Harry Veeder wrote:
Also P&F were hoping to see something that could be called cold
fusion before they built a cell.
Yes, they were. Fleischmann have been thinking about it on and off
for decades. I do not think he was expecting to see quite what he found.
It is likely Galileo was hoping to see satellites orbiting a planet
before he had a telescope.
My understanding is that he was as surprised as anyone to find them.
He heard about telescopes, saw a sketchy description of one, and then
he made one. He rapidly improved it while he developed a solid
understanding of optics. It must have been the best telescope in the
world when he decided to begin astronomical observations, but the
mounting and other peripherals were amateur and rushed together. Some
cold fusion experiments have the same combination of elegant design
and sloppy execution. Others are just plain sloppy.
- Jed
