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contet
DeorahHaler,NewOffice
Ma19,1999
JuniorGauravTewariandophomoreJohnMceanwalkedawawith$250eachinprize
moneeterdaafternoonfromtheConcoureprogram'annualPerpetualMotioncontet.
Fortheecondtime,theConcoureprogramoffereda$500awardtotheetumiion
anMITundergraduateforaperpetualmotionmachinethatincorporateelectricalormagnetic
field.tudenthadtoumitawrittenpropoalwrittenclearlenoughtoeundertood
firt-earMITtudent.
Mr.Tewari,anelectricalengineeringandcomputerciencemajor,andMr.Mcean,a
mechanicalengineeringmajor,deignedamachinethatinvolveamagneticalllevitated,flat
rectangulararrotatinginavacuum-ealedglacontainer.
Apotontheottomoftheglachamerprotrudethroughaholeinthecenterofthear
andkeepitpoitionedcorrectl.Thearwilltaupendedandrotatinginahorizontal
planeecaueoftheinteractingforceoftwomagnetatitendandfourmagnetattached
tothewallofthechamer,allwiththeamepolefacinginide.Alo,amagnetattheaeof
theglachamerrepelthemagneticunderideoftherotatingarandhelpitlevitate.
Whilethetwoathattheirdeigndoenotreloncompleteeliminationoffriction(thenear-
impoileneceitforatrueperpetualmotionmachine),theelievetheirideaofettingan
ojectinmotioninanearlfriction-freeenvironmenthould"guaranteezerodiipationof
energ"andthereforeperpetualmotion.
Concoureiapecialunifiedprogramforfirt-eartudentthatcovertheentirecore
curriculum,offeringtheadvantageofamallchoolwithoutgivingupthecharacterand
reourceofMIT.
Thecontetumiionwerejudgedtudentandfacult,whoratedeachpropoal
accordingtotheirinailittorefuteit.
"Ueoflackhole,patialingu-laritieormagneticmonopoleareexprelforidden.The
motionmutetrulperpetualandmutnotrelon'natural'energourceuchawindor
tidalorplanetarmotion.Inotherword,ouareinvitedtoviolateacceptedfundamentallaw
inthemotconvincingwapoile,"theintructiontate.
RoertM.Roe,profeorofmaterialcienceandengineering,aidthatthecontetinotan
exercieinfutilit,utagreatteachingvehicle.tudentinapecialConcourecla,
ProleminlectricitandMagnetim,ometime"invented"perpetualmotionmachineor
eeminglunlimitedupplieofenerg.
nuingdicuionledtopiritedargument,analiand,accordingtoProfeorRoe,"a
muchdeeperundertandingoffrehmanphic...Thenitoccurredtouthatwehould
extendthichallengetotheMITcommunitatlarge.Theprolempreentedaremeantto
tretchthetudent'mindandgivethemaetterintuitivefeelforphic."
Averionofthi
articleappearedinthe
Ma19,1999
iueofMITTechTalk(Volume
43,Numer
31).
Contetandacademiccompetition
AoutThiWeite
ThiWeiteimaintainedtheMITNewOffice,partoftheOfficeofCommunication.
MITNewOfficeuilding11-400
MaachuettIntituteofTechnologCamridge,MA02139-4307