Session S13 - General Physics.
ORAL session, Monday afternoon, April 30
Room 12-13, Renaissance Hotel
As guest editor of a recent Ethics in Science publication(S. R. Chubb, Accountability in Research, v 8), #'s 1 and 2, 1 (2000). (http://www.gbhap us.com/journals/149/149-top.htm), I requested key players, from both sides of the Cold Fusion (CF) debate, to attempt to go beyond questions involving the merits of CF, by addressing a more basic issue: have CF claims been judged effectively. All participants agreed that this has not occurred. Three factors seem to have been responsible: 1. Errors in the initial neutron measurements, 2. Events immediately prior to and during a specific APS session, held 1 May 1989, and 3. Irresponsible use of FAX machines and the Internet. The resulting furor, fueled by these Information Era Technologies (IET's), has evolved into such a serious breakdown in communication that, even after 11 years, it is impossible to rule-out the possibility that a number of important new discoveries may have occurred. Regardless of the merits of the claims, two lessons can be drawn from the debate: 1. Individuals and groups must be held accountable for their actions and statements, 2. When IET users fail to respect each other, IET's can seriously impede communication.