At 07:29 AM 5/29/2006 -0400, Walter Faxxon wrote:
"Cold fusion advocates should put up or shut up.
Below I referenced the James Randi Educational Foundation "One Million
Dollar Paranormal Challenge". Surely after 17 years of research there
should now be a way to produce an absolutely bulletproof demonstration of
cold fusion for these guys. Or some other experiment showing nuclear
effects at chemical energies, the hallmark of CF.
Never mind the technical complications. Every problem can be worked out
if you're willing to actually do the work, in consultation with Randi's
reps. If you are convinced you can demonstrate cold fusion you can then
take a loan on your house for equipment with the certain knowledge that
the prize money will cover it all, even after taxes. With a little left
over for a vacation to escape the press.
Cold fusion needs a hero. Instead of complaining that "Nature" won't
consider your paper, take THEIR hero Randi's million bucks!
I may hear some excuses on this list. But I'm betting I'll instead hear
nothing. -Walter"
First, Cold Fusion researchers have been putting up with vicious
unsubstantiated attacks for 17 years
from the likes of Randi, Park and the Editor of Nature. And even in that
light these
cold fusion researchers have developed highly improved systems, many of which
have been reported at the COLD FUSION TIMES web-site (1) and elsewhere.
Second, Randi is an apparent magician, from a profession that uses tricks
to fool people.
By contrast, cold fusion is a science, where experiments test hypotheses.
Scientists and engineers should never lower themselves to the level of a
magician
or trickster.
Third, the so-called challenge is for a test of the "paranormal", and as
stated above,
real scientists know that cold fusion is science and engineering, and not
"paranormal
by definition" as your recent missive states, Randi the magician declares.
This difference
of science vs. paranormal would be used by Randi as an excuse not to pay up.
Most importantly, Randi "the magician" uses his web-site to demean Dr.
Mallove, even
after his murder. Using quotes from the unhinged Bob Park (2), Randi's
website states (3),
"COLD FUSION: J... The Department of Energy (DOE) recently announced that
cold fusion research
will be reviewed, and believers imagined they'd been vindicated. Wilson says
Eugene Mallove of Infinite Energy Magazine assured him that the
experimental evidence
for cold fusion is too compelling for DOE to ignore. Mallove couldn't be
reached for comment."
Couldn't be reached for comment? This was written after the brutal
murder of Dr. Mallove two years ago,
which was widely publicized, and which both Randi and Park knew about when
this odious statement
that "Mallove couldn't be reached for comment" was written, three months after
Dr. Mallove murder (4). Therefore, both Randi and Park, by using such a low
level attack on a murdered
individual --whom they knew was murdered-- owe Dr. Mallove's family and
the entire
cold fusion community, apologies for each which should be forthcoming
before anyone of conscience
has anything to do with either of them.
===========================================================
1) COLD FUSION TIMES website http://world.std.com/~mica/cft.html
2) Tom Valone's 6-year, cold fusion, IRI and COFE-centered, arbitration battle
with the USPTO and others who have worked to destroy the development of
cold fusion
in the United States led to a decision [obtainable at the COLD FUSION TIMES
web-site].
From the Decision: "What there is evidence of is "harassment, or bad faith,
malice or provocation on the part of others involved in the matter,"
and it came in bundles. The activities and motives of Park and Zimmerman
have been extensively recounted and explained, and with regard to the
cancellation of grievant's State Department, Secretary's Open Forum
presentation, deplorable. The malice shown by Park in his solely economic
driven campaign to block any of the nontraditional scientists from receiving
recognition by any government agency as having an idea worthy of a slice of
government R&D funding may be a point of pride within the APS. But to an
outsider who champions free and open exploration of any scientific thought,
no matter how far out on the fringe, his conduct is outrageous. The worth of
a new idea is to be determined in the democratic and open arena of
competing thoughts, and not blocked from the arena by the greedy
economic self-interest of those already in the limelight."
"Seemingly lost on those with control over slicing the government pie
who are persuaded by the relentless drumbeat of the Parks and Zimmermans,
is that those questing for "free energy," whether through cold fusion or
by way of some other "emerging technology," may be similar to the
alchemists of centuries back who never turned base metals into gold,
but were the forerunners of modern chemistry, got the Periodic Table
of Elements off to a start, and among all things, discovered how to
duplicate Asian porcelain which at the time was worth more than
its weight in gold..
So too, those in pursuit of "free energy" could well spinoff useful advances
in knowledge while failing to achieve their "holy grail." .... "
3) http://www.randi.org/jr/081304permit.html
4) http://bobpark.physics.umd.edu/WN04/wn080604.html
