Windmill

The most instantly recognizable marvel of human machinery, the Windmill is the most basic way of generating continuous Mechanical Power. Windmills must be provided with a 13x13x1 area of free space and placed on an axle by interacting with it, Item in hand. Any blocks above the Windmill AT ALL (even those outside of the 13x13x1 area) will impede it from working, meaning it will not operate underground or in the Nether. Operation in the End or the Void is also impossible, as Windmills require air flow.

The faster the Windmill blows, the faster the axle will turn. Be careful! When raining or snowing, it will turn too fast for a simple Wooden Gearbox to tolerate the torque. Stop the gearbox before 30 seconds by using a redstone signal or it will turn into a Broken Wooden Gearbox. An easy way to stop your windmill when it rains/snows is by using a wind chime to detect the incoming storm.

People with refined tastes can dye all the blades by clicking at the center of the Windmill block with a dye in hand.

Research notes
"'Working windmills are an uncommon sight in the overworld. Many centuries have passed since the time when humans wielded mechanical power as a tool to shape nature. Nowadays, one will not find windmills in villages, as only a select few have the knowledge or intellect to come up with such machinery.'"