Cold Fusion: Future of physics or phoney?

[masmdu]

Source: Wired

Today is set to be the start of a new era of cheap power, as a new type of low-cost nuclear reactor goes live in front of an audience of scientists and media representatives in Bologna. Once the mystery customer who commissioned the device has confirmed that it really is producing one megawatt, they'll pay the developer, Andrea Rossi.



Read more: http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2011-10/28/cold-fusion?page=2

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So, if this proves to be for real EVERYTHING changes for the better!

[Arctic Dave]

1. Am I reading this right? It's already online?

They just need to proof it?

[Warpy]

2. Most of the cold fusion arrays have been wildly elaborate,

"cold" being a relative term, using huge arrays of electromagnets, gates of rare metals, and/or multiple lasers.

My own thought is that it's remotely possible but not on a Mr. Fusion scale.

My guess is that this is a scam.

[Xithras]

3. IMO, it's the alchemy of our era.

In earlier ages, pseudoscientists and inventors dedicated their lives to the creation of gold, because it was the cornerstone of their world. Nowadays that cornstone is energy.

People have been chasing cold fusion for a century, and a lot of people have made a lot of big claims that came to naught. At this point, I expect nothing from the people who continue to work on it. If they crack the puzzle and save the world, we'll rightly treat them as heroes. I don't expect it to happen, so I'm not going to waste hope on it.

Of course, we now know that the alchemists were right, and it IS possible to create gold from lead...it'll just cost you a lot more than the gold is actually worth, and requires the use of large atomic colliders and electron guns. With that in mind, I will acknowledge that it's theoretically possible for cold fusion to work. Just don't get your hopes up.

[masmdu]

4. We'll see by end of today...at least for this device.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

5. Very low cost/low risk/non polluting energy would turn the world updside down in many ways

Kind of doubtful its real, but would be quite willing to be surprised.

[Taverner]

6. Evidence. If they can show evidence (not just parlor tricks) I'll believe it

[Fumesucker]

7. The guy has many of the characteristics of a confidence man..

I think it's about 99% sure to be some kind of scam..

Not that I'm completely dismissive of the idea of cold fusion, but this guy just reeks of confidence game.

[DreamSmoker]

8. I posted about this last Spring here..

I posted this last spring before any demo...
Caught some flack to as many do no believe it possible..
We shall see...
If fact??? It will change the Planets way of getting Power..

[Bosonic]

9. I wonder what a positive demonstration

would do for the price of nickel?

I'd be (pleasantly) surprised if it works, I guess the next 72 hours is do or die time.

At least the E-Cat is only implausible not physically impossible; the last 'energy miracle' that I seem to recall was the Steorn Orbo, which was touted as an credulity-shattering magnetic over-unity device.

[LongTomH]

10. I'm still really skeptical!

I'm really skeptical about the whole field. My skepticism becomes extreme about the idea that 'cold fusion' will ever be a major energy source. A lot of the researchers still working in this field now use the term: Low Energy Nuclear Reaction(LENR) instead of 'cold fusion.'

One article talked about replacing a home furnace with an 'e-cat' reactor and eliminating home heating bills. I have yet to see anyone claim that any of the 'e-cats' could produce steam at temperatures and pressures sufficient for a modern generating plant.

[masmdu]

11. IT SEEMS IT WORKS! 470 kW maintainied during self sustain mode! (just reported)

http://www.ecatnews.net/

[PoliticAverse]

17. It's suppose to be a 1 Megawatt plant. So they're off by a factor of > 2...

"doveryai, no proveryai"

[Yo_Mama]

23. That's not proof

Proof would be that the device put out more power than was fed in over the WHOLE cycle - which has never yet been demonstrated.

Hell, I could charge up a car battery, then switch the input to trickle power, attach some devices which drew out more than was being fed in at the moment and claim I'd saved the world. So far, Rossi has never run a public test which amounts to any more than that.

CALLING it self-sustaining is not the same thing as SHOWING it is self-sustaining!

[TexasProgresive]

12. I will suspend disbelief when it is accepted and replicated

by peer review.

[slutticus]

13. First rule of the internet: Never trust anyone who types in all caps

SORRY MR ROSSI.

[Johonny]

14. Just a guess but

I think he has probably invented the NiH2 battery which is already invented. I'm placing this on the rather extremely doubtful without more information.

[NNN0LHI]

15. I am still trying to get my cell phone to make popcorn

:freak:

[Warren DeMontague]

16. I give it about 10 Million to one odds against.

But I would be thrilled to be proven wrong.

[PoliticAverse]

18. "leave the heating on 24/7 and never see a fuel bill again". Not true...

The E-cat consumes nickel and hydrogen which does have to be replaced.

[PoliticAverse]

19. Video from today (Oct 28, 2011) of Rossi...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sZHOQ6P-Rw

[PoliticAverse]

20. Some additional video from Today's event....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHVSOlQ3Cvw&feature=related

[Yo_Mama]

21. There's no evidence that this works - and the presumption is against it.

I'm afraid this man has fooled himself.

[Fumesucker]

22. I say let a top team of scrutineers from the NHRA, NASCAR and so on take a peek...

Their entire job is to find people trying to hide technology, drilled out bolts, hidden passages drilled through apparently solid objects, hoses that are concentric and carry two different fluids with the inner one being illicit are all in a day's work to these folks.

If that machine is crooked, they'd find it.