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NEWSCIENCENEWSCIENCENEWSCIENCE FOSSIL FORESTS IN ANTARCTICA MINE MEN INN Australian and American scien- n electric car with motors that _ tists have uncovered fossil evidence make their own electricity and of leaves, wood, pollen, moss and cost nothing to run? Sounds like insect eggs only 500 km from the a story from a sci-fi comic. South Pole in sheltered valleys of Yet Japanese inventor Yasunori the Transantarctic Mountains. The Takahashi claims to have done just that. fossil finds have sparked worldwide scien- Purely by accident he came across a _ tific controversy over the speed and extent "This is a turning point. The world will method of making permanent magnets with of global climate change—and speculation not be the same after this international extraordinary power. Put these magnets in over when Antarctica was last ice-free. meeting!” says Australian mathematician/ an electric motor and, he claims, it can gen- Dr Barrie McKelvey, of the University theoretical physicist, Prof. Chris Illert, of erate four times its input electricity. of New England, NSW, found plant speci- the upcoming "New Frontiers in Clean A standard Honda electric scooter, its mens in the windswept, rocky Meyer Hadronic Energy” workshop in Italy. The motor fitted with the magnets, was demon- desert. These have been classified by Prof. buzz?—the theory predicting novel sources strated at a hotel in London. The scooter's Bob Hill of Tasmanian University as mem- _ of subnuclear hadronic energy (see diagram original heavy lead-acid cells were stripped bers of the Notofagus or southern beech above) is be demonstrated with new tech- out and replaced with four small 12-volt family, still widespread in southern nology purpose-built to tap this energy. batteries. Australia (particularly alpine Tasmania), Chris Illert is co-ordinating "New On the road, the scooter hit 30 mph in South America and New Zealand. Frontiers in Theoretical Biology", one of around four seconds. The way it was What's more, beetle eggs were found _ six workshops to be held at the Institute for accelerating, 60 mph would have probably amongst the plant material, indicating acli- Basic Research Conference at the come up in eight. mate warm enough for insects. According Monteroduni Institute, Italy, 7-13 August. Takeo Sawai, the inventor's UK repre- to Prof. Hill, the climate had to have been The other "history-making" workshops are: sentative, told us that he took delivery of at least 25°C warmer than it is today for multi-valued hyperstructures, integro-dif- the scooter, at London Airport, with almost woody plants to exist; there had to have _ ferential geometries, particle physics, grav- flat batteries and drove it down the M4 at been liquid water and a growing season to tation, and superconductivity. 70 mph. At the end of the journey, he said, allow plants to flower and seed to be set For further information and bookings, the batteries were fully charged. and sown. contact Chris Illert, East Corrimal, NSW, The scooter has been demonstrated to As for the age of the plants, some scien- Australia, ph/fax +61 (042) 83 3009. For Nissan, GEC-Marconi and Philips. tists argue at least 14 million years; others, dhadronic energy workshop details, contact Apparently the companies are all taking the between 2.5 and 3 million years. The latest IBR, Florida, USA, fax +1 (813) 934 9275 idea seriously. Emmerson Linfoot, Senior theory is from Prof. David Harwood of (to 15 May); or co-ordinator, Prof. R. M. Engineer in the electrical department at Ohio State University who discovered fos- Santilli, Istituto per la Ricerca di Base, Nissan's European Technical Centre, said _ sil marine diatoms in the same layers as the Monteroduni, Italy, fax +39 (865) 49 1145. that the invention, "if it checks out on our plants. As these own tests...has huge implications for every- species didn't appear thing which uses a motor—jt could revolu- until approx. 3.8 tionise the world”. million years ago, In November, a Mercedes will be fitted he argues that thi with four of the motors. It will, claims puts an upper limit Sawai, have performance like a petrol on the age of the car—but with virtually unlimited range and _ plant-bearing rock. almost no fuel costs. Dr McKelvey Yasunori Takahashi has spent £3 million believes that the on his invention, and his company, Sciez, Antarctic ice-cap has taken out worldwide patents on the melted completely magnet which he will manufacture. The around that time, magnets will be supplied under licence to leaving the conti- interested companies. nent fringed with Mr Takahashi says he is not at all inter- vegetation and cov- ested in making money, only in winning ered with shallow, the Nobel Prize, adding: "When tiger dies diatom-rich seas— he leaves his skin. When man dies he later gouged out by leaves his name." encroaching ice 2.5 However, scientists we talked to rub- million years ago. bished the invention, saying it defied the (Source: Julian first law of thermodynamics." Cribb, The (Source: Space Energy Journal, vol. y, Australian, 2 August no. 4, December 1994) 1994) "This is a turning point. The world will not be the same after this international meeting!" says Australian mathematician/ theoretical physicist, Prof. Chris Illert, of the upcoming "New Frontiers in Clean Hadronic Energy” workshop in Italy. The buzz?—the theory predicting novel sources of subnuclear hadronic energy (see diagram above) is be demonstrated with new tech- nology purpose-built to tap this energy. Chris Illert is co-ordinating "New Frontiers in Theoretical Biology", one of six workshops to be held at the Institute for Basic Research Conference at the Monteroduni Institute, Italy, 7-13 August. The other "history-making" workshops are: multi-valued hyperstructures, integro-dif- ferential geometries, particle physics, grav- itation, and superconductivity. For further information and bookings, contact Chris Illert, East Corrimal, NSW, Australia, ph/fax +61 (042) 83 3009. For dhadronic energy workshop details, contact IBR, Florida, USA, fax +1 (813) 934 9275 (to 15 May); or co-ordinator, Prof. R. M. Santilli, Istituto per la Ricerca di Base, Monteroduni, Italy, fax +39 (865) 49 1145. APRIL - MAY 1995 NEXUS ¢ 53 JAPANESE SUPER-MAGNET BREAKTHROUGH NEW FRONTIERS WORKSHOPS