On 1/10/06, Zell, Chris <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Forgive this rant, but I couldn't resist.
I came across a paper called "Alteration of Nuclear Beta Decay by
Non-Nuclear Strong Fields" ( Laser Physics Vol. 9 No.1 1999 pp. 92-97)
It asserts that beta decay in radioactive elements could be triggered by
external applied EMF - and that this could be a powerful new energy
source!
"Were it possible, accelerated decay of highly forbidden beta decay
materials would be the ideal long-term energy source"
The study is one of many that have appeared over the years, done by
H.R. Reiss of the American University. It uses arcane and complex
mathematics
to make it's point.
So, lemme get this straight, as an outside observer: The year is 1999
and the issue of the radioactive constant, independent of all outside
influences
STILL HASN'T BEEN SETTLED? You mean that there is no body of
experimental results as yet to settle the issue? ( "Yup, I got my Tesla
Coil
and diathermy machine and some radium needles and put this theory to
bed")
Is physical reality solely determined by mathematics? Is that the sole
determinant of truth these days? Is this reasonable especially if such
beta decay
Is triggered by events in the quantum realm - which could be purely
arbitrary? Yes, statistical analysis works - but the quantum arena
ultimately "just is"
as argued by Victor Stenger in Decoherence theory ( a skeptics answer to
non locality). Who knows - until somebody actually DOES THE EXPERIMENTS
and STOPS ARGUING ABOUT MATH ACROSS DECADES OF TIME!
If I was a Creationist, I'd jump on this like a hungry lion on a
gazelle. Whether it works or not is hardly the point ( although it
would be wonderful if it
did!) - what's happened to physics these days? Has it gone nuts?
OK, I feel better now. Rant over.
--
"Monsieur l'abbé, I detest what you write, but I would give my life to make it possible for you to continue to write" Voltaire
