Only a few of you might care or know much about cold fusion work. I have followed it rather continuously since the Pons-Fleishman intro in 1989.
It is spotted in places, but still is rather seriously researched, as it should be, I feel.
One of the greats in this effort was Prof. Dr. O. M. Bockris, distinguished professor of electrochemistry at Texas A & M university.
For a good read and a stunning acedemic soap opera read his paper published in 2000 in Accountability in Research, found on line at.
http://www.lenr-canr.org
go to the "library" this is a huge selection of downloadables on CF LENR and CANR research over the last 12 years.
Search under the author Bockris
go to his downloadable paper "Accountability and Academic Freedom - the battle concerning Research on Cold Fusion".
Print it out and see what it is really like out there in acedemia if you don't tow the party line.
Richard Hull
A sad tale about a major researcher
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Richard Hull
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A sad tale about a major researcher
Progress may have been a good thing once, but it just went on too long. - Yogi Berra
Fusion is the energy of the future....and it always will be
The more complex the idea put forward by the poor amateur, the more likely it will never see embodiment
Fusion is the energy of the future....and it always will be
The more complex the idea put forward by the poor amateur, the more likely it will never see embodiment
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hellblazer
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Re: A sad tale about a major researcher
While I agree with your conclusions, look throughout history. Lot's of great discoveries were made by rank amatuers. Einstein did his best work as a patent clerk - hardly an academic funded effort.
The choice is to fight the system, or just ignore it. With the advent of the internet, everyone now has not only university class research tools, but connections with other researchers undreamed of only a decade ago.
Conservative forces always exist - it's part of physical reality, after all. Research always pushes those forces in ways they don't like. They fight back as they are designed to do.
Rather than complain and moan, just do it. It may be easier in academia, but once you're there the constraints spring into place.
They're vicious, rapacious and powerful. But they don't control your actions.
Do good work and it will produce the inevitable. After all, the truth points to itself.
The choice is to fight the system, or just ignore it. With the advent of the internet, everyone now has not only university class research tools, but connections with other researchers undreamed of only a decade ago.
Conservative forces always exist - it's part of physical reality, after all. Research always pushes those forces in ways they don't like. They fight back as they are designed to do.
Rather than complain and moan, just do it. It may be easier in academia, but once you're there the constraints spring into place.
They're vicious, rapacious and powerful. But they don't control your actions.
Do good work and it will produce the inevitable. After all, the truth points to itself.
Re: A sad tale about a major researcher
I have met Prof. Bockris.. many yrs ago at the height of the Cold Fusion "enthusiasm". The power company I worked for put some money into a local university program to explore what was happening. During one of the project reviews, I was invited to sit in the meeting.. and Dr. Bockris and others attended.
The basic issue here is NOT a "we vs them" thing at all. Cold Fusion, despite all that the supporters say about it, cannot be reliably relplicated in just any body's lab. This is what takes it out of the realm of science and into the realm of "beliefs", and conspiracy theories. Until and unless it is able to be replicated and demonstrated, consistently and according to correct physical measurement methods, it will never be accepted as a physical process.
Once it IS demonstrated, then all discussion of its existence will cease and people will focus on meaurement techniques, error and etc.
If that does NOT happen,..... and it has not to date,......... then cold fusion will be relegated to a back seat as some sort of unexplained and unrepeatable phenomena, whose signidficance and potential will be debated ad infinitum.
For us in the IEC realm of fusion, we should be always asking questions like.... " How could I be doing this wrong? or Could my results come from any other source phenomena? "
Every researcher worth his salt does this daily. And only when all other efforts to explain away our results have failed... are we entitled to claim, Fusion!
Pons and Fleischmann.. may have found something. To disprove their criticis.. all they had to do.. was recreate the results for the skeptics. In this, it seems they failed.
Einstein's explanation of the photoelectric effect addressed a known physical phenomenon and earned him credibility.
His concepts on relativity, gravity and space time were not an instant success. They may not in fact be entirely correct. .But when they enabled researchers to make predictions that were subsequently validated with observations, and provided explanations for a variety of known mysteries...they were increasingly acceptable in the halls of conventional physics.
But they are still being weighed, argued and refined many years later.
The ways of true science...are valid and satisfying to the rational mind. Beware of the "oppositions of science, falsely so-called"... to quote a biblcal phrase.
Dave Cooper
The basic issue here is NOT a "we vs them" thing at all. Cold Fusion, despite all that the supporters say about it, cannot be reliably relplicated in just any body's lab. This is what takes it out of the realm of science and into the realm of "beliefs", and conspiracy theories. Until and unless it is able to be replicated and demonstrated, consistently and according to correct physical measurement methods, it will never be accepted as a physical process.
Once it IS demonstrated, then all discussion of its existence will cease and people will focus on meaurement techniques, error and etc.
If that does NOT happen,..... and it has not to date,......... then cold fusion will be relegated to a back seat as some sort of unexplained and unrepeatable phenomena, whose signidficance and potential will be debated ad infinitum.
For us in the IEC realm of fusion, we should be always asking questions like.... " How could I be doing this wrong? or Could my results come from any other source phenomena? "
Every researcher worth his salt does this daily. And only when all other efforts to explain away our results have failed... are we entitled to claim, Fusion!
Pons and Fleischmann.. may have found something. To disprove their criticis.. all they had to do.. was recreate the results for the skeptics. In this, it seems they failed.
Einstein's explanation of the photoelectric effect addressed a known physical phenomenon and earned him credibility.
His concepts on relativity, gravity and space time were not an instant success. They may not in fact be entirely correct. .But when they enabled researchers to make predictions that were subsequently validated with observations, and provided explanations for a variety of known mysteries...they were increasingly acceptable in the halls of conventional physics.
But they are still being weighed, argued and refined many years later.
The ways of true science...are valid and satisfying to the rational mind. Beware of the "oppositions of science, falsely so-called"... to quote a biblcal phrase.
Dave Cooper
Re: A sad tale about a major researcher
The papers by Prof. Bockris is indeed fascinating. A clear warning of the dangers and pitfalls in science.
Dave Cooper
Dave Cooper
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hellblazer
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Re: A sad tale about a major researcher
Sorry if my reply came out as a "us vs. them". Like all human activities, academia is primarily political and can be harsh sometimes. The beauty of science, unlike politics and religion, is that it is measurable. So in the end, you can spend your time trying to convert the unbelievers, or you can do experiments and progress the science - even if you only mark the dead ends.
The phrase "always believe your observations, not your theories - especially if the two are in conflict" is the key.
The phrase "always believe your observations, not your theories - especially if the two are in conflict" is the key.
Re: A sad tale about a major researcher
Great - thanks Richard.
ALL SHOULD NOTE;- the Beta ver. CD [ of all the site ] is only $20 -- will be $100 from Jan 2003
( on the site - go to the bottom of the page for details )
ALL SHOULD NOTE;- the Beta ver. CD [ of all the site ] is only $20 -- will be $100 from Jan 2003
( on the site - go to the bottom of the page for details )