Peter Gluck wrote:
Bob will not answer now I think. But I also think that the mass media
will embrace NI-H LENR, soon. Let's see.
It matters for John & Jane Doe who have problems with energy, lack of,
price, scarry news from the ecologists, wars
Fukushima etc.
I do not think so. Again borrowing cold fusion jargon, the Coulomb
barrier of disbelief is too high. Most people, and most mainstream
reporters simply cannot believe it is true. It sounds too much like one
of these energy scams or perpetual motion machine claims. They will say
it is "too good to be true." and "extraordinary claims call for blah,
blah blah."
Fortunately, it no longer matters what they say. It no longer matters
whether this is covered in the mass media or not. Frankly, mass media
reports are usually so distorted, it is just as well they don't cover it.
As I have often said, I do not think there is a conspiracy against cold
fusion. Not in academia, and not in the mass media either. If there is a
conspiracy they don't invite me to their meetings. Obviously, someone
pulled strings to cancel the recent ACS proceedings, so there is
surreptitious opposition. There are dirty tricks and stuff like that.
But it isn't from a conspiracy, or powerful vested interests. Our
problem is on display in Wikipedia: ignorance, irrational opposition,
stupidity. The truth is drowned out by braying crowds of mindless
anti-intellectual fools. That sort of thing has happened many times
throughout history, and it is likely to happen in the future. It is our
primate nature. People are marvelous creatures in many ways, noble in
reasoning, infinite in faculty. But we are not evolved to be rational or
to live in a world governed by ideas and facts, rather than direct
exposure to natural forces. Most people are barely capable of living the
way we do. Most people can no more think objectively than I can play the
violin. We do our best. You have to cut us some slack.
Things often end badly with wars or poverty or wonderful inventions
lost. But sometimes things end well. Given all that we have accomplished
despite our limitations, it is foolish to predict gloom and defeat. That
is as foolish as Panglossian optimism. There is always hope. As Obama
says, while we breathe, we hope.
- Jed
