Where do I get a SKP sticker?
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Thank you I hadn’t re -read that for 40 years.
Took me a minute to find, but here’s one of my favorite Asimov short stories, “AFeeling of Power” as a movie. So in a hundred years, perhaps drawing on Mylar will be back in vogue.
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As already noted, this is demonstrated by the Crookes Radiometer. I had one as a kid, but the explanation of how it works has evolved over time. As it has been shown that it doesn’t work in a perfect vacuum, all theories involve a near-vacuum. However, the most recent work suggests that it is the movement of air molecules around the edges of the vane that actually perform the work. Based on this, a more recent version (somewhat like your idea above), utilizes dish-shaped vanes whereby the convex side receives more photons than the concave side. Since the shape controls the differential in energy, and not the color, the vanes can be the same color on both sides (what Wikipedia calls a “light mill”).
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That wouldn’t be enough. I would need a Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster
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I cannot use mine - SKP is short for “Finnish Communist Party” in our parts.
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Just going to leave this here…
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This magnetic motor I invented uses the number pi to prevent the magnets from reaching equilibrium. The reason it stops is because I used a rational equation (22/7) to round off pi to a rational number. There are 22 magnet pairs and every 3.14286 magnets the force switches from attraction to repulsion. In theory, it should spin forever if the equation resulted in the infinite version of pi.
Untitled 2 copy.skp (192.0 KB)
How does an equation work into magnets?
How are you dealing with the requirement of input force and the obvious friction that would have to be overcome?
The hinge joint had angular friction applied in the video. The magnets are the source of input force.
The equation 22/7 (an approximation for pi) decided the position of the magnets.
There are 22 pairs of magnets.
22/7=3.14286 (an approximation of pi), so I alternated the magnetic force every 3.14286 magnets.
The rounded multiples of 3.14286 are:
3.14286 rounds to 3
6.28572 rounds to 6
9.42858 rounds to 9
12.57144 rounds to 13
15.7142 rounds to 16
18.85716 rounds to 19
22.00002 rounds to 22
So I reversed the force of the 3rd, 6th, 9th, 13th, 16th, 19th, and 22nd magnets. I hope that answered your question.
My next goal is to get the equation as close to pi as possible.
Edit: My machine can’t make it past the first spin because it’d stop if the magnets aligned. The inner and outer circles need to be different to prevent equilibrium.
If you start with a circle using 22 segments and mount the magnets at each of the 22 points, you’ll achieve Pi perfection to many decimal places 
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Good idea! I was thinking of doing something similar.
For this simulation, I reversed the inner ring’s force to prevent them from lining up. Also, I added a motor joint to spin both wheels with the same force. At 0, the motor is off and it’s free spinning. The hinge joint gives the wheel angular friction, so it slows down over time. The magnetic wheel span 9.9 times and the normal wheel span 4.8 times with the same force applied to each wheel.
Why pi? Wouldn’t any repeating fraction work, like 1/3? It is also infinite decimals.
You added a push to start the movement. It was clear in your video.
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Because is it irrational, just like this idea
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I don’t know whether you’re still pursuing this idea but I just saw this video and thought of this thread.
What about harvesting energy from people discussing a perpetual energy machine? Does that last perpetually?
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Yes. It does.
The United States is perpetually powered by the hot air produced in Washington, D.C.
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