PERPETUAL MOTION

by Arthur W.J.G. Ord-Hume

Some went mad as a result of their obsessive pursuit; some died penniless and disheartened; some resorted to trickery and deception, bilking the public of millions of dollars; and others, even though they failed in their original objective, discovered many important engineering tenets along the way. The history of the search for an endless source of energy includes the stories of these and manyother people, whose elusive (and ultimately impossible) goal always hung somewhere just out of reach. This book began almost accidentally--as a by-product of the author's research into the history of automata and mechanical musical instruments, where intriguing references to perpetual motion kept cropping up in surprising numbers. Ord-Hume presents dozens of fascinating stories of the scientists, engineers, and mathematician who involved themselves in this scientific folly, examining their ingenious "tilting-at-windmills" attempts and the reasons they were destined to fail.

Genres: History, Physics, Science

Paperback

First published June 30, 1977

Reviews

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

[from FATE magazine July 2006]

Ultimately, the most perpetual thing about perpetual motion is its perennial recurrence. The idea of a machine that supplies its own power is endlessly attractive, and this dream has inspired countless tinkerers, daydreamers, and cranks — not to mention a host of frauds.

Perpetual Motion, by Arthur Ord-Hume, was first published in 1977 and has recently been reprinted by Adventures Unlimited Press with a new preface. Ord-Hume, an engineer, is a witty and perceptive guide through this fascinating topic.

Ord-Hume reviews the physics involved in his opening chapters, defining “true” perpetual motion and explaining why physical laws (as we now understand them) make it impossible. From there he moves on to a consideration of early perpetual motion devices, such as Archimedean screws, overbalancing weights, and spongewheels. Ord-Hume highlights the traces of brilliance present in these misconceived machines, and accompanies his text with many wonderful old illustrations.

The most entertaining section of the book reviews some outstanding perpetual motion hoaxes. An alleged perpetual motion machine was exhibited in New York in 1813 by Charles Redheffer, who collected a tidy sum from spectators before his device was exposed. A hidden belt drive connected the machine to its power source in an attic of the exhibition space: “an old man with a long beard who displayed all the signs of having been imprisoned in the room for a long, long time. The man…sat there on a stool gnawing a crust with one hand and turning the crank with the other.”

In closing the original edition, OrdHume saluted the dogged persistence of discredited ideas: “There must be something in the make-up of the perpetual motionist which, while urging him on in his quest for the impossible, encourages him not to deviate from the well-trodden path to certain failure.” But in his new preface he notes the amazing advances made in the field of renewable energy in the last 30 years, opening exciting new possibilities for a very different kind of “perpetual” power.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I was in middle school, I had a strong interest in free energy and perpetual motion. With many of my own ideas on how to create a perpetual motion machine, I became interested in learning about past attempts throughout history. The book _Perpetual Motion: The History of an Obsession_ takes the reader on thorough trip through history exploring failed machines throughout the ages. Anyone that thinks they have an idea for a working perpetual motion machine should read this book; Their invention is probably already in the pages of this book.

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a really gripping book, in spite being mostly history and mechanics. The history of perpetual motion machines and their makers is quite funny and very interesting. Ord-Hume speaks from the experts standpoint. I've read it many times, and appreciated Ord-Hume's lucid explanations and interesting style.

[Ari R · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written in the 70s, this book catalogues the concept of perpetual motion as it has haunted the popular imagination since the Middle Ages. Pertinent gadgets, charlatans, and tales of Daedalian failure present perpetual motion as a confounding, darkly humorous obsession haunting a timeless variety of narcissistic genius. This is fun to read as the 2022 tech bubble bursts.

[Adrian Herbez · Rating 4 out of 5]

mainly just descriptions of various machines, but really interesting. there are some really great tidbits too, like the description of a clock that powered itself by the movement of mercury in an oversized barometer. fun stuff

[Jeff · Rating 2 out of 5]

I bought this as a gag gift for my dad one christmas because we had recently had a spirited debate about perpetual motion.

[Bob Kelley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fun to see what ideas people came up with for perpetual motion.