Italian Scientists Claim (Dubious) Cold Fusion Breakthrough
Rossi and Focardi's Cold Fusion Device The future of energy involves tin foil and Dell laptops. Good science is always rooted in good data, but the most entertaining science is the stuff that transcends the need for data by rooting itself fantastical claims and a rejection of the idea that data is even necessary. So naturally it's a thrill to learn that two Italian scientists claim to have successfully developed a cold fusion reactor that produces 12,400 watts of heat power per 400 watts of input. Not only that, but they'll be commercially available in just three months. Maybe. Cold fusion is a tricky business-some say a theoretically implausible business-and exactly zero of the previous claims of successful cold fusion have proven legitimate. Hypothetically (and broadly) speaking, the process involves fusing two smaller atomic nuclei together into a larger nucleus, a process that releases massive amounts of energy. If harnessed, cold...