Perpetual Motion Machine Raises $12M From Investors

Why It Matters

The funding highlights investor appetite for breakthrough energy claims but raises risks of misallocated capital and propagation of scientifically unsound technologies; it also underscores the need for rigorous validation before commercialization. Continued hype could distort markets and public understanding of physics-based energy innovation.

Summary

Casimir Inc., led by former NASA scientist Harold White, announced a $12 million raise to commercialize a microchip it says harvests continuous energy from the quantum vacuum using the Casimir effect. The company claims devices produce millivolt-to-volt outputs, but reported currents are at picoamp levels—yielding power far below their commercial targets and requiring implausible scaling to be useful. Independent review and the cited paper do not support the claim that the Casimir effect can produce continuous extractable energy; mainstream physics says such a device would violate conservation principles and effectively amount to a perpetual motion claim. Analysts note the measured signals likely stem from mundane effects (contact potentials, thermal offsets, instrumentation noise) rather than vacuum energy extraction.

Original Description

The company Casimir Inc promises "unlimited power" from the vacuum by using the Casimir effect. Here is why you shouldn't believe what they say.

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