Jones Decries NASA’s Handling of Theory

July 21, 2012 – By Steven B. Krivit –

Steven E. Jones, professor emeritus of physics at Brigham Young University, has written critically about NASA’s handling of the Widom-Larsen theory.

On July 16, Jones criticized NASA’s recent LENR videos, which were published on a NASA Web site.

He wrote that the motive for NASA’s renewed interest in LENRs is the Widom-Larsen ultra-low-momentum neutron theory. He posted his analysis on the Mormon “LDS Freedom Forum” Web site.

“The plot thickens,” Jones wrote. “We learn that NASA tried to get information out of [Lewis] Larsen, one of the authors of the peer-reviewed Widom-Larsen paper and [a] LENR small-businessman. Then NASA sought a PATENT on LENR! Larsen is ticked; but what can he do?”

The term “cold fusion” was first used by Jones in 1985 while he was investigating muon- and piezo-fusion. When the University of Utah announced the discovery by Stanley Pons and Martin Fleischmann on March 23, 1989, members of the press mistakenly applied the term “cold fusion” to the Pons-Fleischmann work.

For half a year before the Pons-Fleischmann announcement, the duo and Jones competed to claim a revolutionary new source of energy.

Jones has not been very active in LENR research for many years, but he follows the topic with interest.