Could the Earth rotation be a source of energy? Physicists are discussing a bold new idea

Can the Earth rotate generate electricity? Physical scientists have a controversial idea

Written by Elizabeth Jibni And Nature Magazine

Electricity can be generated from the Earth’s energy, which revolves through its magnetic field – which spoils a provocative claim made by physicists this week.

The researchers said the results are controversial but interesting. nature. The effect was only identified on a carefully designed device and generated only 17 microphlets – part of the voltage that was launched at one -cell fire – which makes it difficult to check that some other effects do not cause notes.

If this phenomenon is real and the device can be expanded, it may generate emissions -free energy with a fixed survival, which may be useful in distant sites or medical applications. The authors published their results in Physical review research He presented them at a meeting of the American Physical Society in Nahaim, California.

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“The idea is somewhat intuitive and has been possibly since Faradai,” says Paul Thomas, an honorary scientist at the University of Wisconsin -Claire. He adds that experiments, led by Christopher Sheba, a physicist at Princeton University in New Jersey, have ended with great care. “I find it very convincing and wonderful.”

Others agree that the results are striking, but remain skeptical. Rinke Wijngaarden, a former retired physicist at Amsterdam Free University, has followed the authors’ assurances since 2016 and He failed to find the influence in his experiences in 2018. The work finds very interesting, but it is “still convinced that the theory of Shaiba And others. It cannot be true. “

Planet power

In theory, the device will operate in a similar way to the electric power plant, as the passing of Mosul through a magnetic field leads to electrons, creating a current. With the ground recycling and part of its magnetic field remains fixed (at least According to the proof of 1912) The conductor will move on its surface through some of the field ingredients.

Usually, this will not be created as a current, because in a unified field like Earth’s, the electrons that you feel that this batch will rearrange it to create an opposition electric power, and eventually leave the charges fixed (this does not apply in places where the power that Mosul feels constantly feel, as in the generator).

But Shiba and his colleagues say they found a loophole. Using a complex account, they showed that some materials – with unusual properties and when forming in a cylindrical tube – can direct the Earth’s magnetic field to a strange composition. They claim that this will create a magnetic boost that the electrostatic power within the device was unable to cancel it, generating a current.

To show their theory, the researchers put a hollow cylinder made of a soft magnetic material that contains manganese, zinc and iron. While controlling other effects, search for any effort and stream that passes through the device. The result is achieved from their predictions: note a small effort 17-μV depends on the direction of the preparation in relation to the magnetic field of the Earth. The voltage was zero when they used a solid part of the conductor, instead of a hollow tube.

“The monitored voltage is so small that there are many possibilities available,” Wijngaarden says, but he indicates that the Chyba team “made its best to try to avoid” other effects that could mimic its expected phenomenon, such as temperature differences.

Checking is required

More evidence is needed before anyone can conclude that the voltage is really caused by Earth’s rotation. Physicists can test whether the experiment gives different results in different viewing lines, as predictions indicate. These comparisons will not be easy, but they are “really required” given the sudden result, he says.

If another group can check the results, Chyba says the next step is to try to increase the device enough to create a useful amount of energy. “Our equations show how this scaling can be done, but this is completely different from a demonstration that it is already possible,” he says.

Even if it succeeds, the method will not generate energy from the delicate air. It would click on the kinetic energy of the Earth, thus slowing the planet’s yarn over time – although only a little. If this technology provides all the Earth’s electricity needs, which were about 11 trillion watts in 2022, this would slow down the planet by 7 millimeters over the next century, the authors are calculated. This is similar to a change in the speed resulting from Natural phenomena such as clouds of the moon and change dynamics Inside the heart of the planet.

This article is cloned with permission It was first published On March 19, 2025.