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REVIEWS © but it's been suggested that the structures B oO oO K Ss were built by a megalithic culture that exist- ed throughout the Pacific, well before the ANCIENT MICRONESIA & THE LOST migrations of the islander races. CITY OF NAN MADOL Childress's quest also takes in the menhirs by David Hatcher Childress of Palau, the Latte Stones of Guam, the Publisher: Adventures Unlimited, 1998 canal city of Insaru on Kosrae, the large ISBN: 0-932813-49-6 (200pp s/c) stone money discs on Yap and the roads on Price: AUD$28.00; NZD$34.90; Malden Island. His glimpses into Micro- STG£14.50; NFL£37,90; USD$16.95 +p/h _nesian culture, language, writing and myths Distributors: Aust/NZ/UK/Eur— NEXUS are richly supported with maps, illustrations, offices; USA—Adventures Unlimited, PO archival b&w and recent colour photos. Box 74, Kempton, IL 60946, ph (815) 253 6390, fax (815) 253 6300. PERPETUAL MOTION: An Ancient he islands of Micronesia, situated in the Mystery Solved? An Investigation into western Pacific Ocean, are studded with —_ the Legend of Bessler's Wheel ancient megalithic ruins, some built on a by John Collins massive scale. But as author/adventurer Publisher: Permo Publications, UK, 1997 David Hatcher Childress writes, the origin 0.0 0. en) of these structures is uncertain. aa RObe4.c0- eran ae”) In Ancient Micronesia, the latest in his USD$21 99: CAN$29 99 om "Lost Cities of the Pacific" series, Childress Distrib: ‘A " C . Books, ph (02 draws on his own travels to the region as 4758 7878 fax (02) 4788 047 Bro ) well as evidence garnered by European . explorers, archaeologists and anthropolo- Counter Culture, ph/fax 01823 698895; gists in the last few centuries. USA—New Leaf, ph (770) 948 7845. On the island of Pohnpei, Childress visits ihe idea of perpetual motion is ancient, the most imposing megalithic structure of but debate heated up in the 18th century all: the lost city of Nan Madol, whose cen- _ When the gulf widened between the ortho- tral area comprises up to 100 artificial islets doxy, who considered perpetual motion built with magnetic, crystalline basalt logs, impossible, and the inventors, who believed each weighing up to 20 tons. Some of the it achievable. That gulf persists to this day. structures contain 50-ton blocks and have But whether or not perpetual motion was 30-foot-high walls. But how were they put or is achievable depends to a large extent on into place? According to local legend, the its definition, according to author John basalt logs were magically levitated into Collins who has spent many years research- position by the islanders’ ancestors. ing the life and work of the German inventor But who were these ancient engineers and —_ Johann Bessler (1680?-1745), better known from where did they come? Some archaeol- _ by his coded name, "Orffyreus". ogists date the ruins at up to 2,000 years old, In 1712 Orffyreus demonstrated his first perpetuum mobile machine, a device con- sisting of a spoked wheel with horizontal axle, supported by two vertical beams, but he enclosed it so no one could see the inter- nal workings. It appears, though, that few people were ever given that privilege, so exactly how it worked to achieve 26 rpm, lift loads and run for eight weeks at a time requires some reading between the lines. After exhaustive translation and analysis of whatever documents, letters and newspaper accounts were available, Collins concludes in his book that Orffyreus was not a fraud— as his detractors had suggested for decades. It was just that by using metal weights with- in the structure he was also utilising gravity; therefore, by strict definition, his machine did not display true perpetual motion. Still, Collins believes that Bessler's Wheel is ready to be rediscovered, and he gives many suggestions as to how it could be built. Whoever can utilise this design will be well on the way to solving the problem of low- cost energy extraction. PERPETUAL MOTION: An Ancient Mystery Solved? An Investigation into the Legend of Bessler's Wheel by John Collins Publisher: Permo Publications, UK, 1997 ISBN: 0-9531615-0-1 (240pp s/c) Price: AUD$40.00; STG£11.95; USD$21.99; CAN$29.99 Distrib: Aust—Cameron Books, ph (02) 4758 7676, fax (02) 4758 9047; UK— Counter Culture, ph/fax 01823 698895; USA—New Leaf, ph (770) 948 7845. he idea of perpetual motion is ancient, but debate heated up in the 18th century when the gulf widened between the ortho- doxy, who considered perpetual motion impossible, and the inventors, who believed it achievable. That gulf persists to this day. But whether or not perpetual motion was or is achievable depends to a large extent on its definition, according to author John Collins who has spent many years research- ing the life and work of the German inventor Johann Bessler (1680?-1745), better known by his coded name, "Orffyreus". In 1712 Orffyreus demonstrated his first perpetuum mobile machine, a device con- sisting of a spoked wheel with horizontal axle, supported by two vertical beams, but he enclosed it so no one could see the inter- nal workings. It appears, though, that few people were ever given that privilege, so exactly how it worked to achieve 26 rpm, lift loads and run for eight weeks at a time requires some reading between the lines. After exhaustive translation and analysis of whatever documents, letters and newspaper accounts were available, Collins concludes in his book that Orffyreus was not a fraud— as his detractors had suggested for decades. It was just that by using metal weights with- in the structure he was also utilising gravity; therefore, by strict definition, his machine did not display true perpetual motion. Still, Collins believes that Bessler's Wheel is ready to be rediscovered, and he gives many suggestions as to how it could be built. Whoever can utilise this design will be well on the way to solving the problem of low- cost energy extraction. ANCIENT MICROME! 80 + NEXUS APRIL - MAY 1998