Neat and designed in the UK

[Amiga500]

The average doughnut has more (potential) energy than a stick of dynamite. Burns a bit slower though.

I just bought some jam doughnuts, what are the chances?

[TimberWolf]

I just bought some jam doughnuts, what are the chances?

Got any pure oxygen handy and a means of atomising the doughnut?

[Amiga500]

Got any pure oxygen handy and a means of atomising the doughnut?

Not until I get home, bummer. Have to stick with eating them.

[Grinder]

If you live under power lines you can generate electricity within the magnetic field that surrounds them... remembering O level physics, I am now sticking out my hand with thumb, first and second fingers at right angles in different planes.... not sure if its left or right though.

The electric company wont like it though; they will find out.

[Moscow Mule]

If you live under power lines you can generate electricity within the magnetic field that surrounds them... remembering O level physics, I am now sticking out my hand with thumb, first and second fingers at right angles in different planes.... not sure if its left or right though.

The electric company wont like it though; they will find out.

Not generating electricity as such, but still pretty cool.
http://richardbox.peterdibdin.com/

Why would the national grid find out you were generating minimal amounts of current from the field surrounding the lines?

Surely such a method wouldn't generate much leccy anyway? (I really can't be bothered to get those Maxwell equations out at this late hour)

[Grinder]

Not generating electricity as such, but still pretty cool.
http://richardbox.peterdibdin.com/

Why would the national grid find out you were generating minimal amounts of current from the field surrounding the lines?

Surely such a method wouldn't generate much leccy anyway? (I really can't be bothered to get those Maxwell equations out at this late hour)

It has been done - I remember reading about a man with a tin shed drawing power in this way, was deemed to be 'stealing' electricity from the grid. I suppose I should try to find the case citation....

[TimberWolf]

Crystal radio sets work off radio power, I never did build one as a kid. The energy you could capture from a given area of receiver is probably going to be a lot less than you could get more easily from the other free and broader spectrum of the electromagnetic spectrum - sunlight.

[Peoplesoft bloke]

As I said, I am not an expert in this area. The beach tan analogy seems a tad spurious, given the relative intensity of energy invloved, however surely there would be an effect on the overall amount of solar energy available if enough people decided to soak up the rays? What I mean is that amount of energy would be being used to heat people's skins and therefore not doing whatever else it normally does? So it seems logical that absorbing enough of the electromagnetic waves would have an adverse effect on transmission. This leads me to wonder if people like the BBC need to factor in the likely number of receivers - although radios (with the noted exception of crystal sets) take (most of their) power from another source.

[pzz76077]

As I said, I am not an expert in this area. The beach tan analogy seems a tad spurious, given the relative intensity of energy invloved, however surely there would be an effect on the overall amount of solar energy available if enough people decided to soak up the rays? What I mean is that amount of energy would be being used to heat people's skins and therefore not doing whatever else it normally does? So it seems logical that absorbing enough of the electromagnetic waves would have an adverse effect on transmission. This leads me to wonder if people like the BBC need to factor in the likely number of receivers - although radios (with the noted exception of crystal sets) take power from another source.

Would agree, sun tan analogy spurious. In any case I believe that we can already use energy from the sun, we just need an solar panel and we are in business.

In fact if everyone used the suns energy to power their mobiles, lawnmowers etc, it may cure global warming if we could do it on a large enough scale.
Wait a minute has anyone got Richard Branstons number?? Wheres my marketing team, lawyers.....

PZZ

[TimberWolf]

Would agree, sun tan analogy spurious. In any case I believe that we can already use energy from the sun, we just need an solar panel and we are in business.

In fact if everyone used the suns energy to power their mobiles, lawnmowers etc, it may cure global warming if we could do it on a large enough scale.
Wait a minute has anyone got Richard Branstons number?? Wheres my marketing team, lawyers.....

PZZ

In the case of solar panels, Surallens number might be more useful, this once. Solar panel technology is pretty good now (way more efficient than photosynthesis), but still horribly expensive. It needs a price revolution.