A "real" model alanpoi? A cardboard mock-up actually. He hasn't built one, noone has, or at least noone has mentioned having a working one, not even Max. So what's the game? Generate interest so that someone will fund it without proof of concept? One way to do that is to get one of your mates in the media to talk it up a bit and try and get some public interest in it so the government may pitch in some funds, they're always in for some high-media project that makes it look like they're actually doing something. If it was demonstrated, and there was real money in it, the capitalists would be all over it like a fat kid on a smartie.

Oh com'n bugsy do you really think that the ABC would go along with a cardboard mockup?.
Australian capitaliasts are a very conservative mob, they are not into taking risks they are into takeovers.
Look at the hundreds of Oz inventions that have gone overseas besause of lack of interest, then gone on to be successful.
If you want to be taken seriously quit writing this crap.

I suggest that you look at that episode again alanpoi, it was a cardboard mockup, the cooling fins were obviously thick cardboard painted silver, didn't you watch the episode properly? The "cooling fins" weren't even straight and looked like they were about to fall off! When asked about details on how much energy it would take, what conditions it could be used under and how much water it actually uses, he could not answer the questions, just give theoretical estimates. This is because one has not been built mate. If you want to be taken seriously, learn to watch and listen. Get a tape or digital recording of the latest episode to see what I'm talking about. Don't assume the ABC is "above" such things.

Not even theortical estimates Bugsy. He was asked about the efficiency of his system in liters per kW.hr, and a couple of examples were given by the questioner including desalination (3 L/kW.hr I think). He couldn't answer the question - stating something like desalination uses distillation (incorrect, modern plants uses reverse osmosis) and then suggested (surprise, surprise) that his system would be better than that. Another question was about how closely his units could be spaced, on roofs of tall building etc, given interference effects. Max's answer was to the effect that his would be no problem - nonsense of course since like any wind turbine they would need appropriate spacing to avoid the effects of flow pattern distortions and wind shadow effects.
Sad to see a medical expert who came up with a great invention with the retractable needle syringe now getting carried away and blowing his reputation on a piece of science fiction.

The following is the text of a submission to the ABC's "Science Show."

A recent edition of Australian Story featured Max Whisson and his "Water Windmill." ("Windmills of Your Mind," Australian Story, 21 May 2007).

The claims made for Dr. Whisson's water windmill are, to say the least, huge. If the claims are correct Max Whisson will one day rank alongside Edward Jenner, Jospeh Lister and Jonas Salk as one of humanity's great benefactors.

I cannot decide whether Max Whisson's water windmill is the story of the decade or a sad example of self-delusion. Either way the ABC owes us more than a half-hour segment devoted largely to telling us what a good chap Max Whisson is. The claims for the water windmill should be investigated by The Science Show because this is first and foremost a question about science.

If my manifest scepticism about the "water windmill" proves wrong I shall apologise unreservedly to Dr. Whisson. But at the moment I cannot help feeling it all looks a bit questionable