Thomas E. Bearden

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Thomas E. Bearden is a retired Lieutenant Colonel of the U.S. Army who is in his own judgement "active in the study of scalar electromagnetics, advanced electrodynamics, unified field theory, and overunity systems"[1]. His ideas have received no noteworthy support in the scientific community.

Contents

[edit] Over-unity claims

[edit] Motionless electromagnetic generator

Bearden helped design the Motionless electromagnetic generator (MEG), a proposed device which is most notable for claims of over-unity operation, a feat which would violate the second law of thermodynamics (see below). Allegedly, the device can sustain its operation in addition to powering a load without application of external electrical power, by extraction of vacuum energy from the immediate environment. The device strongly resembles a standard transformer, but contrary to these a permanent magnet is included in the design and the associated circuitry shifts the operation point of the magnetic core, or to put it differently, switches the direction of the majority of the magnetic flux path. The MEG is alternatively pulsed to provide induced output current pulses.

The United States patent office (USPTO) granted U.S. Patent 6,362,718  to Bearden and four other inventors: Stephen L. Patrick, James C. Hayes, James L. Kenny, and Kenneth D. Moore. It is current USPTO policy to not grant patents for machines claiming perpetual motion, unless a working sample is presented [2]. No such sample was presented, and indeed the patent application itself makes no direct claims regarding perpetual motion or over-unity operation.

In 2001, Bearden predicted that the first commercial products based on the MEG would be "rolling off the production lines in about one year"[3]; however, to date there are no commercial products based on this device, nor have there been any public demonstrations of the technology. Bearden admits he has no working prototype, claiming in 2005 his 'last working demonstrator was promptly destroyed' by a 'contracting party'[4]. Also in 2005, he stated it would take $11 to $12 million to develop the MEG into a commercial product[5]. No independent tests of the device have supported Bearden's claims.

[edit] Modified Wankel engine

Bearden has proposed a simple modification to the Wankel rotary engine which he claims would deliver "over-unity performance" through asymmetrical regauging. He believes that this technology is known, and suppressed, by the Japanese[6].

[edit] Theoretical justification

Tom Bearden supports his claims with a wide range of alternative theories, including the proposal that all electrical devices, from batteries to electromechanical generators, in reality operate on vacuum energy. However, these theories offer no concrete testable predictions, and are generally dismissed by the physics community at large. None of these theories have been published in independent, peer-reviewed physics literature, and Bearden himself has little formal training in physics. One analysis of Bearden's theories describes them as "full of misconceptions and misunderstandings concerning the theory of the electromagnetic field"[7].

[edit] Other views

Bearden has extended his views on electromagnetism to encompass the effect electromagnetic fields have on biological cells. He has stated that, as a result of his theories, "inexpensive, quick, nondebilitating, cures can be developed for most major dread diseases, including cancer, arteriosclerosis, and AIDS". This assertion is based on his description of diseases and the body's state as being not phenomena, but rather epiphenomena. Bearden labels the source of these manifestations "energy precursors" and states that they are the root causes of symptoms manifested. Bearden has also made claims regarding Electromagnetic Warfare, involving something called a Quantum Potential Weapon, which he claims can "broadcast" destructive disease-triggering waves upon an enemy from a distance. Bearden insists that such weapons were the cause for the momentary outbreak of "flesh-eating disease", as he believes streptococcal infection is a symptom of electromagnetic radiation. He does not cite any published medical literature in these claims.[8]

[edit] Conspiracy theories

Bearden maintains that many of these advanced technologies are secretly known and used by a number of governments and clandestine organizations. This forms the basis for a broad range of views which many would regard as conspiracy theories. These theories are a central theme in many of his books, particularly Aids: Biological Warfare, Fer de Lance, and Oblivion: America at the Brink.

[edit] Suppression of energy technology

In spite of the difficulties and delays in bringing the MEG to market, Bearden maintains that a number of free energy technologies have been available for well over a century, yet have been actively suppressed by government or private interests.

He has repeatedly expressed his belief that the key to over-unity systems was present in the original form of Maxwell's Equations, and this potential was realized by Nikola Tesla; however, be claims that part of the equations were deliberately suppressed in their vectorization by Heaviside and Lorentz in the late 19th century. Bearden claims this was orchestrated by industrialist J.P. Morgan, in order to protect his oil interests[9]

He claims that "nuclear power plant consortium" has worked to "ruthlessly suppress" Cold Fusion, and further that this consortium "is almost certainly to blame for the murder of Gene Mallove, the main proponent and activist for cold fusion"[10].

He has hypothesized that the death of Arie M. DeGeus in Charlotte, North Carolina was actually a murder carried out to suppress his development of a "self-powering battery" [11].

As discussed earlier, he believes that the Japanese have been covering up an over-unity version of the Wankel rotary engine.

[edit] Secret electromagnetic warfare

He believes that Russia developed a weapon in the 1960s which uses "time-polarized EM waves" to disrupt the normal flow of time, and used this in Afghanistan in the 1980s [12].

[edit] Chernobyl

Bearden believes that Chernobyl was accidentally triggered by Soviet experiments with something called "giant electrogravitational standing waves", and the Soviets invented the meltdown as a cover story[13].

[edit] Earthquakes and volcanoes

Bearden has claimed that Russia used various other technologies in the 1980s to cause the destruction of the Challenger space shuttle and induce "several large earthquakes" [14].

He believes the Japanese Yakuza used this technology to trigger the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, and the resulting tsunami, which killed of 200,000 people, and that the Yakuza is also plotting to trigger the Yellowstone Supervolcano, which would kill the majority of the US population[15].

[edit] Weather control

Bearden has maintained that electromagnetic waves can be used to control the weather, and has used this as the basis for an elaborate web of conspiracy theories. Among other things, he claims that the Russian KGB, in collaboration with the Japanese Yakuza and Aum Shinrikyo cult, have been secretly controlling the weather since 1990, and explicitly blames the Yakuza for Hurricane Katrina[16].

[edit] Doubt regarding Bearden's PhD qualifications

Biographies of Bearden consistently state that he received a BS in Mathematics from Northeastern Louisiana University and an MS in Nuclear Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology[17], neither of which would include the complex physics concepts discussed in his writings, but which does not preclude the possibility of his acquiring and/or discovering such knowledge through other formal and/or informal educational processes.

Some time in or before 2001, Bearden began to identify himself as "Tom Bearden, Phd"[18], with no affiliation or details. The Skeptical Inquirer, among others, revealed that Bearden purchased his PhD from Trinity College and University, which the magazine describes as "a British institution with no building, campus, faculty, or president, and run from a post office box in Sioux Falls, South Dakota"[19]. This institution is not accredited by any recognized accreditation association and is generally regarded as a degree mill. It has since changed its name to Bronte International University and its exact location is uncertain.

Although Bearden has defended his degree and claims to have written a PhD thesis[20], he has never made this thesis public. Since the controversy, he no longer identifies himself as "PhD" on the main page of his web site but, as of July 2005, was continuing to do so in correspondence [1].

[edit] References

  1. ^ Bearden, Thomas. His personal site at Cheniere.org. Retrieved on 2007-03-16.
  2. ^ 608.03 Models, Exhibits, Specimens (R-3) - 600 Parts, Form, and Content of Application (retrieved 9 June 2007)
  3. ^ Tom Bearden, "Correspondence 103001". Date: Tue, 30 Oct 2001 17:08:46 -0600
  4. ^ Tom Bearden,"correspondence 051605". Date: Mon, 16 May 2005 12:11:01 -0500
  5. ^ Tom Bearden, "Subject: RE: MEG Funding" Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2005 10:44:21 -0600
  6. ^ The Magnetic Wankel Engine (retrieved 6 August 2007)
  7. ^ Carvalho and Rodrigues, "The non sequitur mathematics and physics of the New Electrodynamics proposed by the AIAS group" (2006)
  8. ^ Bearden, Thomas. His personal site at Cheniere.org. Retrieved on 2007-07-12.
  9. ^ Tom Bearden, "Correspondence 050207", Date: Wed, 2 May 2007 00:07:54 -0500
  10. ^ Tom Bearden, "Correspondence 011105, Sent: Tuesday, January 11, 2005 11:14 AM
  11. ^ Tom Bearden "A Curious Coincidence", posted on his website, 2007
  12. ^ Bearden, Thomas. His personal site at Cheniere.org. Retrieved on 2007-07-12.
  13. ^ http://www.cheniere.org/books/excalibur/part4.htm Tom Bearden, "Weapons that use Time-reversed electromagnetic waves"
  14. ^ Bearden, Thomas. His personal site at Cheniere.org. Retrieved on 2007-07-12.
  15. ^ Tom Bearden, "Correspondence 012105", Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2005 09:28:38 -0600
  16. ^ Tom Bearden, "Correspondence 041407", Date: Sat, 14 Apr 2007 17:48:37 -0500
  17. ^ See, for example, his bio in this "Virtual Times" article
  18. ^ eg. Tom Bearden"Correspondence 103001", Tue, 30 Oct 2001 17:08:46 -0600
  19. ^ Bearden, Thomas. Skeptical Inquirer website. Retrieved on 2007-07-12.
  20. ^ The Tom Bearden Website

[edit] External links

The Tom Bearden Website