I quote from his article:

"It seems that the failure to apply the thermodynamic limitations to radiation physics has shown up in many experiments involving radiation pressure. Thus Crookes' radiometer has invariably rotated in the opposite sense to the expected one. The black side of the paddles invariably recedes from the light, and many explanations have been offered, but not including that which would seem the most obvious: the absence of radiation pressure on the bright side. Similarly all attempts to observe a steady deflection of a pendulum exposed to a light beam have always only shown a brief effect following the sudden beginning of the illumination. Experimental evidence has been ignored and "explained away" each time as some unexpected artifact, because of the widespread belief that the conventional momentum conservation law must be correct. But this law was recognized by Newton only for material bodies, and he had no information about radiation effects. But the momentum conservation law can be shown not to apply to the interaction of radiation with any material objects."

Ok, the reason for the direction of spin of the radiometer is well known, and is due to an incomplete vacuum in the bulb... it is NOT any surprise!!! see:

http://science.howstuffworks.com/framed.htm?parent=question239.htm&url=http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/physics/General/LightMill/light-mill.html

for a good discussion... Lasers have been used to levitate glass beads indefinitely-