Even though the Associated Press sent a journalist from New York to Bologna, Italy to observe the testing of the first 1 MW E-Cat plant, the first major news source to cover the energy catalyzer story and actually talk to Andrea Rossi is Fox News.
John Brandon’s Article, “Cold Fusion Experiment: Major Success or Complex Hoax?” provides some context for the E-Cat story by briefly reviewing the history of cold fusion, and making the rather sweeping statement that “Scientists say . . . cold fusion is patently impossible. They say it defies the laws of physics.” That’s not exactly true — he could have said “many scientists”, or “most scientists”, but there are plenty of scientists who acknowledge that cold fusion is possible in theory, if not in current practice.
Brandon makes the interesting statement that, “Rossi’s claims have confounded the scientific community, many of whom have either dismissed the demonstration outright or have questioned whether the E-Cat really works. Several experts who spoke to FoxNews.com declined to comment or go on the record.”
This reluctance to make an outright condemnation on the record could indicate that there are some experts who are hedging their bets about Rossi’s claims. And rightly so, in my mind. Even if you can’t fully get behind his claims, there is enough evidence from public tests, and statements from expert witnesses to at least make one wonder that something very unusual, however unlikely, could be going on.
For those who know Andrea Rossi, the things he says in the Fox News piece are very familiar. He explains that his method fuses hydrogen with nickel, releasing much more heat than is needed to bring about the reaction, and makes no attempt to debate the skeptics. Working products used by satisfied customers will provide all the proof of the E-Cat that will be needed, he maintains. “We have nothing to say, just to make plans that work properly and let those facts win against the skepticism,” he says.
It will be interesting to see the effect that this Fox News piece will have. Foxnews.com has an Alexa ranking of 159 (meaning the 159th most visited site worldwide), making it a more widely read publication than any that has as yet mentioned the E-Cat story. And overall, I think this is quite a fair piece, especially in the fact that Rossi himself is quoted, and this will probably the first time that many readers will be introduced to his bold claims and his absolute conviction.
The Internet is an interesting place. People can go from obscurity to household names almost overnight if their story has right kind of coverage and a certain appeal. I’m not saying this article will do that for Rossi, but this kind of piece could start building a momentum that could one day, with just the right catalyst put the E-Cat in particular, and cold fusion in general squarely into the global consciousness.
