Physics of the Impossible: A Scientific Exploration into the World of Phasers, Force Fields, Teleportation, and Time Travel

Throughout time, humans have attempted to invent a perpetual motion machine (a machine that can move forever without losing energy, or even better, one that produces more energy than it consumes). This is especially appealing in the 21st century, when the exhaustion of fossil fuels threatens a global energy crisis.

Energy is intrinsically linked to the advancement of society: A civilization can be judged based on the energy it produces. For most of its existence, humanity produced very little energy, existing via a nomadic, hunter-gatherer lifestyle. The invention of agriculture and domestication several thousand years ago produced a surplus of energy that led to the establishment of cities, specialized workforces, and writing. Three hundred years ago, during the Industrial Revolution, humans increased their energy production by harnessing electricity and the internal combustion engine. A third major advancement is the ongoing information revolution, which is linked to advances in digital technology. As energy demand skyrockets and the population surges, the need for a free source of energy is higher than ever. However, despite countless instances throughout history of people attempting or claiming to invent a perpetual motion machine, the effort has always been fruitless. Studying these failures and frauds ultimately led to the discovery of the very laws of