RTFA: http://www.steorn.com/forum/comments.php?Discussio…

@Al,(so much for pivots, I guess. At these speeds we would probably need springs “pulling” in the opposite direction just to overcome the centrifugal forces … sigh)OK. I’m now calling this the Alsetalokin effect. Might as well give Nick some recognition too.Back to business. I have been looking at the fields in my head, yeah tripping a bit, if you will. There are a couple things I’d like to see you try to improve on the effect:1) As I’ve already mentioned, smaller, lighter, bearings should allow you to horizontally align stator and rotor magnets and to get a cleaner field interaction and allow the stator magnets to respond quicker to the changing magnetic fields.2) I think you should build a new base with a 12-stator configuration. The effect you discovered may not require the odd/even ratios so essential to my initial concept. I think a more symmetrical configuration may allow you to get 2 stators going in sync, maybe even more. A 12-stator base will allow you to try things with 2, 3, 4, 6, and 12 stator configurations. With the rotor size you are using, I currently think 4 stators might be the best choice. With more stators, I think they might be too close together (although with lower mass stators you might be able to get more out of it with these dimensions).3) Smaller stator magnets might also help with reducing mass and improving stator response. You might try :http://www.kjmagnetics.com/proddetail.asp?prod=D42DIA orhttp://www.kjmagnetics.com/proddetail.asp?prod=D48DIA4) And then there is the possibility that the sharper edges on cubical magnets might actually enhance the effect, so you might want to consider them as well (square mount holes in round stators?). Say something like:http://www.kjmagnetics.com/proddetail.asp?prod=B444B

Okay. This is either the greatest Alternate Reality Sci-Fi I have experienced yet, or there is something totally cool going on at the Steorn forum.

BoingBoing linked the following video:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=PIvZJ9xGutI

This video is either a fascinating physical phenomenon, or it is a hoax. Given that most of the action in the forum has taken place over the last two weeks, and given the endlessly long history of previous hoaxes, there’s good reason to be a skeptic. For example, I’d like to see the bottom of the unit.

Nevertheless, this is totally neat looking, and great science fiction in the event that it is an elaborate hoax.

[EDIT 2008-01-22]
The “Alsetalokin effect” has been replicated! No one has created a compelling explanation for the acceleration of the rotor, but there are now several videos on YouTube regarding it!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=tknwdltnB6s

There is no claim that energy is created through this effect (it’s obvious that a lot of energy goes in to start the process) but this is a totall novel effect, none-the-less.

[/EDIT]