A pipedream?
There was an experiment last May, in Japan. Does anyone have any follow-up on that experiment that took place?
Here's the webpage referencing that experiment:
http://www.physorg.com/news131101595.html
Cold Fusion was very controversial 20 years ago (and remains sporadically so today), when Martin Fleischmann and Stanley Pons said they had achieved a cold fusion reaction.
The following is an excerpt taken from this webpage:
http://www.tech-faq.com/cold-fusion.shtml
"The term "cold fusion" became popular in 1989 when two scientists (Martin Fleischmann and Stanley Pons) announced that they were able to achieve a cold fusion reaction - something previously thought impossible given scientific theory.
"The initial euphoria over the achievement of turned to controversy when other scientists claimed they were unable to replicate the test results. This led to charges that the two scientists had either doctored their data or became embroiled in wishful thinking. The controversy, which was widely reported in scientific publications and the media, ended with both scientists in disgrace.
"In the years since, however, various scientists have achieved cold fusion reactions using a variety of approaches. Scientists at UCLA, for example, used a small lithium tantalite crystal (a pyroelectric substance that forms an electric charge when heated) placed within a hydrogen-filled chamber. When they warmed the crystal (from -30 F to 45 F), a 100,000-volt electrical field formed across the small crystal. A metal wire placed near the crystal discharged the electrical charge at a single point - and the hydrogen atoms in the chamber started smacking into other hydrogen atoms. The scientists noted the creation of helium nuclei, the release of high-energy radiation and free neutrons - all signs of fusion reaction. Similar results, using other methods, have been reported at various scientific installations.
"Unfortunately, cold fusion as a cheap, reliable energy source is still currently unlikely. While the above experiments appear to prove the feasibility of fusion reactions without the need for gigantic equipment or massive amounts of energy, power output generated is still way below the amount of actual energy used."
Don