Energy is such a huge topic we scarcely know where to start today. We believe the universe began with release of an unimaginable amount of energy. We sense this energy around us. Where it came from is another matter. What we do know is our earth and sun are both constantly on the move. Today’s topic is perpetual motion in energy.
Boyle’s Search for Perpetual Motion in Energy
Perpetual motion is movement of bodies that continues indefinitely. This is a hard call. Our lifespan is finite so we never may know for sure whether it exists at all. Let us time-travel back to 1627 when Robert Boyle was born. He was the father of chemistry, and therefore batteries.
Robert had the luxury of being an intelligent, creative aristocrat with money and time on his hands. He pioneered both chemistry, and the scientific method. There was no end to his curiosity. After he examined the energy in air pumps, he then applied his mind to creating perpetual energy by recycling water.
Boyle’s idea of a perpetual motion siphon proved impractical, because output must always be lower than input. Here is a lighthearted experiment to share at school. It demonstrates the ‘energy battery’ in fizzy drinks and beer. Moreover, we can recharge it by adding fresh carbon dioxide, so it meets the definition of a ‘battery’.
Robert Boyle’s Restive, Inquiring Mind
Boyle gathered England’s brightest minds about him in an “invisible college” that evolved into the Royal Society of London. He shared ideas like living longer, flying through the air, having perpetual light, and building ships that moved without sails.
They stayed up all night debating the possibility of drugs to heal pain, alter consciousness, and provide a good night’s sleep. These all became realities later. The father of chemistry’s mind was in perpetual motion too. Without that, the scientific method of systematic observation might be immeasurably poorer, and so we give thanks for his life wisely lived.
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Preview Image: Oxford Electric Bell
