Fuel's paradise? Power source that turns physics on its head

The Guardian ^ | Friday November 4, 2005 | Alok Jha, science correspondent

[nsmart]

· Scientist says device disproves quantum theory · Opponents claim idea is result of wrong maths

It seems too good to be true: a new source of near-limitless power that costs virtually nothing, uses tiny amounts of water as its fuel and produces next to no waste. If that does not sound radical enough, how about this: the principle behind the source turns modern physics on its head.

Randell Mills, a Harvard University medic who also studied electrical engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, claims to have built a prototype power source that generates up to 1,000 times more heat than conventional fuel. Independent scientists claim to have verified the experiments and Dr Mills says that his company, Blacklight Power, has tens of millions of dollars in investment lined up to bring the idea to market. And he claims to be just months away from unveiling his creation.

The problem is that according to the rules of quantum mechanics, the physics that governs the behaviour of atoms, the idea is theoretically impossible. "Physicists are quite conservative. It's not easy to convince them to change a theory that is accepted for 50 to 60 years. I don't think [Mills's] theory should be supported," said Jan Naudts, a theoretical physicist at the University of Antwerp.

What has much of the physics world up in arms is Dr Mills's claim that he has produced a new form of hydrogen, the simplest of all the atoms, with just a single proton circled by one electron. In his "hydrino", the electron sits a little closer to the proton than normal, and the formation of the new atoms from traditional hydrogen releases huge amounts of energy.

[nsmart]

Cheap, clean energy for the future? Wouldn't that solve a lot of problems? Leave the Middle East to their own devices.

[T'wit]

Tomorrow somebody will claim that the big oil companies are suppressing this wondrous new fuel in order to protect their obscene profits.

[Eagles Talon IV]

Still waiting for that pill that turns a gas tank full of water to gasoline. You know the one I mean. The oil companies bought the patent rights from the inventor and are keeping it off the market.

[kralcmot]

"And he claims to be just months away from unveiling his creation."


so now, we are reporting stories that have not happened yet?

and why should we be be skeptical?

it is a little difficult to comment on future events....

i have heard that Hillary is going to be coronated as our next Queen sometime in January, 2008....

[FreedomPoster]

More perpetual-motion-machine nonsense, I predict.

These media fools don't have any scientists on staff or retainer any more, just "science reporters".

[nsmart]

Skeptical? So am I .. but 'wouldn't it be wonderful'?

[G.Mason]

Seeing is believing, as they say.

I must admit the "This is scientific heresy" bit has me a little concerned. Can the inquisition be far behind?

[Vn_survivor_67-68]

http://www.blacklightpower.com/sitemap.shtml

[nsmart]

No more scientists on staff? Why is that? Do you know?

[Mr Ramsbotham]

"Physicists are quite conservative. It's not easy to convince them to change a theory that is accepted for 50 to 60 years. ..." It wasn't easy for Galileo to convince the great thinkers of his day that heavy objects fell at the same speed as light objects. In fact, if he hadn't thrown his balls off the Leaning Tower of Pisa, we might still be arguing the point. So my suggestion is, to paraphrase a great line from The Three Stooges: "Can we dispense with the formalities, and make with the fuel?"

[webstersII]

"More perpetual-motion-machine nonsense, I predict. "

If the power produced is 1,000 times the power input then this would be so simple to measure that it shouldn't be difficult to get hard data on this.

[Gorzaloon]

"And he claims to be just months away from unveiling his creation."

so now, we are reporting stories that have not happened yet? and why should we be be skeptical?

You are supposed to join the suckers who have tens of millions in funding offered to the quack. Just in case you missed out on all the dot.bomb IPO's. This has been going around for a while now, and the Guardian has finally gotten into even more breathless Science Fiction.

[nsmart]

"The unquestioning acceptance of the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum theory has, in the last 40 years or so, held back progress on the development of alternative theories. ... Blind acceptance of the orthodox position cannot produce the challenges needed to push the theory eventually to its breaking point. And break it will, probably in a way no one can predict to produce a theory no one can imagine."

Jim Baggott, 1992 [1]

[BadAndy]

I call Bullsh*t. Especially since the article quotes a Greenpeace "reseacher".

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

· Scientist says device disproves quantum theory · Opponents claim idea is result of wrong maths

I tend to go with the math.

[RadioAstronomer]

Look here for more comments on thsi:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1515968/posts

[nsmart]

One of the posts above said it should be easy to verify. You are probably correct about the math.. but I would still love to see it be true. Wouldn't you?

[Amish with an attitude]

Still in the vaporware stage. Please post an update when this product hits the shelves.

[nsmart]

Dang.. sorry for the 'double post'. I did do a search but didn't see it.

[Eagles Talon IV]

Oh yeah. The best part would be watching the futures price of crude drop to about $3.00 bbl. The next best thing would be watching all the oil rich Arabs mounting their Camels and beginning, no resuming their aimless wandering across the deserts, once again becoming the Nomads they were for all those years before we brought them into the civilized world by developing their resources.