Blacklight Power Company

[Dave Hamilton <djhamil@teleport.com>]

An ex-student sent me the following:

> I was reading the paper this morning and I came
> > across a really interesting article in (of all places) the business
> > section.  Section E in the Oregonian, under the headline "PacifiCorp's
> > hydrogen gamble."  I read it and was intrigued, so I went online and found
> > the homepage of BlackLight Power Inc.  (www.blacklightpower.com)  I don't
> > entirely understand the theories they assert and the results they claim,
> > but they seem plausible.  Have you heard of this?  What do you think about
> > it?

I checked out the web page and found a description of a grand unification 
theory that's been around since 1991 and that predicts energy states for 
atoms below the "ground state."  Much of the web site is devoted to 
information about how hydrogen can be catalyzed into "hydride" which is 
hydrogen in a stable energy state lower than n=1.  Needless to say 
<ironic grin>, this will solve our energy needs permanently with 
non-polluting and inexhaustable fuel.  

I told my ex-student that I'm extremely skeptical but, to be honest, I 
couldn't follow the mathematical arguments (it's been over twenty years 
since I dealt with wave functions and even then . . .).  I'm hoping to 
hear some reactions from others who are more familiar with this field.

David J. Hamilton, Ed.D.                    "And gladly wolde he lerne,
Franklin HS, Portland, OR                    and gladly teche."
djhamil@teleport.com                          Geoffrey Chaucer