EESTLASTE PERPETUUM MOBILE LEIUTAMISE KATSED 1870. AASTATEST 1940. AASTANI – ÜHISKONNA MODERNISEERUMISE ILMING
ESTONIANS’ ATTEMPTS TO INVENT PERPETUUM MOBILE BETWEEN THE 1870S AND 1940 AS A MANIFESTATION OF MODERNIZATION OF SOCIETY

Summary/Abstract: The roots of the perpetual motion machine (perpetuum mobile) lie in the 7th century AD. The impossibility of creating perpetuum mobile was established in the 19th century. Modern science considers perpetuum mobile as a pseudoscientific phenomenon. Estonians made their first contacts with the problem of perpetual motion abroad or through foreign literature. In Estonia information about perpetuum mobile became widespread in the last quarter of the 19th century, mainly through newspapers. Until the 20th century the problem of perpetuum mobile was covered most thoroughly in the newspaper Olevik. The purpose of Olevik, in which the perpetual motion was regarded as impossible, was to educate and to lead the reader to useful action (of inventing). In other newspapers the problem of perpetual motion was considered randomly. The role of newspapers in spreading information about perpetuum mobile should be considered ambivalent because of the inconsistency of news. The published information influenced people to think about inventing perpetuum mobile but there were also articles that strictly excluded the possibility of such machine. Especially in the 1920s and 1930s perpetual motion was treated as an entertaining topic (perpetuum mobile as a curiosity). In literature perpetuum mobile was rarely mentioned. The term ‘perpetuum mobile’ was included in some dictionaries and encyclopedias. The accuracy of the definitions increased in the course of time. Terms equivalent to perpetuum mobile in Estonian started to spread in the 1920s. Perpetuum mobile was seldom mentioned in calendars and fiction. In physics textbooks written by Estonians the problem of perpetual motion was not considered. However, in the translated textbook by B. Stewart from the year 1908 the problem was considered. The few popular science publications that mentioned perpetuum mobile were also translations. Magazines mainly treated perpetual motion as a symbol of pointless inventions. The invention of perpetuum mobile was derided. Insufficient treatment of perpetual motion in fiction and in magazines was due to the fact that the problem was not enough attractive or necessary to authors. There were also very few publications about the physics and other topics related to perpetual motion, which could complement the physical knowledge of people and to influence them to give up the idea of building perpetuum mobile. Endeavours to invent a perpetual-motion machine spread over the whole area of Estonia. Among inventors were people from schoolboys to aged persons. Women did not try to create perpetuum mobile. The idea of perpetuum mobile especially inspired blacksmiths and (industrial) workers. They had enough knowledge and skills for practical action of invention (but not for making blueprints). A positive result of attempts to create perpetuum mobile was the development of individual skilfulness.

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