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The Cold Fusion Horizon
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The Cold Fusion Horizon

Huw Price
Aeon, 2016
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8

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Recommendation

University of Cambridge philosophy professor Huw Price puts a human face on the scientific community’s skepticism towards cold fusion, saying it really stems from scientists’ fear of falling into a “reputation trap.” Few “real scientists” are willing to risk looking like they are dabbling in “pseudoscience.” With a conversational tone, Price keeps the science and the sociology simple. He doesn’t try to convince his readers that cold fusion works, only that they should all invest in finding out whether it does. getAbstract recommends Price’s thesis to everyone interested in the future of energy production.

Summary

Cold fusion, or low-energy nuclear reaction, is the contentious concept that scientists could create solar-type nuclear reactions at near room temperature. It gained prominence in 1989 when physicists Martin Fleishman and Stanley Pons said they had proof it could work. Then, when no one could replicate their results, mainstream science branded cold fusion a “pseudoscience.” The label has stuck to this day.

Italian engineer Andrea Rossi says his cold fusion devices produce enough heat to be of commercial interest. His supporters ...

About the Author

University of Cambridge philosophy professor Huw Price, PhD, is also academic director of the Center for the Study of Existential Risk and the Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence.

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