So I just remember that I ran into another nutcase a couple weeks ago.  He comes into my work about once a week and proferred a story about this old buddy of his (with whom he conveniently lost touch) and how his buddy had invented a car that ran on water.  It seemed to me that his friend wouldn't have to invent a whole car, just an engine, but what the hell do I know?  So I kept zipped. 

I even listened as he told me somebody in the oil industry bought the technology from him and, naturally, buried it.  His friend is now supposedly a millionaire, and my friend is convinced that we're all getting hosed needlessly.  I agree that we don't need to get hosed like we are, and especially like we were, but I have better reasons.

I took a moment to explain to the gentleman that if we are going to separate hydrogen from oxygen and then recombine them in to water, then we haven't gained any energy, even at 100% efficiency, and in the real world, we would LOSE more than we get.  He got quiet instead of defendng his story, which tells me all I needed to know.  However, I'm pretty sure he'll still tell that story to anyone else who'll listen.

I wish more people paid attention in Science so we wouldn't let dopes tell us stupid stories and believe it.