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Superbomb ignites science dispute (Got Hafnium?)
SFGate.com ^
| 9/27/03
| Keay Davidson - SF Chronicle
Posted on 09/27/2003 10:05:09 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
Edited on 04/13/2004 2:44:05 AM PDT by Jim Robinson.
[history]
The Pentagon's pursuit of a new kind of nonnuclear super-weapon has sparked a behind-the-scenes revolt among its elite scientific advisers, some of whom reject the scheme as pseudoscience.
The military's goal is to develop a bomb that might be far more powerful than existing conventional weapons of the same size. Precisely targeted, such a weapon could take out targets -- such as underground caverns that conceal weapons of mass destruction -- without posing the severe political risks of using nuclear bombs.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
TOPICS: Extended News; Foreign Affairs; Government; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: armsrace; bomb; darpa; dispute; gammarayweapons; hafnium; hipp; isomer; miltech; nuclear; realscience; science; superbomb; superweapons; usdoe; ut; utah
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To: ahadams2
The Becker team has used instruments that are "a hundred thousand times more sensitive" than Collins' dental X-ray machine, and "in spite of our best efforts, we cannot reproduce those results." This is a scientist? dental x-ray machines look at nothing, it is the film that looks, the x-ray machine is the energy source. If they are quoting some guy that knows less about it than the man on the street credibility is a bit of a problem. This is a guy that looks in the wrong end of a telescope and cites it as proof the moon does not exist.
21
posted on
09/27/2003 10:57:33 PM PDT
by
American in Israel
(A wise man's heart directs him to the right, but the foolish mans heart directs him toward the left.)
To: TLI
For one that got away, there are still people there. Wonder what that site is for hmmmm?
22
posted on
09/27/2003 10:58:42 PM PDT
by
American in Israel
(A wise man's heart directs him to the right, but the foolish mans heart directs him toward the left.)
To: swilhelm73
Indeed, if the breakdown is a resonant effect, the spectrum of what you hit is with is critical. Real science would know this, that is why this article is very strange.
George hit the nail with a hammer, and fred drove over the nail with a car. Then fred said george was wrong about nails being good for fastening wood.
23
posted on
09/27/2003 11:01:16 PM PDT
by
American in Israel
(A wise man's heart directs him to the right, but the foolish mans heart directs him toward the left.)
To: NormsRevenge
"In my opinion, this matter is worse than cold fusion,"
-------------------
Cold fusion has been shown to occur reproduceably in numerous experiments.
24
posted on
09/27/2003 11:12:18 PM PDT
by
RLK
To: Husker24
I was thinking the same thing. He would have nothing to worry about then, right??? Or maybe...
25
posted on
09/27/2003 11:17:03 PM PDT
by
David1
To: GeronL
The key to the concept is a little known element called hafnium Just think how powerful it would be if we used Fulnium!
26
posted on
09/27/2003 11:19:43 PM PDT
by
Defiant
(Half a loaf is better than none. Support Arnold, and don't pinch a loaf!)
To: Defiant
Gee, this stuff klooks old hat.
A really powerful explosive that has been around for years and years
"duodec"
And no radiation......
27
posted on
09/27/2003 11:32:04 PM PDT
by
ASOC
(The honest truth is, the guy at the pointy end of the stick sets National policy - nobody else)
To: ASOC
Would not hold a candle to HushABoom...
28
posted on
09/27/2003 11:36:56 PM PDT
by
TLI
(...........ITINERIS IMPENDEO VALHALLA..........)
To: ASOC
Duodec?
Really? An E. E. Smith fan here? He died way too young (and would likely have had scathing things to say about both cold fusion and hafnium superbombs).
29
posted on
09/27/2003 11:49:48 PM PDT
by
SAJ
To: NormsRevenge
Hafnium...thanks... :)
30
posted on
09/27/2003 11:58:56 PM PDT
by
skinkinthegrass
(Just because you're paranoid,doesn't mean they aren't out to get you. :)
To: alfa6
For a wee bit of education, and a grin or two, try this.....thanks..where's is Ms. Sharp, Now?....She'd love this dittie.. I never could remember all of them..104 back then. :)
31
posted on
09/28/2003 12:10:53 AM PDT
by
skinkinthegrass
(Just because you're paranoid,doesn't mean they aren't out to get you. :)
To: NormsRevenge
There is no sorting out of politics anymore. This might just be communists bitching about not being able to get back to Never-Neverland. Some investigation , some experimentation is certainly in order.
32
posted on
09/28/2003 12:15:17 AM PDT
by
thegreatbeast
(Quid lucrum istic mihi est?)
To: TLI
Oh well.I wonder if Texas A&M is has theirs... :|
33
posted on
09/28/2003 12:16:05 AM PDT
by
skinkinthegrass
(Just because you're paranoid,doesn't mean they aren't out to get you. :)
To: TLI
Oh well.Texas A&M used to have one..or something along that line...in '67, first Unversity to have one on campus. :|
34
posted on
09/28/2003 12:21:36 AM PDT
by
skinkinthegrass
(Just because you're paranoid,doesn't mean they aren't out to get you. :)
Comment #35 Removed by Moderator
Comment #36 Removed by Moderator
To: ahadams2
"but...but...what about photon torpedoes?? and light sabers??? what about them???!!!!"
I agree but Klingon disrupters might also work unless the enemy is using a cloaking device.
This all sounds "Hafnium-assed" to me. Why not just use an old fashioned 1 kiloton atomic device and lie about what we used. Governments are very, very good at lying.
37
posted on
09/28/2003 1:51:53 AM PDT
by
ido_now
To: Husker24
Although Herrmannsfeldt regards claims for hafnium-178's super-energy powers as nonsense, he fears that other nations will take them seriously, triggering a new arms race.Lets get this straight, he says they wont work, but he worries that other nations will build them.
Hey, this may be a good idea. Why not have North Korea, Iran and all the other wacko nations furiously building useless bombs? Just "leak" a warning that the "weapons" are so devastating that they can't be safely tested.
38
posted on
09/28/2003 1:57:42 AM PDT
by
jaykay
("Liberalism is the ideology of Western suicide" -- James Burnham)
To: jaykay
All we really need is a little bit of element 115...
39
posted on
09/28/2003 2:09:04 AM PDT
by
Bon mots
To: swilhelm73
So, has anyone actually gotten ahold of a dental x-ray machine and tried to duplicate the original work? ... It may well be that there is something specific to the equipment Collins was using.Its hard to believe that this wouldn't have been done...
40
posted on
09/28/2003 3:04:46 AM PDT
by
KayEyeDoubleDee
(const tag& constTagPassedByReference)
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