From: ames!FNALD.FNAL.GOV!DROEGE
Subject: A Reply to Dick Blue
Reply-To: ames!FNALD.FNAL.GOV!DROEGE
Organization: Sci.physics.fusion/Mail Gateway
Date: Fri, 14 Aug 1992 02:01:30 GMT

Dick Blue says: "One problem with following hunches in the design of 
experiments is that, unless you have the guidance of good sense and some 
experience in the field of investigation, there are too many possible avenues 
to be explored."  

In other words, do what was successful last year.  Build a Cosmotron - that 
was a great machine.  Build a Bevatron - and find the anti-proton.  Now build 
the AGS, then CERN, then Fermilab, and then the SSC.  (I have skipped machines 
like the PPA and the ZGS that were not even on the track that Dick Blue would 
follow.)  It does not take a wizard with a slide rule and APS journals to 
figure out that productivity has decreased with each machine.  Measure it any 
way you want, per new particle, per new idea, per technical paper, per 
machine, per dollar, per student.  I think that similar things could be said 
about the plasma machines, but I have not followed them as closely.  The 
really great and high productivity work was done by Lawrence, Wilson & Co 
building cyclotrons.  There was a lot of criticism at the time from the then 
main line researchers about supporting this research with no "experience" 
behind it.    

As an exercise to the student, take any famous old building in your city that 
is considered a "treasure" today.  Go back and look at the newspapers of the 
day and see how it was received.  Take, for example, the Eiffel Tower.  It was 
considered an ugly blotch on the Paris landscape when it was built.  The 
reactionaries always oppose the new and different just because it is new and 
therefore painful. 

At some point, it is time to recognize that one should quit following last 
decades path and to go out and try something new.  Anything!

Then Dick says: "You can p*ss away untold time and resources doing experiments 
that haven't a ghost of a chance of turning up anything new or interesting."

I think that is what we are doing now Dick, with the SSC and the big plasma
machine.  

Dick further says: "Just because you want cold fusion to happen doesn't make 
it good prospect for extensive experimentation, especially by people who 
aren't able to accept NO for an answer!"

Drudges who grind down the same old path adding one digit to the measurement 
are useful to people like me that want to look up constants in a handbook.  
But they are not of much use in exploring new territory.  Columbus ( who 
somehow is no longer PC ) did not take "NO" for an answer.  It *is* true that 
a lot of explorers get lost and are never heard from again.  We know the risk 
we are taking.  

But I tend to agree with Dick's specific criticism.  Dick says Takahashi does 
not make a good neutron measurement.  I don't think too much of the heat 
measurement.  That does not leave much for the Japanese government to invest 
big Yen.  But replications seem to be coming in so either they are fooling 
each other or something is there.  

I agree with Dick.  (Putting words in his mouth!)  The government should only 
fund research where the results can be guaranteed.  Those of you able to 
figure out the meaning of research will be able to figure out how much money 
the government spends by this rule.  

Tom Droege

Newsgroups: sci.physics.fusion