Sun in a Bottle

by Charles Seife

118 “a small but significant initial step” Ibid.

  118 “efficient fusion power” Bromberg, Fusion, 186.

  CHAPTER 6: THE COLD SHOULDER

  127 “We are also human, and we need miracles,” Garwin, “Consensus on Cold Fusion Still Elusive,” 617.

  128 “We used to call it” Thomas Valone, Second International Conference on Future Energy, 24 September 2006.

  128 “Two scientists have successfully created” Huizenga, Cold Fusion, 237.

  129 “ranks right up there with fire,” Taubes, Bad Science, xx.

  131 They mused about it Bishop and Wells, “Taming H-Bombs?”

  131 “Stan and I thought this experiment was so stupid” Fleischmann, Pons, and others, press conference of 23 March 1989.

  132 “Sometime during the night” Bishop, “Heat Source in Fusion Find May Be Mystery Reaction,” 1.

  133 “interesting discussion” Alvarez et al., “Catalysis of Nuclear Reactions by µ Mesons,” 1128.

  134 “in effect, confines the two nuclei in a small box.” Ibid.

  135 “We had a short but exhilarating experience” Alvarez, “Recent Developments in Particle Physics.”

  136 “each muon may catalyze hundreds” Jones, “Muon-Catalyzed Fusion Revisited,” 132.

  136 “It is now conceivable” Rafelski and Jones, “Cold Nuclear Fusion,” 84.

  137 “a bunch of baloney,” Taubes, Bad Science, 25.

  138 the competitors had agreed Footlick, Truth and Consequences, 35.

  138 Pons and Fleischmann jumped the gun: Taubes, Bad Science, 87ff.

  138 “Stan and I often talk” Huizinga, Cold Fusion, 238.

  141 “provides strong evidence” Jones et al., “Observation of Cold Nuclear Fusion in Condensed Matter,” 739.

  144 “It’s wrong.” Taubes, Bad Science, 141.

  145 “There is big money in hot fusion,” Footlick, Truth and Consequences, 49.

  145 “The black hats, such as they were,” Ibid., 44.

  145 “Within the next few weeks,” Garwin, “Consensus of Cold Fusion Still Elusive,” 617.

  146 “Now it appears that chemists” Pool, “Skepticism Grows Over Cold Fusion,” 284.

  146 “We do not get the total blank experiment” Ibid. 285.

  147 “How is this astounding oversight” Maddox, “What to Say about Cold Fusion,” 701.

  147 “urgent work.” Nature, “Cold Fusion in Print,” 604.

  147 “in a way that maximized publicity” Bazell, “Hype-Energy Physics,” 7.

  147 “The pace of scientific advance” Wall Street Journal, “Fusing the Impossible,” 1.

  149 “sure as sure can be” Lindley, “More Than Scepticism,” 4.

  149 “By the time the hearings got around to the skeptics,” Park, “A Cold Fusion Institute Was Called for in Hearings.”

  150 “polite but generally sceptical reception,” Lindley, “More Than Scepticism,” 4.

  150 “We’re suffering from the incompetence and delusions” Waldrop, “Cold Water from Caltech,” 523.

  150 “We asked Pons if he stirred,” Ibid.

  150 “devastating” Bishop, “Physicists Outline Possible Errors That Led to Claims of Cold Fusion,” 1.

  151 “continue to twitch for a while.” Park, “The Corpse of Cold Fusion Will Probably Continue to Twitch.”

  151 John Sununu abruptly cancelled Taubes, Bad Science, 267

  151 Pons and Fleischmann got more reclusive Ibid., 293, 375ff, 421.

  151 Pons’s lawyer threatened legal action Ibid., 355.

  151 “I discovered after awhile” Footlick, Truth and Consequences, 42.

  152 “modest support” U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Research Advisory Board, Cold Fusion Research.

  154 he tried to prove Jones, “Behold My Hands: Evidence for Christ’s Visit in Ancient America”; Jones, “Why Indeed Did the WTC Buildings Completely Collapse?”

  154 “These folks need a fair hearing,” Siegel, “America Condemns Inventive Science, Fathers of Cold Fusion Tell ABC,” B1.

  154 “a colossal conspiracy of denial.” Platt, “What If Cold Fusion Is Real?”

  154 “Cold fusion today is a prime example of pathological science,” Begley, “Cold Fusion Isn’t Dead, It’s Just Withering from Scientific Neglect,” B1.

  155 “Valone called for” Voss, “A Free Energy Enthusiast Seeks Like-Minded Colleagues,” 1254.

  155 “The speakers list for CoFE” Park, “Free Energy: State Department Opens Its Doors to New Agers.”

  156 “In cooperation with the U.S. Department of Commerce” Park, “Future Energy: New Age Energy Conference Moves to Commerce.”

  156 “The federal government’s budget pie” “In the Matter of Arbitration Between Patent Office Professional Association and U.S. Department of Commerce, Patent and Trademark Office.”

  CHAPTER 7: SECRETS

  160 “the breaking of an enemy code” Bylinsky, “Shiva: The Next Step to Fusion Power,” 87.

  160 “energy release at the giant $25 million Shiva” Sullivan, “Reports Assay Failures and Hopes for Fusion Power.”

  162 80 percent of the capsules failed to ignite, Seife, “Will NIF Live Up to Its Name,” 1128.

  164 “the operation of a magnetic fusion demonstration plant” Magnetic Fusion Energy Engineering Act of 1980, §2 (b) 4.

  165n “I thought I was going to a wake” Herman, Fusion, 209.

  167 Rush Holt Presentation to college group, 5 October 1992.

  CHAPTER 8: BUBBLE TROUBLE

  170 “Hegel observes somewhere” Marx, The 18th Brumaire of Louis Napoleon, 287.

  172 “Here’s a Science paper” Robert Coontz, e-mail to author, 5 February 2002.

  176 “Right after you did your story” Rusi Taleyarkhan, e-mail to author, 6 February 2002.

  180 “I thought, doggone!” Seife, “‘Bubble Fusion’ Paper Generates Tempest in a Beaker,” 1808.

  181 “There was certainly pressure from Oak Ridge” Ibid., 1809.

  182 “I understand there has been some discussion” Richard Garwin, e-mail message, 28 February 2002.

  182 “I am told that the paper in question,” Will Happer, e-mail message, 1 March 2002.

  183 “I like Science; I’m a member of AAAS,” Will Happer, telephone conversation with author, 2002.

  183 “It would be unfortunate” Richard Garwin, telephone conversation with author, 2002.

  183 “Concern on the part of research managers” Don Kennedy, e-mail message, (forwarded by Happer), 26 February 2002.

  184 “I’m confused” Draft of Seife, “ ‘Bubble Fusion’ Paper Generates Tempest in a Beaker,” 4 March 2002.

  184 “The paper’s kind of a patchwork” Ibid.

  185 “calling around asking about activities” E-mail extract (unidentified) forwarded by Will Happer to author, 1 March 2002.

  186 “Be careful what you write” Will Happer, e-mail to author, 1 March 2002.

  186 “Taleyarkhan and his team,” Draft of Seife, “ ‘Bubble Fusion’ Generates Tempest in a Beaker,” 4 March 2002.

  187 “Bubble Fusion: A Collective Groan” Park, “Bubble Fusion: A Collective Groan Can Be Heard.”

  187 “Fusion in a Flash?” American Association for the Advancement of Science, “Fusion in a Flash?”

  189 “Preliminary Evidence Suggests” Oak Ridge National Laboratory, “Preliminary Evidence Suggests Possible Nuclear Emissions during Experiments.”

  190 “I’m sorry if my cold-fusion allergy” Don Kennedy, e-mail to author, 4 March 2002.

  190 “[W]e ask all Science Press Package registrants” American Association for the Advancement of Science, “Special Notice to All Science Press Package Recipients.”

  191 “Fusion ‘Breakthrough’ Heralds Cleaner Energy,” Connor, “Fusion ‘Breakthrough’ Heralds Cleaner Energy,” 9.

  191 “Here we go again; Table-top fusion” Economist, “Here We Go Again; Table-Top Fusion,” 95.

  192 “I reviewed the paper twice,” Vedantam,
“Fusion Experiment Sparks an Academic Brawl,” A10.

  192 “unready for publication” Putterman, Crum, and Suslick, “Comments on ‘Evidence for Nuclear Emissions During Acoustic Cavitation’; by R. P. Taleyarkhan et al., 1.

  193 “Somewhere out there is a positive report” Adam and Knight, “Publish, and Be Damned . . . ,” 774.

  193 “We maintain our end” Ibid.

  194 “They’re saying, ‘We understand’” Seife, “Chemistry Casts Doubt on Bubble Reactions.”

  194 “Evidence Bubbles Over” Purdue University, “Evidence Bubbles Over to Support Tabletop Nuclear Fusion Device.”

  195 “Purdue Findings Support” Purdue University, “Purdue Findings Support Earlier Nuclear Fusion Experiments.”

  195 “independently confirmed.” Taleyarkan et al., “Nuclear Emissions During Self-Nucleated Acoustic Cavitation,” 034301-1.

  196 “Nuclear fusion is a major finding” “An Experiment to Save the World,” narrated by Dilly Barlow.

  197 “I would help out anybody” Ibid.

  197 “He said: ‘Look, there’s a peak,’” Reich, “Is Bubble Fusion Simply Hot Air?”

  198 Taleyarkhan is said to have pressed Ibid.

  198 “nothing but a contrived and hurried attempt” Dunn, “RE: Inquiry Committee Proceedings Under Executive Memorandum No. C-22.”

  198 “Presenting that as independent is fraud” Maugh, “College Reviews Physicist’s Tabletop Fusion Claims,” A9.

  198 “negligent or jumped the gun” Ibid.

  198 “data from Xu’s paper” Reich, “Purdue Attacked over Fusion Inquiry,” 664.

  199 “a severe lack of judgment” Dunn, “RE: Inquiry Committee Proceedings Under Executive Memorandum No. C-22.”

  199 “Despite the University’s statement” U.S. Congress, House Committee on Science and Technology, Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight, letter to Martin C. Jischke, 27 May 2007, 1.

  199 “several matters warrant further investigation” Purdue University, “Panel Determines Research Allegations Merit Additional Investigation.”

  199 “I am exhausted,” Rusi Taleyarkhan, telephone conversation with author, 29 August 2007.

  200 Taleyarkhan had committed scientific misconduct Purdue University. “Report of the Investigation Committee In the Matter of Rusi P. Taleyarkhan.” Final Report of the C-22 Investigation Committee, 18 April 2008.

  200 Taleyarkhan had deceived the scientific community Ibid.

  200 deemed a deliberate attempt Ibid.

  200 “was apparently done by one person” Ibid.

  CHAPTER 9: NOTHING LIKE THE SUN

  204 “We find that this cannot be done.” President’s Committee of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST), The U.S. Program of Fusion Energy Research and Development, 4.

  206 “after ten years” Fusion Power Associates, “U.S. Fails to Sign ITER Extension Agreement; JET Demonstrates Fusion Remote Maintenance.”

  207 “breakeven plasma conditions” Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute, Persistent Quest—Research Activities, 1997.

  207 “Breakeven was demonstrated” Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology, “Nuclear Fusion.”

  208 “Once we crack the problem of fusion,” Angier, “High Hopes for a Super Nova.”

  212 “Not 1%. Those who say 5%” Seife, “Will NIF Live Up to Its Name?” 1128.

  213 “but its contribution is almost exclusively to the long-term tasks” JASON, Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) Review, 2.

  214 “NIF will contribute to training and retaining expertise” JASON, Science Based Stockpile Stewardship, 54.

  217n “abundant resources” Bush, Speech Announcing New Vision for Space Exploration Program.

  218 “hand held out to future generations” Chirac, Speech by Mr Jacques Chirac, President of the French Republic.

  219 “The ambition is huge!” Ibid.

  CHAPTER 10: THE SCIENCE OF WISHFUL THINKING

  220 “When one turns to the magnificent edifice” James, The Will to Believe, 7.

  222 “It was the thing that one fears” Seife, “CERN’s Gamble Shows Perils, Rewards of Playing the Odds,” 2261.

  222 “We did all sorts of tests on the data” Ibid.

  223 “Ten or twelve days before I was due” Ibid.

  223 “It was a large audience” Ibid.

  223 “Here I was, with the biggest blunder of my life” Ibid.

  227 “fired repeatedly, the machine could well be the fusion machine” Sandia National Laboratories, “Rapid-Fire Pulse Brings Sandia Z Method Closer to Goal of High-Yield Fusion Reactor.”

  APPENDIX: TABLETOP FUSION

  229 “the mad scientist” Damron, “Oakland Twp. Teen Creates Fusion.”

  229 “Yesterday I input power” Olson, “Archived—First Plasma.”

  229 “Michigan Teen Creates Nuclear Fusion” United Press International, “Michigan Teen Creates Nuclear Fusion.”

  234 “Oh, God, not again.” Seife, “Tabletop Accelerator Breaks ‘Cold Fusion’ Jinx But Won’t Yield Energy, Physicists Say,” 613.

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