Prompt Cast
The History and Impossibility of Perpetual Motion Machines
TLDR Perpetual motion machines, devices that can operate forever without external energy, have been attempted throughout history but are physically impossible to build due to the second law of thermodynamics, which states that there will always be losses and entropy in a system. Despite centuries of failed attempts, claims and patents for perpetual motion machines still persist today.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
Perpetual motion machines, devices that can continuously operate forever without any external energy, have been attempted throughout history but are physically impossible to build.
01:59
Perpetual motion machines, such as the Bascara wheel, have been attempted throughout history but have never been successfully created, with most attempts being variations of the Bascara wheel design.
03:23
In the 17th century, there were various attempts at creating perpetual motion machines, including a clock that ran on atmospheric pressure changes, a water mill powered by an Archimedes screw, and a container that used the siphoning effect to refill itself.
04:46
Perpetual motion machines continued to be the subject of claims and patents throughout history, with some inventors demanding payment for their secrets and others receiving patents from the U.S. Patent Office.
06:20
The U.S. Patent Office stopped granting patents for perpetual motion machines unless a working model could be provided, and despite centuries of failed attempts, claims of creating perpetual motion machines still persist today.
07:48
Devices like unbalanced wheels or closed cycle water mills cannot work because they violate the second law of thermodynamics, which states that there will always be losses and entropy in a system, even if it is made more efficient.
09:09
Perpetual motion devices will never work due to the laws of physics, specifically the second law of thermodynamics, which states that there will always be losses and entropy in a system, even if it is made more efficient.
