Dr David E.H.Jones, 36 year riddle.

[Trevor Lyn Whatford]

A science riddle that has remained unanswered for 36 years could finally be solved following the death of a former university lecturer.

Dr David E.H. Jones put the solution to the riddle - which has taxed the scientific world for nearly four decades - in an envelope before he died.

Now, after he passed away aged 79 last month, the envelope containing the answer is to be handed to a former colleague, Chronicle Live reports.


http://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/de ... id=UP97DHP

Note: He said it was a fraud, and challenged people to show how it was done!

[Furcurequs]

Here are a couple of youtube videos showing one of his "perpetual motion machines" in a museum in Germany.

The commentary is also in German, so some might want to use an online translation tool.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGXlUUzWjmU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSsDX3fEsSo

ETA: Here's another video of the same one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHQ33OFljOg

Donald Simanek mentions David Jones' devices on his website. There's a section called "The devious deceptions of David Jones" on the following page:

https://www.lhup.edu/~dsimanek/museum/art.htm

[Tarsier79]

by the radiators , and the offset of the pistons, I would hazard a guess and say it is a very efficient stirling engine pair.

[Furcurequs]

Here's some interesting info:

A perpetual-motion machine is a mechanism that would run forever with no source of energy. This is impossible, because it would violate the conservation-of-energy law. The Daedalus machines have a concealed driving mechanism. But their main feature is an abundance of false clues. Jones explains that, as with any conjuring trick, ''the secret is not to conceal, but to confuse.'' So he complicates his machines with what he describes as ''a number of cunning distractions, each designed to lead the scientific mind along one or other of several false trails.''

https://www.csmonitor.com/1984/0117/011707.html

Maybe he just has contracts with the museums "in perpetuity" to keep them wound up and running. ...lol

[ME]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cf7czii7dH0

I think it 'happens' in those black boxes...
Wouldn't it be nice if the device actually worked on the exact thing putting it in the center of attention: spotlights.

[Furcurequs]

A video by the new owner of the "perpetual motion machine," who also has a pretty good science channel, btw:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muruba8ORGA

He and his lab assistant have both read the letter and now know how it works, but it looks like they're not sharing. He says the thing has been slowing down over time, though, and he's also kind of disappointed knowing how it works now.

Their science channel:

https://www.youtube.com/user/periodicvideos

[AB Hammer]

Watching the video I saw a round what looks to be a early form of a solar cell. A mutable magnified lens. That is all for now. I'll look closer later.

[Johndoe2]

Looked like some form office heating and cooling unit.