[Willie Green]

Profusion or confusion?

Conceding the extremely remote possibility that it's actually "fusion", there is one major hitch:

COLD = LOW ENERGY

((((yawn))))

[waspguy]

Conceding the extremely remote possibility that it's actually "fusion", there is one major hitch:

COLD = LOW ENERGY

((((yawn))))

Ummm- not necessarily. Cold Fusion just means that the temperature at which the fusion is occuring is much lower than that traditionally expected. The fusion process can be used to heat something up - like say boil water to steam. (A nice conventional use.)

If this pans out - it's a very big deal. But I wouldn't sell that Enron stock just yet...

[Erasmus]

COLD = LOW ENERGY

Depends on your scale of "cold."

In this context, "cold" means significantly less than 100 million degrees C.

All you need to do is make steam at 3 or 400 C, maybe, without melting down your fuel cells or elements, and there's your power source.

That's as hot as we know how to make anything that makes steam, but still cold by traditional fusion standards.

[lawdude]

"((((yawn))))"

And just what course in atomic physics taught you that tidbit of techno-babble? You really should study up on your fizix a bit better.

[FreeperinRATcage]

Ctually...the "cold" references the differences in technique. The only previously proven way to attempt controlled fusion was in a "tokomak", basically a circular magnetic confinement system that contained a extremely hot plasma under great pressure. THile fusion has been attained, its still taken more energy to create the fusion than you get from it...no "break even".

"Cold" fusion is supposed to initiate at near room temperature, and the act of fusion generates great amount of heat. Theoretically, the heated solution would be passed through a heat exchanger/genorator system much like todays fission reactors.

Fusion is also supposed to cause NO radioactive byproducts, thus nuetering the anti-nuke whackos. Both the actual "hot" fusion and theoretical "cold" fusion models I know of are also NOT self sustaining, meaning no big BOOM in an accident.

[Blood of Tyrants]

When a new idea or invention was poo-pooed with the "What good is it?" critism Ben Franklin supposedly said, "What good is a newborn baby?"

[Physicist]

COLD = LOW ENERGY

In this case, "cold" means "cold compared to the center of the sun". That would apply equally well to...well, every other means we have of producing power. It's the quantity of energy released that matters.

[xm177e2]

COLD = LOW ENERGY

There just isn't enough common sense in nuclear physics, it's a bunch of liberal academia-babble.

Too many egghead physicists and not enough all-American Pat Buchanan supporters. Go Pat Go! </sarcasm>

[YaYa123]

I think I saw the movie. Elizabeth Shue, scientist...Val Kilmer, The Saint.

Sorry bout that...it's late.

[monocle]

I may be wrong but I thought that conventional power generation relied on the expansion of high pressure steam through turbines. High temperatures are only the means for generating the high pressures required efficient power generation. Confusion of cause and effect in all walks of life hinders understanding and solutions of many, if not all, problems. I was personally involved in a situation where the long held belief that high temperatures were the causitive factor and not high pressures and I personally funded an experiment to prove that high pressures were the operative factor.

[antidemocommie]

Go back and read the article again. The sound waves compress the solution and produce extreme temperatures equal to those on the sun's surface. That is not cold. That is revolutionary sceinece that will forever change the way man lives. If allowed out of the lab, all the oil tankers at sea can be brought in to produce plastics, and lubricating oils, but we won't need them for power. Oh, and Back To The Future's DeLorian's 80s flying fusion machine would start out on the ground, but in time, would be able to fly down your favorite freeway guided by GPS signals from space. Will governments and highly influential corporations allow society the chance to make use of this techology? That is a greater risk than cold fusion not being a reality. There are just too many pockets that will be affected. Consider the implications....Exxon, and all the others would suddenly not be nearly as important as they are today. Your local power plant may go out of residential business because so many will have their own small power plant in their garage. Oh, the implicationas are so great! Government and Big Business may not allow society to make use of this technology. This gives individuals a great deal of power and self control, and thats something government hates. If you don't need government, government is not happy.

[jpsb]

The gas that is injected into your car engine is cold. What "cold" means in this context is that fission is not needed to ignite the fussion processs. Fission is very very hot.