Cold fusion : the scientific fiasco of the century /

Huizenga's title does little to hide his point of view in this well documented, albeit often repetitive work. As a physics professor at a distinguished university and cochair of the DOE advisory panel on cold fusion, Huizenga was in a unique position to be aware of the day-to-day developments in the cold fusion story, and to have a global view of the political power-plays and complex interactions among the several different scientific constituencies that have had key roles in the development of this fascinating story. From its unusual introduction to the popular press rather than to a refereed periodical, to the many meetings of chemists and physicists devoted to the presentation of and evaluation of data, the subject of cold fusion has held the attention of a large community of scientists for more than three years. The role of wishful thinking, sloppy experimentation, and a willingness to disregard previous well-established theories in order to "explain" cold fusion has colored the whole assessment process. Scientists emerge as less than dispassionate and careful searchers after the truth. This book belongs in all college and university libraries. K. L. Schick; Union College (NY)