Replies

My Friend,

Pons and Fleischman thought it did. I read their original preprints and papers when they came out. So sad. I (a physical chemist) consulted a physicist and it became clear that they had no idea what they were doing with their detector. This is not news, as anyone at the time who was interested did the same thing and came to the same conclusion. The signal they had could not possibly be the neutrons they expected. Also they were alive which, is another piece of evidence for no neutrons. And, their calorimetry, sadly and critically, was no good.

What is so sad, is Marvin Fleischman in the 70's discovered the surface enhanced Raman effect. This is used in spectroscopy, is real, and useful work is published to this day using it. He was a good guy who did reputable work.

In my opinion, Pons and Fleischman were good chemists who got greedy, while investigating outside of their field of competency. They should have hooked themselves up with an experimental nuclear physicist to prevent all this unpleasantness. If they had done so, they would have tested a properly and fairly posed hypothesis and sent it packing.

As for their calorimetry, they had no excuse.

As a cautionary tale, this is a wonderful story. You have big egos, greed, self-deception, and treading outside one's competency. It has become a con man's game, and if you are a con man, you can make money on it.

As for what happens in the electrolytic cell, it may be interesting, it may not be properly understood, but for certain nuclear fusion is not happening.

I don't want to sound rude, but as for why there have to be neutrons, no one can teach you the physics on this board. You can find plenty of reading material on the subject in university libraries or if you are young enough, goto a graduate school. And if you can't be an expert, consult one. That's what they are for.

-cw.

"I don't want to sound rude,
but as for why there have to be neutrons,
no one can teach you the physics on this board.
You can find plenty of reading material on the
subject in university libraries or if you are
young enough, goto a graduate school.
And if you can't be an expert, consult one.
That's what they are for."

Dear friend,
You are rude both for being impetuously wrong
AND for ignoring the question to which NONE of the pompous negativists
(State Dept? Hot Fusion? Democrat? Oil company?) absolutely have no scientific answer.
Reminds us all of the following.

"Professor Goddard ... does not know the relation of action to reaction ... he only
seems to lack the knowledge ladled out daily in our high schools"
[New York Times, January 13, 1920]

"Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible."
[Lord Kelvin, president, Royal Society, 1895]

"Airplanes are interesting toys but of no military value."
[Marechal Ferdinand Foch, Professor of Strategy, Ecole Superieure de Guerre]