Magnets and Motion.

So, I was just messing with a wheel and a few magnets a while back, and I seem to have invented a perpetual motion machine.
A lot of people think that perpetual motion is impossible. The truth of the matter is, it's actually very possible to make a machine that will run on it's own... forever.

Here's how it works...
It's basically a horizontal spinning wheel with powerful magnets spaced evenly round the wheel's outer edge. We're talking really strong magnets... like the ones you get to clean a fish-tank.
Around the wheel there are other magnets that spin at a different rate (and in the opposite direction to the wheel) as the wheel magnets approach the spinning magnets. It is these spinning magnets that force the big wheel to spin. The magnets on the wheel are polarised N S N S etc.... and the outer spinning magnets spin to either attract opposite magnets or to repel similarly polarised magnets, so that the wheel will spin in one direction. This is more easily explained in the following highly detailed technical schematic:

The spinning magnets are powered by the main wheel, and the rate that they spin is dictated by the presence of a cam on the main wheel (as clearly indicated in the above and side views). In short, the spinning magnets spin faster as one of the wheel magnets goes past.

Now obviously I could build this and it wouldn't work immediately. (obviously!...I'm not stupid). What it would require for it to work is for someone to spin it to start it up.... but then once it's spinning it'll continue to spin under it's own steam until the end of time. Or until force of the magnets diminishes. I not sure if magnets will lose their power after a long time, but all it would need is for someone to occasionally replace the magnets after several years. That and a bit of oil for lubrication once in a while is all the machine needs maintenance wise.

So there you go. The Magnetic Perpetual Motion Machine will run forever. It's the solution to the world's energy crisis. It'll stop the need to use fossil fuels or nuclear power, and if I patent the idea, it'll make me a multi-billionaire. So why don't I make and market the idea? .... To be honest I can't be arsed. You do it. - I did you a drawing. What more d'you want? Leave me alone!...

The Space Telescopic Time Mirror!

Yes. That's what NASA should do.... send out a big unmanned space probe with a big mirror on it. Why?... so we can look at ourselves.... in the past!

Immediately I will say that I don't know for sure that someone isn't already doing this genius idea, as it seems quite an obvious one to me. But perhaps my idea is unique for the possible future applications a big space mirror would have.

I believe there are already space probes and space telescopes that are on a mission into to leave our solar system and head out into deep space. These send back more detailed pictures of the universe than we would get from out planet.

My proposal is such a space probe that will not only be able to transmit pictures from afar, but also have a telescope pointed back at the earth, with an incredible amount of detail. This amplified image will be reflected back in our direction by a giant space mirror on the craft. It needs to be pretty big because of the vast distance it will travel, so we can see it from earth.

Now here's the clever application. If the space craft/mirror goes far enough we will eventually be able to see back in time! It'll take a few decades (probably) but the accuracy of telescopic technology on earth should be able to keep up with the distance the craft will travel. The further from our solar system it gets the further back in time we will see the earth. ...to the point that we will be able to see past events from a certain amount of time ago.

Initially this could be used to solve crimes, maybe by pinpointing an individual's position at a certain time on a certain day. Eventually... (and maybe we're talking hundreds of years time) we'll be able to use this technology for historical research.
For every light-year the craft travels away from us, we will be able to see 2 light years into our past... as the light from earth has to travel to the telescope and back to the earth again.
And obviously it'll have duel use, it can also be used to view deep space. (when it's not solving Columbo style mysteries)

How will it be powered?  ... Initially, solar power. There should be enough power as it passes our sun to get up to a pretty amazing speed.   ...Then so long as it doesn't crash into a planet or moon, it will keep going at this speed forever. Laws of inertia state that if nothing's there to slow it down, it'll just keep going. With our next nearest star just over 4.2 light-years away, it won't be long before any loss in speed is regained. Nothing can go wrong.

World Peace.

Yep. This is the big one.

People often ask me how to bring about world peace*.  They say to me "Jon, please tell us your genius ideas on how to stop all wars."**
Well, I was thinking about this problem one lunch time around 6 months ago. I was eating a ham sandwich, and within a couple of minutes I'd formulated a solution and finished my sandwich. It goes something like this:

The premise is to have a world-wide collective of peaceful countries. I guess it'd be like the UN. But on a larger scale, and with certain rules. Each country would have benefits in joining this peace collective. (At the time I thought of it, I named it Peace Club, but that just sounds naff. From here on in, let's just call it the Peace Collective until someone comes up with a name that doesn't sound so hippy)

• Any country joining the Peace Collective will automatically reap benefits. Poor countries more so than richer countries. Each country will donate a certain percentage (tbc) of their national exports and/or money to be evenly distributed to all other countries in the collective. - If the country makes cars, then cars are given away, if the country exports rice then rice is given away. This set percentage will remain the same and so the more joinees of the collective, the better it is for everyone.

• Each nation will not be allowed to declare war on any nation within or without the Peace Collective.

• Each nation that has joined will therefore reduce their armed forces drastically. Thus saving more money.

• If any nation within the Collective is attacked, then a Collective army will defend/intervene. This will be comprised of the various/numerous reduced-in-size armed forces of each nation. Therefore each country involved will have a standardised style of army training

Them's the rules. Stick with them and join the Peace Collective.
With more countries involved, the greater the benefits for those involved (including imports and armed forces protection). Thus every country will want to join.

I know what you're thinking. You're thinking:
1) This sounds a bit like communism on a global scale.
2) What about the rich countries? Surely they'll be paying for most of this?
3) What about all the religious wars that are ongoing?

Well let me answer by saying:
1) Yep. That's exactly what it is. Communism is wrong on an individual/national scale... but on a global scale, the world will be a better place. After many years it'd even things out and then it will all seem fairer.
2) Well, yeah they will. To begin with. But surely the reduced cost of America's (come on. That's who we're talking about, and you know it) defences will save them so much money over the years. This is a long term plan. Where everyone wins eventually.
3) Well once most of the world was on the side of the collective army, global impartial decisions will be made to reduce such skirmishes in the middle east.

Ok, so world peace isn't goint to be instantaneous, but it's only gonna take a few decades/generations for it to actually come about. But it would happen. This idea would work. You may say I'm dreamer, but I'm not the only one.

Obviously there's the finer details to iron out, but I think I've sorted out the main issues. There would be no one leader for this Peace Collective. But if people absolutely insist on having a president/king of the world, then they can do far worse that giving the position to the genius who thought up the scheme.

I will now take your questions...




* They don't. It's a big lie.
** Again, no-one has ever asked me this.