JSonnabend

[ChrisWhewell]

I'm open to the idea that someone could someday figure out a way around the 2nd law of thermodynamics, but I'm doubtful.

Same here.  We don't really need to get around it anyway though, there's quite a bit of energy to be tapped.   I remain fascinated by the fusor of Phil Farnsworth (Utahn farmboy who invented television) in his patent US 3386883.  I have a video clip around here somewhere of the unit in operation, a sustained nuclear fusion duration of about three minutes on the longest run.  Others have reproduced it, some brilliant high school kids in their living rooms.  I think if one is curious, typing "fusor" into youtube might yield some results. 

I used to charge batteries for free the same as Wiley Almond did decades ago, with a long insulated wire, spark plug and ignition coil.
There's "free energy" there if one's willing to wait for it, as any  ham operator knows.  My call letters are KE5HYG.

[Jim_W]

I've thought about building a fusor for the hell of it, but I have too many other things to play with and I don't really want to deal with the radiation issue.

[ChrisWhewell]

You should !  By doing things like that, sometimes ideas pop into our minds that wouldn't have otherwise.   Imagine if you came up with a substantial improvement to the grid electrode config that had a good performance benefit......

[physicsnerd]

Chris,

I am a physicist, or, rather, used to be.  If you have a link to the video I would like to see it.  I believe your claim.  I do not, however, think its anything beyond classical mechanics and electromagnetism though. 

First, I would have to replicate the process (or at least have some corroboration beyond the single video), as I won't simply believe an internet video.  Have you done this yourself? 

If the facts of this are true it sounds like a classic problem that would appear on a physics graduate exam.  In fact, if provided the characteristics of the system any physics graduate student worth his salt should be able to calculate the rotational speed of the object and the required stopping force. 

One thing that possibly jumps out at me is the combination of the magnetic force (due to the Earth's field) and the Coriolis force (due to the Earth's rotation).  You can observe the effects of the Coriolis force with a ball on string, swinging as a pendulum.  If you add to that a magnetic force you could possibly get a twisting action.  It would all depend on geometry though and I'd really have to see the set up.

The reason it would only spin in one direction is the Coriolis force only acts in one direction, opposite the earth' s rotation. 

The other possibility is the combination of two magnetics on the end of the string, set in opposite directions. 

These are both just wild guesses mind you.  You find me the details on it and I'll think about and get back to you.  And I promise you that it doesn't involve a violation of the current understanding of physics.  Its just an interesting combination of known principles.  But without the details I can't tell you what those principles are.

[ChrisWhewell]

I don't know of any link but you can do this yourself quite simply, just a piece of fishing line with a paperclip tied to one end, the other end of the line being tied to a stick or the like that is hanging over an edge.  Then, take a rare earth magnet and stick it to the paperclip and that bugger spins fast.  You really should try it for yourself, my prediction is that you'll be amazed when you see it, I know I was.   Go to a computer repair shop where they have old hard drives, and get a broken one for free and jerk the magnets out of it, sometimes the computer guys have a couple magnets around their shop stuck to file cabinets, etc.  Its truly perplexing, the rate at which it spins.  In the earth's mag field, we expect it to align and sit static, but these magnets don't.  What would cause a magnet with an N and S pole to spin ?   That motion seems to suggests an alternating field is present, but beyond that wild guess, I have no explanation for the observation.

[physicsnerd]

Hmm.  Do you know if it is truly one single magnet or a collection of magnets?  I am curious if it worked with a truly single dipole or if it requires a collection.  When I get a chance i'll give it a try.

[DogDayPM]

I couldn't make it work but didn't have much time to fiddle with it.  I have a bunch of the kidney-shaped hard drive mags at home and also a bunch of coin-shaped neodymiums for play time with the kids (simple electric motors, levitation, etc). 

While we're on the topic, I've bought magnets from these folks several times http://www.kjmagnetics.com/ and they're relatively cheap and fast on the delivery.  If you decide to buy some, watch your fingers is all I can say - good for blood blisters if you get skin between them when they smack together.  (Also if you crack one, the metallic foil covering can be razor sharp).

Here's a fun website from a true magnet nerd... http://www.magnetnerd.com/

[Scotto]

I really enjoyed reading these articles as well. This Mr. Platt Bell really eloquently words himself well and is not afraid to state the truth no matter how much it might hurt others; although he does his best to dumb it down as much as possible. So India is the "place" to be. I wonder if Japan can be thought of in a similar manner? I think of India as the US in pre-FC (late 70's) and Japan as post-FC (mid 90's). Our bubble is bloated and about to burst but theirs still have a few decades to go.

Lots of opportunities abound.   There is a notion now of "yesterday's practitioner", which is easy to understand.   In view of changes in commerce on a global scale, tomorrow's successful practitioner will need to be different than yesterday's.   As Edison commented regarding physicians: "The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will interest her or his patients in the care of the human frame, in a proper diet, and in the cause and prevention of disease."  analogous statements regarding IP may be conjured.  Those who wish to conduct their affairs as was done in the past will find themselves obsoleted.  What characteristics do you believe practitioners of the future must possess that differ from those in the past ?  One facet I see, is that practitioners must be more marketing-focused but I'll refrain from expounding further at present, hoping others may share thoughts.

I see it as patent practitioners will in the future need some form of business degree as a requirement to even do business in this sector.

EDIT: Oh, I'm sorry, did I bring this thread back on topic? I truly apologize for that. I did find the exchange of physics banter amusing though and do plan to build me one of them "magnets on a stick". Maybe I will discover, and of course patent, this method of alternating magnet fields since that's obviously what this is. It's the basis of how an inductor works. Stephen Hawking discovered mini black holes so my idea of pockets of sub-atomic magnetic fields can't be too far off. The obvious next step of this experiment is to replicate this experiment in space to see if it is reproducible far away from any local magnetic fields. Maybe convince NASA to include the apparatus on their next test flight out the ARIES rocket.

[MYK]

I really enjoyed reading these articles as well. This Mr. Platt Bell really eloquently words himself well and is not afraid to state the truth no matter how much it might hurt others; although he does his best to dumb it down as much as possible. So India is the "place" to be. I wonder if Japan can be thought of in a similar manner? I think of India as the US in pre-FC (late 70's) and Japan as post-FC (mid 90's). Our bubble is bloated and about to burst but theirs still have a few decades to go.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/comment/ambroseevans_pritchard/6480289/It-is-Japan-we-should-be-worrying-about-not-America.html

[MYK]

I see it as patent practitioners will in the future need some form of business degree as a requirement to even do business in this sector.

I sincerely doubt it.  I've found over the years that holders of "business" degrees, whether undergraduate or MBA, tend for some unknown reason to think very highly of themselves and their degrees, despite having no idea how to run a business or manage people in the real world.  They just fall back on the sort of formulaic nonsense with which they were indoctrinated, such as "engineers are interchangeable cogs" and "proper management is what is really important".

[Scotto]

Thanks for the grim link... although I don't see how a bad economy can be directly applicable to a lack of patent prosecution work. I agree somewhat with your reasoning behind business degrees though, but if we just took them for what they are (a degree in business) and nothing more, I can understand why some o the post postings I have run across "recommend it, but are not required."

[ChrisWhewell]

Thanks for the grim link... although I don't see how a bad economy can be directly applicable to a lack of patent prosecution work. I agree somewhat with your reasoning behind business degrees though, but if we just took them for what they are (a degree in business) and nothing more, I can understand why some o the post postings I have run across "recommend it, but are not required."

Is it reasonable to conclude that the total demand for IP work in a country is directly proportional to the total amount of competition (however measured) present in the market of that country, and that if the total amount of competition therein were substantially decreased so there were fewer market participant entities, that the total demand for IP work would decrease in proportion ?

i.e., if there are five polypropylene producers ABCDE each in fierce competition, each doing R&D, filing patents on developments with a goal of beating the others, and then for whatever reasons  A merged with B and C merged with D and E, the resulting entities AB and CDE now comprising just two entities in the market, would have less need for IP legal services ?

[Examinerguy]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/comment/ambroseevans_pritchard/6480289/It-is-Japan-we-should-be-worrying-about-not-America.html

If they only allowed the deflation to occur back in the 90s they wouldn't be in this mess. I'm a true believer in the law of averages. If you artificially inflate now, it will be made up for at a future date. For some reason politicians don't understand that recessions are mandatory for consolidation in the market place. Since 1970 to the lows in march of 09, the S&P has gained around 675%. That is an average of almost 17% a year! Stop this bailout crap and let the market correct...I don't want to turn into what Japan has and is still having...a lost decade.

[MYK]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/comment/ambroseevans_pritchard/6480289/It-is-Japan-we-should-be-worrying-about-not-America.html

If they only allowed the deflation to occur back in the 90s they wouldn't be in this mess. I'm a true believer in the law of averages. If you artificially inflate now, it will be made up for at a future date. For some reason politicians don't understand that recessions are mandatory for consolidation in the market place. Since 1970 to the lows in march of 09, the S&P has gained around 675%. That is an average of almost 17% a year! Stop this bailout crap and let the market correct...I don't want to turn into what Japan has and is still having...a lost decade.

Too late.  As Chris pointed out, we need more statesmen.  ASAP.