[extropy-chat] H. Bacter Sightings (was: cold fusion warms up)

[Damien Broderick]

At 01:50 AM 12/26/2006 -0500, John K Clark wrote:

>99.9% of the scientific community think cold fusion... is utter crap.

1)      What evidence can you offer for this amazingly precise 
estimate? Are you sure it's not 87.3%?

2)      Even if it were accurate, how many of those who ridicule such 
alleged effects have done the relevant experiments (<0.1%?) or even 
read the published papers (<1.0%?) on on-going research?

>It would be neat if it worked but it doesn't

This looks like an ex cathedra statement to me, and (having, as they 
say, no dog in this race) I'll respond by citing again support for 
the effect from the only Nobel laureate physicist I'm in regular 
communication with. This, incidentally, is an argument not "from 
authority", but from heavy throw-weight track record (to mix athletic 
metaphors). It's motive enough for me not to shut my eyes to the 
alleged evidence from serious labs, even if the work is mostly done 
on the cheap and despite the disapproval of a great many scientists 
in the same disciplines. Too many other Nobels and pivotal 
breakthroughs have been won in the face of premature and often 
vociferously defended closure.

Damien Broderick