At 11:05 AM 3/23/2010, Jed Rothwell wrote:
Nick Palmer wrote:
Perhaps Steve is defining the W-L theoretical reaction (and any
other method that does not involve brute force smashing of the
Coulomb barrier) as not fusion to differentiate it/them from the
popular perceptions of mainstream science that Cold Fusion cannot
happen because of the Coulomb barrier and the lack of the
"expected" quantity of neutrons.
That is my impression of what he is saying. However, it seems to me
that if you start with light elements and end up with heavy ones,
that's fusion, as Abd explained. It seems to me that saying it isn't
fusion is making a distinction without a difference.
It is certainly not beyond the pale to argue that the term "fusion"
is politically inconvenient or unwise. However, I did quite a bit of
work with a largely skeptical community, and I can tell you exactly
what they thought about "LENR" and "CMNS." They beleived that these
were attempts to whitewash the reality, it was all about "cold fusion."
Note that I fully support the use of these terms, LENR (CANR), and
Condensed Matter Nuclear Science. It is appropriate, because it
avoids even a well-established hypothesis.
That fusion is taking place, i.e., the synthesis of high-Z elements
from lower-Z constituents. In my book, if you could somehow mash four
neutrons together, with them emitting two electrons and leaving a
helium nucleus behind, you'd have accomplished fusion. Hey, maybe the
neutrons could just remain as the captured neutrons of the helium atom!
Fusion. Fusion. Fusion. Sometimes it is necessary to deny repression
and refuse to conceal one's disagreement.
Krivit's political strategy, if that's what it is, to "protect" LENR
research by using a different name, won't work. At all.
But he goes much further, attacking some of the best researchers in
the field, claiming misbehavior where there is no reasonable evidence
of it. He finds some slip or anomaly and leaps from that to a
conspiracy to promote the "fusion theory," though, in fact, every
understanding of what's going on, that isn't simple "Artifact! Bogus!
Mistake!" is that fusion is taking place. I'll leave out hydrino
theory, which sort of straddles a gap, and which is just as
unpopular, if not more unpopular.
