[AndyJackson]

The international physics community is on record that not only does this not work, it could never work. Moreover, it especially cannot work in the manner in which these guys claim.

The more interesting question is nothing about this flimflammery of cold-fusionism, but rather why people, and Americans in particular, are so eager to be taken in by charlattans. I really want to know. Is American self-esteem so low that we feel flattered to become the marks of these montebanks? Given the hopelessness of our policital and economic mess, I could understand that.

[marktwain]

The international physics community is on record that not only does this not work, it could never work. Moreover, it especially cannot work in the manner in which these guys claim. The more interesting question is nothing about this flimflammery of cold-fusionism, but rather why people, and Americans in particular, are so eager to be taken in by charlattans. I really want to know. Is American self-esteem so low that we feel flattered to become the marks of these montebanks? Given the hopelessness of our policital and economic mess, I could understand that.

My best guess is that the E-cat is a scam. However argueing that there is a "consensus" that something cannot work is rather risky.

It reminds me of Al Gore and the anthropogenic global warming scandal. Eminent scientists "proved" that heavier than air aircraft were impossible, that space flight was impossible, that nuclear reactions were not usable for any practical purpose.

Americans have had lots of experience where "experts" who say things are impossible are proved wrong.

[cripplecreek]

When the scam falls apart there will be conspiracy theories about governments and oil companies keeping this great wonder from the people.

[Liberty1970]

I saw your comment the other day that the E-cat violated 'every principle of physics' (or something to that effect). I've corresponded with several Ph.D. physicists who have also been fairly dismissive of it. But then on the flip side there are a number of physicists who do support it to at least some degree, such as Drs. Piantelli, Levi, Focardi, Stremmenos, Essen, Kullander and Josephson. Not to mention the rest of the LENR community.

I haven't heard that the E-cat violates the law of gravity, for example, so your comment struck me as over-the-top. Granted it doesn't fit with existing orthodox theories, but science would never advance if it became fossilized and results and theories challenging existing models were never allowed to be considered. So I have to be more open-minded than that.