Italian scientists claim to have demonstrated cold fusion (w/ Video)

[Celebration]

You gotta read the whole article

http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-01-italian-scientists-cold-fusion-video.html

Despite the intense skepticism, a small community of scientists is still investigating near-room-temperature fusion reactions. The latest news occurred last week, when Italian scientists Andrea Rossi and Sergio Focardi of the University of Bologna announced that they developed a cold fusion device capable of producing 12,400 W of heat power with an input of just 400 W. Last Friday, the scientists held a private invitation press conference in Bologna, attended by about 50 people, where they demonstrated what they claim is a nickel-hydrogen fusion reactor. Further, the scientists say that the reactor is well beyond the research phase; they plan to start shipping commercial devices within the next three months and start mass production by the end of 2011.

...............................snip

Rossi and Focardi’s paper on the nuclear reactor has been rejected by peer-reviewed journals, but the scientists aren’t discouraged. They published their paper in the Journal of Nuclear Physics, an online journal founded and run by themselves, which is obviously cause for a great deal of skepticism. They say their paper was rejected because they lack a theory for how the reaction works. According to a press release in Google translate, the scientists say they cannot explain how the cold fusion is triggered, “but the presence of copper and the release of energy are witnesses.”

............................snip

Giuseppe Levi, a nuclear physicist from INFN (Italian National Institute of Nuclear Physics), helped organize last Friday’s demonstration in Bologna. Levi confirmed that the reactor produced about 12 kW and noted that the energy was not of chemical origin since there was no measurable hydrogen consumption. Levi and other scientists plan to produce a technical report on the design and execution of their evaluation of the reactor.

............snip

“We have passed already the phase to convince somebody,” Rossi wrote in his forum. “We are arrived to a product that is ready for the market. Our judge is the market. In this field the phase of the competition in the field of theories, hypothesis, conjectures etc etc is over. The competition is in the market. If somebody has a valid technology, he has not to convince people by chattering, he has to make a reactor that work and go to sell it, as we are doing.”

[phantom power]

1. Fusion is endothermic for anything heavier than iron.

Whatever they're doing, it's not an exothermic fusion reaction.

[Celebration]

3. I admit I don't know the science

And they admit that they don't know the mechanism, which is why they couldn't get published.

Time will tell, I guess. I just found the whole article pretty interesting--demonstration and all.

[phantom power]

5. The "iron" limit is some fundamental stuff...

It's the kind of thing where, if what they claimed was true, it would imply that everything we already do, and know, in nuclear physics is wrong. Which is clearly not true :-)

For instance, if they were saying that what they were doing was involving elements lighter than Iron, then I'd say "well... maybe." As it is, their claim about what's happening isn't credible.

:shrug:

[DCBob]

6. Or perhaps an unknown mechanism that doesn't conflict with current science..

I'm skeptical also but it does sound like they have discovered something unique... unless of course its a complete sham.

[phantom power]

7. In this case, it's not really about the mechanism, it's about the final energy states...

of the nuclei. In other words, whether it's endothermic or exothermic has to do with the embodied energies of the inputs versus the outputs. Which are well established. Changing the mechanism won't change that.

[somone]

23. Yep, one of the most important graphs in 20th-century science

[PoliticAverse]

2. "doveryai, no proveryai" n/t.

[david_vincent]

4. People tend to forget

that cold fusion has produced enough energy to kill someone. A lab assistant was killed in an unexplained explosion at a cold fusion lab several years ago. Anyone who says that cold fusion is loony should go talk to that guy's surviving family.

[RC]

8. A chemical explosion covered up by a fusion explanation?

There is simply not energy at room temperature to sustain any kind of atomic level fusion.

[Posteritatis]

16. An explosion in a lab studying cold fusion does not mean it was a fusion explosion. (nt)

[Orrex]

26. I know a guy who was killed by a Ford Fusion

It was in February of last year. It was pretty cold.

[originalpckelly]

9. Oh dear.

I'm glad I didn't have any liquids in my mouth as spit-take would have ensued.

[laconicsax]

10. LOL!

"Our proof isn't in the science...it's that we can make money!"

:rofl:

[Celebration]

11. Well, not quite yet

Gotta see how many companies vouch for this after a couple of years.

;)

[laconicsax]

13. I'd be willing to bet that they'll be able to sell it even if it's proven to be a total fraud. n/t

[Celebration]

14. Unlikely

The profit motive does win out in the end. But the dust does have to settle.

[DCBob]

15. Maybe one or two units.. it will become obvious after about one day of use..

I find it hard to believe this is total hoax. These guys must think they really have something. What would be the point?

[laconicsax]

20. That won't stop people from buying them.

"Pyramid Power" is a great example. It's total horseshit, but people still buy into it.

[DCBob]

21. The news will be over this once its determined its a fraud..

Their business would be over in an nuclear flash.

[laconicsax]

22. I wish I agreed.

Barnum said, "there's a sucker born every minute" and there's evidence of it all over the place. Pyramid power, astrology, homeopathy, crystal healing, reiki, etc. are all a load of nonsense, but people still shell out money.

[NickB79]

24. I wouldn't count on it

For example, the Iraqi government has been told for YEARS that a so-called bomb-detecting wand is complete bunk, yet continue to swear by them: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/04/world/middleeast/04sensors.html

Sometimes the power to believe is stronger than common sense would dictate.

[hunter]

12. They have a video. It must be real!!!

The "market" in all its filthy glory has plenty of room for scams.

Selling it is one thing, doing the science is another.

[miyazaki]

17. What a bunch of Bologna. n/t

[DetlefK]

18. Very simple test: Hold a Geiger-counter to it.

Quote from article:
"Rossi and Focardi explain that the reaction produces radiation, providing evidence that the reaction is indeed a nuclear reaction and does not work by some other method. They note that no radiation escapes due to lead shielding, and no radioactivity is left in the cell after it is turned off, so there is no nuclear waste. "

Take out the lead shielding and hold a Geiger-counter to a running reactor. Two seconds later you will know if it's working.

With an appropriate detector you could even measure type and energy of the radiation and compare to theoretical models of possible nuclear reactions. Oops, I forgot: They have no idea how their machine works and obviously aren't interested.



Speaking of it: I invented a new viagra-pill. I have no idea what they are made off or what they will do to you, but don't worry. Buy now and see how the market will decide.

[charlie]

19. Remember Steorn?

Energy from perpetual motion?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steorn

They're still around. Which means after 5 years of We'll Show You Real Soon Now, they're still pulling in revenue.

http://www.steorn.com

[Buck Turgidson]

25. 1.21 Gigawatts!