In 2006, a previously unknown Irish technology company by the name of Steorn created headlines globally when it took out a full-page ad in The Economist.

In it, Steorn claimed to have made the scientific breakthrough of this – or any other – century: perpetual motion, nothing less than a complete and immediate solution to the global energy crisis.

Barry J Whyte, author of The Impossible Dream and Chief Features Writer for the Business Post, joins Pat to tell us more.

Listen and subscribe to The Pat Kenny Show on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and Spotify.

Download, listen and subscribe on the Newstalk App.

You can also listen to Newstalk live on newstalk.com or on Alexa, by adding the Newstalk skill and asking: 'Alexa, play Newstalk'.