- Kickstarter campaign claims a self-sustaining turbine.
- Violates no direct Kickstarter rules due to clever pledge rewards.
- Shift to 'Launch Now' feature allows more diverse projects.
- Campaign struggles with funding, highlighting perpetual motion's challenges.
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TranscriptIn a recent development on Kickstarter, a platform renowned for its ability to bring creative projects to life, a campaign introduced what is described as a "self sustaining electrical turbine generator." This product, essentially another term for a perpetual motion machine, claims to operate indefinitely without an external power source. According to the principles of physics, such a device is implausible, as it would inevitably lose energy due to friction with the surrounding air.
Kickstarter's guidelines are designed to maintain a level of transparency and honesty among its project creators. These rules include the obligation to create something that can be shared with others, the need for honesty and clear presentation, and restrictions against fundraising for charity, offering financial incentives, or involving prohibited items. Additionally, projects that introduce new hardware must demonstrate a prototype, not merely a rendering, to avoid the use of photorealistic renderings that could mislead backers.
Despite these regulations, the campaign for the turbine generator appears not to violate any of Kickstarter's stipulations directly. This loophole is because the campaign does not promise the device itself unless a funding goal of ten thousand dollars is met. Instead, for a pledge of two hundred and fifty dollars, backers are offered a baseball hat, holiday cards, and a poster, rather than the turbine generator.
This campaign comes in the wake of significant policy changes on Kickstarter. Previously, each campaign proposal underwent review by a human team. However, since June, Kickstarter has implemented "Launch Now," a feature that allows creators to initiate their projects at their discretion, or opt for feedback from a community manager before launching. This shift has paved the way for a wider array of campaigns, including some that may seem implausible, such as the infamous "Potato Salad" campaign, which raised over fifty-five thousand dollars, far surpassing its modest goal to fund the making of a potato salad.
As of now, the campaign for the self-sustaining electrical turbine generator has raised a mere three dollars, with twenty-three days remaining. This scenario underscores the platform's broad spectrum of projects, ranging from the feasible to the fantastical, and highlights the ongoing allure of perpetual motion, despite its scientific improbability.
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