Shakespeare’s Falstaff, in Henry IV Part 2, twisted the Chief
Justice’s words on the ‘effect of gravity’ into a wisecrack on the
‘effect of gravy, gravy, gravy.’ However these Dutch architects and
scientists are not joking with their claim to have ‘physical proof for
energy from gravity.’
Janjaap Ruijssenaars (Universe Architecture, Amsterdam) and
scientists from VIRO in Hengelo have been working on what they claim is
a ‘sustainable home energy generator.’ The device combines gravity with
mechanical instability to ‘improve the efficiency of a piezoelectric
generator.’
An explanatory video can be viewed on the Gravity Energy website where it is clear to anyone with a passing acquaintance with science that the contraption cannot possibly generate anything other than hot air. Nonetheless, 10% of the shares of Gravity Energy, the Amsterdam-based company that will license the patented invention, were snapped up by angel investor Jeroen van den Hamer, who believes that the ‘This could be a game changer.’ Or, as Falstaff might have put it, a first step on the gravy train.