A fantastic invention or fantasy?

[kowalskil]

An Italian inventor, Andrea Rossi, claims that a 1000 MW nuclear reactor, being constructed in Greece, will become operational in October 2011. I hope he is right; how can one not be happy to have electricity which is ten times less expensive than from coal, and without any pollution? But I am skeptical. Why? Read this paper:

http://pages.csam.montclair.edu/~kowalski/cf/rossi.html

But many reputable people take his claim seriously, as illustrated in these two posts:

http://www.rainews24.rai.it/it/video.php?id=23096



How can such optimism be explained?
.
.

Ludwik Kowalski (see Wikipedia)
author of: http://csam.montclair.edu/~kowalski/life/intro.html

 

[phinds]

I didn't watch the vids in the links. Are any of these "reputable people" physicists? Cold fusion has be a staple of crackpots for some time. I don't know that it will never be possible, but if he has done repeatable cold fusion, it would be known all over the world as soon as it was confirmed.

 

[Drakkith]

We'll just have to wait and see. There are plenty of reasons to be highly skeptical, but in the end we will just have to wait.

 

[russ_watters]

See our skepticism and debunking forum for recent threads on this. It doesn't qualify for the engineering forums - there is no engineering to discuss.

 

[alphy]

I must approach this claim with a critical and analytical mindset. While the idea of a 1000 MW nuclear reactor that is cheaper and cleaner than coal is certainly appealing, it is important to carefully examine the evidence and claims put forth by Andrea Rossi.

Firstly, the paper provided by Mr. Kowalski raises valid concerns about the feasibility and safety of the reactor design. The lack of transparency and peer review in the development process is a red flag for any scientific invention. Without proper testing and validation, it is difficult to accept the claims made by Rossi.

Furthermore, the fact that the reactor is being constructed in Greece and not a more technologically advanced country is also cause for skepticism. If the technology truly has the potential to revolutionize energy production, one would expect it to be developed and tested in a country with more advanced scientific capabilities.

The two posts cited as evidence of reputable people taking Rossi's claim seriously do not provide any substantial evidence or support for the validity of the invention. It is important to remember that even reputable individuals can be misled or mistaken, and their opinions should not be taken as definitive proof.

In conclusion, while the idea of a cheap and clean nuclear reactor is certainly appealing, it is important to approach this claim with a critical and scientific mindset. It is crucial to carefully examine the evidence and claims put forth by Rossi and to wait for proper testing and validation before accepting the invention as a reality. Blind optimism and excitement should not overshadow the need for thorough scientific scrutiny.