At 08:41 AM 1/5/2010, you wrote:
Wikipedia's use of CF as an example for 'science by concensus' and 'burden
of proof'...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burden_of_proof
About 4/5s the way down the page.
"Examples in science
As a general rule, the less coherent and less embedded within conventional
knowledge a claim
appears, the heavier the burden of proof lies on the person asserting the
claim. ***The scientific
consensus on cold fusion is a good example.*** The majority of physicists
believe cold fusion is not
possible, since it would force the alteration or abandonment of a great
many other tested and
generally accepted theories about nuclear physics."
-Mark
Mark,
It would be helpful if more people distinguished between the *theory* of
"cold fusion" from the observations of low-energy nuclear reaction
experimental evidence. The theory of cold fusion - like-charged atomic
nuclei joining together at room-temperature - may never get accepted. It
would be unfortunate if the non-acceptance of the theory of cold fusion
impedes the acceptance of LENR.
Does this make sense?
-Steve
