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Perpetuum Mobile
Throughout the ages, many people have been fascinated (read: obsessed) with the idea that it might be possible to somehow construct a device which would provide enough power to keep itself going as well as do some sort of work. Nobody, however, was able to demonstrate a successful working device to the satisfaction of the Real Scientists, which led to the formation of one of the fundamental Laws of Thermodynamics: You can't get something for nothing. This enabled the Real Scientists to simply wave their hands and go "Pish and tush!" whenever anyone wanted to demonstrate such a machine for them, thus saving them valuable time that they could then use for Real Research (such as what would be the most efficient way to cut down an entire forest).
One of the theories was that of the Unbalanced Wheel. The idea is that if one side of a wheel could always be heavier, it would always turn towards that side (there being a greater leverage applied by gravity, thus resulting in a net force that would cause the wheel to turn). For an example of this, put a rodent of your choice in one of those little wheels and watch them scurry. Of course the hamster (or whatever) has to consume energy in the form of food and water, and will probably get bored rather quickly and scamper off to somewhere that the scenery actually changes when it runs, so it really isn't perpetual motion.
However, there is a parallel that can be drawn here to modern society, especially in the United States but I suspect it applies to pretty much everybody except maybe advanced Buddhists and such. Throughout our lives we are constantly bombarded with the message that we should not be satisfied with what we have. What we have for looks, what we have for toys, what we have for food, what we have for a residence, what we have for friends, what we have for clothes, what we have for beliefs, none of these things should satisfy us. So often do we hear this message that we become conditioned to the idea; it integrates itself into our core way of looking at the world. Essentially, we become that unbalanced wheel; always trying to come to center, but thanks to that conditioning, we always get thrown off again and end up perpetually striving to meet this ideal that we have in our heads about how things are Supposed To Be.
And what does this perpetual motion machine power? Commerce! Industry! Religion! Then they take that energy and turn it into feedback that reinforces the message that we should not be satisfied with what we have. This drives us to strive even harder to close that gap, which makes the wheel spin faster and gives them more energy, and on and on until we arrive in the world in which we live--going nowhere at top speed and starting to drop like flies from exhaustion. Currently, almost all of our energy is being used to maintain the appearance that things are going to Change any minute now if we just keep this up a little bit longer, while ensuring that there will actually be as little real change as possible.
So why don't people stop? I'm not sure, but I suspect it comes down to one of two things:
Either they really think they're making progress, or they don't believe that any other way is possible.
Or maybe they just feel that it's good exercise.
One of the theories was that of the Unbalanced Wheel. The idea is that if one side of a wheel could always be heavier, it would always turn towards that side (there being a greater leverage applied by gravity, thus resulting in a net force that would cause the wheel to turn). For an example of this, put a rodent of your choice in one of those little wheels and watch them scurry. Of course the hamster (or whatever) has to consume energy in the form of food and water, and will probably get bored rather quickly and scamper off to somewhere that the scenery actually changes when it runs, so it really isn't perpetual motion.
However, there is a parallel that can be drawn here to modern society, especially in the United States but I suspect it applies to pretty much everybody except maybe advanced Buddhists and such. Throughout our lives we are constantly bombarded with the message that we should not be satisfied with what we have. What we have for looks, what we have for toys, what we have for food, what we have for a residence, what we have for friends, what we have for clothes, what we have for beliefs, none of these things should satisfy us. So often do we hear this message that we become conditioned to the idea; it integrates itself into our core way of looking at the world. Essentially, we become that unbalanced wheel; always trying to come to center, but thanks to that conditioning, we always get thrown off again and end up perpetually striving to meet this ideal that we have in our heads about how things are Supposed To Be.
And what does this perpetual motion machine power? Commerce! Industry! Religion! Then they take that energy and turn it into feedback that reinforces the message that we should not be satisfied with what we have. This drives us to strive even harder to close that gap, which makes the wheel spin faster and gives them more energy, and on and on until we arrive in the world in which we live--going nowhere at top speed and starting to drop like flies from exhaustion. Currently, almost all of our energy is being used to maintain the appearance that things are going to Change any minute now if we just keep this up a little bit longer, while ensuring that there will actually be as little real change as possible.
So why don't people stop? I'm not sure, but I suspect it comes down to one of two things:
Either they really think they're making progress, or they don't believe that any other way is possible.
Or maybe they just feel that it's good exercise.
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You know that now the industry (Illuminati Ect Ect.) is out to get you because you found out their big secret? HURRY, You still might have time to seek salvage in my doomsday fortress!
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