Xref: utzoo sci.research:806 sci.space:10338 misc.headlines:7454 sci.misc:3339
Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!ames!hc!lll-winken!uunet!salt.uucp!dan
From: dan@salt.uucp (Dan Williams)
Newsgroups: sci.research,sci.space,misc.headlines,sci.misc
Subject: Re: Success with cold fusion reported
Keywords: wet blanket, chicken little, politics by fear
Message-ID: <344@salt.UUCP>
Date: 29 Mar 89 22:43:45 GMT
References: <607023650.amon@H.GP.CS.CMU.EDU>
Reply-To: dan@salt.UUCP (Dan Williams)
Organization: MDCCIS, Englewood, CO
Lines: 37

from (Miroslav Kocic)
> The discussion in this newsgroup has so far been about the authenticity
> of the Utah breakthrough, but I have two different concerns.  First, what
> if fusion turns out to create problems we don't foresee?  We didn't
> foresee radioactive waste or meltdowns back when fission was at this
> stage, and, if history teaches anything, it teaches that every benefit
> has a proportional price.  Second, what if cold fusion becomes the
> crack-cocaine of energy production?  I can imagine a thousand fanatics in
> 750 terrorist cells making an H-bomb in their kitchen. 

	We don't even know if a chemical H-bomb is a feasable idea with
this technology.  I think it may be a little premature to start talking
about the sky falling.  Any way the word is out and at this point there is
probably no way you can shut this discovery down.  Once people kown that a
thing is doable then they will find a way to do it.  If the price for the
technology is too high then it won't be used.  There will be a price.
Nothing comes for free.
	In an interview I heard, one of the researchers was talking about a
period of twenty years while they look into the possiblities of this
discovery, like scaling up the size, investigating changes, enviromental
impact, and anything else their fertile little brains can come up with.  I
think twenty years is a little pesimistic on their part since there will be
a lot of presure to speed up development.  But on the plus side you can bet
that there will be not a little money thrown their way.  I think this will
tell you that they are approaching this discovery with all appropriate
caution.  There will be enough people looking at this to enumerate any
problems we can think of. If we can't think of a problem that may manefest
itself in the future then there is no way we could have known and we will
deal with it when it comes.

	Now if only this is for real then these postings have some meaning. 
 _______________________________________________________
|   fusion is a reality                                 |
|   Dan Williams 		 uunet!salt!dan		|
|   MCDONNELL DOUGLAS 	 Denver CO			|
|   Any opinions expressed by me are not the 		|
|   opinions of McDonnell Douglas.			|up.