If you can't make it work once...
Mar. 14th, 2006 10:51 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
danalwynI put two systems in such bad state today that they needed to be rebooted. This is no surprise to Windows users, who usually reboot every day, but it's rare that a Linux server gets in such a bad state that it needs to be forced to restart. Not a good sign.
In other news, it appears that Purdue is launching an investigation into Rusi P. Taleyarkhan, Professor of Nuclear Engineering, based on the possibility that he might not have been appropriately rigorous in reporting his results. Concern has been building over Dr. Taleyarkhan's reported observation of "Tabletop Fusion", in which cold nuclear fusion is reproduced on a small scale using sonoluminescence on a tabletop device. He claimed to have recorded a neutron signature from such a device that was indicative of fusion.
No other scientist has been able to reproduce those results. To make matters worse, a UCLA group has developed the theory that the neutron emissions best match the radiation signature of Californium, a radioactive element present in the laboratory. So far, the vast interest that might be expected to appear should tabletop cold fusion be possible has failed to materialize. Dr. Taleyarkhan stands by his results however, and welcomes the investigation. He claims to be confident that his claims will be upheld.
Science's self-correction method kicks in once again. Curiously, this comes just as D0 releases their early results on Bs mixing. The difference is that D0 is canny enough that they're probably going to get away with it, even if it does leave us a bit disgruntled.
In other news, it appears that Purdue is launching an investigation into Rusi P. Taleyarkhan, Professor of Nuclear Engineering, based on the possibility that he might not have been appropriately rigorous in reporting his results. Concern has been building over Dr. Taleyarkhan's reported observation of "Tabletop Fusion", in which cold nuclear fusion is reproduced on a small scale using sonoluminescence on a tabletop device. He claimed to have recorded a neutron signature from such a device that was indicative of fusion.
No other scientist has been able to reproduce those results. To make matters worse, a UCLA group has developed the theory that the neutron emissions best match the radiation signature of Californium, a radioactive element present in the laboratory. So far, the vast interest that might be expected to appear should tabletop cold fusion be possible has failed to materialize. Dr. Taleyarkhan stands by his results however, and welcomes the investigation. He claims to be confident that his claims will be upheld.
Science's self-correction method kicks in once again. Curiously, this comes just as D0 releases their early results on Bs mixing. The difference is that D0 is canny enough that they're probably going to get away with it, even if it does leave us a bit disgruntled.