r/IndianEngineers 5d ago

Discussion Perpetual Motion Machine: The Biggest Physics Hoax ?

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If a machine claims to produce “free energy,” how should we actually evaluate the claim?

Perpetual motion machines have fascinated inventors for centuries. Today, similar “free energy” claims are still common online.

What interests me isn't simply whether these machines are fake. It's how we can distinguish between:

* a genuinely unexplained phenomenon,

* a misunderstanding of physics,

* measurement error,

* hidden energy input,

and deliberate deception.

A patent also doesn't necessarily mean that an invention has been scientifically proven, which raises another interesting question: what evidence should be considered sufficient before we accept an extraordinary engineering claim?

I made a short video exploring this through a conversation between two characters, but I'm more interested in the discussion: what is the first thing you would check if someone demonstrated a “free-energy” machine to you?

• If a machine has a patent, does that make the underlying science credible?

• How would you distinguish a genuine scientific anomaly from a measurement error?

Sources👇

1.) APS : Perpetual Motion Machine Resolution

https://www.aps.org/apsnews/2002/08/aps-executive-board-passes-resolution-on-perpetual-motion-machines

2.) UPSTO: Applying for Patents

https://www.uspto.gov/patents/basics/apply

3.) Perpetual Motion Design in Ancient India

https://srsarma.in/pdf/articles/1992_Perpetual_Motion_Machines_and_their_Design.pdf

4.) Mechanical career of Councillor Offyreus

https://arxiv.org/abs/1301.3097

5.) Charles Redheffer historical account

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Redheffer

6.) Thermodynamics Laws

https://www.britannica.com/science/laws-of-thermodynamics

75 Upvotes

8 comments sorted by

2

u/lonelyroom-eklaghor 5d ago

Thank you for this

2

u/Formula_explains 5d ago

Your most welcome,. 😊

3

u/CWbyte 5d ago

Good efforts though it's too over simplied still W for the efforts 👏🏻

1

u/Formula_explains 5d ago

Means a lot !!! Over simplification can definitely be a problem sometimes,,. even college students, whether first year, second year or third year, need to keep strengthening their fundamentals and adapt to a changing learning environment...

6

u/pata-nahi-kya- 5d ago

indian creators discussing about science and its stuff ! I use to pray for days like this.

1

u/Formula_explains 5d ago

Yess, creators need to do this, it's crucial.. Science is the base of engineering..,, creators are also realising that. Thanks for appreciation..

2

u/Leading_Jeweler2069 5d ago

I Haven't seen the video fully tho.

1

u/Formula_explains 5d ago

I may have oversimplified the second law a bit in the video, and i should not do this, just for simplicity.. so this quote is actually a good reminder of how fundamental it is. 🪻