On Sat, Dec 17, 2011 at 2:45 PM, Jed Rothwell <[email protected]> wrote:
> I am sorry to report that the authorities have finally closed down cold > fusion research at SAPWAR. After Frank Gordon left, the project was on life > support. Recent reports on Fox News and elsewhere mentioned it, bringing > about the inevitable coup de grace. > > Like most cold fusion projects, this was a shoestring or "bootlegged" > operation. It was done by retired researchers such as Szpak, and others > working nights and weekends. The equipment was scavenged or bought by > private individuals. But, as we all know, people opposed to cold fusion > will not tolerate any project, even if it costs essentially nothing. > Academic freedom means nothing to them. It never occurs to them they might > be wrong, because -- Like Park and Yugo -- they have read nothing and they > know nothing. They make no distinction between cold fusion and a perpetual > motion machines or water memory. Any research they disagree with *must > not be allowed*, period. > Nonsense. I have told you many times by private email and in public postings that I favor funding for cold fusion/LENR research. I'd like to see much more of it but I'd like to see it done better, with more use of gradient layer "boundary" calorimeters such as those that were made by Thermonetics. Of course I make a distinction between perpetual motion and water memory and cold fusion. The problem is that some cold fusion advocates degrade their credibility by pushing other nonsense like homeopathy and using water for fuel or magnetic motors that require no energy input. They support fools and crooks like Bedini, Dennis Lee, Thane and many others. > Whenever cold fusion appears in the mass media I shudder, because I know > it will trigger a backlash. Cold fusion researchers keep a low profile for > a good reason. They know perfectly well that when some nitwit such as > Krivit reveals there may be a source of funding, or a project being > organized, that will trigger opposition. Robert Park will pull strings. > Others will organize letter-writing campaigns. Mary Yugo will publish > unfounded accusations of fraud and guilt by association. > There is nothing unfounded about the disaster and high costs to Italy that came from Rossi's Petroldragon fiasco. There is no question that Rossi lied to and cheated the DOD when he proposed and could not demonstrate the construction of efficient thermoelectric devices. There is no question and even you agree that Rossi has resisted every opportunity for independent testing, even at no risk to his secrecy. He has also resisted all suggestions to improve his existing demos to where they could become less controversial-- again without risk or high cost or long delays. I have not accused Rossi of fraud. I have said and shown that his operation is very similar to those of Steorn, Sniffex, Carl Tilley and Dennis Lee (and others). And yes, those are frauds and scams. > The people in charge of the Navy and the DoE know nothing about cold > fusion, and they do not care about it. > The interesting thing about cold fusion is that you can test a robust example of it without in any way understanding the mechanism. And almost everyone cares about a cheap and inexhaustible source of power. That's why all the scams out there like the ones I already mentioned and those that are like Bedini's have long lives. It's why Sterling Allan and Craig Brown and Paul Story can continue to run web sites that feature such nonsense as cars that run on water, overunity magnetic motors that require no energy, and even ideas everyone finds ridiculous such as that Obama went to Mars or that Iran captures US drones with flying saucers. Plenty of people in charge believe such things and much money is wasted on scams. The successor to the Sniffex one caused expenditure of almost $100 million dollars in Iraq, Thailand and even Afghanistan before it was (partly) shut down after costing perhaps hundreds of lives as well. Military leaders in several countries promoted the purchase of the ineffective, improperly tested and unproven explosive detector dowsing rod devices for as much as $80,000 per copy! You can convince some people of almost anything. Dowsing rod explosive detector scams still go on! Fortunately, Rossi and Defkalion are privately funded and immune to > interference. Rossi is well aware of how academic politics work in the U.S. > That is one of the reasons he has not made much of an effort to work with > universities and national labs. Even if they get positive results, it will > be reported as a failure and fraud. > No it won't-- it can't. Look at NyTeknik's thorough if somewhat misguided reporting. Look at the articles about Rossi from Forbes and other main line news sources. Only AP held back and that's because Rossi invited them to a silly dog and pony show in which they were not allowed to see and verify and of the data being taken. Rossi has not made ANY effort to work with anyone who can be interviewed -- especially not with two universities who offered to test his device properly -- U of Bologna and U of Upsala. If Rossi had performed proper tests, I'd be in his corner along with millions of other people. Now, not even Celani and Josephson talk up Rossi any more. > That is what happened to the National Cold Fusion Institute, and the > Japanese NEDO project. When Miles demonstrated heat at the NEDO over a few > weeks, the scientifically trained bureaucrats in charge, who were in the > same building, *refused to get up, walk down the hall, and look*. Talk > about willful ignorance! Mary Yugo has nothing on them. > Will you stop with that silliness? I know plenty enough to determine and appreciate if someone proves robust cold fusion/LENR performance for a device. That (calorimetry) is one my areas of expertise whether you agree about it or not. I admitted many times I know nothing about nuclear physics and cold fusion theory and have no interest or purpose in learning it. What about that is it so difficult for you to grasp? Suggesting like Aussie Guy did, that I read a thousand papers, isn't going to help. But one properly done independent demonstration would. Just like the morons and crooks who make free energy claims and then blame the skeptics when someone doubts them, your problem isn't the skeptics. It's the believers who can't or won't prove their case by doing the correct open and public testing.
