Over-unity flames (was: Wind Generators on the Roof again)

[bdube@boulder.nist.gov (Bill Dube')]

>Is there not a better way to critique ideas besides bashing someone for even
>asking questions?

    It's a matter of just being tired of hearing the same crap over and
over. For whatever reason, when you own an EV, the over-unity nut cases
hound you like a Jehovah's witness with an Amway franchise. These folks
don't understand the physics, and refuse to listen when you try to politely
explain the physics, yet insist that they have a wonderful new idea. EVers
are just out of patience in this area.

    The "windmill on the roof" is just a variation of the "alternator on the
wheel." These scemes don't work. If they did, folks would have done it long
ago on the Baker Electric at the turn of the century. The energy to push the
car along must come from somewhere. Running the energy back and forth
between different forms doesn't increase the amount of energy you have.

    Why the unititiated believe in the "windmill on the roof" is that there
are enough steps in the process. The more steps there are, the greater the
likelyhood that the person won't understand one or more of the steps. Thus,
complicated "free energy" systems are an easier sell than simple ones. You
wouldn't believe that putting big wheels on the back of the car and small
wheels on the front would make the car go forever because it was "rolling
downhill" all the time. The reason you wouldn't is that there aren't enough
steps in the process. The "windmill on the roof" idea is just as silly as
the "big wheels" idea, but it has more steps in the process.

    When you hear these scemes, ask yourself, "Where, exactly, does the
extra energy come from?" If you answer this question with "It comes from the
generator." ask yourself, "Where did the generator get it's energy from?"
and so on. 

    
             _   /|             
             \'o.O'              Bill Dube'
           =(___)=           bdube@boulder.nist.gov
              U