Scientists say that special materials can use the earth's rotation to generate electricity, but the experiment only measured a weak voltage, and the controversy continues, some people are amazed, and some people question it.

Can the Earth's rotation become electricity? It sounds fanciful, but a group of physicists say they've found a way. Here's the thing: through the Earth's own magnetic field and rotation, an elaborate device can squeeze out a little electricity. The research team presented their results in Physical Review Research and presented at the American Physical Society meeting in Anaheim, California. Although they only measured 17 microvolts – much weaker than a neuronal discharge – it was enough to blow up the academic community.

The study's leader, Christopher Chyba, is from Princeton University. He and his team used a soft magnetic material containing manganese, zinc, and iron to create a hollow cylinder. They found that by orienting the device so that it aligned with the Earth's magnetic field, they could measure weak voltages. But if you change to a solid material, the voltage is gone. They say that this is because the conductor on the surface of the earth passes through the magnetic field, and the electrons are pushed away, forming an electric current. The idea is a bit like the principle of a power station, but the Earth's magnetic field is evenly distributed, and it stands to reason that the electrons will adjust themselves to cancel out the current. But Chyba and the others found a "loophole", using special materials and shapes to distort the magnetic field into a peculiar state, so that the current has a foothold.

Paul Thomas, a physicist emeritus at the University of Wisconsin-Oclaire, praised the experiment. "It's a bit counterintuitive, and it's been debated since the time of Faraday," he said, "but their experiments are so meticulous that I find shocking." The Faraday he mentioned, the god of electromagnetism, laid the foundation for electricity generation as early as the 19th century. If this experiment is reliable, it is really a tribute to the classical theory and a step further.

Not everyone is on the same page, though. Rinke Wijngaarden, a veteran physicist at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, has been following the team's research since 17. He himself tried it for 0 years and didn't find a similar effect. "Their work is interesting," he said, "but I still don't think Chyba's theory holds water." He points out that 0 microvolts is too small and may just be a disguise for small disturbances such as temperature changes. While Chyba's team did their best to rule out these "false signs," Wijngaarden felt that the evidence was not strong enough.

Imagine if this technology could be scaled up, perhaps creating an immobile power generation that is emission-free and suitable for remote locations or medical devices. Chyba says their formula has indicated the path to amplification, but theorizing is one thing, making it another another. To verify, they had to try again at a different latitude to see if the results would change. It's not easy, but it's worth a try in the face of such a surprising discovery.

Of course, this is not a power transformation out of thin air. The kinetic energy of the Earth's rotation will be siphoned off, and the rotation will slowly slow down. The study calculates that if this method is used to meet the global electricity demand of 7 trillion watts in 0 years, the earth will be 0 milliseconds slower per day in 0 years. It's not much like the natural deceleration caused by the gravitational pull of the moon or changes in the Earth's core, but it's not a big deal.

I'm thinking that this controversy will probably have to be arguing for a while. Some people think that this may be the dawn of new energy, while others suspect that it is just a phantom in the experiment. Anyway, Chyba they've lit a fire, and it's up to us to see who can turn that faint 17 microvolts into real electricity. You say, this earth is spinning, can it really light a light bulb for us?

This article was translated from nature and edited by BALI.