Power from the Air: Device Captures Ambient Electromagnetic Energy to Drive Small Electronic Devices

Science Daily ^ | 07-08-2011 | Staff + Georgia Institute of Technology Research News

[Talisker]

Once we can capture electromagnetic energy from the air, we’ll immediately start pumping even more power into the air. Eventually, we’ll be swimming in a sea of energy and our goose will be cooked.

Uh, I hate to break this to you, but...

[WMarshal]

It is not theft if 3 conditions exist: 1) someone broadcasts energy that they themselves are not recapturing and would otherwise be lost, 2) usage of the energy by the person that captures it does not diminish the ability of others to utilize that energy as intended, such as listen to a radio broadcast, and 3) The person capturing the energy does not have to commit trespass or alter another's property to do so. If these conditions are met, it is not theft.

[Erasmus]

A radio station transmitter does not suffer greater costs when more radios are tuned in.

One of Neal Boortz's bits that I found particularly amusing was when he put down a particularly shirty, idiotic caller:

"
Ma'am, you might do me a favor. On the back or maybe the bottom, of your radio set, you will find a serial number.

If you will kindly give that number to Royal [the show's call screener], we can arrange to have your radio disconnected from our transmitter.

This would allow us to connect some deserving listener from our waiting list in your place; so your cooperation would be appreciated.
"

[WMarshal]

Does being on a public street but standing in the shade of a private building constitute theft of comfort?

I was at a outdoor concert in Tempe that was not free that was overlooked by an condo building. On the balconies of this condo there were people watching the concert for free. Were these people on the balcony stealing from the bands or just enjoying the benefits of the advantageous position of their private property or were they obligated to wear blindfolds and earplugs?

[Talisker]

The Earth has been likened to an electrical generator. The Earth possesses a molten metal core and spins on its axis, and as the solar wind’s electrically charged particles flow against the planet, this plasma interacts with the planet’s magnetic field lines extending from pole to pole and streams out into space. Too bad we haven’t figured out how to exploit that energy source for near-earth space propulsion.

The technology is doable. It's just that every time we try it, huge number sof energy-feeding ETs show up and get in the way of us being able to do any real work. We have a complaint in to the Galactic Council, but they say it's a local problem and we have to work it our betwen us.

No, I'm not kidding.

The Tether Incident & Space Station UFOs

[bvw]

What other personal inventions of excuses will you throw up?

The power drained by these devices from a broadcast power field is diminishing the strength of that broadcast for those in the shadow of those devices, just as a building shadows the broadcast of light from the sun. Subconsciously you are aware of that effect because benefiting from a building’s shadow is an example you gave.

To have the same reach in the presence of such parasitic devices, a signal transmitter would have to amp up its signal. That’s a cost, your parasitic device costs someone else to power it. Theft.

When you stand in the shadow of a building protected from the heat of the sun, you are not costing the building owner anything, he still would have to dissipate the heat of the sun. The sun’s power is free to all. It is similar to using the waste heat of the AC unit. Use all you want!

[MarkL]

Who is John Galt?

Damn, beat me to it!

But wouldn't it be a hoot if Rand predicted this back in the 1950s?

Mark

[MarkL]

But until I actually see one in operation I’ll classify it in the same category as the “3-D Printer” that has been making the rounds recently

I'm not sure if we're talking about the same thing, but "3D Modelers" have been in use by industries for a number of years, and these are sometimes called "3-D Printers." They create a 3D polymer model for prototyping, before actually creating the object on a CNC machine in metal.

Mark

[MarkL]

Nonsense.

I can go stand under a high-tension power line, and a sensitive fluorescent bulb will light up.

Does this drain power from the line? Nope. It just captures some of the power that is already overflowing from the line and uses it.

Actually, it does. Thanks to the "Conservation of Energy" law, what's going on is that you're placing an inductive load on the supply, which DOES reduce the amount of power being transmitted to the destination, and is detectable if the load is high enough. It's really no different than tapping into a communications channel, even if you're not physically tapping into it. In fact, this is how "secure communications channels" are monitored, when using copper. And even fiber lines can be monitored for signal loss, if a "tap" is placed on them as well.

Mark

[MarkL]

Were these people on the balcony stealing from the bands or just enjoying the benefits of the advantageous position of their private property or were they obligated to wear blindfolds and earplugs?

If the balconies were there before the concert was scheduled, then those involved in the concert promotion were aware of the issues. They could have put up some sort of wall or partition, should they have wished to do so.

On the other hand, let's say that there was an empty lot there instead. What if the person who owned that lot decided to put up bleachers, in order to allow himself and others to enjoy the "concert?"

Mark

[sinanju]

Isn’t that a U.S. Navy Very Low Frequency antenna used to communicate with submerged submarines?

[Erasmus]

No. It's this.

[Erasmus]

No. It's this.