Power source that turns physics on its head?????

[bethmaup]

Haven't checked in for a couple of months, but this reminded me of some of the discussions I used to see here. I'm no scientist, so I have neither an opinion nor a clue.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/story/0,...1627424,00.html

[TonyPSchaefer]

One of the first things I learned in Science class is that it's the role of the scientist to disprove all other scientists.

I can understand how scientists would cling to their existing models of flat Earth, the sky being the inside of an orb, the Earth being the center of the Universe, and all those fun things. In the end, however, it is the duty of the Scientific Method to test and retest those very theories and laws in the hopes of being able to disprove them.

Like the guy from Greenpeace said, "if he's wrong, he'll be proven wrong, but if he's right, all else falls away."

[jared2]

I really hope this is not just another "cold fusion". Just goes to show that the future is entirely unpredictable.

I expect Toyota will start working on an anti-quantum energy drive vehicle soon.

[Kiloran]

Typical hoax strategy: announce a breakthrough via the general media instead of scientific journals and state how it will be ready for public examination soon.
("And he claims to be just months away from unveiling his creation.")

This fusion seems pretty cold to me.

[RonM]

Originally posted by Kiloran@Nov 7 2005, 01:35 PM
Typical hoax strategy:  announce a breakthrough via the general media instead of scientific journals and state how it will be ready for public examination soon.
("And he claims to be just months away from unveiling his creation.")

This fusion seems pretty cold to me.

[snapback]152094[/snapback]

Agreed. However, what he purports to violate is actually one of the simplest problems in quantum mechanics (well, a particle in an infinite box is the simplest). The wave function of the hydrogen atom can be calculated analytically in a straight-forward fashion (every sophomore or junior physics undergraduate has to do it for homework). To violate that and somehow propose an alternate energy state for the hydrogen atom is rather easy to test. Unlike cold fusion or other forms of hype, which can hide behind the complexities of the argument or the experiemental process to prove it out, this one is about the simplest real-life test you can imagine.

[Jaguar88]

If you really could create all of this energy from changing the state of a hydrogen atom, what is to prevent if from sucking up the same amount of energy when it reverts to is normal state.

In fact something like this would violate the second law of therodynamics which is not dependant upon quantum mechanics.

[Kiloran]

Originally posted by RonM@Nov 7 2005, 05:08 PM
Agreed.  However, what he purports to violate is actually one of the simplest problems in quantum mechanics (well, a particle in an infinite box is the simplest).  The wave function of the hydrogen atom can be calculated analytically in a straight-forward fashion (every sophomore or junior physics undergraduate has to do it for homework).  To violate that and somehow propose an alternate energy state for the hydrogen atom is rather easy to test.  Unlike cold fusion or other forms of hype, which can hide behind the complexities of the argument or the experiemental process to prove it out, this one is about the simplest real-life test you can imagine.

[snapback]152108[/snapback]

Could you run this calculation for us please?

[Kiloran]

Originally posted by Jaguar88@Nov 7 2005, 05:38 PM
If you really could create all of this energy from changing the state of a hydrogen atom, what is to prevent if from sucking up the same amount of energy when it reverts to is normal state. 

In fact something like this would violate the second law of therodynamics with is not dependant upon quantum mechanics.

[snapback]152122[/snapback]

Here's a thought.
If this were a preferred state for Hydrogen, we'd already have seen it.
So, if it's not a preferred state, then it would want to return to its more conventional state.
To do so, it would have to reabsorb at least as much energy as it gave off earlier.
This could cause devastating Global Chilling!
Remember, you heard it here first folks!

[tripp]

Originally posted by Jaguar88@Nov 7 2005, 03:38 PM
If you really could create all of this energy from changing the state of a hydrogen atom, what is to prevent if from sucking up the same amount of energy when it reverts to is normal state. 

In fact something like this would violate the second law of therodynamics which is not dependant upon quantum mechanics.

[snapback]152122[/snapback]

It seems to me that this would be the base state anyway because it's the lowest energy state, right? <_< Well, at least it's a lower energy state than the normal state we see right? Basically the claim is that the single electron is in a lower energy state in this new "model". In that case we would already be observing hydrogen in this state most of the time. At least that seems like what would happen if this were true.

[tripp]

Kiloran you jinxed me! Are you sure you weren't looking over my shoulder but typing faster? :P