Cold fusion labeled fiasco of century

Journal Article · · Forum for Applied Research and Public Policy; (United States)

OSTI ID:6706803

Huizenga, J R ^[1]

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1. Univ. of Rochester, NY (United States)

The gamble of researchers B. Stanley Pons and Martin Fleischmann to go public with their announcement of excess power from nuclear fusion at room temperature before they had solid evidence of fusion products is the scientific fiasco of the century, charges John R. Huizenga of the University of Rochester. He describes the claims of Pons and Fleischmann as a delusion and as pathological science. It would require belief in miracle after miracle for one to accept their discovery, he charges. Huizenga criticizes the researchers on several counts: they failed to challenge their own findings with control experiments and presentations to colleagues; they rushed to publication with unchecked and inaccurate data; they chose an unconventional method, a public press conference, to release scientific findings; their claims were not easily reproduced by others; and they lobbied Congress for funds before their claims were confirmed by independent researchers. Cold fusion producing excess power is an example of bad science where the normal rules and procedures of the scientific process were violated, Huizenga says.

• OSTI ID: 6706803
• Journal Information: Forum for Applied Research and Public Policy; (United States), Journal Name: Forum for Applied Research and Public Policy; (United States) Vol. 7:4; ISSN FARPEL; ISSN 0887-8218
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
700360* -- Fusion Reactions-- (1992-)
COLD FUSION
DATA
ERRORS
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
INFORMATION
NUCLEAR REACTIONS
NUMERICAL DATA
RESEARCH PROGRAMS