Meeting Information

Low Energy Nuclear Reactions (aka Cold Fusion): Problems, Progress and Prospects

November 20, 2006
American Center for Physics,
College Park, MD

Abstract

The problems surrounding cold fusion were diverse, many technical and some social. Now, the challenges to LENR include the residual perception that the field is dead, the difficulty in getting funding for the research and the inability to acquire US patents. Despite these problems, there has been maior experimental progress in the years since 1959. Dozens of "positive" experiments have been conducted by competent and credentialed investigators, who used adequate instrumentation, which was properly calibrated before, during and after the experinienls. Reproducibility has improved significantly. A new theory is being tested. Several prospects for LENR are playing out now. The structure of a LENR research program has been developed. The bottom line despite many problems, nuclear reactions can occur at very low temperatures, so LENR appears to be real, and what to do about it seems clear.

Biography

David J. Nagel is Research Professor in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences of The George Washington University

He received his graduate degrees (MS. in Physics and PhD. in Engineering Materials) from the University of Manyland. He worked as a physicist and manager at the Naval Research laboratory or ~6 years or one-third of that time. I )r Nagel ~ as a member of the Senior Executive Service, and led the cxpeninental and theoretical research arid development efforts of 150 government and contractor personnel. I-Ic retired from the Naval Resei~'e in I 990 \\ ith the rank of Captain lie has written or coauthored over 150 tcchmcal articles, reports, book ehaptci-s and encyclopedia articles 1--us cuiTent research and teaching at The George Washington University center on applications of MEMS and nanotcchnologv. especially wireless sensor networks, and on low energy nuclear reactions