I reported in March about Steorn, and how the upstart Irish company set "conventionally thinking" science on its ear when Steorn claimed (in an advertisement in The Economist) the discovery of a "free-energy" technology that would enable it to implement permanent magnet based devices that release usable amounts of clean, free energy.
In February, Steorn sent out an appeal for 300 Engineers and Engineering Companies to participate as non-commercial independent licensees in the development of their Orbo technology. Last month I wrote of my personal application for one of those slots. Since then, I've received several follow-up emails from Steorn CEO Sean McCarthy. A couple emails were in the form of gentle requests for information, culminating in this "Final Reminder" received on April 17th:
Dear Applicant,
Thank you for expressing an interest in joining the first 300 participants in the Steorn Knowledge Development Base ("SKDB").
We would like to remind you that the closing date for any applicant who wishes to be considered for the first SKDB 300 is Today Friday April 17th.
If you have not already done so we would ask you to provide a synopsis of your academic career including the following details; • Education/Degrees • Current Position • Principal Area of Work; and • Contact Details (e.g. Organization/Institute - department - address and telephone number).
Any applicants who have already submitted details, in accordance with the above requirements, may disregard this mail as we will contact them once we have had an opportunity to review all the synopses.
Thank you again for your interest.
Yours faithfully,
Sean McCarthy
Please note that we will treat your information under the strictest confidence and that we are bound, in any event, by our obligations under the Data Protection Acts 1988-2003 in respect of same.
As I had already submitted full information according to the request, there was nothing for it but to settle back and wait for the results of the selection process.
Finally, however, my acceptance letter arrived!
Dear Applicant,
We are now moving to the next phase of The 300 process. This means access to the Steorn Knowledge Development Base (SKDB), our online community where you can research and test our Orbo technology.
Attached to this email are the Orbo Technology Non-commercial License Agreement and the Terms of Service which will govern access to the SKDB. Please read them carefully as you must agree to them in order to participate in The 300. To facilitate your access to the SKDB, you must print, sign and return one copy of the Non-commercial License Agreement to Steorn. Please print, sign and retain another copy for your own records.
Send your signed License Agreement to:
The 300, Steorn Limited, Docklands Innovation Park, East Wall Road, Dublin 3, Ireland.
Please note that as part of The 300 process Steorn is waiving all fees and charges that would otherwise be due for membership of the SKDB. You may therefore ignore all references to payments, fees and charges in the documents.
Once we have received your signed, properly executed copy of the License Agreement we will provide you with access to the SKDB.
Thank you again for your continued interest in Orbo technology,
Yours faithfully,
Sean McCarthy
I've now printed, signed, and forwarded my agreements to Ireland. The email with the attached agreements was sent to me on Friday afternoon, and my signed agreements were delivered to Steorn about 10AM on Monday. Even more heart-warming is the fact that, in an email received today, titled "Receipt Confirmation," I am now no longer merely "Applicant:"
Dear Dann,
We would like to acknowledge receipt of your signed Orbo Technology Non Commercial License Agreement. We expect to receive the majority of Agreements in the next 2/3 weeks and we will then issue details on completing the registration process to enable The 300 to access the SKDB.
Thank you again for your participation in the process,
Yours faithfully,
Sean McCarthy
Why am I keeping you apprised of the "blow-by-blow" progress of my interactions with Steorn? I want the public to become more aware of the radically beneficial changes Steorn intends to unleash on the world, and I also want the skeptics and nay-sayers to be able to observe the openness and forthright nature of the Steorn process.
From the beginning, there have been those very vocally skeptical. A failed demonstration in July of 2007 merely added fuel to that fire. Some even have alleged possible fraudulent intent when Steorn announced availability of the "SteornLab" test and measurement products. Interestingly, Steorn's earlier technology business targeted fraud prevention. My perspective is this: "the proof of the pudding is in the eating," and so I (along with a few other reporters who continue to be optimistic) will maintain an open mind as I study the confidential materials that Steorn makes available to me.
I am very keen to "delve in" to the SKDB and start applying it! My online identity, suggestive of my abilities, is "creator." (Please note the lower-case 'c' - I'm not in competition with "The Big Guy" - I just admire His creative handiwork so much that I immensely enjoy imitating Him!) Should I find success in my experimentation based on the Steorn SKDB, then I will more than likely apply for a commercial license and begin producing some real-world products.
I would like to express my appreciation to Steorn and Sean McCarthy for this opportunity to study and possibly contribute to the new Orbo technology. I expect to have a blast as I learn about what Steorn has discovered and as I think about how it might be applied and improved. I consider it a genuine honor to be counted among "The Steorn 300" and to share in this opportunity to bring the potential blessings of Orbo technology to the world!
NOTE: Please read the other articles in this series about Steorn, linked below.
The views expressed
in this article are those of creator only and
do not represent the views of Nolan Chart, LLC or its affiliates.
creator is solely responsible for the contents
of this article and is not an employee or otherwise affiliated
with Nolan Chart, LLC in his/her role as a columnist.
Posted By: Jake, the Champion of the Constitution
Date: 2009-04-29 14:51:31
creator - Congrats and best of luck on this endeavor!! Not sure if you ever read Mises on creative geniuses, what you wrote reminded me of Human Action for some reason, try 139-140 (the number on the pages)
I had not read that passage in Mises - Thank You! Quite interesting! A little remniscent of Bucky Fuller's teachings which I read as a kid... Fuller saw a significant aspect of wealth as the application of creative design to raw materials to make them do more / go further.
Mises description of the struggles of creation certainly strike a chord... the major missing component in my personal creative struggles has been capital. I need a patron. :) Any volunteers? :)
Well, thanks for the kind words! :) Watch this space for further developments in the Steorn axis.
It's been almost three weeks since you received your Receipt Confirmation, creator. Has Sean McCarthy issued details on completing the registration process?
Want to comment on
this article? Leave your comment
here. Your email address is required to track your
comment. However, we will neither publish your email
address nor distribute it to other organizations or
persons. The only reason we might use it would be if
we needed to contact you regarding your comment. All
comments are subject to our
terms of use policy.
