Doug Ross @ Journal

Steorn: the Free Energy Challenge & PR Campaign

Disappointed that we don't have cold fusion-based blenders yet? Still haven't gotten your fill of perpetual motion machines? Steorn -- an Irish company -- set off a firestorm of controversy last week with its claim of a magnetic machine that manufactures energy. Notwithstanding the minor stumbling block facing all such inventions -- the first law of thermodynamics -- Steorn was able to gain incredible amounts of publicity by taking out a full-page ad in The Economist. The ad threw down the gauntlet to scientists, researchers, and engineers:

...During 2005 Steorn embarked on a process of independent validation and approached a wide selection of academic institutions. The vast majority of these institutions refused to even look at the technology, however several did. Those who were prepared to complete testing have all confirmed our claims; however none will publicly go on record. In early 2006 Steorn decided to seek validation from the scientific community in a more public forum, and as a result have published the challenge in The Economist. The company is seeking a jury of twelve qualified experimental physicists to define the tests required, the test centres to be used, monitor the analysis and then publish the results. In 2003 Steorn undertook a project to develop more efficient micro generators. Early into this project the company developed certain generator configurations that appeared to be over 100% efficient. Further investigation and development has led to the company’s current technology, a technology that produces free energy. The technology is patent pending...

An incredible scientific breakthrough? Or a fantastic marketing experiment? I tend to think it's the latter.

With a YouTube marketing video, a serious company website, and some interesting viral marketing efforts, Steorn's PR is worthy of Snakes on a Plane, m#&$*%rf$&*%#r.