The speculative practice of extracting usable work from the quantum vacuum's ground state energy. Unlike ZPE engineering, harnessing focuses on methods to tap into this energy, often portrayed as drawing limitless power from the seething foam of virtual particles. Proposed mechanisms often involve dynamic Casimir effects (moving mirrors in a vacuum to generate photons) or manipulating Van der Waals forces. In popular science and fiction, it's the hand-wavy power source for everything, despite physicists pointing out the vacuum state is the lowest possible energy; you can't milk the bottom of the well.
Example: "The UFO conspiracy guys swear the Tic-Tac crafts use zero point energy harnessing, with a quantum vacuum flux capacitor pulling free joules from empty space. Scientists sigh and explain you'd need to create a lower-energy vacuum below ground state first, which is like digging a hole in the bottom of the universe."
by Dumuabzu January 29, 2026
Get the Zero Point Energy Harnessing mug.Based off of Mohs Scale of Mineral Hardness, this scale is a measurement of how dark one's World Wide Web content can get without being mentally perturbed. It is typically described as a 1-to-10 scale with a single example from each level.
1. Google - What the fuck are you, Amish?
2. Youtube - Yawn.
3. Youporn - You've experienced a taste of the dark side of the Internet, but there's still a long ways to fall.
4. /b/ - The level where most Internet Veterans find themselves comfortable. Yeah, something funny here, something disgusting there, but you've seen it all before.
5. Goatse - You're a grizzled vet. As for the previous tiers, you might've been disgusted...when you were ten.
6. 2girls1cup - As the masses comment about how terrible this is, you simply scratch your head, and wonder what the big deal is.
7. Adultfanfiction.net - I'm starting to worry about you, man. I mean, you didn't flinch at all at the three paragraph description of how the once-transparent lube became chocolate as Adam and Chris simultaneously forced their penises down Jake's virgin asshole? You're either really brave, or really crazy.
8. Beastality - Just...stay away from me. Please.
9. Pain Olympics - Alternatively known as the John McCain tier, for not even years as a POW may prepare you for this level.
10. 3guys1hammer - Get a gun, rest the barrel in your oral cavity, and pull the trigger. You should survive the shot, for no mortal could survive this level.
1. Google - What the fuck are you, Amish?
2. Youtube - Yawn.
3. Youporn - You've experienced a taste of the dark side of the Internet, but there's still a long ways to fall.
4. /b/ - The level where most Internet Veterans find themselves comfortable. Yeah, something funny here, something disgusting there, but you've seen it all before.
5. Goatse - You're a grizzled vet. As for the previous tiers, you might've been disgusted...when you were ten.
6. 2girls1cup - As the masses comment about how terrible this is, you simply scratch your head, and wonder what the big deal is.
7. Adultfanfiction.net - I'm starting to worry about you, man. I mean, you didn't flinch at all at the three paragraph description of how the once-transparent lube became chocolate as Adam and Chris simultaneously forced their penises down Jake's virgin asshole? You're either really brave, or really crazy.
8. Beastality - Just...stay away from me. Please.
9. Pain Olympics - Alternatively known as the John McCain tier, for not even years as a POW may prepare you for this level.
10. 3guys1hammer - Get a gun, rest the barrel in your oral cavity, and pull the trigger. You should survive the shot, for no mortal could survive this level.
Individuals as described by the Mohs Scale of Internet Hardness:
Your Grandparents - 1
Your Dad - 2.5
Newfag - 4
Oldfag - 5
Auschwitz Survivor - 8
Infant Rapist - 9
The Antichrist - 10
Your Grandparents - 1
Your Dad - 2.5
Newfag - 4
Oldfag - 5
Auschwitz Survivor - 8
Infant Rapist - 9
The Antichrist - 10
by World Wide Web Guide January 6, 2013
Get the Mohs Scale of Internet Hardness mug.