During this curious journey we Besslerites travel, we often suffer the hardships associated with long adventures, but ours are not like those normally encountered with such enterprises. Little physical hardship is encountered, unless it is the occasional injury caused by a unfortunate misguided application of force to a hammer, screwdriver of spanner (wrench) to a tender part of one's anatomy.
No, the tribulations we commonly encounter are the ups and downs of an emotional nature - an intangible kind. Initially the curiosity and inclination to believe that Johann Bessler really did discover the secret of building a working perpetual motion machine fills us with premature happy anticipation that maybe we can discover how he did it. Then reality takes a swipe at such misplaced optimism, because the mighty scientific institutions which guide our knowledge enhancement, dismiss such ideas with tumultuous scorn. But then again, you read and reconsider the convincing evidence that Bessler did not lie and you feel that perhaps this is a paradox. It seems highly believable and yet it simply cannot be, because the greatest scientific minds of the last 300 years cannot be wrong. Absolutely not!
So how can we explain this apparent impass? At the heart of the matter is a certain vagueness about several defintions which seems to cloud the issue. The term 'perpetual motion' has an aura of mystery and magic which is attractive and persuasive and if you've seen the strong circumstantial evidence that Bessler's claims were genuine, you may have discussed the issue of perpetual motion and come to the conclusion that in fact the term is faulty for a number of reasons and perhaps it would be better to call it continuous motion subject to the presence of gravity. Bessler told us that the weights themselves constitute the whole apparatus and therefore, without gravity there would be no motion. Forget the definitions, they are doubtfull, subject to interpretation and misleading.
The search for a solution is a road with many forks each of which has so far led us up blind alleys, dead ends and cul-de-sacs. Our emotions switch violently from intense exhilaration when we believe we know the answer to the depths of depression when we discover our design was wrong.
Regardless of this setback we continue with the search because we are of the opinion that Johann Bessler told the truth. In which case three hundred years of complete dismissal by the elite (a select group that is superior in terms of ability or qualities to the rest of a group or society - they think!) that his wheel is and was impossible, is too big a target to ignore. Think what a massive boost to the ego of every person who spent much of his or her life, searching for the elusive secret which Bessler found; and being constantly reminded of the foolishness of their quest, to discover that they were right and our teachers were wrong.. How wonderful it will be, to show those nay-saying, know-it-all, condescending experts that they got it wrong.
The truth is that we all instinctively know that Bessler's wheel was genine. There is an account in one famous book about the search for perpetual motion which describes the author's discussion about the subject with an experienced engineer, (Perpetual Motion - The History of an Obsession - Arthur Ord-Hume). The engineer dismissed the possibility of anyone ever succeeding in building a perpetual motion machine because they flouted the laws of physics - and that was the end of the matter, or so the author thought. A few days later the engineer returned to see the author, and said that even though he knew it was impossible he had done some sketches showing how he thought it might be achieved. That illustrates the dilemma facing all of us; even though we have been taught that they are not possible we each of us know instinctively that such machine are possible. It's intuitive that with the correct arrangement of weights a wheel will rotate continuously within the field of gravity.
NB, one commenter requested a picture of the air rifle on the wall in Bessler's portrait. I am not aware of any such thing, but in the interests of clarity I have added a copy of the portrait which Bessler looked through because it contains items which could be thought of as an air rifle.
JC
When you sit back and think honestly, 300 years is not that long in these circumstances;
ReplyDeleteFirstly, perpetual motion is forced to be forgotten by the academia. Most brilliant minds already accepted it as impossible and they work on some other areas without even noticing they are accepting so. I guarantee that no-one in the physics community knows the wheel.
Secondly, surfacing of the details of Bessler's wheel affair is quite new. If it was not you and your great book, most probably most of us would have never heard of Bessler's wheel. You presented an objective view imo. For example, the maid's testimony is enough to dismiss the case for most of the scientists. But when you learn about s'Gravesande's comments about the arrest, you see the whole picture.
Thirdly, we all try to design the wheel in our free time. Bessler also stated that was the case back then. He said he found a solution because he worked so hard and made it a priority.
Yes, 300 years feel long but it is not in this case.
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ReplyDeleteTo inspire a dedication to this task has taken a level of expertise that few have John... i live to see this become a reality. You have inspired so much from so many and we are all in your debt to build this platform for us all to BELIEVE Thank You
ReplyDeleteWe often overlook the fact that Gravity is not a force, but rather is an acceleration field.
ReplyDeleteThe effect of Gravity on an object is independent of the size or mass of the object. Gravity moves objects without applying force, or at least no force we know of.
Energy on the other hand, is the ability to apply force on an object thru distance. The mass of the object is key factor in the force required and thus the Energy required.
We cannot conclusively state that Gravity cannot in some way produce energy, or place an object in a potential energy state.
You presented the very right conclusions. It is interesting.
Delete"The effect of Gravity on an object is independent of the size or mass of the object." lol! not if you believe in the law of gravity!
ReplyDeleteI think he meant to convey there that "the effect . . . is independent" in the sense that it is dependably uniform and proportional, as according with and to the relative distances of the masses, no matter what the size or mass totals.
DeleteHis whole view is one very interesting.
Precisely James,,,
DeleteI stopped thinking about mass and force and started looking at motion. Here is something else to consider about a pendulum swing. The acceleration/speed is independent of the mass. Therefore a light or heavy pendulum bob will swing back and forth at the same time. Can you see any advantage to this?
I see, Anon. As for the question, I'd have to do some head-scratching on it in order to say. This area is above my pay-grade, as some state. I am just a mechanition who was formerly an organ builder. Someone such as Vibrator (an occasional contributor here, who seemingly will speak only to a chosen few) might be better suited to providing you with an answer, complete with copious expansion upon it.
DeleteCould someone point me to a decent picture of the 'air rifle' on the wall please?
ReplyDeleteI cannot recall
Regards Jon
it's not an air rifle
DeleteSee late addition to blog.
DeleteJC
Actually I think it was the first Red Ryder carbine-action 200-shot range model air rifle.
DeleteI am certainly no expert in the area of firearms but, to me it appears plainly as some sort of flint-lock, most likely a muzzle-loading rifle. Were air rifles even existing back then?
DeleteRed Ryder carbine-action 200-shot range model air rifle first available in 1938. The first air gun invented was by an Italian gunsmith by the name Girandoni Bartolomeo in 1780 for the Austrian army.
DeleteLooks more like a German matchlock short rifle.
DeleteRAF Greetings John----Bravo for your 5th March statement! Your opinion please: Do the anvils in M.T. 138 represent the 4 pound weight that "flies upward" ? Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI don’t think so. For me the five drawings, A,B, C, D and E indicate five mechanisms. ‘ A’ shows five pieces of C and D linked. E indicates a part of the mechanism, but it is drawn wrong, but it’s a hint. The spinning top is not numbered, the five refers to the five letters and the five mechanisms. The spinning top has no string.
DeleteJC
An anvil could be interpreted as an immovable object. Within the wheel, maybe that represents the counter force that would be experienced if a moving weight were forcibly stopped along an inward radial direction. The axle is connected to the wheel mounts which are connected to the Earth - same idea as the anvil setting on the Earth.
DeleteLook through the eyeglass to the wall behind?
ReplyDeleteBelow the fret saw (could have been a solid frame saw but that type doesn’t look like a parallelogram [hammer toy]) is that a rifle pointing down?
The 'ball reservoir' if it’s such, does not seem to belong to the plane or rack of chisels to the left?
Lines up with the compass point?
Many had a fake flintlock mech (hammer, sear, spring, tumbler..), invented around 1600, more common by end of that century
Hammer strikes, lead ball (weight?) is fired down? why not up/raised?
Most wall displayed 'guns' at the time were displayed as they are now, horizontally, but could be just to fit in the picture size constraint?
Just some thoughts, regards Jon
links below
https://forum.vintageairgunsgallery.com/ball-globe-reservoir-airguns/auctioned-guns-hermann-historica/
https://forum.vintageairgunsgallery.com/ball-globe-reservoir-airguns/german-ball-reservoir-bar-lock/
https://www.pyramydair.com/blog/2007/06/antique-big-bore-airguns/
I must say, John, that out of many, this newest essay is the best thus far or, very nearly-so. Makes one pause, think and reflect. I will be passing it on to some of my more doubting Thomas-like friends.
ReplyDelete(These prideful sorts must be readied mercifully and gently, for when their pat paradigms of physical understandings cruelly shift and collapse-in on them like a "10" California earthquake! After caught-up as wrong all along, the youths that they have mislead will tear the big strutting heads to pieces. As spectacle, what GLORY that will be!)
Thank you James.
DeleteJC
It looks exactly like a German flintlock rifle that my ex father in law kept over the fireplace for as long as I can remember , it was an exquisite piece of incredible workmanship and technology. Never have seen another one like it, but the way the butt stock was shaped is quite a telling feature.
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ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteWhy should there be a rifle? Those are all engineering tools behind and around him.
ReplyDeleteIn case one or more of the three hornets from hell were to pay Bessler's Wheel a stealth night examination visit? Or, just curiosity seekers that might enter without leave for a quick sneak-peek under the oil-cloth? Or, general vandalism?
DeleteBack in that day, yellow, things were far rougher and one had to actually defend one's own life impromptu style (horrors!) unlike today, when one can huddle helplessly in a corner shaking with fear, hoping to not be murdered or whatnot by breakers-in, awaiting the rescuing constabulary (killers that are REAL pro's) hopefully in time before, say, one named "yellow" is done-in, and suitable no longer for posting really important questions here, such as this present one?
So, there are a few for you. Maybe others could add some I've not thought about.
Now that I've graced yours fulsomely, here is one for you: for what reason is your screen id "yellow"? Hmmm?
Below is an excerpt from an earlier post on John's site. It says the "shotgun shoots". I didn't know guns were referred to as shotguns back then, or maybe that was just the translation.
Delete"Remember Bessler's words from his Apologia Poetica? "The rain drips down. Snow falls. The shotgun shoots. The bow twangs", he is refering to motion not the cause of the motion. I used to think he meant gravity, but because he included two motions not applicable to gravity, I think he was simply pointing to motion and emphasizing the fact by including the bow and the shot gun. I'm certain that he was describing in particular the motion of falling - the reaction to gravity, to the action of things that are imbued with heaviness when they were allowed to fall."
James, I think you are talking about the funnel behind him.
ReplyDeleteWe have modern versions of it ; https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0004/8463/8785/products/ft922_18_480x480.jpg?v=1526908493
Above of it, there is a hacksaw.
Yellow is about my surname. Nice to meet you James :)
Right name for that funnel is "powder horn". Go check it. There are lots of different versions.
Deletehttp://www.bolk-antiques.nl/galleries/a-very-nice-antique-17th-century-probably-german-powder-horn-with-a-wheellock-key-height-185-cm-in-very-good-condition-price-750-euro-896419-en-max.JPG
Bessler wanted to be accepted as a legit scientist. I understand you are trying to find the answer in some bizarre places. But I think you don't understand the man and his motives.
Why break symmetry?
DeleteWhat is the purpose of creating asymmetry?
Bessler always explains that he did it differently.
Until you understand why it works, you do not know about anything.
If you know how it works, you know everything.
I'm not the smartest here.
It is a fact of nature - the phenomenon is the basis of the device's functioning.
End. AMEN.
Thank you all for your attention.
"If you know how it works, you know everything" This might be what you looking for.
Deletehttps://www.amazon.com/s?k=%22The+Triumphant+Orffyrean+Perpetual+Motion+Finally+Explained%21%22&ref=nb_sb_noss
Hmmm. It would seem that KB is with us still, hawking his newest self-published little opus as subtitled thus: "Perpetual Motion Finally Explained."
DeleteReally?
REALLY!
Well, to begin with, if not so-doing as promised explicitly, the little screed constitutes "fraud on it's face." (Let me spell that out for any that might mistake it in mere lower-case: F-R-A-U-D!!)
"We" expect that within, the secret itself to the building of a perpetual motion will therein be found AS REVEALED. If not, "Houston, we've got a problem!"
Indeedy!
He may have gone way-to-far this time. (No doubt if-so, 'tiz the mercury still within, that made 'im do it!)
Anyone up for a nice class-action post having bought it, and found it lacking substantively in what the outside promises but does not deliver?
(Now, for an example of how it's done right, John's book does not promise anything, his sub-titling ending in an appropriate question mark. Later on, post any true discovery, it then can be changed to one exclamational.)
For the moment I rests me case.
Friend James. You rightly noticed I decided to just take a rest.
DeleteIt is foolish to carry a tree to the forest unless it is an ax handle.
Every good car mechanic knows how to fix the failure.
Similarly, in this matter, I determined in which direction I will develop the knowledge that I have.
I will only speak until I reach the result.
Anonymous 12. March 2019 at. 19.;53
DeleteNo thanks.
John Collins is the guardian of true, document-based knowledge.