My daily blog search turned up this gem:
http://www.redstate.com/blogs/cni_redrum/2007/aug/23/modern_science_needs_its_version_of_sarbanes_oxley
"In the case of the infamous [Utah University cold fusion
experiments], peer-review worked well. Dr. B. Stanley Pons and Dr.
Martin Fleischmann made the claim that they had achieved nuclear
fusion, in a jar of water, standing at room temperature. The American
and European physics community attempted to replicate this in every
way imaginable. Upon failing, they challenged the assertion, and
debunked the claim. This yeoman's work saved the United States
taxpayers $25 Mil that would otherwise have been appropriated by
Congress to continue their research."
The sentence in brackets is hyperlinked to a copy of the 1989 New
York Times report, which I do not think calls for a subscription:
http://partners.nytimes.com/library/national/science/050399sci-cold-fusion.html
It is amazing how many people pontificate about cold fusion without
bothering to do a Google search or glancing at Wikipedia. This is
what we are up against. The world is chock-full of people who are
absolutely certain of their own opinions, and never bother to check.
Most of them turn out to be impervious to new information. When I
write to them suggesting they have a look at the peer-reviewed
literature, they seldom respond, or they send me letters filled with
opprobrium, with the usual assertions that I am a fraud, a criminal
and a lunatic. I have experienced this so often it does not bother me
personally, but it is depressing that such people are so common. You
wonder how the human race will survive.
- Jed
