Abd ul-Rahman Lomax wrote:
And I'm suspecting that the mental problems began much earlier than obvious symptoms of Alzheimer's, it would explain the otherwise mysterious obstinacy.
Many young scientists at the peak of their careers agree wholeheartedly with Huizenga, so this is ruled out.
Cool. However, what "established theory" is violated? Basically, the established theory does not make detailed predictions in the condensed matter realm, it's mathematically far too complex . . .
Let's try to understand what Huizenga means here, and what the other hard-core opponents mean. I gave the example of someone flapping his arms and flying to the moon. That's not a joke, or hyperbole. That is how these people view the likelihood of cold fusion. They have told me on countless occasions that the claim violates so many laws of physics, on so many levels, it is absolutely, 100% certainly, impossible. They usually point to what Huizenga said about neutrons as proof.
Regarding the experiments they say what Feshbach told Mallove in 1991: "I have had 50 years of experience in nuclear physics and I know what's possible and what's not. . . . I don't want to see any more evidence! I think it's a bunch of junk and I don't want to have anything further to do with it."
Whether this argument is scientifically valid or not is not the issue. The point is: they are unalterably certain it is valid, just as I am certain that a person cannot fly by flapping his arms, and on top of that, that a person cannot cross outer space to the moon by this method. As I said, it is impossible on "many levels." It has never crossed their minds they might be wrong. They have never bothered to read papers or evaluate them, any more than I might be persuaded to look at papers claiming human flight by arm flapping.
Actually, I am very conservative myself, and I have great respect for expert knowledge, so I understand where these people are coming from. As Fleischmann says, we are painfully conventional people. There is only one tiny difference between them and me. Suppose I were to hear rumors that people are taking off from the face of the earth by flapping their arms, and that some of these people were last seen exiting the stratosphere, headed for the moon. Naturally I would dismiss the notion without a second thought. BUT, imagine I kept hearing these rumors, and I heard from credible witnesses. And photos and radar data was published in credible scientific journals showing this was actually happening. And then, finally, since I am a firm believer in the motto of the Royal Society "nullius in verba" (take no one's word for it), suppose I attended conferences and visited sites and actually observed it happening myself. Obviously, by that time I would be convinced that people can fly by flapping their arms, and somewhat convinced they can leave the atmosphere. (Since I could not not observe that first hand, it would be analogous to the Iwamura paper.)
The difference between Huizenga and me is not lack of skepticism, or rigor. It is not even the depth of scientific knowledge. Although he most assuredly knows far more about nuclear physics than I do, when it comes to arm flapping or calorimetry, I probably know as much of the scientific and engineering facts that mitigate against the claims as Huizenga does. The first, small difference is that I will at least consider any possibility, however outlandish, miraculous or impossible. I will take a look. Why not? But the important difference is, I will believe anything -- absolutely anything! -- no matter how impossible it may seem, so long as it is proved by experiment. That is assuming I can understand the experiment. I have no difficulty understanding arm flapping or excess heat beyond chemistry.
That is the one unshakable principal I hold, and it is the only important difference of opinion between Huizenga and me. Actually, the whole debate about cold fusion boils down to this one difference of opinion.
- Jed
