Natural Science Forum / Physics / General Physics / July 2008

WHAT’S NEW   Robert L. Park   Friday, 4 July 08   Washington, DC

1.  SCIENCE BUDGET:  ROUND-OFF MONEY AVERTS LAYOFF.
As WN pointed out last week, $400 million in the $186 billion supplemental
war spending bill, or about 0.2 percent, is for science.  It’s divided
among four agencies.  Still, it allowed Fermilab, the nation’s top
accelerator laboratory, to resume its research program and avoid the lay
off of 80 employees.  Fermilab has been paying employees from an anonymous
$5 million gift since May.   For the top high-energy physics research
facility in the world’s most powerful nation to be reduced to operating on
private charity is a national embarrassment.  We desperately need change
in our science policy.  Somebody’s campaign slogan is "change," but
neither candidate ever mentions science.

2.  CHANGE:  IT SOUNDS GOOD, BUT WHICH WAY IS IT GOING?
It is standard political lore that anyone seeking nomination must fish in
friendly water.  Once nominated, they should begin casting their lines in
the direction of their opponent.  So it is that having secured the
nomination Obama is now trying to hook a few evangelicals, even calling
for expansion of Bush’s controversial faith-based initiative.  His fund
raising now targets the big fish rather than the ten-dollar mom-and-pop
donations he boasted of during the nomination.  Yesterday, according to
the NY Times, Obama gave a talk in Fargo, ND in which he made his usual
point that the United States cannot sustain a long-term military presence
in Iraq, but then added that he might "refine" his policies on Iraq after
he meets with American commanders in Iraq next month.  This, I’m assured,
is smart politics, but I liked him better when he wasn’t that smart.

3.  ENERGY:  HIGH FUEL PRICES BRING OUT THE VOODOO SCIENCE.
The latest is something called the Hydro Assist Fuel Cell.  It’s not a
fuel cell as the rest of world uses the term; it’s a kit to modify your
existing car.  It extracts a hydrogen-oxygen mixture from water and adds
it to your fuel, doubling your mpg.  The same people are now offering the
Pre-Ignition Catalytic Converter, PICC, to upgrade performance of the
HAFC.  Never mind the laws of thermodynamics, it’s "based on scientific
observation."  But this is another mom and pop operation; the big fish are
still biting on BlackLight Power.  Let’s take a look.

4.  HYDRINO SCAM:  IT COULD HAVE BEEN A LOT BIGGER.
According to an article in Wednesday’s CNN Money.com, BlackLight Power has
raised $60 million from investors "in its 19-year history."  Nineteen
years would take it back to its cold fusion roots.  WN has followed Randy
Mills since 1991 http://bobpark.physics.umd.edu/WN91/wn042691.html when he
held a press conference in Lancaster, PA.  The full history can be found
in the What’s New archives, http://www.bobpark.org , click on Search and
type in “hydrino.”  Some estimates were that Mills could raise $1 billion
with an IPO, but he was unable to protect his intellectual property, if
any, with a US patent http://bobpark.physics.umd.edu/WN02/wn090602.html .
He then sought to patent the process abroad.  In April 2008 he was denied
4 patents in the UK.

THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND.
Opinions are the author's and not necessarily shared by the
University of Maryland, but they should be.
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