Jean Taisner

Jean Taisner (Taisnier) (in Latin, Johannes Taisnerius) was a priest. In 1572, Taisner published from the press of Johann Birkmann of Cologne a work entitled "Opusculum perpetua memoria dignissimum, de natura magnetis et ejus effectibus, Item de motu continuo". This is considered a piece of plagiarism, as Taisnier presents, as though his own, the "Epistola de magnete" of Peter of Maricourt and a treatise on the fall of bodies by Gianbattista Benedetti.

Taisner describes a magnetic-based perpetual motion machine consisting of a ramp, a magnet stone and an iron ball. Peter of Maricourt had earlier noted such a system which made use of the strength of the magnet stone. This runs into trouble because the path integral of force on a closed loop in a magnetic field is zero (see History of perpetual motion machines).

Sources

* [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12079e.htm Catholic Encyclopedia: Pierre de Maricourt]