It is the invention that saves us from the crisis – a television that produces electricity! The ingenious idea comes from the inventor Maxwell Chikumbutso. But there is a catch: the genius comes from Africa. And that is why the groundbreaking technology does not catch on.
That is the story that ARD journalist Jana Genth told the licence fee payers in a Tagesschau report. Apparently no one in the editorial department of the public broadcaster noticed that it was only the fairy tale of a fraudster. Presumably the fear of being considered a racist was too great.
https://exxpress.at/gebuehren-tv-bejubelt-afrikaner-und-fernseher-der-energie-erzeugt/
The “Tagesschau” reports online about a television that is supposed to generate energy autonomously and its alleged inventor. After criticism, the contribution is withdrawn. The protagonist, however, has not attracted negative attention for the first time.
Imagine a television that does not consume electricity, but generates it. And which, when switched off, even serves as a power source for other electronic devices. Completely autonomous, through a conversion of radio waves. Sounds too good to be true? It probably is. There is no confirmation that this works as stated at the beginning.
Nevertheless, the “Tagesschau” reported on its website last week with the headline “The television that generates energy” about the device and its alleged inventor Maxwell Chikumbutso. An ARD Africa correspondent apparently had the device demonstrated and explained and then made a contribution out of it. The device alone on the table in front of its alleged inventor is already suspicious: It is obviously not a prototype, but a professionally designed and produced high-end television. On the Instagram channel of his alleged company Saith Tech Group, Maxwell Chikumbutso writes that it is a converted Samsung device. Well, if so, the technology is so tiny that it fits in the original case and the device shows no traces of machining.
“Tagesschau” contribution: The alleged inventor has already attracted negative attention
The “Tagesschau” article goes on to say that the technology was tested by researchers from the USA and that its function was confirmed. By whom and when exactly remains open. The author later admitted on Twitter: “Despite all my inquiries, I have not been able to get in touch with scientists from the USA who, according to Maxwell Chikumbutso, should have tested and verified his alleged invention”. Nevertheless, the contribution was published and only withdrawn after criticism.
Other alleged inventions by the protagonist were also praised in the text: “Street lighting that is no longer powered by solar power but by radio waves – also an invention by Chikumbutso. They already shine in Mexico and North America,” it says. Again, without further information, where exactly the alleged lanterns should burn.
Regardless of your own understanding of physics and electrical engineering: It would have been easy to find out that the name Maxwell Chikumbutso requires care. The man from Zimbabwe attracted attention a few years ago with a very similar story: At that time he wanted to have invented an electric car that didn’t have to be charged. The claim was debunked as false by the US fact checkers from “AP” and “Snopes”, among others. The domain saithgroup.com of Chikumbutso’s alleged company is now for sale. However, their alleged innovations and events continue to be advertised on Instagram – obviously in search of investors.
However, technologies for the self-sufficient use of energy from the environment – including electromagnetic waves – are not complete nonsense. They are being researched and developed. “Energy Harvesting” is the name of the principle, which is described in more detail on the website of the Fraunhofer Institute. However, as it says there, “to supply small electronic consumers”. TV sets or even cars do not fall into this category.
Sources: Tagesschau.de (archived), “snopes“, “AP“, Jana Gendt/Twitter, Fraunhofer,Instagram/saithtechgroup,https://allnewspress.com/the-tv-that-generates-energy-alleged-inventor-fools-the-tagesschau/