LENR-to-Market Weekly -- October 18, 2012
http://pesn.com/2012/10/18/9602209_LENR-to-Market_Weekly_October18/
(47/3) Highlights this week include: publication of Hot-Cat results at the Pordenone conference; Rossi in Popular Science and Scientific American; progress on Celani cell replication kit; trailers for two new documentaries.
The long-awaited article by Steve Featherstone of Popular Science regarding Andrea Rossi's E-Cat and cold fusion / LENR in general has now hit the news stands. This November issue of the famous magazine mentions the topic on the home page with caption: "Cold Fusion: A Special Investigation", then gives it ten pages of coverage starting on page 62.
I can't find an online link to the story, so I guess you'll just have to spring for a copy from a local magazine vendor. (Or this deal: 12 issues for $3.49.)
Titled "Andrea Rossi's Black Box", it is an engaging piece that, given the author's not-so-exemplary experience in pursuing this, seems to have integrity to that experience, not jaded by an agenda one way or the other. He just takes us with him on his journey, sharing his reflections along the way.
Though it gives a dim view of Rossi, I don't think it was a hit (derogatory with a destructive agenda) piece, as sometimes is the case of mainstream reports on these exotic energy technologies.
If anything, it seemed to me that the author wanted the science to be vindicated and was frustrated, though not convinced that there is nothing there.
A significant correction I would make is that from my understanding, Rossi was exonerated from the charge of fraud. That charge was leveled due his not agreeing to do business with the Italian Mafia, so they set him up. And it is one of the reasons he left Italy in disgust.
Another correction I would make is that at the October 28 demonstration, he didn't leave us waiting out in the cold while letting 1-2 people at a time in to view the device in operation. We had a large, adequately warm room to wait in, with tables and refreshments and camaraderie of chit-chatting with the others who were in attendance.
I wish I had time to point out a few other discrepancies, but let that illustrate that there are some substantive inaccuracies in Featherstone's report.
The article addresses the topic of cold fusion in general in what I could consider to be a favorable light, which is refreshing, since most mainstream coverage is usually slanted the other way. It also gave voice to some of the skeptic thinking in Italy including Ugo Bardi, Giancarlo Ruocco and Antonio Polosa. It portrayed them as lacking objectivity and being pathological skeptics, if anything.
Here is a thumbnail view of the relevant pages from the magazine. (Story continues below.)
In the closing of the article, it seems to me that Featherstone grossly underestimates the value of Celani. Ending with Celani's laugh saying he didn't know why NI (National Instruments) Week invited him to present at their annual conference. I would interpret his laugh as humility.
Apparently the cut-off date for that story was just before NI Week took place a couple of months ago, and a lot has happened since then.
In retrospect, we know that Celani's performance there was a highlight, openly demonstrating more power out than in for several days straight, now being sought to be made into a kit for widespread replication by universities (see http://QuantumHeat.org). While Celani's work isn't to the point of practicality, it certainly serves the purpose of validation of the field in general -- much needed after a couple of decades of derision as "junk science," which it definitely is not. |
