http://science.slashdot.org/article.pl? ... 20/1253219
The article here:"Tabletop" Fusion Researcher Committed Scientific Misconduct
Posted by Soulskill on Monday July 21, @02:23AM
from the rebranding-doesn't-always-work dept.
Power Science Technology
Geoffrey.landis writes "A Purdue University panel investigated allegations against nuclear engineering professor Rusi Taleyarkhan, finding that he had in fact committed scientific misconduct in his work. Taleyarkhan had published papers in which he reported seeing evidence of nuclear fusion in the collapse of tiny bubbles in a liquid subjected to ultrasonic excitation — a finding that would be groundbreaking, if true, but one that apparently could not be replicated by other researchers. The allegations against Taleyarkhan were made in March of 2006. A local Indiana paper gives the full list of allegations against Taleyarkhan, and the resolution of each by the panel. The full report (PDF) is also available. Of the nine specific allegations, only two were found to comprise scientific misconduct. The committee 'could not find any other instances of scientists being able to replicate Taleyarkhan's results without Taleyarkhan having direct involvement with the experiments,' but notes that this comes 'just short of questioning whether Taleyarkhan's results were fraudulent.'"
http://news.uns.purdue.edu/x/2008b/0807 ... rkhan.html
I've been following the 'sonofusion' story with interest, and it looks to me as if Taleyarkhan is getting much the same treatment Pons and Fleischmann did. Perhaps it's justified, perhaps not. The two allegations which were upheld are: Dr Xu added Dr Butt's name as a co-author though he did not participate in the experiment (only proofread the results), and he did not add his mentor, Dr Taleyarkhan's name to the report to create a false impression of independently reproduced results.July 18, 2008
Purdue committee completes research misconduct investigation
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -
Purdue University on Friday (July 18) announced that an investigative committee with members from five institutions has concluded that two allegations against Rusi Taleyarkhan, a professor of nuclear engineering, constituted research misconduct.
The report has been accepted by the U.S. Office of Naval Research, the funding agency that referred several misconduct allegations to Purdue. Joseph L. Bennett, Purdue vice president for university relations, said the complete report is available online at http://news.uns.purdue.edu/x/2008b/0807 ... Report.pdf. The ONR's letter of acceptance is online at http://news.uns.purdue.edu/x/2008b/080718ONRLetter.pdf.
Okay, so yes, there's secrecy and odd dealing here. I'm not a scientist, so this may be a bigger deal than it seems to me, but it seems to me that this is all a distraction from the core question of 'does this technology actually WORK?' And what are conditions like in the lab that Taleyarkhan needs to resort to this kind of subterfuge to get his results published? Isn't *that* the story?
This is the reaction from science to alleged new power generation discoveries of a certain nature that just floors me. There should be scientists swarming like bees on the slightest sign of a new effect, with or without mountains of evidence - instead, they seem to run screaming for the doors and queue up to disassociate themselves while shouting 'misconduct!' As if there's a distinct no-go line. It's like someone farted in a crowded room. An impoliteness has occurred and there's a sudden embarrassed hush in conversation. Some questions best not researched and sponsors and careers just evaporate if you do. But that's conspiracy thinking, of course.
Interesting that in the wider Cold Fusion scene, it's the Navy that seems to have been one of the few 'white knights' backing the technology in the face of the harsh winter. Eg.
http://www.infinite-energy.com/iemagazi ... /navy.html
The work described in this report was performed for the Office of Naval Research through the collaboration of Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center, San Diego (SSC San Diego); the Naval Air Warfare Center, Weapons Division, China Lake; and the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL). Released by G.W. Anderson, Head, Applied Research and Technology Branch, Under authority of R.H. Moore, Head, Environmental Sciences Division.
This was in 2002.As I write this Foreword, California is experiencing rolling blackouts due to power shortages. Conventional engineering, planned ahead, could have prevented these blackouts, but it has been politically expedient to ignore the inevitable. We do not know if Cold Fusion will be the answer to future energy needs, but we do know the existence of Cold Fusion phenomenon through repeated observations by scientists throughout the world. It is time that this phenomenon be investigated so that we can reap whatever benefits accrue from additional scientific understanding. It is time for government funding organizations to invest in this research.
Dr. Frank E. Gordon, Head Navigation and Applied Sciences Department
Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center, San Diego
So - hmm. I can't quite get my head around where the Navy is at with regard to this. Did they push this ethics investigation, or are they just playing 'strictly by the book'?