Undergrad Research in Cold Fusion & Experiments: US Programs

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the availability of undergraduate research programs in the U.S. focused on cold fusion and related experiments. Participants express skepticism about the current state of research funding and interest in this area.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant inquires about undergraduate research programs related to cold fusion.
  • Another participant suggests that interest in cold fusion research may be outdated, referencing a cultural artifact as a point of context.
  • A participant expresses doubt about the funding for cold fusion research, noting that many governments have deemed it unworthy of support.
  • It is mentioned that Toyota previously funded cold fusion research but has since ceased, indicating a lack of serious funding sources currently.
  • One participant advises that pursuing cold fusion may not be practical and suggests exploring other areas of energy research instead.
  • A final post indicates a desire to conclude the discussion without further elaboration.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally express skepticism about the viability and funding of cold fusion research, with no consensus on the existence of current undergraduate programs in this field.

Contextual Notes

There are indications of a stigma associated with cold fusion research due to past failures, and participants highlight a potential lack of funding and interest from academic institutions.

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Does anyone happen to know any undergrad research programs in the U.S. that deal with cold fusion and related experiments?
 
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I'm not sure that anybody actually funds stuff like that anymore. Not sure how many universities ever did fund these projects in the first place.

Now I'm not enough of an authority (lowly grad student in biophysics) to say that it's all a crock, but almost every government in the developed world has put some sort of research in it and concluded that it's not worth government funding.

Don't take this the wrong way, it's not meant to be offensively derisive: if you want to get involved in cold fusion, you might want to look into an undergrad creative writing workshop instead of an REU this summer.
 
Toyota used to fund cold fusion research, but they stopped a number of years ago. I think they were the last serious funders of the work. I'm not sure anyone is actually working on it anymore; it didn't work and no one could ever make it work. And since it was such a huge career-ended last time someone thought they had it working (which was their own fault, really) there's a stigma attached to it. So in conclusion, no, you're not going to find an REU on the topic. But you might be able to find something to do with energy research if you look around enough.
 
This thread is done.
 

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