think the “regular maintenance” revealing that it isn’t perpetual is that detracting, especially considering that we already know “perpetual motion” is impossible (in decoherent systems anyways, there might be quantum mechanical phenomena that one would like to call perpetual, but they require very special conditions and aren’t really possible to create (it’s literally impossible to shield a system from neutrinos, for example)).

[@bovineox1111]

Well two years, but... Even so

[@peterlongprong7521]

...which means it doesn't exactly qualify as "Perpetual"

[@bigknocker2264]

When I was studying mechanical engineering at Cornell in the late 70s, my thermodynamics prof told a story about a guy who built a boat that appeared to be a perpetual motion machine, confounding all the experts. Later it was discovered that the boat's hull in the saltwater was acting like a giant battery, and the hull was being dissolved.

[@littlegoobie]

galvanic reactions are a huge problem in general for anything around salt water, it's too bad that it doens't generate enough to harness. Iron boats have big blocks of zinc bolted to the bottom to act as the sacrificial anode. I know of one place where the city put up very nice decorative railings around the boat harbors. They're completely made out of heavy welded solid iron, all dip galvanized. If i remember right, galvanizing is supposed to add 30'ish years of protection. These railings and gates are maybe 15 years old now and they're 90% bare iron with minor surface rust. the salt environment is super harsh.

[@realhusky]

@@littlegoobie not just iron boats, all boats. Sacrifice your zincs instead of your shafts and through hulls

[@carstekoch]

@@littlegoobie You really don't want to salvage the energy though. It would just speed up the process.

[@TomasVolley]

Somewhat difficult to couple the current produced? And if no separation into cells to stack for higher charge, the voltage would just be that of iron, some 1,21 volts. That would not propel a ship. "The redox chemistry of the All-Iron Redox Flow Battery is based on the iron (II) chloride/iron (III) chloride couple at the positive electrode and the iron (II) chloride/metallic iron couple at the negative electrode. During discharge of the battery, iron (III) chloride is reduced to iron (II) chloride at the positive electrode. At the negative electrode, metallic iron is dissolved into the electrolyte as iron (II) chloride; these processes are reversed during battery charging. An aqueous all-iron redox flow rechargeable battery with a nominal cell voltage of 1.21 V and theoretical specific energy of 170 Wh/ kg is a promising low-cost, durable and eco-friendly energy storage system for large-scale applications."

[@ct1762]

@@littlegoobie outboard motors have been using them since the 1960's, possibly earlier. if your dock/slip has some current passing through it in saltwater from say a shorted dock light, it will just speed up the whole corrosion process rapidly.

[@masonmonaghan9374]

The hardest part of making a battery is always figuring out where to hide the perpetual motion machine

[@gabrielclark1425]

Perpetual motion machines would make _perfect_ batteries.

[@davidmoore4875]

That sounds like something Terry Pratchett would have written.

[@Guap303]

Part the hardest machine always to figure out motion batteries is to where hide the perpetual

[@garbage638]

@@Guap303 True!

[@super66reaper91]

Lmaoo

[@JohnKobel-hd5vp]

Geniuses that create machinery that defies the impossible usually start with a bike rim from a garage sale

[@TransistorBased]

Probably nicked it from a school or something

[@nortavon]

future generations will utilize fidget spinners

[@blackpowderfist8222]

I like the idea that he was a wizard who cast a spell of perpetual motion on this wheel and then just put a bunch of nonsense mechanisms around it to keep everyone guessing for years after he was gone

[@tylerhorn3712]

Would it be possible to use magnets to make a machine move back and forth? I'm picturing the same thing, but with big magnets on each side to pull those large blocks up just a bit. It would only swing back and forth. Ideal conditions would be that the magnet can "hold" less than .0001 MG less than the weight the machine puts on it. Though now working through it myself, a bit will be lost to friction with each pass. Unless one was able to 100% convert the heat from friction into movement, it's not possible. One must add an outside energy force or convert literally all change of state energy within a mechanism to power the mechanism.

[@mihailmilev9909]

Hahaha

[@mihailmilev9909]

@@tylerhorn3712 I've been thinking a similar thing for a whole. Is a body in motion not already in perpetual motion until a force acts on it? So all u need is a frictionles surface. What about a superconducting wheel levitated on magnets?

[@9PlatinumGamer9]

@@tylerhorn3712 No, because magnets pull equally in both directions. Push and pull.

[@tylerhorn3712]

@@9PlatinumGamer9 I know it's not actually gonna work, but the magnet "holds" .0001mg less than the weight, so it enters a "reset point" on each side. If it went above, it would get sucked back down... but that energy isn't needed. As long as the magnet draws it back up into its "reset" point on each side, it should go on untill the magnet looses strength (noticeable magnetic degradation takes 5-10 years).

[@salt-emoji]

Adam just whipping out a flashlight is the daddest thing I've seen in a while

[@sam3317]

You call it a torch when you're at The Royal Society mate.

[@Conwayy33]

@@sam3317 2 rooight m8

[@JoeWoodVids]

It’s either the Apollo penlight from Luna Replicas or, perhaps more likely for Adam, one of the originals.

[@Cristopher.C]

@@sam3317 these savages..

[@L0rd0fTh3N3rdz]

@@sam3317 how perfectly rustic

[@londontrada]

I love that the envelope with the secret is barely sealed due to being opened by everyone that's ever been in a room with it on their own. 😂

[@rhouser1280]

Eh, that loose tape oughta keep the secret safe🤣

[@fukhue8226]

The tape looked like it needed to be taped (lol)!

[@nonchip]

also let's be honest, the royal society could just shine a bright light through the closed envelope, take a real high-res scan and then untangle it in photoshop to get to the readable text, without ever leaving any trace.

[@r.c.l2569]

Gravity, duh

[@MrDownRater]

There is nothing in it. David Jones himself said it's only a scientists joke and not a real perpetuum mobile.

[@georgecarlinismytribe]

I think those 3 black boxes contain high density batteries, a coil of wire and a reed switch. The coils are momentarily energized by the reed switches as they pass the magnets. The coils then get attracted or repelled by the magnets, depending on polarity and position.

[@lyy1dew]

Nailed it…

[@mattbaumgart3621]

Adam most certainly needs to do a One-day build video of him trying to create how he believes this machine is made.

[@iwinnimi]

I'd give him 2 days.

[@LeleksPeleks]

Yes PLEASE

[@vituperate1005]

@@iwinnimi there is another video from a TV show that basically gives it away. You could make this in one day.

[@ZANGETSUxPR]

@@vituperate1005 link?

[@ashleigh.]

@@ZANGETSUxPR Or even just the name of the show D:

[@olliperez9022]

I have a very rare perpetually powered wristwatch. It runs and runs for many years and when it eventually stops I just take it to only person who knows its secrets and its good to go again.

[@Temulon]

I stopped wearing a wristwatch when I bought a cellphone.

[@glennross85]

@@Temulon I stopped wearing a cellphone when I got a g string.

[@dobythedog]

Sounds like the same person I took my watch to. I had a watch where the little square date changed at mid-day instead of midnight. He was able to repair this fault for only £100 which I thought very reasonable for such complex and intricate work from an expert in these things.

[@The_Situation]

@@glennross85 I stopped wearing a g string when I shat myself.

[@iwikal]

@@dobythedog I must recommend to you my expert. He repairs my watch every other month or so, because it insists that all months have 31 days. And he charges only 500 SEK for this very involved task!

[@Moon_Metty]

Quite the accomplishment, to keep a hamster alive for two years in such a small box.

[@BAYBAY_316]

Agreed. Great point.

[@wannabecarguy]

People who subscribed to the idea of free energy are difficult to communicate with. I knew a guy who was secretly working with this stuff. I don't take if calls anymore.

[@chicoktc]

Or maybe they just need to add more for mod and water for the hamster every 2 years. And I suppose, clean some poop as welo

[@adamsmith9898]

Her boobs is quite the accomplishment also for many people.

[@deviousredneck5109]

Xhamster has been alive for longer than that. In a small box called an iPhone.

[@DevilMaster]

Okay, I think I got it. At its heart, it's an electrical engine, only, there's a lot of misdirection involved. First, the three boxes conceal batteries, connected in series, with wires hidden within the wheel. They power the stator, which lies in the wheel hub, while the spindle that is fixed to the external frame contains the rotor. The metal bars of the frame are used to make the rotor heavier than the stator, so the stator (the wheel) rotates instead. The copper pipe, the heatsinked box and the labelled box contain additional weights. The pipes are made out of copper, and connected to a box with a heat sink, to suggest heat exchange, but that is misdirection. The light detectors on the sides of the labelled box only exist to suggest solar power, but they might even not be connected to anything. More misdirection. And finally, those metal structures on the left and right of the box are made to look like magnets, they might even be magnets to fool someone with a magnetic field detector, but they are only there as... you guessed it. Misdirection.

[@evanislost]

I was thinking that the box in the middle housed a thermoelectric generator, and the movement of everything inside the plexiglass generated heat, while the museum is probably cold, and everything is insulated really well. The energy generated gets transferred to the motor in the middle of the wheel somehow. Could the box with the heat sinks and copper pipes be somehow directing heat towards the generator as well?

[@christrombley4590]

In the cartoon that came with the original presentation, he actually says that the metal frame is meant to be misdirection ... but that's just what someone who needed a metal frame would say.

[@NonEuclideanTacoCannon]

It doesn't take much to keep a bike wheel moving, especially that slowly. I'm almost certain that the boxes mounted on the wheel are magnets, and the things the boxes move through are electromagnets. The smaller disc in the center has magnets around the edge, and the probes have a hall effect sensor for timing. When the magnet crosses the hall effect sensor, it supplies a small current to the electromagnet to pull the magnet in, then the second hall effect sensor reverses the polarity to push the magnet back out the other side. I bet a 9 volt battery could keep such a thing going for a year or more.

[@bigtime39384]

that's my guess too.

[@JanCiger]

Probably not a Hall effect sensor. Those are pretty power hungry devices, esp. if we are talking about ones from the early 80s when this was apparently made. It is very likely there is no fancy electronics in there at all. Something like a reed relay would do the same job with no power required.

[@edwardsmallwood1201]

I mean, honestly, I’ve got clocks that run longer than 2 years on a AA battery…

[@edwardsmallwood1201]

Technically, perpetual motion exists on a geological time scale. We call it planetary motion, and it’s quite useful for sending space probes around and out of the solar system. A nice little machine that creates useful perpetual motion? You’re going to have to prove that to me.

[@anthonyx916]

The sensor would be the driving coil itself - as a box containing a coil ("electromagnet") passes the fixed magnets, a small voltage/current will be induced which the circuitry can detect and use to trigger a pulse in that coil to produce the kick.

[@4dragons632]

"Its a perpetual motion machine, every few years we send it back to its creators to get it moving again" Seems legit.

[@cosmic5789]

It’s no secret that it’s not a perpetual motion machine. The fact that it can move for two years on its own is what is impressive. Yes, there is some kind of an energy storage device hidden in it but it’s not particularly obvious where it is. It’s a feat of engineering that resembles pseudoscience.

[@Bleachfan872]

So, what they're saying is it moves perpetually every two years.

[@drd1924]

Whereupon they give it a nice spin and hand it back

[@blacknoir2404]

Just like magic tricks, we all (hopefully) go in knowing it's fake.

[@nalivai4862]

If the physics were not what they are, perpetual motion machine doesn't mean that it's indestructible, so changing parts and fixing wear and tear wouldn't take away from the fact that it magically produces energy out of nothing.

[@donnieburgess]

That looks a lot like my perpetual motion machine, which also works by hiding the power supply in what looks exactly like a power supply. Had I figured out how to do it without a power supply, I wouldn't have had to hide the power supply in exactly what looks like a power supply.

[@mungomidge1090]

Haha, this made me guff.

[@hectuswectus3645]

hmmmmmm they didn't claim it's prepetu module, it is just kind of efficient... u jump start it and it goes for awhile.. as for the boxes .... obviously half way filled up with liquid of some sort

[@plektosgaming]

@@hectuswectus3645 The trick is the photosensors. My guess is that it only needs a few minutues of charge every week or so to put energy back into the system. Not too unlike how Seiko eco-drive watches use a little bit of sunlight to keep operating for extremely long times. My guess is that the underground storage has some lighting in it, even at a low level. But outdoors or under normal lighting, it basically is a solar cell operating a motor.

[@alfonsopayra]

Hahahahahhah❤

[@Just.Kidding]

@@plektosgaming Remember though, this is using solar cell technology as it existed in the 1980's. As the Archivist said, it's kept in a room with no lighting, save for the very occasional opening of the door. Though it's _possible_ that she was being less than honest, I really don't see it - it seems like they want people to make their guesses based on accurate information (or at least on what they can see).

[@ifly65]

Its no shocker that "Mr. Ive got to touch and tap everything with vigor" punched the Lexan outer frame lol. Great videos Adam as always you rule! She grabbed that envelope back like she didnt trust his curiosity.

[@anthonydamato4291]

What?

[@RustyShackleford_]

I was intimidated by his scrutiny the instant he pulled the flashlight out of nowhere in broad daylight and under ceiling lights.

[@rueben225]

I carry a pen light at all times for the anticipation that I may be able to use it just like that.

[@pedroaleb]

😂

[@pedroaleb]

it was very cartoonish the way he pulled that out

[@snev7545]

He’s getting old man 😂

[@pnda13]

As a museum technician/guard, I was extremely alarmed when he slammed his finger into the acrylic, also when he pulled his flash light in the Library/lab, it's simply bad etiquette to do so without asking first(Strong lights are banned in paper/film laboratory which are usually kept in dimmed light or even dark). I like Adam, but the way he was pacing and almost running around the table was to say the least not very professional or typical of museum staff which are extremely careful and cautious with their work. His enthusiasm obviously was bigger than his actual respect for the artefact, which is underwhelming coming from a guy so much into conservation and collection of curios /props.

[@reneejones6330]

I love it. A perpetual motion machine that only runs perpetually if it gets regular service.

[@Niesmiesznyy]

"service" 😂😂

[@Forty2de]

in theory, even if the machine did defy the laws of physics, it might still need oil to keep the friction low enough.

[@PangurBan-l1s]

Like changing the batteries.

[@jackmclane1826]

Same as my car. The service consists of putting a strange liquid into it every 1000km... ;)

[@stavros222]

They just telling lies to your face and you believe them

[@basicallybangbang]

The most IMPRESSIVE thing in this video is Adam's ability to hold that envelope and not immediately open and read it like I would've 100% have done much to my chagrin.

[@fusseldieb]

It's probably a decoy. They wouldn't hand the secret into random hands and "trust".

[@CertifiedClapaholic]

@@fusseldieb Adam isn't "random hands".

[@adamkendall997]

She snatched it back really quick too! 😂

[@obsidianjane4413]

But then they would have to kill him and everyone who watches this video. All too much bother really.

[@terrylaze6247]

Ahhh but years working for the Hyneman and other gigs have learned him the way of patients...or get smacked on your fingers.

[@KevinSeifert]

The giant Dreadco box is super suspicious. It's also in the center of the wheel. Likely it contains something like a motor and batteries. Notice the screws on the front, which look like they have a little wear (2:30 - 3:00). Once the wheel is spinning it wouldn't take much force to overcome friction and keep it running. The other clue is the secret is disappointing. So this rules out being driven by changes in air pressure or temperature. Solar is unlikely as well, given they keep it in the dark. It's something simple like a battery or spring. As they also noted it slows down over time.

[@leseanpayne2805]

God she loves her job. Look at her big smile as this man dashes to each side of the box looking for an explanation, I legitimately think she enjoys watching people do this and I get it

[@paulhamilton5634]

And she's also very attractive.😉

[@cpopte]

Yeah....her "big smiles..." got me....

[@DMartinov]

She just knows that she’s shitting him, they re spin it every so often

[@Izzybelled]

paul and rev3rse here being very classy as always

[@leseanpayne2805]

@Felix thank you! I didnt wanna say it and be a buzz kill but like yeah, by smile I meant smile and by loving her job I meant loving her job.

[@thebitterfig9903]

The big reason this is cool is that it isn’t a scam, it’s art. Dreadco wasn’t a trying to bilk people out of money by selling “products” based on a conspiracy theory. Rather, David Jones was creating a little puzzle, a visually appealing collection of bluffs and simplicity. Sure, it’s not “real” but the obfuscations are interesting.

[@benjamindeh873]

He scammed people out of precious time and admiration. In the hours people have spent trying to solve this lie, they could have solved a myriad of real problems. this artifact and any talk of it is a waste of time and mental resources

[@DertyMike]

​@benjamindeh873 it's really not that deep bro.

[@thebitterfig9903]

@@benjamindeh873 Couldn't the same be said about all art? Are people scammed out of time listening to Bach? Looking at paintings by Cezane? I'd say rather that these things inspire us. Now, David Jones isn't a Bach, but is he at least on the level of a Marcel Duchamp? Maybe. Meanwhile, who was tricked? Anyone who understands physics and mechanics well enough to invent anything useful, solve a genuine problem, knows that perpetual motion isn't possible. And don't people who solve problems deserve art, too?

[@benjamindeh873]

@@thebitterfig9903 Art is presented as art. Not as some incredible technical achievement which could have very useful applications if solved. This is a scam. The moron who made it wanted people to believe he achieved something he did not.

[@emoluv54865]

​@@benjamindeh873 That is a very Ironic statement comming from a Fellow Gamer, because this is basically an Ancient Expensive Sci-Fi puzzle.

[@billyeveryteen7328]

I love how "perpetual motion" machines are to scientists and engineers what magic tricks are to the rest of us. They don't buy into the "story" or "narrative" of the trick, but are just fascinated and determined with how it works and how it was put together.

[@DaveNapp]

PUBLIC DEMONSTRATION & SALES OF NON-INTERMITTENT RENEWABLE ENERGY GENERATORS. After applying for funding from the government to commercialise NiREG's and with this process nearing completion, it's time to find an investor/business partner. DM me if interested and live in Sydney.

[@Ohverture]

Her joy in talking with someone who also gets how fascinating it all is, is just delightful.

[@TrainerCTZ]

And she beautiful

[@cybercastor6873]

​@@TrainerCTZ Oh, yes. So much so. Virginia radiate a gentel, beautiful feminine energy with her calm charming voice

[@thethoughtemporium]

I'm 95% sure it's electrostatic. The boxes and the "U"s aren't magnetic. There's another video where they test it with a magnetometer. Note the pointy electrode, and the series of cups. It's an inverted wimshurst machine. Normally you turn it to generate electric potential and big sparks. But if you do it backwards and apply a high voltage, it'll spin. The fun thing is, it takes a ridiculously tiny amount of energy to move electrostatic motors. Which makes it perfect for something that needs to run for ages. Big chunky battery in the box, and something to hold a charge, and step up the voltage. Some sort of joule thief thingy to make sure it keeps on chooching, and a super well balanced wheel. Tiny electric field keeps the wheel going until the system runs out. The boxes are there so he can easily balance the wheel. 3 points is the number of weights needed to balance a wheel without needing to carefully find the exact point to put weights. Either everything else is a decoy, or he snuck some sort of passive energy harvesting mechanism to help keep the thing charged, but I doubt it if it needs to be "serviced". Serviced means recharged.

[@drewstudlino5885]

agreed i forget the term but its like the brother of piezoelectrics and its what makes static electric possible, and those are capacitors maybe

[@penttiperusinsinoori3037]

Hmmmm... sounds very possible.. even small lithiumbattery can works about 7-10 years. That i can confim the service is every 7-8 years. They telling that in science center heureka in Finland.

[@jaredkelly925]

Could be the wheel bearings need servicing, they aren't something that lasts forever, and 2 years is a long time to always be spinning.

[@michaelnwachukwu8329]

The three magnetic on the wheels are repealing the two U shaped static magnets and that move the wheel

[@about2mount]

Have you noticed that the heat sink uses ni wire but instead uses two copper tubes ? That means its power is coming from a gas. I would bet the gas is a refrigerant which would explain the heat sink being as an evaporator coil. It's turning because when the gas cools and heats in a cycle it causes an unseen rotation of invisible gas which causes the wheel to turn. So why two years. ? Most R 12 family refrigerants wont last two years in such a small amount. Why ? The gas leaks out of tiny microscopic holes in Pipes, Glass or Plexi causing it to slow down or stop.

[@TangerineTravels]

It’s a perpetual motion machine that every two years we have to send in to replace the batteries.

[@tukpunker]

Adam not being able to find said batteries is impressive in its own right.

[@mysty0]

That would make it an Over Unity Machine, not the same claim

[@quos3683]

True, in a time where there is an energy crisis they wouldn't hide the solution for no reason, this is so stupid and they look proud.

[@mmirekelite56]

Which is funny because if the guy had hidden solar panels it could passively charge during the day. At least that's what I'd do if I'm trying to fool everyone.

[@Dominik40301]

Question is, does it defy some of rules that makes it perpetual motion, we dont know that since it needs to be tested. How i understand perpetual motion machine would be machine that can give more energy that its needed to keep it running. Also, question is, is it based to gravity, if it is- its useless lets say in space station to generate free power. They could do this just to get media attention this is one posibility too. At the end, we already have free generating machines, at dams and rivers that use flowing water, unlike solar power river flows constantly and gives electricity, and that in my book is good enough, of course machines need maintance from time to time, but if you make it less robust and simple, it would give much more energy that is cost of machinery

[@nazgullinux6601]

Its an electrostatic motor that is powered by a clever wimshurst generator which uses the inertial momentum and the imbalanced 2 vs 3 configuration to constantly produce an emf. One U-shaped device on one side is wimshurst cathode, one is anode. The 3 squares out 120 degrees apart are very carefully folded copper foil conductors in such a geometry that it has the most possible surface area. The charge is stored in very low farad rating capacitors which collect charge to produce the high voltage. A very simple machine. Can't possibly drive a load. And, as she stated, it does slow down. Which means its extreme efficiency and not even close to perpetual motion.

[@danelen]

I love Adam's genuine almost child-like passion for discovery and learning.

[@MrParanoyak]

Yeah I would coldly dismiss this machine and her the moment she said it need recharging every once in a while.. that is the whole opposite of a perpetual machine

[@MrBloodyBat]

@@MrParanoyak The fact that it runs for at least 2 years without interference is impressive to say the least. "Recharge" is never used. They mention that it needs maintenance or servicing, but recharge is never said.

[@HunterSteel29]

@@MrParanoyak Remember, Adam opened his statement by stating that Perpetual Motion Machines are impossible. That's because the our current Physics models show that these machines cannot work.

[@michaelA321a]

I also love his passion for discovery and learning. She does say servicing not charging. The mechanism is much simpler. No motors, no batteries. Gravity is doing the work. The magnets slide weight within the boxes. The on the left pulling weight out towards the rim. The right one towards the center. You can see the deformation in the rim as the boxes pass the left magnet. I imagine the servicing is to true and balance the wheel as well as grease the bearings.

[@oggyoggy1299]

I bet you do.

[@theawfulmrbird]

would be great to see Adam trying to rebuilt this machine and revealing the secrets during the built

[@ColeB25]

Yeah, I thought that was what this was going to be :(

[@erict3728]

Thats what I was expecting. Disappointed to find out its just him visiting a museum and speculating

[@KutWrite]

@@erict3728 Yes, but at least the curator was cute.

[@IanPhilmore]

@@KutWrite anything specific about her that you liked?

[@hippopotamus86]

@@IanPhilmore Her enthusiasm.

[@PeterGaunt]

I'm not going to comment much on the machine but on how fortunate Virginia is to have such a wonderful job. If things had gone a bit differently early in my life I could see myself doing her job. All I can say about the machine is that it's a marvellous thing to have in the basement: it reminds me quite a lot of the Tom Paxton song 'The Marvellous Toy'.

[@ceptimus]

I think much of the equipment inside the case is purely decorative. It's just red herrings to confuse people. I have a 'perpetual motion' clock that runs for two years or so between 'services' (replacing the battery). If I fitted more or bigger batteries, I'm sure I could get it to run for decades. If there are batteries in the three boxes that rotate, that would provide plenty of energy to keep the low-friction wheel turning.

[@snower13]

A battery would be a very disappointing solution.

[@splatter_proto]

@snower13 yeah, magic tricks are generally disappointing when you learn how they work

[@-vermin-]

For sure. Anything inefficient enough to require that amount of heatsinking would not run for long on a battery. Thus they are merely decorative.

[@En-Beet]

but as adam said, there was no way to run power from thos boxes to anywhere else on the wheel (like the hub)

[@matthewellisor5835]

@@snower13 But satisfying in the disappointment. I think I might need to build my own model but I expect that Adam will beat me to it and with better outcome than I could manage... Not that it'll dissuade me! A Lithium primary cell is very energy-dense, easily hidden among all those "components" and it wouldn't be too difficult to manufacture a device that could turn longer than I'll likely live, much less for two years.

[@dirtyintel5668]

Her enthusiasm is infectious, and her restraint in not opening the envelope is legendary. Very fun device.

[@dirtyintel5668]

I had to go back and get your name Virginia. Thank you.

[@SevenSixTwo2012]

That letter probably got x-rayed already. 🤣

[@jattstud]

Her rack is even more impressive 😎

[@Ericmcdonkey]

@@jattstud I was thinking 🤔 I'd like to be perpetually motorboating them puppies

[@youknoweverything7643]

@@Ericmcdonkey I don't blame you she is one of those rare women where they are not a 10 and maybe a 3-4 but still beautiful and look good at the same time she is very smart

[@1FreeSelfGoverningAmericanMan]

Here is how it works Adam. Every time one of the 3 black boxes goes through one of the 2 permanent magnets, a magnetic reed switch in the black box closes a circuit with a coil and a long life battery also contained within the black box, perhaps a silver battery, thus creating a weak magnetic field with polarity oriented such that it repels away from the permanent magnet. This happens every 60 degrees of rotation of the wheel with each pulse imparting just enough energy to keep the wheel turning. The periodic servicing is to replace the batteries.

[@alangreen5858]

My thoughts too. If you could accurately measure the angular velocity of the wheel during a full revolution I suspect you would see 6 small increases little 'kicks' if you like. Each one corresponding to the passage of the boxes past the two permanent magnets. The rest of the apparatus is probably just a decoy. I don't know if anyone could use a video of the wheel to do accurate enough velocity measurements to confirm? Probably not.

[@KapilDev-md5uq]

Great exploitation bro

[@Ericmcdonkey]

@@alangreen5858 yeah with enough frames per second it would be noticable I'm sure if not by human eyes but my robotic eyes I could definitely tell you exactly the velocity gained from every kick especially if you could stop it and start it off slowly it would probably be really noticable

[@sincerelyyours7538]

Plausible, but then what's the copper pipe and heatsinked silver box doing? Also, why is it that only one person has successfully guessed (supposedly) how the thing works in the 40 some odd years it has been on display?

[@dominikborno4133]

@@sincerelyyours7538 like he said the pipe etc is a decoy to throw people off

[@Xalgucennia]

The hardest part of watching videos about perpetual motion machines is to not comment about how the hardest part is where to hide the batteries.

[@orangegherkin3420]

The hardest part of watching a video about perpetual motion machines is to not create a perpetual motion machine trying to disprove a perpetual motion machine by talking about where the perpetual motion machine is used to hide from the other machine.

[@Numbabu]

@@orangegherkin3420you hide the real perpetual motion machine inside the fake one and use it to produce the power.

[@jamescosgrove6680]

The hardest part about hiding batteries is finding a perpetual motion machine to hide them in.

[@JIMDEZWAV]

CHECK OUT THE INFINITY TRAIN IN AUSTRALIA ......🚂🚂

[@quevicular]

Like we havent heard this statement before. Get original

[@alexanderstahl9936]

Really nobody watches THIS because of Adam or Physics! Only for this intelligent and wonderful lady. I just fell in love!

[@bslaws]

I have a Jaeger-LeCoultre Atmos clock with "with a revolutionary perpetual calibre". Never needs winding but uses changes in atmospheric pressure and temperature to wind. Supposedly 1 degree temperature change gives it 48 hours of movement. My parents purchased it in 1959 and other than having it cleaned in 2006, it has never stopped running.

[@burtpanzer]

If that's the one with three metallic spheres rotating around it's base, I had no idea it was so complex.

[@RodCornholio]

Maybe that's what keeps this thing in the video going.

[@derekdowns6275]

Thank goodness someone else here knows what an Atmos clock is! They are impressive and amazing in both engineering and execution.

[@bslaws]

@@burtpanzer This does not have the spheres, I think you are referring to the 400 day or 1000 day clocks that need winding. This does have a rotating weight at the bottom. Very similar to this one: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hZ3ClaeOq6lgppI

[@davidschlabach4106]

That's impressive 🙂✔️

[@jonrichards333]

I've been working with brushless sensorless DC motors and this configuration is one of them. The box at the bottom contains a battery with a switching circuit alternately switching the electromagnets on and off at regular intervals. The duty cycles of each don't need to be much; it just needs to be enough to over come the friction of the bearings of the wheel. The 3 blocks of what I would think are iron serve two purposes; 1 as inertial masses and 2 as ferromagnetic masses. The two 'sensors' near the hub are a mcguffin and are not needed in this configuration.

[@amarissimus29]

The whole damn thing is a red herring. You're right, given the added mass of the blocks, it's essentially a flywheel. Imparting enough energy to keep it revolving that slowly isn't a problem at all. Balancing it was probably the major hurdle. I bet you could detect the angular acceleration visually, if you couldn't get close enough to measure the fields. Hell, you know what, it could even be simpler and just have a mainspring in the axle.

[@AbyahNathan]

Or This.

[@natecas0865]

@@amarissimus29 I like your mainspring theory. Definitely sounds like something that would be disappointing to hear haha

[@elimalinsky7069]

What are the heat sinks and copper pipes for?

[@tubewatcher97]

@@elimalinsky7069 more red herring

[@erikanderson123]

The hardest part about creating a perpetual motion machine is that it will take forever to test.

[@frednurk5168]

It's actually quite simple. You take the machine apart to find the battery.

[@Smarterthanyou-mthrfkr]

You would be stuck in a loop!

[@fusseldieb]

Actually no. Sorry if I'm not fun at parties, but you technically can measure the speed over and over exactly X hours apart and then plot a graph with the speed decline. If it declines, it's not perpetual motion.

[@alexmills1329]

That’s the point. If it never declines you’ll be recording data and graphing forever because you are trying to prove a change that doesn’t exist.

[@stephenhappy6259]

You are absolutely hilarious!!! Excellent point

[@smacman68]

Even going 2 years without interaction is very impressive. We tried making one in high school science class and got it to work for 3 days.

[@Josheroo]

I think I could watch Adam going through The Royal Society's collection forever. Just the boyish joy of trying to work out how things work and how things are made. I have been meaning to go to one of their events or just visit their collection for years.

[@acidxbathfuckgoogle3724]

Not forever. Eventually the system will run out of “boyish joy”. This occurs when he inadvertently breaks or knocks over every last exhibit.

[@seanworkman431]

Is it 'The Royal Society' or 'The Royal Historical Society' just in case I ever pop over to the UK on holiday.

[@kwimms]

@@seanworkman431 It's the Royal BS Society.

[@seanworkman431]

@@kwimms okay, you got a good laugh for that one:)

[@iliakatster]

Even as a blown up motor, getting a wheel to remain spinning for 2+ years with that little space for batteries is impressive

[@mcfcguvnors]

counter weight mags seems obvious but always need a human hand to restart it

[@sharonheisler1557]

Little space? That whole frame could be filled with batteries.

[@bearcubdaycare]

It's long seemed to me that the efforts to produce ostensible "perpetual motion machines", have a potential value in highlighting efficient, quiet design with compact energy storage. Whether this machine is an example of that, or simply hides enormous batteries or capacitors in the base, I can't tell.

[@ImTheMan0fSteel]

@@sharonheisler1557 the box is not part of the machine. That's a separate thing added for the museum.

[@TAKIZAWAYAMASHITA]

@@bearcubdaycare what value in quiet effieciency could this have? This thing has no load on it, so it cant generate or store energy. If there was a load placed on it, then you would see it slow down, and more force needed to turn it to generate the same amount if not more power. When something has to overcome a load/stress this is where noise comes from. If there was a away to avoid loading a system a car's engine would be quiet same with electric motors they all make a whine

[@bigclivedotcom]

And by servicing they mean recharging or replacing the batteries. There's always been an industry around perpetual motion machines. Some that are basically conjurors tricks and some that used their revolutionary machine "just on the edge of manufacture" to scam investors out of money.

[@doctoralam1995]

True

[@Here_is_Waldo]

Honestly this one annoyed me more than anything. It's obviously not a real PMM, so why are they pretending that it is? It's a fraud being treated as real, which doesn't seem like the sort of thing the Royal Society would have much interest in.

[@justindunlap1235]

What I don't understand is why he doesn't have a magnetic compass with him to inspect that with. They're perfect for finding magnets or electric current.

[@N0THANKY0U]

@@Here_is_Waldo The guys at the university of nottingham are just massive nerds and probably just decided to make a fake pmm for fun, but they are otherwise very well respected scientists who are all fellows of the royal society, so I imagine this is just a group of old friends sharing a joke essentially

[@ElwoodSharit]

Aye, it's bigclive! I wonder when "Big Entropy" will stop keeping the common man down and let us have our free energy? Then they could become so common we could get bigclive videos taking apart pound shop perpetual motion machines.

[@blaster-zy7xx]

My favorite version was a clock that ran from the barometric pressure changes that wind up a spring.

[@ducker09]

I have observed just that .DUNEDIN University New Zealand. Been runnig since 1900 aca😮

[@JMc.D]

I think the copper pipe is a decoy. When you think about it, it absolutely has to be a motor as Adam pointed out. I think the creator had a good laugh looking at everyone theorising and trying to ‘figure out’ what is a very basic thing.

[@frankince4093]

or is it part of a heat pump generating a small charge from the heat in the room

[@jonathanpeters4240]

Probably not. Because it’s a library there’s probably little change in the temperature. More than likely it’s a pulse motor powered by a carbon zinc or other long term battery.

[@grast5150]

@@jonathanpeters4240 Probably, We know that some sort of chemical battery is being used and a motor most definitely located in the wheel hub.

[@georhodiumgeo9827]

The heatsinks on the bottom give it away. Anything that uses enough power to need a heatsink would drain the battery to quickly, I agree its likely a decoy. Although it may use heat in some clever way.

[@zeeble1]

magnets are in the pipe i think the wheel is acting as a rotor and the magnets and box are charged possibly by solar at a low power, the two angles of the pipe can allow for more angles of pull maybe

[@snackerrr]

Accidentally punching the shit out of an ancient relic when you try to actually avoid contact altogether is just so Savage.

[@coolbeans8682]

Indeed.

[@jasonbrown467]

i was thinking it may be under vacuum, until he smacked it and the side flopped around

[@Emperor_Shao_Kahn]

uhhhhhh he tapped the glass with such little force an infant baby wouldn't wake up from it, not sure what you think he punched the shit out of

[@harrylane4]

The ‘80s were ancient???

[@JP-xd6fm]

@@harrylane4 That hurts, because then I'm ancient myself

[@andythewelder6181]

It would be interesting to film that wheel with a thermal imaging camera and see what bits get warm. It's also very funny that this "perpetual" motion machine has to be recharged

[@seanworkman431]

Yes, a thermal image would uncover the secrets.

[@neolexiousneolexian6079]

@@seanworkman431 Glass is opaque to infrared- They showed that on Mythbusters, actually. So you wouldn't see anything.

[@deadlymecury]

@@neolexiousneolexian6079 no, that depends of what glass type do you use. There are special glasses to filter IR, there are special glasses to filter UV, both are transparent visually and "just glass". Acrylic is transparent for IR for example but could be opaque visually at the same time.

[@BillOweninOttawa]

It's not a perpetual motion machine. It can't be.

[@AccelYT]

@@deadlymecury We are talking about far (thermal) IR which is unable to pass through acrylic (otherwise we would have had acrylic thermal lenses, and not germanium ones).

[@MechaBorne]

Some dude just found a bunch of junk in his garage and used it to create on of the greatest pranks ever. Legendary

[@peterpan4038]

I like this approach a lot. Showing off your cool "Perpetual Motion" Machine to the public and saying: there obviously is a trick to it, but you have to figure it out yourself! Nobody is claiming the impossible here, it's just something build to amaze and challenge people.

[@wilfdarr]

Yup. They have a perpetual motion machine on display at the petroleum museum in Calgary, and it's a very educational display: basically, if anyone ever tells you they've got a system for free energy, you best figure out what their game is!

[@zarblitz]

Yeah, it’s basically just a puzzle. Which is cool still.

[@blacknoir2404]

My guess is the 3 boxes contain their own battery and coils. When the box gets close enough to the frame's permanent magnets , it quickly energizes the coil and keeps it spinning.

[@johnfritzel9833]

Slow the footage down and see if you can measure a kick

[@urosmarjanovic663]

@@johnfritzel9833 No kick, motor is elsewhere, there are only coils and batteries in three boxes. Motor is most likely in the center of the wheel and wires could go through spokes. That being said, there is most definite loss of energy by current going through those wires. :D

[@johnfritzel9833]

@@urosmarjanovic663 what are the coils for if not to be an electromagnet? I am talking about an electromagnetic kick

[@urosmarjanovic663]

@@johnfritzel9833 Doubt with that amount of inertial moment...they might be finite amounts of induction. C'mon, let's not get into this... they have to take this crap to "service" every three years. There is also heat sink at the bottom. It is bogus.

[@cameronwebster6866]

I'm guessing you've got the location of the magnets and coils backwards. The horseshoe looking things being the coils would mean that the batteries are in the box at the bottom, which would be a much better location for service than in the boxes on the rim.

[@randramb]

For all the great parts of this video, it being Sir Martyn Poliakoff, who works with Brady on Periodic Videos who donated it and had the creator write the letter was my favourite part to be told!

[@fryncyaryorvjink2140]

Yes! One of the few name drops where I'm like hey, I know that person!

[@meanstavrakas1044]

GOT IT! It's modeled on the Beverly Clock!! It is sealed in an air tight compartment. As the temperature rises & falls the air tight compartment expands & contracts thus providing low yield power.

[@mramachandran9830]

I'd love to see a video where Adam builds this and tests his theories.

[@staticklingon2182]

Adam would never go for a type of show where he debunks theories. They'd have to call it "Theory Debunkers" or something. No one would ever watch such a show. It'd probably ruin his career.

[@JC-oq5ex]

@@staticklingon2182 yeah that sounds crazy man, nobody would ever make a show like that. Especially one with with a cute redhead.

[@bobryant442]

The real trick to hiding the secret is the assistant, who subtly limits the amount of attention you can give to the device.

[@elephant1851]

Sounds like a car salesman during a test drive.

[@glennllewellyn7369]

Exactly. I’ve said it all along!

[@danielk8149]

Lol she is a rather cheeky lass

[@randomnumbers84269]

I find her highly distracting. 😏

[@tygoro]

this chick is stacked!

[@snerttt]

The thing with this particular machine, is there are so many visible mechanisms in it, you're overwhelmed with possibilities of how it could work. Rather than limited by one or two suspicious looking parts.

[@snerttt]

@@rapidreaper could be, but it could also be a million other things, that's the whole point.

[@jackhackman7777]

I guarantee that wheel is extremely well balanced with very very little friction like the wheel is floating on a magnetic field until that field weaken's and starts to cause a drag instead of using bearing and theres electrostatic involved and when it slows down then theres a build up of electrostatic waste on the parts wich would ultimately make the wheel come to a complete stop sooner or later and they have to be cleaned every so often to keep it working and thats the first theory.....

[@jakeeasterwood3204]

I think it powers itself off of the energy produced by people bending over and looking around inside trying to figure out how it keeps running. As long as there are people bending over looking in it… it will keep running. If there is no one… it will eventually stop. A really good question would be… “Does it really spin when there is no one to see it?”.

[@Papa_0urs]

Erwin Schrödinger did answer that question long ago ;o)

[@getoffmyinternet]

More of an “if a tree falls” thing

[@SF-fb6lv]

That's actually a good idea; maybe have a piezoelectric generator hidden under the surrounding 'base' of the stand that the machine is sitting on. As people walk up to inspect they inadverdently power it.

[@moenunley3108]

That would actually be highly impressive. Not underwhelming at all

[@ninesixteengenetix]

Does a tree make a noise falling, if no one is around to hear it.

[@Dan_TheCatman]

Adam you're the best. Just to see you try and figure stuff out. I miss the Mythbusters days. When I was a kid around 8 years old I used to try a lot of the things I saw them do. Remember I once built a pvc potatoe cannon and did not wait long enough for the pvc glue to set. Tested it like a bazooka on my shoulder, naturally the combustion chamber and barrel separated. Lost a lot of my hair lol. Edit: I just remembered there's more to that story After I lost my hair and I missed an eyebrow, I reapplied pvc cement and waited two days for it to dry. I then put the cannon in a wrench with a click lighter and long wires that went to the combustion chamber. Hid under a table and clicked the lighter. It worked great a few times! On about the third day of firing spuds the seal /cap at the back of the cb blew out. Eventually my dad built me an all metal cannon! It worked great and my science teacher let me take it to school!

[@RazzBeri1]

“am i missing an eyebrow?”

[@ordelian7795]

Shame on you for not listening to them telling you to "Not try this at home."

[@NotTheStinkyCheese]

@@ordelian7795 those words tend to act as a trigger for some people to do the opposite ... ;)

[@ikthala2987]

@@RazzBeri1 We're, what you call, "experts."

[@Dan_TheCatman]

@@ordelian7795 Like an 8-year old would give a fuck

[@Jedda73]

My guess is this thing is a version of an electro-mechanial clock mechanism. The boxes will have a coil and a trigger circuit that gives a tiny boost pulse every time it passes through a magnet field.

[@TimHayward]

We should be able to prove this by analyzing this video and seeing where the velocity peaks.

[@elevenpsy]

Exactly what I thought too

[@startoftext]

I had the same thought. It would be interesting to turn it on its side.

[@dylanwatts9344]

I've studied and made some perpetual motion machine attempts. Seeing this video got my brain running again, and I think I have it. But I don't have the time or money to fuss with it. You have to have a second "perpetual" force and some locking mechanisms to alternate the position so the weights are off set on one side to get a perpetual motion device working.

[@dylanwatts9344]

I just cannot figure how to get the second force to fluidly apply to make it work...

[@kjmibus3344]

Anything is possible

[@DenkyManner]

Perpetual motion machine that slows down over time. That's an interesting definition of perpetual.

[@bloodink9508]

It’s also the definition applied to every single perpetual motion ever called a ‘perpetual motion machine’. If one was ever created that went beyond that we would probably call it a ‘true perpetual motion machine’ in order to distinguish it as being something different. It seems convoluted, yet it remains a necessary distinction.

[@Joel-bj8om]

Yes. if that contraption indeed is perpetual, no net loss of energy and no "servicing" is needed. On top of that, no force must be enacted upon its creation to qualify it as perpetual. Smells fishy.

[@TMWriting]

I think that might be why this entire video is built around explaining how perpetual motion is impossible. Just a hunch.

[@kevinmartella8570]

Let me tell you the definition of "speech mark"

[@Peron1-MC]

@@Joel-bj8om i guess servicing the bearings would eventually be needed even in a real machine.

[@MrScorpianwarrior]

200 years later: "And over here we have a document written by a fellow named 'Adam Savage'. He came to inspect the machine in the early 21st century, and upon his inspection was so inclined to write back to the society soon after with his own theories as to how it worked. I cannot say how close he has come to the truth, but I will say that he his drawings are incredibly precise and specific."

[@TROOPERfarcry]

A "perpetual motion machine" that has to periodically be manually started up. I have one of those! Most people just call it a "fidget spinner", but it's literally the same: once you start it, it goes for a while, but you'll eventually need to start it again.

[@ulicadluga]

01:26 - I've had watches that run for a decade without intervention.

[@johncristianjcivan5429]

Each of the 3 boxes contains a high impedance coil, a reed relay and a battery. Most probably an AA. By positioning the coil near the leading edge and reed relay on the trailing edge of the box, allows the coil to generate a repulsive field just as the box exits the magnet. Depending on the coil impedance and the electrochemistry of the battery one can get 2..3 years of "perpetual motion" between services. If you can revisit equiped with a Near Field Probe for magnetic fields (H) i'm preety sure you'll get spikes in the field each time a box exits the magnet...

[@clarkpalace]

A battery is a total failure to do perpetual motion. Too obvious. A counterfeit. Could just b magnetism and magnets do lose their magnetism. But i m only at the beginning. Is solar power a cheat too? I suppose

[@Tom_Neverwinter]

I wonder why they dont pull a cia and use a chloride lithium battery

[@llearch]

@@Tom_Neverwinter If that's correct, it may be that the cost at the time of creation was outside the scope, and retrofitting a better long-life battery into it might not be appropriate for the Royal Society. Given Martyn Poliakoff is getting on in years, one wonders who will take over for him when he is no longer available to service the machine - long may that be in the future.

[@JNCressey]

"most probably AA"? what makes AA more probable than AAA, or some other common battery shape like PP3 or button cells?

[@Tom_Neverwinter]

@@JNCressey amperage. Voltage. Swap ability.

[@gillesthouinjr6763]

I just love how all Adam’s interviews are like discussions, it gets involved and detailed from both him and the other person. So enjoyable, thank you.

[@sabahl101]

I remember when David Jones first built this. There was a television program where he talked about it, so somewhere there's footage of the creator giving additional info on the device including a couple of yesses and noes to ideas as to how it works. I think it originally went on display at an expo in Germany for some reason and must have then ended up with Sir Martyn Poliakof. Very pleased to see it's now in the Royal Society's caring hands.

[@TapTapClick]

David Jones gave the machine to Sir Martyn Poliakof in his will but Sir Martyn knew he was going to get it and asked for him to write how it works so that he could get it working again when/if it stops working. Also the show where he talks about it the most he says is "I produced a machine which of course obeys the laws of physics, It get's it's power from somewhere, I'm not saying where. It turns it into wheel rotation some how, I'm not saying how."

[@SniperFire274]

She mentions Martyn Poliakoff so casually! "Oh, he has a youtube channel about the periodic table, you might know him..." Thats Prof. Poliakoff from @periodicvideos! Exactly the person I would expect to be one of three people on Earth to be in on the "secret" of this supposed perpetual motion machine. I love the image of Martyn and co cackling as they install the battery and motor into this thing.

[@aNeighbour]

I could listen to her talk about this for hours!

[@jebidiahnewkedkracker1801]

There was a phone sex operator that sounded a lot like this gal that I paid $2.99 a minute to hear, so I know where you're coming from 🤣🤣

[@Mk4twoG]

@@jebidiahnewkedkracker1801 💀😂😂

[@TimEckel]

With a standard bike wheel that's very well balanced with ceramic bearings, you can spin the wheel and it will spin for well over 15 minutes. So by adding a very small amount of current to keep things going, I could easily imagine having it run for a few years between "servicing" (AKA, charging the batteries).

[@TimEckel]

@@SciFiSecrets while a vaccume would help, the plexi isn't thick enough to hold a vaccume for any length of time and surely not for years. So it's nothing but a container.

[@CheapFlashyLoris]

@@TimEckel Yeah, the way the plexiglass rattles when he clumsily poked it showed that it's not under any pressure too

[@BoondockMercantile]

Watching Adam's mind work is just a treat. The "light bulb" moments working with the "gear-turning" moments is fun.

[@Prism775]

These kind of devices are interesting because it’s almost like watching someone solve a problem when they are giving the designer more credit than may be owed and offer solutions that are somewhat overly complicated. If you asked Adam to make this as a prop for a film I think he would have given very different solutions. This very much looks like some type of belt is running around or within the wheel through the copper tubing and is likely being driven within that box that looks like it has too much going on.

[@nicazer]

@@Prism775 I think adam is onto something with the magnets creating a split apart motor. the belt idea introduces a lot of movement and friction to the system, so much so that I wouldn't expect it to run for a couple years without needing new batteries. Adam's idea of the energy being electrical to magnetic introduces very little loss, which could explain the longevity of the spin, and is also dead silent.

[@disliked1390]

He reverse engineered it quick. It's for sure 1 or 2 batteries hidden somewhere giving some sort of power for a few milliseconds to make magnets turn it.

[@ionostro]

Hello Adam, Cris speaking, from Chile, SouthAmerica. I have seen a very similar machine in operation that an electrical engineer built for a friend in her country house, where the electrical system did not reach. The machine is very similar, a bicycle wheel, inside a wooden box, but this wheel has a series of magnets, on the spokes, not 3, but thirty or something like that and on the sides it has a support that has another series of magnets opposite and close to those attached to the wheel, all connected to a belt, which goes to a dynamo, then to an electrical transformer, which delivers energy to a series of electric batteries the size used by trucks. Once he started it, the wheel didn't stop and it goes quite fast, it charges the batteries in series that have to be periodically changed once they are charged and thus has electricity in the house. Now, the electricity it generates and manages to accumulate works to keep the entire house illuminated, from dusk to morning, have a radio on, charge batteries for lamps, work with the laptop, etc. But it does not allow you to have a washing machine, or a refrigerator, for example. But it works, it works and it has been working there for more than 10 years. Greetings.

[@WhiteTrashBeautiful86]

Thank you.. like iv been trying to explain this same design concept to others an they always are na sayers I knew it would work to some extent but yes washer an fridges pull to much amps

[@dack42]

I think it would be a wonderful inside joke if it's just a really low friction glass/ceramic bearing, the boxes are just weights (filled with lead or something), and everything else is a red herring. The "servicing" would be just giving it a good initial spin.

[@thewhitefalcon8539]

Even the most crazy bearings humans have invented won't keep something spinning for 2 years. It's probably batteries.

[@srenkoch6127]

@@thewhitefalcon8539 Alternatively, if the 2 tubes/brushes at the centre actually makes contact (or barely so so that tiny sparks could transfer a small charge) with the plastic buttons, then electrostatic attraction/repulsion could i theory power the device assuming a high voltage - low current battery hidden in the centre box supplies the voltage to the brushes. The direction of motion would then be set at start (by giving the thing a good spin) ans then the electrostatic driving force only has to overcome the friction.

[@Ben-Rogue]

It could be a combination of things, the 'weights' (if they are weights) acting as a flywheel, the Dreadco box containing a battery, imparting a small magnetic repulsion, the light sensors to maintain the charge, and perhaps those copper pipes and box are to disguise a valve on the underside to pull a vaccume in the enclosure, reducing drag.

[@nathanroberson]

It’s not in a vacuum. The spokes have a lot of resistance from running through the atmosphere gas. Even a spinning top cannot spin past 20-30 minutes that has more precision than this wheel can achieve. For sure it is using electromagnetic forces that are greater than the frictional drag

[@Reptex_cs]

No chance it would spin for even a week, no chance at all

[@zmarko]

"It's a secret" = it's not a perpetual motion machine.

[@fredrik7411]

no claims its a perpetual motion machine, not even the creator said it was, it's just a fun puzzle for people theorize about.

[@idontwanttopickone]

They clearly say it's not at the start of the video. The interest is in that hardly anyone knows how it actually works and guessing at how it might run for so long. It's a perpetual motion machine in the same way all human constructed perpetual motion machines are, or more accurately, are not perpetual.

[@buddybrax]

PMMs are impossible. It’s just a silly thing people experiment with

[@AtheMediocre]

*GASP*

[@thewhitefalcon8539]

@@buddybrax well, according to known physics.

[@RabidMortal1]

This object is a wonderful illustration of the inevitable disconnect that occurs between knowing "what" something does and knowing "how" it does it. Technology is driven by the "what" with the "how" often being murky (or entirely irrelevant) for most people, most of the time. To me, this Perpetual Motion machine is a fantastically relevant work of art.

[@irontemplar6222]

I see alot of people getting really angry over something that is supposed to be fun. No one was trying to decive anyone here. Someone made it and told them "Hey guess how I did that." In other words. Figure out the trick.

[@oggyoggy1299]

Why are you so angry? No one else is.

[@irontemplar6222]

@@oggyoggy1299 I'm not... you ok?

[@christopherrenn8137]

It's very rare that we see Adam truly giddy at an Idea. He nearly jumped out of his skin when she said, "Send us your notes/contributions and we will add them to our archive..." (paraphrasing ofc). The idea of him being in the The Royal Society's archives in anyway lit a fire under him :D.

[@Fribee83]

I just kept looking at her face the whole time as Adam is verbally deconstructing the device with such joy. "Only two people know the secret to how it works" "What you just said is a clue and I figured it out" It's like watching Penn and Teller Fool Us being challenged.

[@atlasfeynman1039]

4:24 I love how Adam is like "I wonder if this is a light meter" as he points his flashlight at it.

[@anggrimunki]

@@SciFiSecrets you're a tiny solar panel

[@paulstubbs7678]

Nah, they are the vents to the air batteries

[@DavidLindes]

@@anggrimunki is that really necessary? And solar panels are basically just LEDs... kind of.

[@atlasfeynman1039]

@@SciFiSecrets I have a motion activated light in the driveway that charges via solar panels and when I shine a flashlight on them at night they turn off thinking its day...

[@anglikai9517]

That is a temperature meter.

[@raymorgan4657]

A while back I made a wooden gear pendulum clock that is electrically powered, but takes very little electricity to run (think servicing every two years of this machine). The way the clock keeps running is that in the base is a dual electromagnetic coil, and a transistor for switching. In the bottom of the wooden pendulum is a permanent neodymium magnet. As the magnet passes over the outer dual coil, it picks up enough of a slight charge from the moving magnet passing over a coil to allow the transistor to briefly switch on the inner battery powered coil which is wrapped around an iron nail. This very briefly creates an electromagnet opposite polarity of the magnet in the pendulum that repels the magnet in the pendulum and gives it just enough of a little push to keep it swinging. The cycle repeats each time the pendulum passes over the coil hidden in the wood base, which keeps it swinging back and forth. Now my clock, is not an impossible perpetual motion machine, it's just a clock, however, it demonstrates how easily something can be hidden and keep something moving for a long time with very little power.

[@Виталий_Петров_Н]

Почему не вечный двигатель. Вы сделали параметрический маятник, который не нуждается в дополнительной энергии, акромя энергии небольшойй батареи.. Если его масштабировать, то можно построить мощный в несколько кватт генератор энергии. Для дома или квартиры в самый раз. А можно воспользоваться идеями Джона Бедини. И вместо небольшой катушки намотать большую для создания магнитного импульса и маленькую для подачи сигнала на базу транзистора. И поставить аккумулятор на 9-12 вольт.

[@raymorgan4657]

@@Виталий_Петров_Н Because you can never get out more energy than put in. With the pendulum, it still using battery energy that will run out. As soon as you tried to use the output of the pendulum to power something, in my case the clock, it needs energy to keep going that will run out.

[@Onychoprion27]

I highly suspect this is exactly like that tbh; the blocks on the wheel are magnets, the two sides of the horizontal casing are electromagnets, the batteries are in the box.

[@leonardkjellberg729]

To make your own device similar to this think of a deconstructed electromagnet pulsing mechanical battery driven clock . Use low friction open ended bearings , The tin cans on the bicycle wheel will interact to the 2 stationary electromagnets which give very carefully timed pulses controlled by hall proximity sensor and pulsing circuit. Batteries can be stored in the jiffy box labeled "dreadco" . 3 good sized lithium batteries will make the device run a very long time. The electronic pulse circuit can be also hidden in the jiffy box if you think there is enough room. Carful tuning of the device will be necessary. Good luck.

[@brennan61]

Once someone asked me if I had ever thought about perpetual motion. Honestly, I never stopped to think about it.

[@dragonhealer7588]

👍😁😂

[@tonybrowneyed8277]

that is a perpetual commotion!

[@mikeivosevich6130]

once I learned of the concept in Jr High school (yes, I'm a slow learner) I've always thought that gravity must be a force that can somehow be used to make a perpetual motion machine. I haven't created one yet (obviously).

[@fsj197811]

She's having a GREAT time listening to him guess and try to figure out how it works. Thanks for sharing.

[@Tacomuch]

3:09

[@ThioJoe]

I assume the "servicing" involves giving it a good initial spin 😉

[@Peron1-MC]

and some new batteries XD

[@En_theo]

or maybe just greasing the gears...

[@HousedHorse]

Double your perpetual motion machine speed for free!

[@russc788]

It would start at a high rpm then

[@graealex]

That would mean that it would spin at high RPM directly after service, and get slower and slower over the span of 2 years until the next service. If that were the case, it wouldn't be such a big deal because it'd be more than obvious that it is just freewheeling, but I feel the main consensus is simply "batteries and magnets".

[@earthartgems]

Adam pretty much nailed it on the head when he said that these machines are dealing with a war of attrition.... tiny tiny values. Even if this machine, or one like it could run forever, the amount of "work" it would be capable of doing outside of moving it's own mass would be so infinitesimal as to be useless. And it is this balanced look at the equation to why a real perpetual motion machine does not exist: A machine that uses an incredibly small amount of energy input, over an incredibly long period, With very low resistance will do an equally incredibly tiny amount of work. Adjust any of these four variables and you can alter the amount of work output, time, resistance or energy input. But it must balance out.

[@ericp3645]

The entire framework is made of 1 inch square tube. It could contain dozens of battery cells.

[@ronindebeatrice]

I think it would be decidedly heavier if that were so; nobody in the Society would question how it worked if it weighed as much as 100 cells.

[@oliverwatson8232]

"Of course the secret is sealed away in an envelope that nobody has access to-" Me: Batteries

[@AdmiralQuality]

@@evensgrey Yeah, from the available space in that thing it should be able to run for decades if the bearings are low-friction enough.

[@piercebishop4052]

If u think it's batteries .... make one and see how long it last. I bet u only get 4 months rotary motion before the batteries die, giving the volume of the hidden areas.

[@AdmiralQuality]

@@piercebishop4052 You fund the project and sure! As Eric already pointed out, all that frame tubing could contain batteries, as well as the copper tube and the heat sink box thingie. The wheel hub has lots of space too. Put that wheel on a couple of pinpoint ruby bearings, evacuate most of the air from it, and it's near frictionless.

[@richardfarrer5616]

I remember reading Daedalus's column in New Scientist back when I was a schoolboy. I enjoyed his ideas but I didn't realise he had constructed some of them - more or less.

[@AdrianMars]

Same here, didn't know it was by him when first saw it at York University.

[@T0n3man]

I love the way Ms. Virginia pronounces KZbin. 😊

[@CoolHand032]

Virginia seems delightful. I loved the way she conveyed the information with such positivity

[@rayharvey1330]

How does a woman that smart and HOT😮...Not have a ring on? That's a bigger mystery than perpetual motion.

[@JudgeDeadMJ]

@@rayharvey1330 it cost you nothing to not be weird

[@gosseuffe]

She is beautiful.

[@xxzenonionnex7658]

@@JudgeDeadMJ ha

[@xxtravdamanxx]

I BET SHE HAS A REALLY NICE PHAT MEATY VAJ!!!!

[@LuckyPandaX]

You could measure tiny magnetic fields w/ a meter to find where it's getting a boost. Also a super slow motion camera could detect when the wheel gets a tiny acceleration.

[@mcfcguvnors]

simple counter weight but to be TRUE it must be self powered - needs a human hand to get it going

[@AttackOnTatos]

True, btw you can see the acceleration by eye when they zoom in

[@zackkocher9986]

Motion amplification cameras. They use them in industrial facilities for big machines that move in such a way we can't see. Those cameras will literally detect the blood pumping through your face as your heart beats! It's nuts! You're on KZbin. Go check it out

[@mondop5270]

I don't telon they guna let people bring that sorta stuff in..

[@mondop5270]

@@AttackOnTatos nah, thats an optical illusion from the larger bits which make your eyes think its changing speed. You would need extremely precise measurement instruments to measure that. Unfortunately the human eye/ brain is not one of them...

[@BlakGm]

Imagine Adam holding the envelope very reverently, then just VICIOUSLY tearing into it and trying to read it while holding it above Virginia & team's heads as they fight to tackle the secret out of his hands.

[@TheTuttle99]

Lmao I need that in my life

[@markwaldron8954]

If I did that it would have the primary purpose of getting Virginia to jump on top of me.

[@petartedONE]

@@markwaldron8954 gross

[@showoofity50]

@@markwaldron8954 mark….mark. You have goals and ways to achieve them. I don’t like it. But I respect it.

[@tukpunker]

i like how people are commenting about clocks, watches and batteries like those concepts went over Adam's head and they figured out how it works.

[@andretheguile]

I’ve seen Fringe, this is clearly a device to help David Jones to cross universes.

[@deadaccount6135]

Was a great show, filled the void left behind by the absence of ' The X-Files '.

[@JohnVanderbeck]

@@deadaccount6135 until the last season when it turned into something else entirely pointless

[@gunsarrus7836]

No clearly it's a tool for William Bell to create a universe

[@quest4adventure495]

Watching Adam solve a puzzle/mystery is always entertaining.

[@dhalsim-1]

Maybe he can solve Joe Biden

[@Trenz0]

@@dhalsim-1 what kind of weird world you must live in

[@KevinsDisobedience]

Negative, snide comments to a harmless comment like this in a harmless video is the real mystery. Gotta love the internet.

[@dhalsim-1]

@@KevinsDisobedience Explain...

[@Alex_1729]

He cracked that case in two minutes

[@johnmcclain3887]

I grew up in Chicago with the Museum of Science and Industry a constant visit and they had a good many machines and machine displays that were very intriguing and educational. This wheel reminds me very much of that experience back in the sixties and seventies. I would be very interested in seeing this machine, live, in action. I hope to see more on it in the future.

[@colbyhowto8535]

Hello mr die hard

[@KutWrite]

Yeah. I still don't understand why the big pendulum knocks over the little pegs.

[@mtk1]

@John McClain Back in the 80's my High School class went on a field trip to the museum you speak of. Awesome Awesome museum. Everyone should go experience this place. Definitely should be added to everyone's bucketlist.

[@johnmcclain3887]

@@mtk1 I had the opportunity to take my teenage kids to it several times, visiting my parents before they moved to the left coast. It's something people from all around the world come to see. For more than a decade the "King Tut" exhibit lived there in Chicago. I graduated in 75, so not much change between our times.

[@decoventanas2159]

*Me llama la atención, que desde su creación, nadie haya tratado de simular ese invento, repricándolo a escalas MAYORES!* *¿Qué intereses ocultos, esconden los dueños de las ENERGÍAS a nivel mundial?* *La perpetuidad del movimiento, es generador de "ENERGÍA INFINITA" y, dañaría a los RICOS, dueños de las fuentes de energía actuales.* *Muchas gracias por tenernos siempre, bien informados!* *Dios le bendiga siempre!* *Saludos desde Panamá, de un Venezolano, en el exilio!* *P.D.* *Trate de replicar el invento y, nos comparte ese conocimiento.*

[@TheFoxholeLife]

If two years is 'perpetual', then all clocks in my home are perpetual motion machines

[@AlRoblesTV]

Yes it's probably the truth no big deal.

[@stinkyham9050]

Agreed. They are acting as if machines running self contained for 2 years is some great engineering trick. Anything with a big enough battery and a small enough motor will run for years before "servicing" is required.

[@V77710]

What are you guys doing right, my wall clock batteries last about 1.5 months