The rhetoric of science: A case study of the cold fusion controversy
This dissertation examines the circumstances surrounding and the rhetoric involved in the cold fusion controversy begun on March 23, 1989, when two University of Utah electrochemists, Martin Fleischmann and Stanley Pons, announced by press conference the discovery of room-temperature nuclear fusion. The dissertation seeks to determine to what extent a rhetorical analysis of cold fusion discourse may increase understanding of the controversy; the success of Fleischmann and Pons as scientific rhetors; the ways in which scientists' attitudes, values, and assumptions manifest themselves in the discourse; and finally, what may be learned about scientific discourse by examining the cold fusion controversy in particular. Examined were Fleischmann and Pon's initial publication announcing the cold fusion discovery in the Journal of Electroanalytical Chemistry; Steven E. Jones's initial publication of his cold fusion discovery and several representative discourse samples from the journal Nature; and Fleischmann and Pons's latest article in the Journal of Fusion Technology. Cold fusion discourse addressed evidential issues, questioning the existence of the cold fusion phenomenon. Several lines of argument were evoked to address this issue, including experimental competence, experimental replication, external consistency, communality, and disinterestedness. Also discovered is division between electrochemists and physicists over what constitutes valid evidence: electrochemists looked to excess heat production as proof of fusion; physicists looked to neutron production. The study concludes that Fleischmann and Pons followed an unsuccessful rhetorical strategy in their initial published paper. An alternative rhetorical strategy was available to Fleischmann and Pons, one in which they could have interpreted their evidence, thereby evoking a less confrontational response from the scientific community.
- Research Organization:
- Louisiana State Univ. and Agricultural and Mechanical Coll., Baton Rouge, LA (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 5737496
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Thesis (Ph.D.)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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POLICY AND ECONOMY
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
COLD FUSION
ATTITUDES
SCIENTIFIC PERSONNEL
COMMUNICATIONS
ELECTROCHEMISTRY
INFORMATION THEORY
PUBLIC RELATIONS
ANIMALS
CHEMISTRY
MAMMALS
MAN
NUCLEAR REACTIONS
PERSONNEL
PRIMATES
PROFESSIONAL PERSONNEL
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290202* - Energy Planning & Policy- Sociology- (1992-)
700360 - Fusion Reactions- (1992-)