I am struck by a curious parallel between many investigational endeavors
in science, the 'soft sciences', near science, and maybe-science (cold
fusion may or may not be in this last category). All are troubled by a
sequence comprising initial success, followed by a long irregular slope
down into no-results-above-noise.
The soft sciences are abuzz right now with a huge failure-to-replicate
of all kinds of findings that were thought to be rock solid. Sort of as
though the more you look, the less you see. Wish I could give a link.
Google on failure to replicate.
In parapsychology, there is the researcher who after years of at first
very good results, then worse results with the same tests, until at last
results so bad she decided it was all mistaken.
In comes the coyote, the Trickster. In "/The Trickster and the
Paranormal", (George Hansen) /-which I did not read, but read about-a
good argument is made that err, "something", is at work screwing up the
works, by either giving good results where none is warranted, or
subverting good results over time to discredit/stymie/trick the
researcher. I take the liberty, at lest for this exposition, of taking
this out of the paranormal "box" and jamming it helter skelter into
particle physics. Or whatever physics covers LENR.
For a brain transition enhancer, think poltergeist. (If you check into
the 'Glitch in the matrix' Reddit, there is a lot there to suggest
trickery in the numerous reports of moving or hiding small objects.)
Enter Rossi. A prime target. The master of trickery, of (a least!) the
trickery of moving small objects, gives Rossi a tantalizing glimpse of
fame and fortune by shuffling atomic particles around. And keeps it up
until Rossi is backed into a serious corner, totally tricked. Totally
conned, he is a prime target because he is himself a showman, a conman.
Other researchers suffer only frustration and, some, heartbreak. Less
hubris?
This does not tell us whether cold fusion is real or not, but it may be
implying strongly that successfully deploying it may involve a major
paradigm shift, perhaps of the nature of a core of true believers at
each power site, in constant prayer (or chanting, candle lighting,
pigeon slaying).
On 8/30/2016 8:33 AM, Jed Rothwell wrote:
[snip]
If the E-Cat worked earlier do you really suppose Rossi
retrograded performance with time?
Yes, this seems likely. Patterson and several other researchers forgot
how to make working devices. Rossi reportedly destroyed his older
reactors to make new ones out of the parts. He did not keep a record
of what he had done. I think it is possible he forgot how to produce heat.
It is also possible everything was fake from the start. I do not have
enough information to judge.
- Jed
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