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Why don't perpetual motion machines ever work? - Netta Schramm

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The physics of the universe

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Perpetual motion machines — devices that can do work indefinitely without any external energy source — have captured many inventors’ imaginations because they could totally transform our relationship with energy. There’s just one problem: they don’t work. Why not? Netta Schramm describes the pitfalls of perpetual motion machines.

WatchThink Dig Deeper
Three out of the four people below seriously pursued (at least for a time) the search for a working perpetual motion machine. Who's the odd man out?
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Space Ed helps you untangle the mysteries of space with the universe’s best videos on everything from Einstein's theory of relativity to what it would take to live on Mars. Brush up on the science, philosophy and mystery of space, because the fabric of the universe is the same fabric that connects us all.

Meet The Creators

  • Sound Designer Stephen LaRosa
  • Director Jeremiah Dickey
  • Content Producer Gerta Xhelo
  • Editorial Producer Alex Rosenthal
  • Narrator Addison Anderson
  • Associate Producer Jessica Ruby
  • Script Editor Eleanor Nelsen
  • Educator Netta Schramm

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