LPP’s policy on data release
(37) CommentsLawrenceville Plasma Physics, Inc. (LPP) policy on data release, as stated by Eric Lerner, President:
Now that our Focus-Fusion-1 device is operational, we know that many people who have been following this project will be eagerly awaiting our experimental results. LPP firmly believes that scientific advances occur when results, both positive and negative, are freely shared and discussed throughout the community.
However, it is important to understand that experimental data have to be analyzed, digested and interpreted before they can become meaningful results. This takes time and affects the way that results are released.
Eric describes three main ways of publishing scientific results:
Announcing results on a website
The fastest way to release results is to announce them to the press and put them on our website. The disadvantage of this route is that it lacks the feedback from our scientific colleagues, who might point out alternative explanations of the data or flaws in our analysis. It increase the risk of publicizing results that may in fact later prove to be in error, which can have a big negative impact on the credibility of our effort.
Announcing results at scientific conferences
The second fastest way, which we intend to use in most circumstances, is to announce results at scientific conferences. Here, even if the results are preliminary, we have an opportunity to get our colleagues reactions, get suggestions from them, and either get confirmation of our conclusions or, possibly, modify them. LPP is currently lining up conferences that we intend to participate in, including the Conference on Future Energy this month and the International Conference on Plasma Physics (ICOPS) next spring.
Peer-reviewed scientific journals
The slowest method is publication in a peer-reviewed scientific journal. This method is useful for highly controversial results, where we expect considerable skepticism from some in the scientific community and the public in general—especially results that may seem “too good to be true”. The peer-review process, although it has very significant flaws, does allow us to answer some skeptical arguments and gives to our work, once published, a greater degree of credibility. Avoiding this process could very well bog us down in unproductive debate.
Since any positive result with hydrogen-boron fuel will in fact be highly controversial, we will almost certainly wait for peer-reviewed publication before publicizing these results, which we will not in any case be expecting until 2010.
So, we ask for everyone’s patience as we let them know, as rapidly as possible, of our results.
For those of you who were hoping for a webcam in the lab to watch it all unfold in real time, this may come as a disappointment. Here’s a little humor on scientific results to ease the pain.
Rest assured, we will be documenting LPP’s process as much as possible - even if we don’t get to publish everything right away.
The Baby has a Name!
LPP Press Release
Comments
For a more in depth discussion, start a thread in the forums.Breakable;
The heating is by a helium to gas, helium to fluid, or helium to metal plate heat exchanger, as we’ve noted in other threads. One point I haven’t seen discussed is the need to cool both the anode and the ion converter coils, which will be pulling maybe thousands of amps in 360hz pulses.
Brian;
Special interest groups rule by lobbyists until the 20:1 (or better) cost advantage raises enough outrage to get all of Capitol Hill requiring the NRC to draft an entirely separate DPF/pB-11 classification. That document is the key to freedom in siting.
By the way… Dues paying members of The Focus Fusion Society (and yes, I am one) learned within a couple of hours of the first successful pulse. The results did not get posted on the web page for several days.
There have also been some significant developments which have never been revealed anywhere outside the monthly news blurb which Eric sends to members. It’s only 30 bucks a year.
Thanx, Jimmy. I’ll upgrade today!
Aero;
The US is not the world. If the NRC or any other regulatory authority in the US drags feet in authorizing deployment of FF, the lead in deploying cheap power obtained by other nations not so inhibited will swiftly convince them to mend their ways. Cheap power is a HUGE ‘competitive advantage’ in virtually every sphere of manufacturing, commerce, and agriculture.
Globalization runs both directions, after all!
Brian;
If people bought products or ideas by pure logic, nobody would smoke or drink.
People buy on emotion, so be ready for a long, brutal fight for acceptance, no matter how clearly superior our technology is.
You’re missing the point. Logic has nothing to do with it, nor does depending on anyone’s reasonableness.
The payoff for using FF will be so great that SOME jurisdiction (France, India, China, Canada, UK, Chile, wherever) will fast-track it. Their “competitive advantage” and results will be so obvious that others will join in, and the longer the US declines to join in, the worse its situation will become.
Speaking of data release and all, have there been any shots in, oh, the last (first) week or so? Is He still being used, or has FoFuWun moved on to Deuterium? Or is it all a secret? :(
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