Cold Fusion

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by RightHand, Dec 1, 2005.


  1. RightHand

    RightHand Been There, Done That RIP 4/15/21 Moderator Moderator Emeritus Founding Member

    I've been trying to learn a little more about Cold Fusion but I'm not a good enough amateur scientist to really understand more than just the theory. Anyone want to pipe in and educate me?
     
  2. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    Thru today, it ("cold" nuclear fusion) is a myth. There are some theoretical physicists that think it might be possible some day, but not with current technology, nor with our current understanding of nuclear physics. In essence, fusion is the joining of two or more nuclear level particles with a net release of enegy. This occurs quite readily at VERY high (and currrently uncontrolled) temperatures (think H-bomb) but cannot be duplicated at "normal" temps.

    A couple years ago, a guy thought he had achieved cold fusion with a net release of energy. As it turned out, his measurements were off. Fusion did not occur in the experiment, much less release energy. Actually took more energy in than came out.

    Don't buy stock in that company --
     
  3. RightHand

    RightHand Been There, Done That RIP 4/15/21 Moderator Moderator Emeritus Founding Member

    That's consistent with what I have been reading. Should work in theory but nothing conclusive now but it appears that research continues. I hope they don't stop the studies.
     
  4. melbo

    melbo Hunter Gatherer Administrator Founding Member

    But I saw it in that Val Kilmer movie... "The Saint"... :D
     
  5. RightHand

    RightHand Been There, Done That RIP 4/15/21 Moderator Moderator Emeritus Founding Member

    I keep thinking that everything from the internal combustion engine to atomic reaction was nothing more than theory at one time.
     
  6. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    Hoo, boy ---
    [stoner]
    again ---
     
  7. Quigley_Sharps

    Quigley_Sharps The Badministrator Administrator Founding Member

    [ditto]
     
  8. melbo

    melbo Hunter Gatherer Administrator Founding Member

    http://www.freeenergynews.com/OSEN/

    THe problem with words like myth and impossible in dealing with scientific claims is that at one point it was declared "impossible" to achieve human flight, Transmit voice down wires, and circum-navigate the globe... (Worlds flat, Dummy) It was also in style to Remove Bad Blood with leaches :eek:

    We Humans have a habit of always declaring ourselves On top Of Our Game a little too soon. I believe that a few of the "Can't do its" will become commonplace in yrs to come. Energy especially now that alternative and trying to get off the Foriegn oil teet are now mainstream discussions.

    I could be wrong
     
  9. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    melbo, of course you are right about what "impossible" means, as long as you qualify it with something like "at present." Mankind has learned since the industrial revolution that things are possible now that weren't then. Indeed, man cannot fly, and never will, without something artificial as an aid. Now I said never, didn't I? Well, somewhere along the line of evolution there is a chance happening that will kick in a bird gene and the species will evolve into flight. I think I won't hold my breath.

    RH, the study and experimentation continues. The US has reduced funding for the technical experiments that are being carried out with international support. We have abandoned the SuperCollider project that was half built (I think in Texas.) Russia and France (with others) are proceeding with more testing of containments that have been developed from the original Tokamak doughnut that will keep the milllion degree reaction "fires" under control, while parallel nuclear testing is going on in several universities to better understand the reactions involved and to optimize fuels. We are talking $US billions of investments in hardware alone for these experiments, all considered as investments in the future of mankind, ostensibly. There will be massive profit to those that master the technology coming out of the testing. We will not get much of a share at the rate things are going.
     
  10. RightHand

    RightHand Been There, Done That RIP 4/15/21 Moderator Moderator Emeritus Founding Member

    We'd be hardpressed to find too many purely humanitarian projects in the world today. 'What's in it for me" is usually the first question that comes to mind so I agree that as new technologies develop, its unlikely that the average person will be the primary beneficiary.
     
  11. melbo

    melbo Hunter Gatherer Administrator Founding Member

    The above was not intented towards you ghrit... IIRC, (without looking), you may have said something about at present a myth.

    Oh well. I think a lot of folks poo poo alternatives in favor of the tried and true. I'm not saying that CF is possible, nor PM for that matter. Out of Can thinking does the world a lot of good. Who'd of thought 10 yrs ago that i'd have a 512 MB Flash drive smaller than a dime for my Cell?
     
  12. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    Even 20 years ago, I would have doubted that I would understand the need for more than a slide rule for engineering work. Live and learn. Still, it seems silly to me to carry out calcs to the 4th decimal place when your data is only good to something to the left of the decimal point. Just gives a false sense of security to the accuracy of the results.
     
  13. monkeyman

    monkeyman Monkey+++ Moderator Emeritus Founding Member

    Then they stopped that since it was silly superstitions and now the use of leaches around areas that need the swelling keept down and or may be infected is once again cutting edge medicine. At least as of a few years ago they had started useing them again with great sucess for some things.
    I know a bit of topic but still interesting to note that even some of the things that work get dissmissed and takes a long time to rediscover that it dose work.
     
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