Monday, November 1, 2021

Review of A Brief History of Perpetual Motion by Alf B. Meier

This review was written by Eugene Kernes

Book can be found in:
Genre = Science, History

Short Description

Elaborate Description

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.  


Questions to Consider while Reading the Book
•What is the raison d’etre of the book?  For what purpose did the author write the book?
•What is perpetual motion?
•What laws of thermodynamics does perpetual motion break?  Why does it break the laws?
•Why do inventors attempt to build a perpetual motion machine?
•What are some historic inventors attempting to build the machine? 

Book Details
Edition ISBN:  2940011298509
Pages to read:   5
Publication:     2011
1st Edition:      2011
Format:           eBook

Ratings out of 5:
Readability    5
Content          2
Overall           2