Perhaps the most persistent nonsense in physics: the perpetual motion machine. Bad ideas come and go in physics. But there’s one bit of nonsense that is perhaps more persistent than all others: the ...

James is a published author with multiple pop-history and science books to his name. He specializes in history, space, strange science, and anything out of the ordinary.View full profile James is a ...

While this is authentic footage of a genuine product, the "perpetual" marble machine does not operate infinitely without an additional energy source. Rather, it uses batteries and a magnet to create ...

Some inventions capture our imagination but will remain forever impossible, from true perpetual motion machines to faster‑than‑light travel.