Is permanent movement possible? In theory… I don’t know… In reality, the answer has been eternal no, at least so far. As Nicholas Barial writes Meccary“To succeed,” permanent motion machines “run in a vacuum chamber, have no friction, be completely silent,” and “sound equals a loss of energy.” To satisfy these states in the loud, physical world of entropy, it may seem like a fool’s errand similar to turning basic metals into gold. But the hundreds of scientists and engineers who tried were nothing but fools.
The long list of candidates includes famous Indian mathematicians from the 12th century Baskara IIAlso famous are 17th century Irish scientists. Robert Boyleand certain Italian artists and inventors who do not need an introduction. It’s not surprising to learn that Leonardo da Vinci He turned his hand to solve the puzzle of eternal movement. But in doing so, he “may have been a dirty, rotten hypocrite,” Ross Pomery appears to be joking. Truly clear science. Examining many failed attempts to make machines that ran forever, he replied, “Oh, after eternal movement, how many useless chimeras have you chased after?
However, in private, Mishio Kaku writes in The impossible physics, Leonardo “created original sketches on notebooks of self-presenting permanent motion machines, such as centrifugal pumps and chimney jacks used to turn roasted skewers over fire.” He also made plans for wheels that would theoretically run forever. (Leonardo claimed he tried to prove that he could not do that.) Inspired By devices invented by modern Italian polymers Mariano di GiacopoKnown as Tackla (“Jack-deau”), the artist engineer refined this previous attempt with his own elegant designs.
Leonardo drew several variations of the wheel on his notebook. Despite the fact that the wheels didn’t work, and despite the fact that he didn’t think it was, the design became “the most popular and lasting motion machine on DIY and 3D printing sites.” (One maker commented glamorously, “The permanent movement doesn’t seem to work, what am I doing wrong?”) GIF at the top, From the British LibraryAnimates one of the disproportionate wheels of many versions of Leonardo. This detailed study can be found in the Folio 44V of Codex Arundelone of several collections of Leonardo’s notebooks that have been digitized and previously made available online.
With his book The innovator behind LeonardoPlinio Innocenzi described these devices, consisting of 12 half-moon-shaped adjacent channels that allow for the free movement of 12 small balls as a function of wheel rotation. “Leonardo replied, “You’d think the impossibility of the above movement is unbelievable,” replied, despite the fact that everything might seem to be working. ”
Leonardo also used fluid mechanics to sketch and describe permanent motion devices, and he invented the “self-filled flask” over the course of 200 years, where Robert Boyle attempted to make permanent movements this way. This design didn’t work either. In reality, there are too many physical forces that work against the dream of permanent movement. However, there are few attempts that have appeared in elegant forms like Leonardo.
Note: Previous versions of this post were published on our site in 2019.
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Josh Jones He is a writer and musician based in Durham, North Carolina. Follow him in @jdmagness
Source: Open Culture – www.openculture.com
