Jed sez: ...
> I hope that Mill's latest news is correct and that the > power company soon installs a large-scale generator > based on his technology. Apart from the fact that it > appears to be a wonderful breakthrough, I hope the > news becomes widespread and people believe it, and > this triggers investments in cold fusion and the > hydrogen effect that Mizuno rediscovered. > > I suppose it could have the opposite effect: if the > Mills gadget works spectacularly, perhaps it will dry > up investments because people will no longer be > looking for something even more effective. People > might think: "Why develop the Mizuno effect when you > already have virtually free energy from the Mills > effect?" > > I doubt this will happen. The main reason is that > investors will want to compete with Mills. Once they > realize that things like cold fusion and the Mills > effect are real, people will want other technology > similar to Mills which is not covered by his patent, > so they can make money without giving him a share. > When semiconductors were developed, they turned > people's attention to the possibility -- and potential > profit -- of making computer memory much smaller and > more efficient than vacuum tube and ferrite core > memory. Many new memory types were developed from 1958 > until the early 70s. After that semiconductor memory > became so cheap the alternatives faded away. If the > Mills gadget is developed, I expect it will prompt > frantic efforts to develop other, similar, technology. I couldn't agree more. Assuming Mills & Co. got the BLP "process" down right it remains to be seen how iron clad the company's patents turn out to be in protecting their investment. Will BLPs patents protect them against what surely will turn out to be a new crop of upstart inventors trying to circumvent BLP's royalties? If history is any judge, the odds are probably stacked against them. Once entrepreneurs become convinced that the BLP process is a legitimate process I think it would be inevitable that interest and investment will suddenly grow by several orders of magnitude - practically overnight. I'm reminded of something Jed has brought up in the recent past. To paraphrase: BLP & Co. is basically an isolated R&D company guarding their cache of proprietary information. While BLP's accomplishments may turn out to be a watershed of historical significance in regards to the survival of our civilization, I fear there is no way the company will be able to continue innovating competitively when confronted with thousands of independent innovators equally applying themselves to solving the same problem. It's inevitable SOMEONE will figure out better, meaner, leaner procedures that circumvent BLP's patents. But of course, the competition will proceed to file their own patents, thus fueling even more innovation as new entrepreneurs try to circumnavigate around the newer patents. ... > I hope that Mills succeeds and puts the fear of God > into many cold fusion researchers, making them > accelerate their efforts. You gotta love these people > but . . . Oh my, how slow they are! > - Jed Wouldn't it be more likely to induce the "fear of God" within the hot fusion society? Regards Steven Vincent Johnson www.OrionWorks.com www.zazzle.com/orionworks
