Bent Spoon Winner 2001

Lutec ("Free Energy Generator")

By Barry Williams

Bent Spoon Winner

The winners of the annual Skeptics Bent Spoon award (presented to the "perpetrator of the most preposterous piece of pseudoscientific piffle") for 2001 was announced at the Australian Skeptics National Convention in Brisbane on November 10.

The winners were the proponents of the Lutec Free Energy Generator, John Christie and Lou Brits of Cairns, for the most concerted campaign to market the invention least likely to fulfil its promises.

Their generator, claimed to produce 30 times more output than input, was slated to solve the world's energy crisis.

The proponents set up an entire infrastructure: World Patents, numbered bank account, elaborate business plan, closed demonstrations to investors, and promises of franchises. Media exposure included newspaper, TV, US radio, and Internet sites.

Information provided by the proponents included glowing references from an alleged international technology company (actually one created by the promoters themselves).

This award owes much to the technical and investigative skills of Skeptical engineer, Ian Bryce, whose detailed reports in the Skeptic (21:3 and the following item in this issue) show how, despite many difficulties, he exposed the truth: the theoretical basis of the device is fatally flawed and the patents worthless. The prototype's actual output power is 33% of its input.

Well done Ian.

See:

Free Energy? Not From Lutec

Free Energy? Part 2 "Patents and Free Energy" - Ian Bryce

Nominations:

• John Christie and Lou Brits of Cairns (Lutec "Free Energy Generator")
• The "West Australian" newspaper
• Benny Hinn Ministries
• ABC Radio "Country Hour"
• Channel 7, for "CONFIRMATION: THE HARD EVIDENCE OF ALIENS AMONG US"
• Reg Fenn, Port Stephens naturopath
• Mr. Masaru Emoto, author of The Message from Water
• Management of Ellenbrook Estate, Perth
• Fairfield (Sydney) City Council
• The Directors of One.Tel
• David Frost (host of Beyond Belief)
• Mr Benjamin Maloney
• Australian Yowie Research
• Editors of The Australasian Journal of Integrative Medicine
• Channel Seven's "Today Tonight" (2 nominations)
• Medical Benefits Fund of Australia
• "Scream Test" on Channel 10 (2 nominations)
• Tom Wards ("International Clairvoyant")
• Editors of the Weekend Magazine published in the West Australian
• Dr. Tasman Walker (Answers in Genesis)