Claims About Violations of the First and Second Laws of Thermodynamics Are Made By Both Crackpots and Charlatans

A friend in Australia just sent me a claim for a regenerative braking system that recaptures so much energy that the car has unlimited range.  He became dubious, however, when the company, based in Canada, would not pay his way to see the demonstration.

I reply:

Yes, I would be dubious too.  I come across claims like this, i.e., those that violate the first and second laws of thermodynamics, about once a week.  In many cases, they are made by people I would call “crackpots,” i.e., people who actually believe their story, and just don’t know enough about physics to know that they’re speaking gibberish.  Others are made by what I call “charlatans,” people who (according to my perception) do not believe their story, but are attempting to defraud investors.  I tell them: “I don’t know about the securities laws in your country.  But if you raise capital from investors in the U.S. to build a prototype of something that is theoretically impossible (like what you’re describing here), there’s an excellent chance you’ll go to prison.”  It makes for a mercifully short conversation.