1
00:00:06,950 --> 00:00:03,350
good morning

2
00:00:09,990 --> 00:00:06,960
so we've heard over a number of years

3
00:00:11,030 --> 00:00:10,000
uh at the sse and elsewhere about zero

4
00:00:14,150 --> 00:00:11,040
point energy

5
00:00:16,630 --> 00:00:14,160
vacuum technology and that this is

6
00:00:18,790 --> 00:00:16,640
the the ambient zero-point energy

7
00:00:21,429 --> 00:00:18,800
background is going to provide

8
00:00:23,590 --> 00:00:21,439
energy that'll meet all of our needs and

9
00:00:25,990 --> 00:00:23,600
yet it hasn't happened

10
00:00:26,790 --> 00:00:26,000
and uh today what i want to do is ask

11
00:00:30,070 --> 00:00:26,800
the question

12
00:00:33,190 --> 00:00:30,080
from a fundamental level why

13
00:00:34,950 --> 00:00:33,200
is there in fact the possibility of

14
00:00:38,310 --> 00:00:34,960
obtaining continuous power from the

15
00:00:41,270 --> 00:00:38,320
vacuum or are we deluding ourselves

16
00:00:42,389 --> 00:00:41,280
so let's take a look at some basic

17
00:00:46,069 --> 00:00:42,399
principles

18
00:00:49,270 --> 00:00:46,079
behind obtaining energy from the vacuum

19
00:00:50,709 --> 00:00:49,280
so the first question is what is vacuum

20
00:00:53,270 --> 00:00:50,719
energy

21
00:00:54,869 --> 00:00:53,280
and we can see oh i'm sorry that's not

22
00:00:55,670 --> 00:00:54,879
the right type of vacuum energy let me

23
00:00:58,229 --> 00:00:55,680
try again

24
00:00:59,029 --> 00:00:58,239
so the question is what is vacuum energy

25
00:01:02,549 --> 00:00:59,039
uh and

26
00:01:06,950 --> 00:01:02,559
it is zero point energy that fills all

27
00:01:16,230 --> 00:01:13,109
okay thanks yeah please uh

28
00:01:16,950 --> 00:01:16,240
i'll talk louder thank you uh so the

29
00:01:20,789 --> 00:01:16,960
question is

30
00:01:22,550 --> 00:01:20,799
what is uh this this energy we know

31
00:01:24,469 --> 00:01:22,560
from quantum mechanics and elsewhere

32
00:01:27,990 --> 00:01:24,479
from the uncertainty principle

33
00:01:31,270 --> 00:01:28,000
that there is energy uh

34
00:01:31,830 --> 00:01:31,280
in every mechanical system and that this

35
00:01:34,069 --> 00:01:31,840
energy

36
00:01:35,990 --> 00:01:34,079
never goes to zero and that's why it's

37
00:01:37,749 --> 00:01:36,000
called zero point energy because even

38
00:01:39,429 --> 00:01:37,759
at zero temperature there still is some

39
00:01:42,230 --> 00:01:39,439
energy in the system

40
00:01:44,149 --> 00:01:42,240
not only is there energy in every uh

41
00:01:45,350 --> 00:01:44,159
physical system but there is energy in

42
00:01:47,910 --> 00:01:45,360
free space itself

43
00:01:48,389 --> 00:01:47,920
in the vacuum and this takes multiple

44
00:01:51,350 --> 00:01:48,399
different

45
00:01:52,149 --> 00:01:51,360
forms the form that we're considering

46
00:01:54,149 --> 00:01:52,159
right now

47
00:01:55,590 --> 00:01:54,159
is electromagnetic fluctuations and so

48
00:01:57,830 --> 00:01:55,600
you can visualize this

49
00:02:00,069 --> 00:01:57,840
as being a vacuum where those blip blip

50
00:02:02,550 --> 00:02:00,079
blip little bursts of energy

51
00:02:04,310 --> 00:02:02,560
here and there and these bursts of

52
00:02:08,550 --> 00:02:04,320
electromagnetic energy

53
00:02:11,350 --> 00:02:08,560
cover uh the entire spectrum of

54
00:02:12,470 --> 00:02:11,360
frequencies and wavelengths if you take

55
00:02:15,510 --> 00:02:12,480
a look at this

56
00:02:18,470 --> 00:02:15,520
analytically we can see that

57
00:02:19,830 --> 00:02:18,480
there are two parts to the radiation in

58
00:02:22,309 --> 00:02:19,840
the vacuum

59
00:02:24,470 --> 00:02:22,319
the first part is the thermal radiation

60
00:02:27,830 --> 00:02:24,480
this is the planck distribution

61
00:02:30,869 --> 00:02:27,840
and its source is temperature somewhere

62
00:02:32,869 --> 00:02:30,879
of something the second part the h-bar

63
00:02:35,589 --> 00:02:32,879
omega over two

64
00:02:36,869 --> 00:02:35,599
occurs even without any sort of source

65
00:02:38,630 --> 00:02:36,879
in free space

66
00:02:39,990 --> 00:02:38,640
and it's been known for a long time it's

67
00:02:41,990 --> 00:02:40,000
the zero point energy

68
00:02:43,270 --> 00:02:42,000
and it's this energy that we're talking

69
00:03:01,589 --> 00:02:43,280
about

70
00:03:05,589 --> 00:03:03,110
and the answer is that there are a

71
00:03:08,390 --> 00:03:05,599
number of physical manifestations

72
00:03:09,350 --> 00:03:08,400
for a zero point energy i'm going to

73
00:03:12,550 --> 00:03:09,360
talk

74
00:03:15,350 --> 00:03:12,560
only about uh hooks

75
00:03:16,790 --> 00:03:15,360
batteries dead i'm going to talk only

76
00:03:18,790 --> 00:03:16,800
about two different

77
00:03:20,710 --> 00:03:18,800
physical manifestations to this

78
00:03:23,990 --> 00:03:20,720
zero-point energy

79
00:03:27,350 --> 00:03:24,000
one of them is the casimir force uh

80
00:03:32,229 --> 00:03:27,360
casimir in 1948

81
00:03:36,149 --> 00:03:32,239
showed theoretically that if you have

82
00:03:38,550 --> 00:03:36,159
two plates that are reflective plates

83
00:03:39,430 --> 00:03:38,560
that are in between those reflective

84
00:03:41,830 --> 00:03:39,440
plates

85
00:03:42,869 --> 00:03:41,840
because of the boundary conditions and

86
00:03:44,949 --> 00:03:42,879
interference

87
00:03:46,630 --> 00:03:44,959
you have only a limited number of

88
00:03:49,910 --> 00:03:46,640
electromagnetic modes

89
00:03:53,270 --> 00:03:49,920
that can exist whereas outside of those

90
00:03:56,070 --> 00:03:53,280
cat this casimir cavity you can have all

91
00:03:56,390 --> 00:03:56,080
electromagnetic modes and so we can see

92
00:04:03,750 --> 00:03:56,400
that

93
00:04:06,309 --> 00:04:03,760
cavity uh we've got uh only

94
00:04:07,910 --> 00:04:06,319
modes corresponding to uh wavelengths

95
00:04:08,630 --> 00:04:07,920
that are shorter than twice the gap

96
00:04:11,509 --> 00:04:08,640
spacing

97
00:04:13,030 --> 00:04:11,519
for the casimir cavity and outside all

98
00:04:15,429 --> 00:04:13,040
and the result

99
00:04:16,949 --> 00:04:15,439
is that there is more radiation pressure

100
00:04:19,030 --> 00:04:16,959
outside than inside

101
00:04:20,150 --> 00:04:19,040
and so these two plates are attracted

102
00:04:23,990 --> 00:04:20,160
together

103
00:04:25,670 --> 00:04:24,000
casimir predicted this in 1948 and

104
00:04:27,590 --> 00:04:25,680
over the years people have been

105
00:04:27,990 --> 00:04:27,600
measuring it and most recently have been

106
00:04:30,550 --> 00:04:28,000
measuring

107
00:04:32,790 --> 00:04:30,560
it to better than one percent accuracy

108
00:04:35,350 --> 00:04:32,800
and shown that in fact casimir is right

109
00:04:37,430 --> 00:04:35,360
so there is this casimir force it's real

110
00:04:39,189 --> 00:04:37,440
vacuum energy is palpable

111
00:04:41,030 --> 00:04:39,199
the second example that i'll give right

112
00:04:44,070 --> 00:04:41,040
now has to do with

113
00:04:44,870 --> 00:04:44,080
vacuum fluctuations and noise and we

114
00:04:47,350 --> 00:04:44,880
know that in

115
00:04:48,230 --> 00:04:47,360
electronic devices resistors diodes and

116
00:04:49,909 --> 00:04:48,240
so on

117
00:04:52,070 --> 00:04:49,919
that after you get rid of all the other

118
00:04:54,870 --> 00:04:52,080
sources of noise there still is

119
00:04:55,990 --> 00:04:54,880
some basic noise and these fluctuations

120
00:04:58,390 --> 00:04:56,000
are due to zero point

121
00:04:59,189 --> 00:04:58,400
energy so this is well known the stuff

122
00:05:02,790 --> 00:04:59,199
is real

123
00:05:06,070 --> 00:05:02,800
now the question is uh can we use it

124
00:05:09,909 --> 00:05:06,080
and uh the answer is

125
00:05:12,550 --> 00:05:09,919
uh we haven't done so yet there are

126
00:05:14,150 --> 00:05:12,560
a number of different proposals for

127
00:05:15,350 --> 00:05:14,160
getting energy from the vacuum but as

128
00:05:18,629 --> 00:05:15,360
far as i know

129
00:05:19,189 --> 00:05:18,639
none of them has been reliably carried

130
00:05:22,710 --> 00:05:19,199
out

131
00:05:25,029 --> 00:05:22,720
and is reproducible so is this

132
00:05:27,110 --> 00:05:25,039
because we haven't found the right way

133
00:05:29,909 --> 00:05:27,120
or is there an underlying principle

134
00:05:31,110 --> 00:05:29,919
that limits us here and let's take a

135
00:05:33,110 --> 00:05:31,120
look at this

136
00:05:34,950 --> 00:05:33,120
in order to do this what i'm going to do

137
00:05:38,230 --> 00:05:34,960
is look at

138
00:05:41,590 --> 00:05:38,240
three different classes of inventions

139
00:05:44,550 --> 00:05:41,600
on extracting energy from the vacuum and

140
00:05:46,710 --> 00:05:44,560
see what the underlying principles are

141
00:05:49,830 --> 00:05:46,720
for each of these classes the first

142
00:05:50,629 --> 00:05:49,840
i'm calling non-linear extraction and it

143
00:05:53,270 --> 00:05:50,639
involves

144
00:05:54,629 --> 00:05:53,280
getting using these random fluctuations

145
00:05:56,950 --> 00:05:54,639
that we have somehow

146
00:05:59,270 --> 00:05:56,960
and extracting energy from them the

147
00:06:01,029 --> 00:05:59,280
second is mechanical extraction uses the

148
00:06:02,710 --> 00:06:01,039
force in casimir cavities

149
00:06:05,270 --> 00:06:02,720
and the third one is something different

150
00:06:08,230 --> 00:06:05,280
and that's passing

151
00:06:08,950 --> 00:06:08,240
material atoms gas through casimir

152
00:06:11,110 --> 00:06:08,960
cavities

153
00:06:12,309 --> 00:06:11,120
let's take a look at the first one so

154
00:06:13,830 --> 00:06:12,319
the first one

155
00:06:16,390 --> 00:06:13,840
has been described in a number of

156
00:06:20,070 --> 00:06:16,400
different places most completely

157
00:06:21,990 --> 00:06:20,080
uh recently by thomas vallone

158
00:06:23,270 --> 00:06:22,000
this year he wrote a paper called

159
00:06:26,150 --> 00:06:23,280
proposed use

160
00:06:28,150 --> 00:06:26,160
of zero bias diode arrays as thermal

161
00:06:31,350 --> 00:06:28,160
electric noise rectifiers

162
00:06:34,070 --> 00:06:31,360
and non-thermal energy harvesters

163
00:06:35,270 --> 00:06:34,080
and the basic idea is making use of a

164
00:06:38,390 --> 00:06:35,280
diode and i show

165
00:06:39,350 --> 00:06:38,400
uh from his paper a band diagram for a

166
00:06:41,990 --> 00:06:39,360
diode where

167
00:06:42,870 --> 00:06:42,000
electrons can move more easily downhill

168
00:06:45,749 --> 00:06:42,880
than they can move

169
00:06:48,230 --> 00:06:45,759
uphill and that means that if we've got

170
00:06:51,749 --> 00:06:48,240
random fluctuations they're rectified

171
00:06:53,029 --> 00:06:51,759
meaning that we'll get more in one

172
00:06:56,390 --> 00:06:53,039
direction than the other we

173
00:06:59,029 --> 00:06:56,400
ultimately end up with dc power

174
00:07:01,749 --> 00:06:59,039
so let's take a look at the underlying

175
00:07:05,029 --> 00:07:01,759
principle here

176
00:07:07,670 --> 00:07:05,039
in 19 in 1871

177
00:07:10,629 --> 00:07:07,680
maxwell was looking at the second law of

178
00:07:13,670 --> 00:07:10,639
thermodynamics and proposed a demon

179
00:07:14,230 --> 00:07:13,680
and his demon was a little fellow who

180
00:07:19,110 --> 00:07:14,240
would go

181
00:07:22,070 --> 00:07:19,120
through and selectively alter a process

182
00:07:24,230 --> 00:07:22,080
so as to make entropy decrease and break

183
00:07:26,870 --> 00:07:24,240
down the second law of thermodynamics

184
00:07:27,430 --> 00:07:26,880
the particular picture that i have here

185
00:07:31,670 --> 00:07:27,440
shows

186
00:07:33,830 --> 00:07:31,680
the demon allowing dark particles of gas

187
00:07:35,749 --> 00:07:33,840
to go to the right but not light

188
00:07:36,870 --> 00:07:35,759
particles to go to the right so he opens

189
00:07:39,110 --> 00:07:36,880
this little door

190
00:07:40,469 --> 00:07:39,120
and lets gas through only one way than

191
00:07:41,270 --> 00:07:40,479
rather than the other way the same

192
00:07:43,430 --> 00:07:41,280
process

193
00:07:44,869 --> 00:07:43,440
can be carried out for heat and various

194
00:07:47,909 --> 00:07:44,879
other

195
00:07:48,550 --> 00:07:47,919
phenomena and in that way one should be

196
00:07:50,869 --> 00:07:48,560
able to

197
00:07:53,110 --> 00:07:50,879
reduce the entropy and break the second

198
00:07:56,950 --> 00:07:53,120
law of thermodynamics

199
00:07:59,189 --> 00:07:56,960
it doesn't work many different

200
00:08:00,070 --> 00:07:59,199
maxwell's demons have been proposed over

201
00:08:02,869 --> 00:08:00,080
the years

202
00:08:04,469 --> 00:08:02,879
uh some of them very ingenious and one

203
00:08:05,909 --> 00:08:04,479
by one they've been picked apart and we

204
00:08:06,629 --> 00:08:05,919
find out that it doesn't work and

205
00:08:09,110 --> 00:08:06,639
actually

206
00:08:10,629 --> 00:08:09,120
uh the fundamental reason has to do with

207
00:08:14,150 --> 00:08:10,639
information theory but that's

208
00:08:17,510 --> 00:08:14,160
for another talk so

209
00:08:21,189 --> 00:08:17,520
that means that if we are talking about

210
00:08:24,390 --> 00:08:21,199
a thermal uh distribution

211
00:08:26,869 --> 00:08:24,400
in equilibrium we cannot obtain

212
00:08:28,390 --> 00:08:26,879
energy from it we cannot contain power

213
00:08:31,589 --> 00:08:28,400
from it

214
00:08:34,790 --> 00:08:31,599
why not you can look at it

215
00:08:37,829 --> 00:08:34,800
in a kinetic way using einstein's

216
00:08:40,389 --> 00:08:37,839
detailed balance in 1917

217
00:08:42,550 --> 00:08:40,399
einstein discussed the fact that

218
00:08:45,190 --> 00:08:42,560
detailed balance exists

219
00:08:46,710 --> 00:08:45,200
if we have a multi-state system in

220
00:08:50,310 --> 00:08:46,720
equilibrium

221
00:08:52,550 --> 00:08:50,320
that in that system every process

222
00:08:53,990 --> 00:08:52,560
every transition rate in one direction

223
00:08:55,910 --> 00:08:54,000
is matched by an equal and

224
00:08:58,790 --> 00:08:55,920
opposite transition rate in the other

225
00:09:03,030 --> 00:08:58,800
direction and so by detailed balance

226
00:09:06,070 --> 00:09:03,040
the uh the there can be no

227
00:09:08,550 --> 00:09:06,080
net flow between any two states

228
00:09:10,070 --> 00:09:08,560
this always occurs when we are in

229
00:09:14,070 --> 00:09:10,080
equilibrium

230
00:09:16,790 --> 00:09:14,080
again this was looked at initially

231
00:09:17,430 --> 00:09:16,800
for thermal equilibrium and the question

232
00:09:21,590 --> 00:09:17,440
is

233
00:09:25,030 --> 00:09:21,600
energy

234
00:09:27,509 --> 00:09:25,040
is a true

235
00:09:29,190 --> 00:09:27,519
equilibrium state uh this has been

236
00:09:30,070 --> 00:09:29,200
discussed in the literature for a number

237
00:09:33,230 --> 00:09:30,080
of years

238
00:09:35,030 --> 00:09:33,240
and shown very rigorously by dannon in

239
00:09:38,150 --> 00:09:35,040
2005.

240
00:09:41,190 --> 00:09:38,160
so that means that in

241
00:09:43,430 --> 00:09:41,200
a zero point energy as with thermal

242
00:09:46,790 --> 00:09:43,440
energy and every other sort of energy

243
00:09:47,829 --> 00:09:46,800
you cannot create a non-linear

244
00:09:51,509 --> 00:09:47,839
extraction

245
00:09:54,310 --> 00:09:51,519
from fluctuations even though the diode

246
00:09:55,910 --> 00:09:54,320
allows electrons to go one way more

247
00:09:57,910 --> 00:09:55,920
easily than the other way