Jed wrote: "So many energy problems could have been solved by now, and so many lives saved, if only scientists had done their job."
It sure seems that when we most needed science, it failed us, utterly. Well, not the 'institution' of science, but the scientists turned politicians. And what do we expect when humans are administering science? Where is Lt.Cmdr. Data when you need him? :-) Picard/Data in 2012! -Mark -----Original Message----- From: Jed Rothwell [mailto:jedrothw...@gmail.com] Sent: Friday, April 17, 2009 1:38 PM To: vortex-L@eskimo.com Subject: [Vo]:It will be ironic if "60 Minutes" has a major effect If "60 Minutes" has a major effect on public opinion, and helps free up funding for the field, that will not surprise me. But it will be ironic. It will demonstrate that scientists and decision makers in government tend to be more influenced by the mass media than by scientific publications. The tide does seem to be turning. Press coverage is more friendly than it used to be. More facts and fewer rumors are reported. But funding is still dreadfully restricted and I still fear that the researchers will not live long enough to make significant progress. Based on previous press reports favorable toward cold fusion, such as a report of the Arata experiment last year, I predict this event it will increase Internet chatter and traffic to LENR-CANR for a few weeks, and then fade away. But the effect may linger long enough to jog a few decision-makers to allocate a few more dollars, or perhaps a few million more! And that is all we need. We require an end to the beginning, if not the beginning of the end. We do not need Nature and Scientific American to wave a white flag and admit they were wrong. I predict that the present editors and writers at these journals will never do that, unless commercial products are rolled out, which I regard as highly unlikely under the present circumstances. But I could be wrong about them. I never imaged that Robert Park would give an inch. Of course he needs to give a mile, which he will never do. The other day I told Mizuno that Maddox died, and I related the famous quote about "cold fusion will remain dead for a long time" which is surely an enigmatic thing to say. Did he mean that he hoped it would revive only after he was gone? Mizuno responded: "perhaps I should be angry at the man but honestly I pity him. Here was the most important and interesting discovery in his lifetime and he never even looked at it. What a wasted opportunity." That is how I feel about the whole history of cold fusion. So much talent wasted; so many years. So many energy problems could have been solved by now, and so many lives saved, if only scientists had done their job. I do not blame the mass media for this sad history. I blame scientists and scientific administrators at places like the DOE and the APS. The ones who never looked at the experiments. They never did their jobs. Huizenga and the DoE review panels. Of course there is plenty of blame to go around. Even the cold fusion researchers share a small tiny fraction of the blame for this fiasco, but they are more sinned against than sinning. - Jed No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG. Version: 7.5.557 / Virus Database: 270.11.59/2064 - Release Date: 4/17/2009 7:08 AM No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG. Version: 7.5.557 / Virus Database: 270.11.59/2064 - Release Date: 4/17/2009 7:08 AM
