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NASA to Investigate Hydrinos

Posted by michael on from the mills-lyman-balmer-and-paschen dept.

An Anonymous Coward writes "A new NASA program might once and for all settle the "hydrino" question. The concept of the hydrino -- hydrogen shrunk below its normal state with the resulting release of extreme ultraviolet light -- has been derided by the physics establishment and surprisingly embraced by many engineers and people with deep pockets. Slashdot hashed the hydrino pretty vigorously in December 1999. Now NASA is funding independent research into making a rocket from this novel idea. If it works, we could be seeing a sea change in physics. If it fails, hydrinos might finally just float away. There's an active study group of several hundred users (including some prominent scientists) devoted to debating the possible existence of hydrinos. In many ways it sprang from slashdot."

5 of 197 comments (clear)

  1. That sounds familiar by cscx · · Score: 5, Funny

    The concept of the hydrino -- hydrogen shrunk below its normal state

    Sounds like a hydrogen atom took a dip in a cold swimming pool...

    Oh wait...

  2. Schrodinger by Fantanicity · · Score: 5, Interesting

    My first thought was the Schrodinger equation - it can be solved for Hydrogen.

    Question 1 : Are hydrinos possible according to the Schrodinger equation?

    Question 2 : If not, what changes to Schrodinger are needed to explain hydrinos and are these changes consistent with the rest of physics?

    (Question 0 : Or am I smoking crack again?)

    The only hits on Schrodinger and Hydrino were from the blacklight people and they seemed to skirt around the question.

    1. Re:Schrodinger by Dannon · · Score: 5, Funny

      Question 1 : Are hydrinos possible according to the Schrodinger equation?

      Yes and no.

      --
      Good judgment comes from experience.
      Experience comes from bad judgment.
  3. Sure. by papasui · · Score: 5, Insightful

    "...In many ways it sprang from slashdot." Because copying a story makes you responsible for the discovery of a theory that breaks modern physics.

  4. Oh God, not these Blacklight loons again... by meringuoid · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Strange how we've never spotted the emission line corresponding to transitions to this below-ground-state in the hydrogen spectrum, isn't it?

    Strange how a bunch of perpetual motion merchants wave Quantum Mechanics around the place for the explanation of how their gadget works. Sometimes. When no actual physicists are looking, but often when potential investors are around.

    Strange how many cranks the NASA Breakthrough Physics Program gives respectability to. NASA's least-funded irrelevant sideshow picks up every nut that comes along, investigates their claim, and nothing comes of it. Nut carries on with career saying 'Yep, NASA were interested, and then they covered it up! Big oil interests leaning on the gub'mint, see, don't care for the little guy, with one of these you could be rich!'

    I suppose NASA have to be doing something Trekkish - the man in the street expects them to be working towards the Starship Enterprise, after all. Just a shame about the fallout.

    Personally, I'm backing Schrodinger to win this one :-)

    --
    Real Daleks don't climb stairs - they level the building.