This review was written by Eugene Kernes
Book can be found in:Genre = Science, History
Overview:
This is a very short book about the concept of perpetual motion. A perpetual motion machine would allow humanity to produce energy without any inputs. There are patents for it, with a long history of inventors who attempted to build it. The problem is that the idea of perpetual motion breaks the first and second law of thermodynamics. Energy cannot be created or destroyed, which means that no energy can be made using no energy. For a machine to work, it will not only need inputs but also have heat loss due to entropy. A source of the initial perpetual motion machine comes from India, reflecting the ever-turning wheel of reincarnation. Potentially allegory rather than an actual wheel. Later types of machines built relied on the available science and technology of the time. The inventors attempting its construction are seen as fraudsters who quickly disappear.
Problems?
The book is only a few pages, which means that the content is very limited. It can inspire curiosity about the history of perpetual motion machines, and the science behind why it does not work out. Containing some interesting insights.
