[QuantumClue (OP)]

http://www.stardrive.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3163:italian-scientists-claim-to-have-demonstrated-cold-fusion-w-video&catid=43:science&Itemid=82

Scientists now demonstrate cold fusion. Let's see how the acadamia view the work.

[JP]

They'll try to skeptically verify it.  Cold fusion kind of imploded as a field because none of the results have been independently verifiable...

[CliffordK]

Thank God I studied a little Italian in college.   []

And they were speaking very very slowly in the film.  I've never heard Italians speak slowly   [xx(]

http://www.journal-of-nuclear-physics.com/?p=360

It isn't going to be "released" in the near future.  At some point in the film, they said

We are at the "Ford T"
We need to arrive at the "Formula 1".

One gets sceptical about a "Black Box" discovery.  And, apparently the patent office picked up on that and so far has not accepted the patent application.  Obviously there would be problems if someone, say patents something that they never actually created.  Then, if someone later actually found "cold fusion", then there would be a lot of hot water going around.

In the second film, one of the physicists complained that he had brought a counter that would not only measure the gamma counts, but actually measure the electron volt spectrum of the so called positron --> gamma emissions.  However, he was not allowed to measure the gamma emission spectra as it might have told some "secrets" of how the device works.  Does that smell like a rat?

In the third film, one of the questions was the actual copper/nickel isotope inputs/outputs, and the inventors couldn't specify those. 

Anyway...  if I was building such a device, I'd hunt down some "black-market" ⁶⁸Ge/⁶⁸Ga positron emitter, or something similar, and use proven technology to make a RTG Radioisotope thermoelectric generator.  A good removable lead shield should allow "hiding" it for a period of time.

One would have to just make sure nobody had the tools to pick up the scam (as they apparently prohibited spectrographic analytic tools next to the "RTG").
http://www.journal-of-nuclear-physics.com/?p=360

The reactors need to be refueled every 6 months, which the scientists say is done by their dealers.

There is an e-mail address at the bottom of the paper that brings one to this website:  http://leonardocorp1996.com/  which apparently produces vegetable oil generators.  It says nothing about nuclear devices.


There is a long 60 minutes show about Palladium/Deuterium "Cold Fusion". 

One of the problems with all these devices is that they are always "plugged in".
I'd expect to find a system that would generate its own electricity, and be able to sustain it.  If it requires H₂ Gas, then do its own electrolysis. 

One should be able to turn it on.  Turn on a lightbulb, and come back in a week and watch it still chugging away.

Everything I see is either a "Black Box", or a few test tubes with very expensive electrodes hanging inside of them.

[Bored chemist]

"Thank God I studied a little Italian in college.  "
What was her name?
I think your comments sum up the observations nicely.

[Geezer]

Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.

[imatfaal]

Most European countries have very generous electricity buy-back schemes - and surely they could have it plugged at home in occasionally.  Perhaps they could start the process of convincing the outside world with the account from the italian energy company confirming that a little house in bolagna is being credited with multiple megawatt hours of electricity returned to the grid.   

[Lucky Luke]

Dennis Bushnell, Chief Scientist at NASA, cites Low Energy Nuclear Reactions as the Number 1 alternative technology priority:

newbielink:http://scienceresearchprojects.com/2011/06/dennis-bushnell-chief-scientist-of-nasa-confirms-rossis-lenr-device-is-the-1-energy-development/ [nonactive]

He seems fairly authoritative, so perhaps there is something to this LENR idea. 

[imatfaal]

Hi Luke there is another slightly more recent thread here.

I think the general feeling is that he needs to put up or shut up.  And what he needs to put up are a working prototype, a detailed schematic and methodology, and an academic paper detailing idea.  This is all scheduled for October.

[range41]

My understanding is that "cold" fusion (relatively speaking) is already a reality.  Muon catalyzed fusion is fairly common.  The more specific question is will there ever be cold fusion with a net energy gain?

[yor_on]

Normally I would doubt any such exclamation but as two Swedish nuclear scientists of good renown then would be duped?

I will wait and see.
==

Although they both seem to wonder about the 'cold fusion part', as the impression I got from reading them in Swedish, they still seem to think that there is something to it, and that Rossi is telling it as he knows it.
==

As for giving away his schematics?
he want to make it into a business, and?

Well, if it's true, I can see why he act as he does.

[imatfaal]

Trouble is Yoron: is that the actions of an honest man desperate to protect his invention/discovery and the pretense of a scoundrel looking to dupe investors is very difficult to tell apart.    As Sagan said "Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence" - and as yet no evidence has been made public.  I await his publication and working prototype with hope - but with a fair dose of skepticism as well

[Geezer]

We'll see soon enough, but I still think he's a Man of La Mancha Bologna.

[yor_on]

It could also be a honest man presenting something he defines as 'cold fusion' but we, in time, will define as some other process. That will allow both the Swedish scientists and Rossi to be 'honest' in their evaluation. But we will see in time if it works or not, until then we can only guess.

[Geezer]

He could well be entirely honest. He probably really believes in it, or at least he did at one point.