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Bubble Fusion Inquiry Under Wraps

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the shhh-or-it-might-explode-or-might-not-explode dept.

hubie writes "Purdue University launched an investigation last March into the questionable research behavior and actions by Prof. Rusi Taleyarkhan following his controversial claims of achieving bubble fusion. The investigation has completed but the results are being kept secret. The alleged behavior is remeniscent of another tabletop fusion incident from a number of years back. Coincidentally, Purdue University has just secured Federal money to open up a new energy center. A more cynical person than I might suggest that there is a connection between the two."

16 of 231 comments (clear)

  1. An overwhelming urge by Umbral+Blot · · Score: 4, Funny

    Must. Invest. Giant. Gobs. Of. Money. (thank god I'm not a VC)

    --

    Philosophy.
    1. Re:An overwhelming urge by EvanED · · Score: 4, Funny

      But... but... Maxis says it will happen in 2050!

    2. Re:An overwhelming urge by drn8 · · Score: 3, Funny
      have a look at "who killed the electric car", then come back.
      You are refering to The Sacred Order of the Stonecutters correct?
    3. Re:An overwhelming urge by everett · · Score: 2, Funny

      Look at myspace, that's built on ColdFusion and my god, what a mess.

      --
      Sig withheld to protect the innocent.
  2. I've noticed... by MillionthMonkey · · Score: 3, Funny

    When I roll my chair wheels over that bubble packing material and pop the plastic bubbles, lots of neutrons come flying up from the floor. Has anyone else noticed this?

    1. Re:I've noticed... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      Notice also the popping sound of the bubbles. Helium balloons in nature sometimes pop. The popping sound here is evidence of the existence of helium, which is a byproduct of fusion of the hydrogen in the bubble wrap cells.

      With just a little more development effort, cubicle dwellers everywhere could be harnessed as a source of clean energy.

      Grant, please.

    2. Re:I've noticed... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      BEDEVERE:
              Ah, but can you not also pop bubblegum?
      VILLAGER #1:
              Oh, yeah.
      RANDOM:
              Oh, yeah. True. Uhh...
      BEDEVERE:
              Does helium lower the pitch of your voice?
      VILLAGER #1:
              No. No.
      VILLAGER #2:
              No, it raises it! It raises it!
      VILLAGER #1:
              Inhale the gas from the bubbles!
      CROWD:
              Inhale it! Inhale the gas from the bubbles!
      BEDEVERE:
              What also raises the pitch of one's voice?
      VILLAGER #1:
              Bread!
      VILLAGER #2:
              Apples!
      VILLAGER #3:
              Uh, very small rocks!
      VILLAGER #1:
              Cider!
      VILLAGER #2:
              Uh, gra-- gravy!
      VILLAGER #1:
              Cherries!
      VILLAGER #2:
              Mud!
      VILLAGER #3:
              Uh, churches! Churches!
      VILLAGER #2:
              Lead! Lead!
      ARTHUR:
              A kick to the groin!
      CROWD:
              Oooh.
      BEDEVERE:
              Exactly. So, logically...
      VILLAGER #1:
              If... the bubbles... hurt... the same as a kick to the groin,... they are made of helium.
      BEDEVERE:
              And therefore?
      VILLAGER #2:
              Fusion!
      VILLAGER #1:
              Fusion!
      CROWD:
              Fusion! Fusion!...

  3. I reproduced their results by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    I tried this bubble wrap fusion.

    there is an audible release of energy.

  4. Re:What the hell is "bubble fusion"? by LordPhantom · · Score: 4, Funny

    It's what happens when you eat beans right before going in the hottub.

    Obviously it's not Cold Fusion, but beggars cannot be choosers :)

  5. But no Texans will own it! by eronysis · · Score: 4, Funny

    It's too bad about the series of car accidents, toaster explosions, and falling yaks that decimated the staff involved. Praise the Lord though we have clean burning coal!!!

    1. Re:But no Texans will own it! by AWeishaupt · · Score: 2, Funny

      "God created the atoms and they weren't meant to be broken" LOL. Good thing we can just use Pu as a fissile fuel then - God sure as hell didn't create that :)

  6. Re:What the hell is "bubble fusion"? by deathcow · · Score: 5, Funny

    Amazing sounding... I wonder how they stumbled on it.

    Well.. I had a vat of this matter, and I was thinking... I should bombard that bastard with ultrasonic waves.

    And that was cool, we all laughed and then Dobie thought it would really put a party in that vat if we fired some neutrons through it.

  7. Conclusion? by hackwrench · · Score: 2, Funny

    Achieving bubble fusion drives you crazy. Unfortunately, it's awful hard to communicate what's necessary to replicate the experiment while crazy, so practically all successful bubble experiments get written off as fraud.

  8. Stock market by Beryllium+Sphere(tm) · · Score: 4, Funny

    If this creates an unjustified surge of investment, is that a bubble fusion bubble?

    If the startups merge and shed employees and energy, is that bubble fusion bubble fusion?

    Sorry.

    1. Re:Stock market by ElephanTS · · Score: 3, Funny

      Or just the bubble bubble ;-)

      (Or two rival fusion researchers going bust: double bubble trouble)

      --
      spoonerize "magic trackpad"
  9. Re:Well... by Air-conditioned+cowh · · Score: 2, Funny

    You take a speaker, dump it in a vat of (heavy) water, and fire it up

    Usually, this only happens if the speaker is delivering a particularly boring lecture. The result is immediate releif for the audience.