There was an interesting obit for Martin Fleschmann this morning in the Washington Post:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/cold-fusion-scientist-fleischmann-dead-at-85/2012/08/14/10c12e10-e5c7-11e1-8f62-58260e3940a0_story.html In the comment section I mentioned the Celani demonstration. Here is something from obit: "As a boy, Dr. Fleischmann twice escaped the Nazis with his family. Once they fled the Nazi-occupied region of Czechoslovakia into another part. Then, when Nazi power expanded, they left for England, with at least one close call. After leaving Prague by train, they had crossed Europe to the border of Netherlands. There, Dr. Fleischmann recalled, according to the Telegraph in London, the Germans were clearing refugees from the train. “We were in the last coach, and my father said: ‘No, sit tight; don’t get off the train.’ ” That refusal to obey apparently saved their lives. With the family still on board, the train left the station, making possible their arrival in England." In the past I mentioned here that Fleischmann's father was killed by the Gestapo. He was, but the story is a little complicated. He was severely beaten and then for some inexplicable reason they let him go. As described here, the family managed to get on a train and they escaped. He father survived the trip to England but he died there from the effects of his wounds. That is what Martin and Gene Mallove told me. I don't know any more details than that. Years ago Martin told me about his early life in England. As I recall, he said: "At age 14 I found myself in England, living in a chicken house. I was lazy. The laziest boy in England. One day I told myself that if I did not get off my butt, get to school and get to work, I would be living in a chicken house the rest of my life." It is hard to imagine him lazy, since he worked nearly to the end of his life, but that is how he told the story. - Jed
