# Remember Steorn and their free energy machine? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 23, 2007, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-steorn-and-their-free-energy-machine/393356 "2007-02-23T11:10:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2007, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-steorn-and-their-free-energy-machine/393356/1 "2007-02-23T11:10:01Z")
It looks as though they’re gradually moving toward the point where they start taking money from people. They’ve branded their device ‘orbo’; they’ve selected a ‘jury’ of people who will supposedly test/validate their claim, but I can’t find anywhere a list of the jurors or even a summary of their relevant expertise; much is said about the applicants for the jury; little or nothing is said about the [del]stooges[/del]final jury. > **[Steorn - Informasi Teknologi Terkini dan Terbaru](http://www.steorn.com/)** > > Steorn merupakan situs yang memberikan Informasi teknologi terbaru dan terupdate ---
**Author:** ![Sal\_Ammoniac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Sal\_Ammoniac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sal_Ammoniac)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2007, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-steorn-and-their-free-energy-machine/393356/2 "2007-02-23T17:53:17Z")
I love their introduction of Orbo: “Orbo is the brand name of our free energy technology. Orbo is a technology that produces free, clean and constant energy. It can be applied to power products ranging from portable music players to cars.” Because, you know, when I think “free energy,” the very first thing that comes to mind is portable music players. I just, like, care so much about the planet that way. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2007, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-steorn-and-their-free-energy-machine/393356/3 "2007-02-23T17:58:09Z")
The first thing I think of when I see the words “free energy” is, “Wow, won’t that mean even more waste heat to melt the polar ice and raise sea levels?” ---
**Author:** ![Valgard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/7feea3/32.png) [@Valgard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Valgard)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2007, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-steorn-and-their-free-energy-machine/393356/4 "2007-02-23T18:17:37Z")
[QUOTE=Sunspace] The first thing I think of when I see the words “free energy” is, “Wow, won’t that mean even more waste heat to melt the polar ice and raise sea levels?” [/QUOTE] Of course not, you just hook up a bunch of air conditioners to cool everything down and run them off of free energy. Duh. ---
**Author:** ![mrklutz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ebca7d/32.png) [@mrklutz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrklutz)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2007, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-steorn-and-their-free-energy-machine/393356/5 "2007-02-23T18:24:35Z")
I have to say, I’m kind of impressed. They were pretty patient in letting the other shoe drop. It’s one of the more artfully-performed scams I’ve seen. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2007, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-steorn-and-their-free-energy-machine/393356/6 "2007-02-23T19:46:58Z")
[QUOTE=Sunspace] The first thing I think of when I see the words “free energy” is, “Wow, won’t that mean even more waste heat to melt the polar ice and raise sea levels?” [/QUOTE] I don’t think human beings generate enough heat energy to make a difference. Free energy would be great. Of course, you know what else would be great? If I had a pony. But I’m looking around and I see no pony here, and I suspect I’m not getting free energy anytime soon, either. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2007, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-steorn-and-their-free-energy-machine/393356/7 "2007-02-23T21:32:54Z")
I thought I’d see what claims they made. Under the heading ‘what is ORBO technology?’ they wrote: The sum of these claims for our Orbo technology is a violation of the principle of conservation of energy, perhaps the most fundamental of scientific principles. No comment about how it works - just an admission that we shouldn’t expect it to. And apart from some waffle about appointing a jury, that’s it. Anyone want to buy a bridge? ---
**Author:** ![Valgard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/7feea3/32.png) [@Valgard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Valgard)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2007, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-steorn-and-their-free-energy-machine/393356/8 "2007-02-23T22:50:22Z")
[QUOTE=glee] And apart from some waffle about appointing a jury, that’s it. [/QUOTE] I like waffles and I served on a jury. Where’s my free energy dammit! Or at least some free waffles! ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2007, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-steorn-and-their-free-energy-machine/393356/9 "2007-02-24T00:09:50Z")
[QUOTE=mrklutz] I have to say, I’m kind of impressed. They were pretty patient in letting the other shoe drop. It’s one of the more artfully-performed scams I’ve seen. [/QUOTE] This means they’re carefully building it up to be the most lucrative scam in the history of mankind, I think. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2007, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-steorn-and-their-free-energy-machine/393356/10 "2007-02-24T00:15:36Z")
[QUOTE=glee] I thought I’d see what claims they made. Under the heading ‘what is ORBO technology?’ they wrote: The sum of these claims for our Orbo technology is a violation of the principle of conservation of energy, perhaps the most fundamental of scientific principles. No comment about how it works - just an admission that we shouldn’t expect it to. And apart from some waffle about appointing a jury, that’s it. Anyone want to buy a bridge? [/QUOTE] Theor site actually says less now than it used to say; when they first announced it, they described it as being(something like) ‘a way to rotate magnets so that when everything has returned to the starting position, energy has been gained’. Yup, rotating magnets. Absolute classic scam material. ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2007, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-steorn-and-their-free-energy-machine/393356/11 "2007-02-24T00:20:40Z")
> [@](#): > > By constant we mean that with the exception of mechanical failure the technology will continue to operate indefinitely I’m thinking that Arthur C Clarke should write about a future where we find a future Earth where the only things working are supercooled circuits and Orbo machines 😃 ---
**Author:** ![ratatoskK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ratatoskk/32/2987_2.png) [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2007, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-steorn-and-their-free-energy-machine/393356/12 "2007-02-24T00:27:25Z")
It’s too bad that they have such a nice website. ---
**Author:** ![ratatoskK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ratatoskk/32/2987_2.png) [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2007, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-steorn-and-their-free-energy-machine/393356/13 "2007-02-24T00:28:39Z")
They say: > [@](#): > > Detailed technical specifications will be made available at the end of Quarter 1, 2007. That’s only a month from now! I can’t wait!!! ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2007, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-steorn-and-their-free-energy-machine/393356/14 "2007-02-24T02:10:16Z")
Where’s the part where they are making money? -FrL- ---
**Author:** ![Imasquare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Imasquare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Imasquare)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2007, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-steorn-and-their-free-energy-machine/393356/15 "2007-02-24T03:43:50Z")
[QUOTE=glee] Anyone want to buy a bridge? [/QUOTE] Maybe. Can you deliver it? ---
**Author:** ![Civil\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d78d45/32.png) [@Civil\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Civil_Guy)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2007, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-steorn-and-their-free-energy-machine/393356/16 "2007-02-24T03:54:48Z")
[QUOTE=RickJay] Of course, you know what else would be great? If I had a pony. [/QUOTE] “There’s so much horseshit here that there’s got to be a pony around, somewhere!” Ba-dump-bump. Try the chicken. ---
**Author:** ![Nanoda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Nanoda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nanoda)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2007, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-steorn-and-their-free-energy-machine/393356/17 "2007-02-25T02:58:21Z")
I’ve been kinda-sorta following this from when they appeared, and given the dearth of information that’s ever appeared on their website, there’s a surprisingly large amount in their [Wikipedia entry](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steorn). (Including their financial history). If even _half_ of what’s listed is true, I foresee delays galore. Don’t tell **ratatoskK** - he seems so excited. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![FRDE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e68b1a/32.png) [@FRDE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FRDE)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2007, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-steorn-and-their-free-energy-machine/393356/18 "2007-02-25T13:00:43Z")
What foxes me is that their PR house is highly reputable I concluded that it was some sort of brand awareness demonstration. There was a poster campaign in the early 1980s promoting a non-existent brand, awareness levels were impressive, and advertisers started looking at posters as an interesting medium. ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2007, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-steorn-and-their-free-energy-machine/393356/19 "2007-02-26T00:57:24Z")
Maybe it runs off of the dork rays from Segway users. (remembering the ‘It’ marketing) ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2007, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-steorn-and-their-free-energy-machine/393356/20 "2007-02-26T01:16:30Z")
I still don’t think it’s a scam. They have gone _too_ public, and I don’t see how they could get away with it now. You can bet the Irish government has a keen eye on them. I still think they’re a bunch of well-meaning but misguided Paddies. 😉 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-steorn-and-their-free-energy-machine/393356.md?page=2)