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• I have not read the full article yet but Estes, the model rocket people, have already created a rocket (you can buy it online) that separates water into Hydrogen and Oxygen and then ignites it. It simply does not get cooler than that. That being said, this sort of operation would be much more difficult I would think considering the quanities of Hydrogen necessary. Cool story though.

  Posted by: Eyeore211 on June 18, 2005 at 12:46 AM

• These hoaxes come out all the time. You can't split hydrogen and oxygen atoms without putting as much or more energy in as you get out. Laws of physics, yadda yadda.

  What I find hilarious are the allusions to President Bush's clean energy initiatives. Faith-based science, anyone?

  Posted by: jacksonwest on June 18, 2005 at 2:42 AM

• Silly rabbit, tricks are for kids.

  Why do the Make editors keep getting distracted by pseudoscience nonsense? I appreciate an open mind for strange projects, but free energy from water, an electrolyte, and a mysterious "metal alloy" are fodder for the National Enquirer... Likely this system is just acting
  like a shorted out battery offgassing hydrogen -- hardly a free source
  of energy once you burn through your electrolye and electrodes and
  certainly not cheaper than hooking up solar panels to a bucket of
  water to make hydrogen through electrolysis.
  

  Posted by: Noah on June 18, 2005 at 11:18 AM

• noah- it's the weekend :-]

  Posted by: philliptorrone on June 18, 2005 at 11:22 AM

• You guys should be embarrassed to post this kind of thing. Brown's gas is snake oil, and old snake oil at that. At least hydrogen is new snake oil - sure it's dangerous, explosive, hard to store, expensive to make, difficult to transport, not particularly dense even when liquefied, and George Bush is behind it 100%, but at least it's new. If you are going to do a blog for intelligent people you should try not to waste their time and insult their intelligence.

  Posted by: Augustus on June 19, 2005 at 12:29 AM

• The article claims oxygen levels in Japan impossibly low.
  19 percent or less is deadly:
  
  

  
  Occupational Hazards - Confined Spaces: Is 19.5 Percent Oxygen Really Safe?

  Posted by: JohnHall on June 19, 2005 at 8:45 AM

• Keep in mind the person who posted this said right at the beginning "I don't think this is real..."

  Posted by: gg2 on June 20, 2005 at 1:49 AM

• If it's not real, it's not real. However, then it's a pretty good slight of hand trick. I do agree that the fact they don't mention what the "metal alloy" is specifically, looking at the reaction, it's probably zinc or zinc and aluminum - (although alumunum and HCL's reaction is exothermic, and gets really really nasty towards the end!) The video showed them splashing around what looked like water, so either powdered HCl or some other powdered acid "electrolite" was in the container with the alloy, or they just didn't want any fingerprints left.

  I guess the biggest question for me would be, did the engine actually run for 20 minutes on hydrogen gas? I don't particularly care that the method producing it was a hoax or not, I just think that's pretty cool. I wonder what the cost of filling your tank with acid and puting in zinc would be? Of course you'd have to get rid of the waste Zinc salts and whatnot. Oh well, enough of me blabbing I suppose. :)

  Posted by: VinnyF on June 20, 2005 at 3:46 PM

• Not a very difficult trick to fake. Aluminum and drano (or similar cleaners) will put off a fair amount of hydrogen (which is what it looks like he is using). If only it were so simple with water! :-)

  Posted by: poisoneleven on June 20, 2005 at 7:33 PM

• Great story, but what would have been impressive would be a shot of the guy taking a swig of the "water". I have been experimenting with Brown's gas for 3 years and I have had some success by playing with different electrolytes. Trust me,they do matter. Other good results came from experimenting with the voltage and frequency of the direct current. I'm not promoting that I am defying physics, just that I have had good results playing with the parameters of electrolysis.
  Also,not mentioned was the effect of burning hydrogen in an unmodified engine. Hydrogen burns hotter and faster than gasoline. It also causes embrittlement of the metal over time. So just a simple swap of fuels will not work in the long term.

  Posted by: TheTruth on June 29, 2005 at 12:01 PM

• Great story, but what would have been impressive would be a shot of the guy taking a swig of the "water". I have been experimenting with Brown's gas for 3 years and I have had some success by playing with different electrolytes. Trust me,they do matter. Other good results came from experimenting with the voltage and frequency of the direct current. I'm not promoting that I am defying physics, just that I have had good results playing with the parameters of electrolysis.
  Also,not mentioned was the effect of burning hydrogen in an unmodified engine. Hydrogen burns hotter and faster than gasoline. It also causes embrittlement of the metal over time. So just a simple swap of fuels will not work in the long term.

  Posted by: TheTruth on June 29, 2005 at 12:01 PM

• You might say I am a shade-tree scientist.
  I am doing a research and development project of my own. I am making
  hydrogen from beer cans, water and sodium hydroxide. Visit my website to
  see the plans, watch the videos and leave comments in the forum. I had a
  lot of fun making the videos.
  This is an opensource project. Join in the fun!
  http://www.ebook4me.us/hydrogen.html
  

  Posted by: hydroman on August 26, 2005 at 10:52 PM

• Guys I have met Drunvalo from the Spirit of Maat website and he is a physicist. He will not post information unless he is 100% sure of the validity of it. I trust him completely.

  Posted by: broooth on December 17, 2007 at 6:08 PM

• huh.... I thought DC (direct current) did not have a frequency, only AC (alternating current) does.

  "...Other good results came from experimenting with the voltage and frequency of the direct current..."

  Posted by: TheTruth on June 29, 2005 at 12:01 PM
  

  Posted by: Mad Sine'Tist on December 18, 2007 at 3:05 AM

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