There are often comments suggesting that publication of the solution to Johann Bessler’s Perpetual Motion device could endanger the life of the publisher/discoverer etc. But in my opinion this is just the fake conspiracy theorists at work; the same kind of belief espoused by flat-earthers, the faked moon landings, the investigation of a crashed UFO at Area 51, and many other ‘suspicious’ events. Many conspiracy theories involve an explanation for an event or situation that invokes a conspiracy by sinister and powerful groups, often political in motivation, when other explanations are more probable. They are no doubt apocryphal.
These conspiracies work because of a psychological effect known as the illusory truth effect or the illusion of truth effect. It is the tendency to believe false information to be correct after repeated exposure. This phenomenon was first identified in a 1977 study at Villanova University and Temple University When truth is assessed, people rely on whether the information is in line with their understanding or if it feels familiar. The first condition is logical, as people compare new information with what they already know to be true. Repetition makes statements easier to process relative to new, unrepeated statements, leading people to believe that the repeated conclusion is more truthful. (Thanks to Wikipedia.org)
Having said that I’m not immune to the strange attraction of some theories even though my inbuilt BS detector warns me not to be gullible. In a way we are bombarded with conspiracy theories on a daily basis. There is so much duff information out there which is swallowed eagerly by younger, more innocent and less experienced people who harvest huge amounts of information and through a variety of social media help to spread it like a virus. Many older and wiser people also spread the same news as if it was legitimate, authorised or verifiable. So is this just more paranoia and on what grounds would people think that we Bessler researchers are risking our lives by continuing our research?
The favourite bad guy is ‘Big Oil’ and allied political groups, MIBs what or whoever they are, and others with their own axe to grind. There are those who deny global warming and others who accept it but deny human responsibility, blaming it on natural cyclical causes. Too many to list here but I think that some are following an agenda with the ultimate aim of stopping our kind of research because it will impact on the value of their own interests and therefore they welcome these conspiracy groups which are self generating and popular with certain groups.
Not forgetting those who genuinely believe that we in this area of research are delusional, misled or incapable of understanding that Bessler was a fake and the whole project is doomed to failure. I suppose they can’t be called conspiracists but their effect is similar to those who are, and of course they believe they’re correct due to the illusory truth effect!
I’m certain that the ramifications of a modern version of Bessler’s wheel will include reviews of investment in most if not all alternative energy research. It will call into question the true value of windmill electricity generators, whether on land or offshore, and this will be challenged by groups with a personal interest in such industries. I found a paper published by one industrial giant which stated that “the European Union has committed to cut greenhouse gas emission by 55% by 2030 in order to reach climate neutrality in 2050. It has been widely recognised that electricity will be the backbone of the energy system when it comes to a clean energy transition. Renewables, led by wind and solar, will play a central role in the shift from fossil-based power generation, with evolving energy carriers like hydrogen complementing direct electrification and helping to address harder-to abate sectors.” You can’t blame them, they have a huge investment in this industry and see their future reliant on the options available to them at this time, i.e., no realistic chance of Bessler’s wheel making an appearance any time soon, but if and when it does appear they are not going to take it lying down. Their best way forward would be to invest in researching ways to use it, and they might just do that. This could be replicated around the world.
My suggestion to those who warn against publishing details about Bessler’s wheel assuming they’ve succeeded in building a working model is you should flood the media with precise details of the construction. Use the same methods as the conspiracists and the news will spread faster than the most potent media virus. This way the details will proliferate in a world with multiple interactive communications and become unstoppable.
JC