Stephen A. Lawrence wrote:
Didn't the Patterson cell suffer from "Dr. Jekyll syndrome"? That is, they had one (1) batch of beads which worked, and they didn't realize until they'd used them up that there was something funny about that batch -- no other batch of beads ever behaved the same way, and nobody could figure out why.
Some people told me that, include Gene Mallove as I recall. Others disagree. I asked Patterson directly, and he told me he can make as many beads as he wants, and this is not a problem. I asked him why he is not doing demos, but I do not recall his answer. It was something vague. I got the impression he simply lost heart after his grandson Reding died.
I do not know what to make of it.
Assume for a moment the story is true. It indicates gross negligence and incredible stupidity. Imagine using up an entire batch without trying to make more along the way! How could they not "realize until they'd used them up"? What were they thinking? When they had a few hundred milliliters left they should have declared an emergency and pulled out the stops to do everything they could to reproduce the remaining ones, and they should have stopped testing them with a device that flowed oxygen pass the beads gradually destroying them.
- Jed
