Scientists do not reject the idea that it is possible to generate energy by passing an electric current through water
Kenneth Chang
In a renewed examination of cold fusion - the revolutionary idea according to which it is possible to create energy by passing an electric current through water - last week the US Department of Energy published a report, according to which the evidence is inconclusive. In doing so, he repeated the conclusions of a similar report, published 15 years ago.
In the last months, 18 scientists examined studies that dealt with cold fusion. Two thirds of them did not find that the proof of the existence of nuclear reactions in the experiments was convincing. However, almost all of them said it was worth continuing to examine the issue.
"In my opinion, the latest examination shed some light on the research done in the last 15 years," said Dr. James Decker, Deputy Director of the Department of Science at the Ministry of Energy. He emphasized that the office is open to additional research proposals in the field.
Nuclear fusion is a process in which the nuclei of relatively light atoms, such as hydrogen, are fused together and fuse and therefore emit a lot of energy. The Sun is driven by such a process, which takes place in its core. For a short time, in 1989, it seemed that cold fusion could be a promising and unlimited source of energy. This happened when Dr. Stanley Pons and Dr. Martin Fleischman of the University of Utah announced that they had succeeded in inducing fusion in a laboratory experiment, in which they used a tank of water containing deuterium, a heavier version of hydrogen.
According to them, an electric current passed through the water attracted the deuterium atoms towards two palladium electrodes (a rare metallic element) and generated heat. The assumption was that the heat was created by the fusion of the deuterium atoms.
But other scientists have had trouble replicating the findings. Following this, the Ministry of Energy published a report at the end of 1989, which recommended not starting a specific research program concerning cold fusion. However, the authors of the report expressed support for examining different aspects of the issue.
After that, most of the scientific community treated ice fusion as a dubious joke and synonymous with unsubstantiated quasi-scientific activity, but a small group of scientists continued work in the field. The measurements improved, but the cold fusion experiments only produced heat in half of the cases. At the end of last year, several cold fusion scientists contacted Dr. Dekker and asked for a renewed examination of the subject. To the astonishment of many in the scientific community - he agreed.
Nine scientists selected by the Department of Energy reviewed research submitted by the cold fusion scientists. Nine other scientists were present in August at the presentations of the cold fusion scientists. "It was a scientific and balanced presentation," said Dr. Kirby Kemper, the vice president for research at the University of Florida, who was among those listening to the presentations. However, he added, "I don't believe that since 1989 there has been progress in determining the parameters that would make the process reproducible."
New York Times
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