Nuclear Transmutation: The Reality of Cold Fusion
The announcement of cold fusion in March 1989 at the University of Utah was greeted with astonishment worldwide. Drs. Martin Fleischmann and Stanley Pons had claimed that an electrochemical cell with heavy water electrolyte and a palladium cathode gave rise to so much excess energy that the mysterious phenomenon had to be nuclear, and was probably a process related to nuclear fusion. Many scientists quickly took sides for or against cold fusion–mostly against. By the end of the summer the ex
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This English translation of Tadahiko Mizuno’s Japanese book on cold fusion served as a valuable introduction to significant research and progress in a scientific process many have written off as unachievable. In recounting his personal research with electrochemical cells designed to produce a practical source of energy, Dr. Mizuno tells a story of many failures and a few successes. Clearly, reproducibility and consistent power production have been significant problems in producing energy by cold fusion. Though Mizuno was forced to work under conditions that would be regarded as difficult and unacceptable in much of Europe and the U.S., this persevering researcher slowly learned important factors that relate to the goal of achieving a sustained, controlled, and repeatable cold fusion. The obstacles faced by Mizuno were not limited to poor laboratory equipment or the expense of crucial materials, for he also was required to perform the time-consuming teaching duties of a professor and direct or restrict his research and publication efforts as required by authorities. Dr. Mizuno seems to understand what engineers know quite well: a valid theory facilitates the design of a device by proceeding with a design based upon the knowledge of electrical, chemical, and physical properties of materials. I quite enjoyed those parts of the book that revealed the human qualities of Dr. Mizuno as he struggled towards his personal goal of demonstrating cold fusion. At times, he shares a moment of philsophical reflection, showing delightful sides of his personality and character. For a novice in cold fusion research, the glossary proved indispensable. Here, terms are carefully defined, instrumentation functions are described, energy relationships are listed, chemical reactions are explained, and acronymns are expanded. Most readers can learn a lot of basic material on cold fusion by just reading the glossary. The book includes a bibliography of references, an index of topics, and an eight-page cold fusion chronology describing key events from 1967 to 1999. Experienced cold fusion researchers will want to read this book to see if they are named in it and to follow the path to knowledge taken by one of their greatest colleagues. Novices interested in this subject will find that this book tells a readable, event-driven story that teaches as it informs.