I wrote: So if the test concerns the *existence* of LENR, rather than a parameter > that affects it, I think another control should be sought out. Whatever > that other control is (input power turned off, a different substrate or > cathode, or some other property), could be varied in the manner you suggest > to rule out a null hypothesis. >
I should clarify -- there are experiments that seek to establish the existence of LENR (something the mainstream physicists still have yet to convince themselves of). There are experiments to look for the mechanism behind LENR, on the assumption that it exists. And there are possible experiments to assess whether a company such as Leonardo Corp. or Defkalion have a working device that produces more energy that goes into it, possibly due to LENR. Perhaps you have the last kind of experiment in mind. In that case, a control that seems promising would be to use argon in place of hydrogen, without making assumptions about whether LENR is caused by light hydrogen, deuterium, or a combination of both. (I misspoke when I said that turning off the input power would be a suitable control.) Eric
