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Hacking the Atom
Steven B. Krivit's Explorations in Nuclear Research three-book series (Hacking the Atom, Fusion Fiasco, Lost History) describes the emergence of a new field of science, one that bridges chemistry and physics. The books give readers an understanding of low-energy nuclear reaction (LENR) research and its history and provide a rare behind-the-scenes look at the players and personalities involved. The books present the results of in-depth historical research and draw on formerly inaccessible archives to describe what occurred in the research that has been mistakenly called "cold fusion."
Hacking the Atom, written for scientists and non-scientists alike, covers the period from 1990 to 2015 and explains how changes to atomic nuclei can occur with low-energy methods. The book reveals the hidden story of how the science initially and erroneously called "cold fusion" continued to progress slowly but incrementally after its near-death in 1989. The book shows that 100 years of chemistry and physics is not wrong but is incomplete and that there is something new and exciting in the physical sciences.
Hacking the Explains why LENRs may lead to a new form of nuclear energy without harmful radiation. Shows why LENRs are not based on "cold fusion" but are instead based on weak interactions. Gives examples of experimental evidence of isotopic shifts and elemental transmutations that confirm LENRs as real nuclear reactions. Provides an easy-to-follow tutorial on the Widom-Larsen theory, a plausible explanation — which does not violate laws of physics — for the experimental observations. Provides clear explanations for the lack of dangerous radiation from the experiments. Explains the basis for the stigma as well as the root causes for the lack of progress in the field. Provides case studies of surprising behavior by scientists, ranging from zealotry to outright fraud. Does it all in an easy-to-follow chronology and an engaging, page-turning narrative.
Hacking the Atom, written for scientists and non-scientists alike, covers the period from 1990 to 2015 and explains how changes to atomic nuclei can occur with low-energy methods. The book reveals the hidden story of how the science initially and erroneously called "cold fusion" continued to progress slowly but incrementally after its near-death in 1989. The book shows that 100 years of chemistry and physics is not wrong but is incomplete and that there is something new and exciting in the physical sciences.
Hacking the Explains why LENRs may lead to a new form of nuclear energy without harmful radiation. Shows why LENRs are not based on "cold fusion" but are instead based on weak interactions. Gives examples of experimental evidence of isotopic shifts and elemental transmutations that confirm LENRs as real nuclear reactions. Provides an easy-to-follow tutorial on the Widom-Larsen theory, a plausible explanation — which does not violate laws of physics — for the experimental observations. Provides clear explanations for the lack of dangerous radiation from the experiments. Explains the basis for the stigma as well as the root causes for the lack of progress in the field. Provides case studies of surprising behavior by scientists, ranging from zealotry to outright fraud. Does it all in an easy-to-follow chronology and an engaging, page-turning narrative.
480 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 5, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
August 24, 2020
This book is part of a series of three in which the writer (who is well-informed and personally knows most of the people in the field himself) describes the history of cold fusion research from the period of 1989 to 2016. He describes the efforts of all the major players in the field who stubbornly refused to give up while the whole of the scientific community ignored it as 'Bad Science'.
As it turns out, the term 'cold fusion' is not only a misnomer ('Low Energy Nuclear Reactions' is the more appropriate term), but those in the field who have kept on the concept of 'fusion', have done so with a religious zealotry almost unheard of in science.
They have threatened, intimidated, and conned people into toeing the line, and this book reads as much as a good thriller as it does as a history of the work itself. It tells about how those in the field who are unwilling to change their theories to fit the data, have instead tried vigorously to have theirs and others data altered to fit their theory. In doing so, they have totally validated their critics claims of bad science. And those in the LENR field who do have open minds have suffered tremendously as a result, often personally in the form of their careers and jobs.
As such this book is also a telltale history of the immense ego's in the field, and their astonishingly unscientific behaviour. No doubt, the author will have it's critics, but that is because undoubtedly he will be considered a heretic by the cold fusion zealots. For that reason alone you should read it, and decide for yourself.
Apart from that, it describes, in detail, but in terms that a layman can understand, the real progress that has been made in the field, and mentions the best fitting theory for what has been observed experimentally, the Widom-Larsen theory.
Now, I've dabbled into cold fusion research a bit myself back in 1990 when I was still in high school (after all, it IS a tabletop experiment, and I DID get excess, unexplained heat myself as well; my science teacher had no explanation), and I've kept a distant interest in the field for the last 30 years.
This book has renewed my interest, and not only does it bring me right up to date with all the research that has been done (at least till 2016), but also gives me so many experimental clues and just enough theoretical understanding, that I feel I can start experimenting again.
It's well-written, witty, and no-nonsense, and the writer is not above pointing out his own mistakes (even disavowing one of his earlier books on the subject), and in my opinion, he accurately describes most of the reasons (i.e. the egos and the conniving) why this field of research has suffered so much from derision and lack of funding.
I read this 400+ page book in 3 days, and I'm looking forward to reading the other 2 in this 3 part series.
A MUST READ if you're into cold fusion, except that you must realize that:
Cold Fusion is dead... long live LENR!
As it turns out, the term 'cold fusion' is not only a misnomer ('Low Energy Nuclear Reactions' is the more appropriate term), but those in the field who have kept on the concept of 'fusion', have done so with a religious zealotry almost unheard of in science.
They have threatened, intimidated, and conned people into toeing the line, and this book reads as much as a good thriller as it does as a history of the work itself. It tells about how those in the field who are unwilling to change their theories to fit the data, have instead tried vigorously to have theirs and others data altered to fit their theory. In doing so, they have totally validated their critics claims of bad science. And those in the LENR field who do have open minds have suffered tremendously as a result, often personally in the form of their careers and jobs.
As such this book is also a telltale history of the immense ego's in the field, and their astonishingly unscientific behaviour. No doubt, the author will have it's critics, but that is because undoubtedly he will be considered a heretic by the cold fusion zealots. For that reason alone you should read it, and decide for yourself.
Apart from that, it describes, in detail, but in terms that a layman can understand, the real progress that has been made in the field, and mentions the best fitting theory for what has been observed experimentally, the Widom-Larsen theory.
Now, I've dabbled into cold fusion research a bit myself back in 1990 when I was still in high school (after all, it IS a tabletop experiment, and I DID get excess, unexplained heat myself as well; my science teacher had no explanation), and I've kept a distant interest in the field for the last 30 years.
This book has renewed my interest, and not only does it bring me right up to date with all the research that has been done (at least till 2016), but also gives me so many experimental clues and just enough theoretical understanding, that I feel I can start experimenting again.
It's well-written, witty, and no-nonsense, and the writer is not above pointing out his own mistakes (even disavowing one of his earlier books on the subject), and in my opinion, he accurately describes most of the reasons (i.e. the egos and the conniving) why this field of research has suffered so much from derision and lack of funding.
I read this 400+ page book in 3 days, and I'm looking forward to reading the other 2 in this 3 part series.
A MUST READ if you're into cold fusion, except that you must realize that:
Cold Fusion is dead... long live LENR!
July 25, 2019
The intrigue of science and scientific personalities at its best! This is a thoroughly enjoyable read with a compelling narrative, intriguing science and potentially useful technology. Mr. Steven Krivit has undertaken an admirable job of offering his perspectives on this very complex field (of phenomena and people) and continues to unfold it via his remarkable website (http://www.newenergytimes.com/). Even though the results of the so-called “cold-fusion” were initially generated by respectable electrochemists like Profs. Fleischmann, Pons and Bockris, its glamorous presentation (via a press conference!), uncertain scientific foundations and formidable issues of reproducibility made it a pariah science. Besides, its birth pangs were associated with a clash of scientific cultures between empirically driven chemists and theoretically minded physicists. History of science typically relies on establishing empirical facts by one set of scientists and another set of scientists proposing an underlying theory for them. Unfortunately, in this field, the respected electrochemists who presented the experimental results also proposed a rather untenable theory, which proved to be a straw-man vitiating the usual cycles of evolution of a scientific field in peer-reviewed literature. Having been pushed out of mainstream peer-reviewed literature, the band of scientists who continued to pursue the work courageously developed their sub-culture. In time, fissures within this community seem to have prevented the development of alternative theories that appear more plausible and other crucial experimental results like elemental transmutation. This 3-part work, written in reverse chronological manner comes at a timely moment when the pioneers of this field have either faded away or retired without effective knowledge transfer to the next generation of scientists. The first volume (which is what I have read in 2 days!) covers the drama between 1990-2015, the second presumably covers the thunder of 1989-90 and the third volume, the mysteries between 1912 to 1927. If you have read Mr. Krivit book written in 2004, you are in for a pleasant surprise-in a decade, Mr. Krivit seems to have matured to a mixture of a superb story-teller and an informative scientific reporter.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews