If we take this comment from Romney literally, he thinks not only is cold fusion a done deal, but U of U solved it:
WashEx — I do believe in basic science. I believe in participating in space. I believe in analysis of new sources of energy. I believe in laboratories, looking at ways to conduct electricity with — with cold fusion, if we can come up with it. It was the University of Utah that solved that. We somehow can’t figure out how to duplicate it.
Cold fusion was a purported breakthrough decades ago where hydrogen nuclei were brought close enough together to lock via the strong force, i.e., fusion, without the 10 million degrees and gigapascals of pressure it takes inside a star or, briefly, when a kilo of hydrogen is sandwiched for an instant between several coordinated A-bombs.
Cold fusion was debunked 22 years ago, and Romney’s comment is not all that far off: it was reported but could not be replicated. Taken alone, that kind of comment wouldn’t worry me all that much coming from a non science politico. But it’s not alone by a long shot. tthe scientific illiteracy of these clowns has reached epic proportions. Now they’re reaping the just reward of garbage in, garbage out in all kinds of ways.
Hey, he’s a guy who thinks that you could clear smoke out of an airplane at altitude by opening a window. How in the world could he understand nuclear physics!
They did no such thing.
It was a combination of an artifact and wishful thinking. Both chemists involved ended up leaving the U. of Utah.
True.
Romney went to Harvard and Stanford. He should be smart enough to know basic science and show some common sense. But maybe he isn’t.
The frightening thing is, you can’t blame homeschooling on their abject and willful ignorance. Willard is allegedly a college graduate with his undergrad work at BYU and his joint JD/MBA at Harvard, cum laude from the Law School and a Baker Scholar from the Business School.
Which makes me wonder: has anyone ever seen his long-form diploma?
Evolution: LIES!
Climate Change: LIES!
Cold fusion: Proven.
Republican Science.
And notice he says cold fusion is used to “conduct” electricity. I think he heard the term and assumed it was about superconductors…which I doubt he understands either.
Off-topic~ish but Mittens has also released his new space exploration policy too :
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2012/09/24/space-shuffle/comment-page-3/#comment-563220
No extra funding for NASA and no specific missions. Don’t like the sound of that Mittens.
Both chemists involved ended up leaving the U. of Utah.
So yeah, U of U really did solve it.
Romney went to Harvard and Stanford. He should be smart enough to know basic science and show some common sense.
I went to UVA, I barely got my BA in international relations after pretty much flunking out of engineering — and I still have more sicence sense than this smirking stooge. I’m deeply appalled that the Democrats aren’t milking the “how can our kids get good jobs if the country is run by morons?” angle every chance they get. Seriously, Republican stupidity is an economic issue.
Given the conspiratorial tendencies of so many of today’s Republicans, I don’t doubt that a story that cold fusion has been suppressed by, well I don’t know who, just pick the enemy of the week.
Maybe this will start a wave of home-based cold fusion research. I’d better go buy some palladium, the price is about to go up.
Raging Bee makes a great point about their stupidity having serious economic implications. There are non-morons in the party, very serious ones, unfortunately they appear to be ideologues first-‘they may be morons, but their our morons’, instead of thinking of what this country needs.
he also believes the garden of eden is in missouri…
Oops.
That first sentence, “I do believe in basic science” is likely to damage his image among the GOP base. Is he trying to lose this election on purpose?
So by Romny’s logic anyone who has ever hit a bullseye even once is a marksman?
I find it highly amusing that he thinks energy generation (real or not) is the same as distribution.
Yes, yes. Conduct electricity with cold fusion. Copper wire is fucking cheaper.
I remember, perhaps from the McCain campaign, somebody saying that scientific research would be funded… but only when the potential discoveries were known and approved. None of that silly serendipity for us!
Well, according to youtube, literally dozens of people have perfected the free energy perpetual motion thing with magnets glued to the plastic frame of a computer fan. I can haz oval offis nao plz?
Do you think he will flip-flop on that when they tell him you can’t roll down the windows on spacecraft either.
“We somehow can’t figure out how to duplicate it.”
That should’ve been a hint even for the less scientific literate.
Which goes to prove Mittens doesn’t have a fucking clue.
My husband has been obsessively following the development of “Low Energy Nuclear Reactors” online. Apparently National Instruments (here in Austin) is helping with the verification/manufacturing/development of a LENR by an Italian named Rossi. I admit the idea is appealing, but I’m not holding my breath.
@cgilder: Fleischmann & Pons were sincere, inompetent, and deluded. Rossi is simply a scam artist.
Conservapedia seems to believe Fleischmann and Pons were on to something. But strangely, they don’t believe in relativity.
http://www.conservapedia.com/Cold_fusion
http://www.conservapedia.com/Theory_of_Relativity
I can’t keep up with all the advances in wingnut science.
@StevoR – “No further details about these prospective science and exploration missions are provided”
Reince Rriebus claims the GOP plan has “Specifics coming out of our eyeballs.” Too bad they’re not coming out of their mouths.
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Also, “We somehow can’t figure out how to duplicate it.”
They haven’t been able to duplicate the walking on water or translating magic tablets with a hat tricks either.
Holy shit, could he at least use words fit together, as in, making sense in the same sentence?
The nice thing about science is that you don’t have to believe in it, you can just try if it works.
Can’t remember who said it, but I loved this quote from the cold fusion incident:
You can. You just have to depressurize it first, which isn’t a problem if you have supplemental oxygen and you’re below 50,000 feet. Of course, if the fire is still going all the additional airflow will just make it that much worse.
For the 737-400:
Um… that’s not exactly how a fusion bomb works…