Cold Fusion Geek Out

Once more into the breech for the last of the fusion power GeekOuts, at least for now. Carl and Richard dive into the most controversial aspect of fusion power, so-called "cold fusion." This is a sensitive topic in the scientific community, so much so that it's name changes on a regular basis. The current popular name is Low Energy Nuclear Reactions. And the name is a big deal - Richard starts off the conversation by digging into the idea that there is more than one kind of cold fusion. Then the history lesson starts, with a study of what led up to the dramatic announcement by Fleischmann and Pons in March of 1989 - and the catastrophic fallout that led to the concept of "pathological science" and forcing it essentially underground. So what's real and what is snake oil? Is there something to cold fusion after all? The answers, as always, are complex and interesting!

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