Monday, July 9, 2007
We are about to see something big.
It's a product from a small company in Ireland, Steorn. The device is called the "Orbo" and Steorn is claiming that it is nothing less than a perpetual motion machine. I say "claiming" because the chances of a device like this actually existing along with our current scientific understanding of the universe is literally zero. A perpetual motion machine violates the first law of thermodynamics:
"The increase in the internal energy of a thermodynamic system is equal to the amount of heat energy added to the system minus the work done by the system on the surroundings."
-from wikipedia
That is to say, energy can only be moved around, not created, and not destroyed.
So obviously this would be a big deal.
There are many skeptics. People are saying it's a scam or a social experiment. The most interesting theory however is that this is nothing more than a viral marketing campaign for a new video game from the Microsoft owned game developer Bungie Studios. The game is titled Halo3, and is scheduled for release Sep 25, 2007.
Right now there are hundreds, maybe thousands of individuals combing through the code of every page of Steorn's website. They are comparing Steorn imagery to that of individual frames in a trailer for Halo 3. You can read some of the discussions about this theory on both Steorn's own official forum as well as well as a teamxbox forum dedicated to Halo 3.
Even if this isn't a marketing campaign for the game, the interest in the game Halo3 is seeing a predictable spike.
Is this a new kind of viral campaign? One where the story is so difficult to connect with a product that the story itself is newsworthy? (ex: coverage on Fox via Youtube)
Viral marketing is memetic engineering. Just like with genes, engineering with memes can easily get out of control.
-Will
It's a product from a small company in Ireland, Steorn. The device is called the "Orbo" and Steorn is claiming that it is nothing less than a perpetual motion machine. I say "claiming" because the chances of a device like this actually existing along with our current scientific understanding of the universe is literally zero. A perpetual motion machine violates the first law of thermodynamics:
"The increase in the internal energy of a thermodynamic system is equal to the amount of heat energy added to the system minus the work done by the system on the surroundings."
-from wikipedia
That is to say, energy can only be moved around, not created, and not destroyed.
So obviously this would be a big deal.
There are many skeptics. People are saying it's a scam or a social experiment. The most interesting theory however is that this is nothing more than a viral marketing campaign for a new video game from the Microsoft owned game developer Bungie Studios. The game is titled Halo3, and is scheduled for release Sep 25, 2007.
Right now there are hundreds, maybe thousands of individuals combing through the code of every page of Steorn's website. They are comparing Steorn imagery to that of individual frames in a trailer for Halo 3. You can read some of the discussions about this theory on both Steorn's own official forum as well as well as a teamxbox forum dedicated to Halo 3.
Even if this isn't a marketing campaign for the game, the interest in the game Halo3 is seeing a predictable spike.
Is this a new kind of viral campaign? One where the story is so difficult to connect with a product that the story itself is newsworthy? (ex: coverage on Fox via Youtube)
Viral marketing is memetic engineering. Just like with genes, engineering with memes can easily get out of control.
-Will
posted by Wowza at
11:42 AM
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67 Comments:
YgGrco write more, thanks.
Wonderful blog.
Nice Article.
Please write anything else!
actually, that's brilliant. Thank you. I'm going to pass that on to a couple of people.
Magnific!
Please write anything else!
Magnific!
Please write anything else!
Wonderful blog.
Nice Article.
Thanks to author.
actually, that's brilliant. Thank you. I'm going to pass that on to a couple of people.
Thanks to author.
Give me ambiguity or give me something else.
I don't suffer from insanity. I enjoy every minute of it.
Build a watch in 179 easy steps - by C. Forsberg.
A flashlight is a case for holding dead batteries.
Good job!
If ignorance is bliss, you must be orgasmic.
Suicidal twin kills sister by mistake!
When there's a will, I want to be in it.
When there's a will, I want to be in it.
I don't suffer from insanity. I enjoy every minute of it.
Hello all!
640K ought to be enough for anybody. - Bill Gates 81
Beam me aboard, Scotty..... Sure. Will a 2x10 do?
C++ should have been called B
Lottery: A tax on people who are bad at math.
Thanks to author.
Good job!
Oops. My brain just hit a bad sector.
The gene pool could use a little chlorine.
Save the whales, collect the whole set
640K ought to be enough for anybody. - Bill Gates 81
Good job!
Thanks to author.
Magnific!
The gene pool could use a little chlorine.
Friends help you move. Real friends help you move bodies
Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine.
640K ought to be enough for anybody. - Bill Gates 81
C++ should have been called B
When there's a will, I want to be in it.
I'm not a complete idiot, some parts are missing!
Calvin, we will not have an anatomically correct snowman!
I'm not a complete idiot, some parts are missing!
Thanks to author.
A flashlight is a case for holding dead batteries.
Oops. My brain just hit a bad sector.
I'm not a complete idiot, some parts are missing!
Suicidal twin kills sister by mistake!
What is a free gift ? Aren't all gifts free?
A flashlight is a case for holding dead batteries.
If ignorance is bliss, you must be orgasmic.
Build a watch in 179 easy steps - by C. Forsberg.
Ever notice how fast Windows runs? Neither did I.
What is a free gift ? Aren't all gifts free?
When there's a will, I want to be in it.
Please write anything else!
640K ought to be enough for anybody. - Bill Gates 81
I don't suffer from insanity. I enjoy every minute of it.
Build a watch in 179 easy steps - by C. Forsberg.
Friends help you move. Real friends help you move bodies
Oops. My brain just hit a bad sector.
Build a watch in 179 easy steps - by C. Forsberg.
What is a free gift ? Aren't all gifts free?
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