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Re: [Phys-l] Prof. Hal Lewis resigns from APS

You seem to take it as an insult that I would say that "the serious investigators have not found an effect that rises out of the noise" and then you go on to say how the results are not reproducable "100% of the time". I would characterize that as not rising out of the noise.

There are good parallels between the so called "global warming scandal" and the initial cold fusion debacle. In both cases the people who had been accused of "cooking" data were "exonerated" by the universities that derived income from their endeavors. That's why I find it amusing when people sanctimoniously say that one side of an issue has been bought off by big ___________, but project the image that the other side has been doing "pure" untainted research guided only by a desire to serve mankind.

Bob at PC


________________________________________
From: phys-l-bounces@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu [phys-l-bounces@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu] On Behalf Of M. Horton [scitch@verizon.net]
Sent: Tuesday, October 12, 2010 1:01 AM
To: Forum for Physics Educators
Subject: Re: [Phys-l] Prof. Hal Lewis resigns from APS

"the serious investigators have not found an effect that rises out of the
noise."

That is incorrect. Google Pamela Mosier-Boss, for example. She's one very
serious investigator (Space and Naval Warfare Center, San Diego) who has
found an effect that rises out of the noise. Then read one of her papers
and go to the references section that lists dozens of others who have found
similar effects with different protocols. Add to the list of serious
investigators NASA and the Department of Energy too. Pamela has had
numerous papers published in mainstream peer-reviewed journals (i.e. Journal
of Electroanalytical Chemistry. You can also try Melvin Miles. He's been a
scientist at Brookhaven National lab and the Naval Weapons Center at China
Lake.

It is true that presently nobody can explain exactly how it happens and it
does not work 100% of the time. But the statement above is not correct and
is insulting to many electrochemists who are "serious investigators." The
Department of Energy concluded that while there was an effect, it was too
small to be useful as an energy source yet.

You'd be hard-pressed to find an electrochemist who has spent more than 5
years researching the subject who has NOT observed an effect.

My son replicated Dr. Oriani's protocol last year for the science fair and
got negative results. This year he'll be replicating Dr. Boss's
co-deposition protocol and we'll see how it goes. We visited her lab last
year and got to meet another "serious investigator" while we were there, Dr.
Stan Szpak too.

Just search for "Low Energy Nuclear Reactions," "Chemically Assisted Nuclear
Reactions," or "Condensed Matter Nuclear Reactions" to get a list of
research in this area.

Mike


----- Original Message -----
From: "LaMontagne, Bob" <RLAMONT@providence.edu>
To: "Forum for Physics Educators" <phys-l@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu>
Sent: Monday, October 11, 2010 5:12 PM
Subject: Re: [Phys-l] Prof. Hal Lewis resigns from APS


Actually, one of the often used criteria for pseudoscience is "refusal to
revise in light of valid criticism". I would refer people to Radner and
Radner: Science and Pseudoscience.

As for cold fusion, there are cranks and there are people seriously trying
to see if an effect exists. It has its share of scientists and
pseudoscientists. Personally, I would not put up money to invest in it -
the serious investigators have not found an effect that rises out of the
noise. Creationism, on the other hand, meets so many criteria one can
confidently call it pseudoscience.

Bob at PC

________________________________________
From: phys-l-bounces@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu
[phys-l-bounces@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu] On Behalf Of John Clement
[clement@hal-pc.org]
Sent: Monday, October 11, 2010 6:17 PM
To: 'Forum for Physics Educators'
Subject: Re: [Phys-l] Prof. Hal Lewis resigns from APS


In some ways the snarky definition is correct! Try to reason with someone
who believes in young Earth Creationism! Using the term pseudoscience is
not helpful there because nothing will convince them. So while I would
tend
to use pseudoscience according to the more limited definition, the actual
definition as used by the majority may be quite different. Is cold fusion
pseudoscience?

John M. Clement
Houston, TX
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