[imatfaal]

Let's all hold off until he publishes in October.  I now really want it to be true - not for the amazing benefits it could bring mankind, but to watch geezer eat his words and not baloney!

[Geezer]

Matt,

Obviously, you misunderstand. My interest was entirely culinary.  []

[Geezer]

There is an expression in the US that might also be applicable. I don't remember a UK equivalent.

"If it looks like a duck, and it walks like a duck, it's probably a duck."

[imatfaal]

There is a variant that unfortunately might well apply to Ing Rossi - "if it looks like a duck and QUACKS like a duck..." and I worry that Rossi may well turn out to be a bit quackers

[yor_on]

I got to admit that I was surprised reading this too But those Swedish guys referred too are actual physicists, and they found him 'sane', sort of, even though not looking at as 'cold fusion', as I understood it.

Or maybe they did?
0uch

[JP]

I think a Carl Sagan quote is appropriate here, "Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence."  I find it odd that this has generated such hype and debate when in fact he hasn't given any evidence of how this works.  There is nothing scientific to be tested here either, because this isn't reproducible until he opens up his black box.

[yor_on]

I don't know JP, what do you think a cooperation would pay for it if it's correct? And to what limits would they take their efforts? If it is true the patent laws will be something to laugh at, as they already seems to be actually. It's a well known truth that without a immense amount of money you will have a he* of a time defending your patent in the USA from all money-grubbing lawyers and cooperations. We have some examples of that in Sweden, even going so far as sending over a 'hit man' here when the guys claims to his invention became to loud. And that was not 'cold fusion'

So if the claim is true?
I would be very careful myself, and make as much publicity I could concerning who actually have got it working. The longer he can prove it to work without anyone else able to copy it the better his claims in a court of law afterwards.

[Atomic-S]

One thing I wonder about this alleged catalyzed fusion is that although quantum mechanics tells us that there is a certain probability that a hydrogen nucleus and its electron could simultaneously wander into a nickel nucleus (which process would appear facilitated by their opposite charges) and trigger a neuclear reaction, an electron and a proton together does not equal a neutron. The reason why they do not equal a neutron is that both have spin 1/2. Therefore they can combine only in such manner as to form spin 0 or 1. A neutron, however, has a spin 1/2.  That is a theoretical obstacle to the process being possible. If it does happen, there should be the emission of an additional particle of spin 1/2, probably a neutrino. Unfortunately, neutrinos are difficult to detect. But before attempting to detect them, some calculations should be run to see what the probability of of such a conversion of an electron and proton into a neutron and neutrino actually is under these conditions. It is not the same as simply bombarding a target with neutrons.

[Airthumbs]

Do you honestly believe that a device producing free energy would be allowed onto the market?  This guy has probably been blackmailed, had his family threatened and is now under the scrutiny of friendly people like Murdoch who like to play fair and behave like gentlemen!!!!!!!!!!

The conversation might be something like this, "how much money do you need to completely debunk this scientist who is going to ruin the economy and therefore the world we created." 

I think that there are people out there who have discovered ways of vastly reducing our energy consumption and do genuinely want to change things but whilst we have people voted in as our leaders who have connections with Oil, Banks and other totalitarian capitalist mechanisms it's not going to change. 

It is a very sick world we live in!  To say most people have had the wool pulled over their eyes would be an understatement.  If I was in a position of power I would do all I can to change things, and expect that is what people would need me to try to do.  Ask yourself what are our leaders doing?  Sweet F.A! 

[Bored chemist]

"Ask yourself what are our leaders doing?  "
Starting legal proceedings against "friendly people like Murdoch"

You can't hide the truth forever.

[graham.d]

Do you honestly believe that a device producing free energy would be allowed onto the market?   

Oh no, not another conspiracy theory. This guy Rossi has form for deception, allegedly. He is also not a physicist i.e. someone who may just have a chance of actually doing something pertinent to advancing the concept of cold fusion. Now add to that a reluctance to release too much information to allow reproducibility of his process. It does not sound convincing to me. He is also not being silenced in any way as far as I can see, but welcoming promotion of a concept he will not fully disclose.

If anyone made cold fusion work it really would be utilised. A cat this size would not be put back in the bag; it would be quite impossible to hide such data and there would be a huge number of people would wish to see it used, whatever the consequences.

[Geezer]

Oh no, not another conspiracy theory.

It's obviously being suppressed by the US government, along with the thingy you can put on your car that makes it get 100 mpg and the everlasting lightbulb.

[qazibasit]

i only heard about this cold fusion thing, in a movie " The Saint" somewhere in late 90s or early 2000s. Never read or heard abt it since then. Never saw any news or report abt it on the net as well.

[kowalskil (OP)]

Some of you might be interested in an article (about a new invention) I have posted. The link is:

http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/11027663-rossis-invention-unlimited-safe-and-inexpensive-energy-or-wishful-thinking-reporting-from-fort-lee-new-jersey [nofollow]

It is an entry for a writing contest. Please post your comments at their website. Please evaluate this short article; it was written with general public in mind. Feel free to forward the above link to anyone who might be interested.

Thank you in advance,

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
[irrelevant link removed. NB. Please keep personal info limited to your profile only]

[CliffordK]

Cold Fusion and Rossi has has been discussed off and on before on this BBS.

http://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/index.php?topic=36771.0
http://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/index.php?topic=39244.0

The device appeared to generate power.  However, Rossi was presenting it as a "black box", refusing to allow people to see what was inside, or analyze the properties of the emissions.

The device apparently generated positrons, which had been predicted as a necessary component of the fusion. 

However, if I was making some such device, I would use a simple RTG like is used in space probes, and add a 68Ge/68Ga positron emitter for window dressing. 

Until Rossi reveals what is inside of the black box, or I see it incorporated in large-scale power projects, I will classify it as a fraud/scam.

[peppercorn]

Thanks for the links Clifford.

Since, as Clifford says, we have indeed been here before I have merged Kowalski's topic "A new technological claim" (OP should also note: this is neither a descriptive title or framed as a question as board guidelines stipulate) with this topic.