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Cold Fusion

Entry 246, on 2005-11-07 at 18:47:27 (Rating 2, Skepticism)

I read a report today which claims that a Harvard University medic (who admittedly has also studied electrical engineering at MIT) claims to have created a device which produces 1000 times the energy of similar existing power sources. This is amazing enough itself, but the process which it is allegedly powered by contradicts one of the most well tested and trusted theories in modern physics: quantum mechanics.

Quantum mechanics introduces the idea of wave particle duality and that everything must occupy particular energy levels and positions. For example, a hydrogen atom's electron can only be at certain distances from the nucleus, and there is a closest distance which it can't ever get past (the ground state which corresponds to the lowest energy). This new device supposedly allows the electron to be closer than this closest position, which is contrary to conventional physics.

I personally think this will turn out to be a hoax, or the result of some mathematical errors, just like the last great discovery of this type: cold fusion. There have been too many tests of quantum mechanics for it to be fundamentally wrong. The fact that he's gathered millions from investors doesn't mean much, either. Most investors don't have a lot of clues on this sort of thing, and are primarily motivated by greed. When they lose the lot I won't be too upset!

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