Talk-Polywell.org

http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/ ... 01440.aspx

Not much new here, though.

We do now know for sure that peer review is underway:

Nebel told me that the results of the first-phase test are now being reviewed by the funders and experts in the fusion energy field.

TallDave wrote:http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/ ... 01440.aspx

Not much new here, though.

We do now know for sure that peer review is underway:

Nebel told me that the results of the first-phase test are now being reviewed by the funders and experts in the fusion energy field.

I have posts up at the usual places and the newsgroup has been notified.

Well, that's encouraging.

True, there could have been more glowingly encouraging comments, like mother used to make when we were in PeeWee league but then there were none of the "Don't get your hopes up" remarks like older brothers can make, either.

I believe this is the first time I have heard the terminology of Phasing used in relation to the project. That is important because if this is a phased contract it implies that the paperwork is in place, that the money is the only delay. And in fact, the money may already be programmed, just waiting for the go-ahead. Someone who knows about Phased contracts could chime in right about here.

All in all, Nebel kept his professional face on and I get the impression that further work will probably be funded, but it is a question of competition for resources and when the money can be programmed in. With the current energy situation, I'd guess sooner rather than later.

Well looky there!! He did respond to my emails - or rather he was already working on it as it sounds in the article. Anyway, I'm glad he posted an update. I'll have to send him a "thank you" email. So it sounds like good news - Otherwise why would they have a plan going forward if there wasn't something worth pursuing? So we can rest assured there's more science to investigate here.

The tone of the article, and the quotes from Dr Nebel, are about as positive as you can get under the circumstances. Boy, it's hard to keep the champaign corked!

JohnP wrote:The tone of the article, and the quotes from Dr Nebel, are about as positive as you can get under the circumstances. Boy, it's hard to keep the champaign corked!

I think I'll wait until the results get published. But I have a bottle of excellent mead that's been aging for a couple years that I might just have to open.

IMO this article is a masterpiece in the art of blowing hot and cold :

Regardless of what happens to it, we're going to get this thing well written up and documented

... and we shall bury our manuscript in a chest for the generations to come.

I hope [Bob Bussard] will be remembered for that. I think that will be the case.

Hope is in the air !

Champagne's waiting in the cellar.

This is a WAG but I expect the results and a new contract to come out at the same time.

Again...

The reporting in and of itself is nuanced. He can't come out and say it until the official report is out.

But what he didn't say was more important than what he did say.

He never said "Don't get your hopes up"

So, I can feel free to get my hopes up.

Wow, I read this entirely differently.

On results - "It's kind of a mix"
On going forward - "We don't know whether that's going to happen or not."
On the science - "Regardless of what happens to it, we're going to get this thing well written up..."
On Bussard's legacy - "(he) was a truly innovative person... I hope he will be remembered for that."

Sounds like they got some interesting results, but nothing clear. Sounds like the results aren't good enough to feel confident about funding. Sounds like there is a good probability that there will be no more funding but he wants to document the experiment well because it is interesting science if nothing else. Sounds like he hopes that this doesn't tarnish Bussard's reputation as an innovator.

I know he is watching what he says, but that is how it read to me - not hopeful at all.

The only encouraging line was when he said, "We're generally happy with what we've been getting out of it, and we've learned a tremendous amount". But, even that can be read as nothing more than this being an interesting experiment which provided good science but no clear path.

I hope I can't read.

seedload wrote:Wow, I read this entirely differently.

On results - "It's kind of a mix"
On going forward - "We don't know whether that's going to happen or not."
On the science - "Regardless of what happens to it, we're going to get this thing well written up..."
On Bussard's legacy - "(he) was a truly innovative person... I hope he will be remembered for that."

I hope I can't read.

Well, these are the tidbits I found exciting:

When I talked with Nebel last week, he would say only that his team has "a plan to go forward."

If WB7 design didn't hold up, and if the concept wasn't working, why plan to go forward?

Nebel said his leave from Los Alamos is due to reach the one-year mark in mid-September, but he doesn't foresee any problem in extending the leave if the second-phase funding comes through.

Why would he bother thinking about extending his leave if the thing was a dud? Surely there must be interesting stuff going on at LANL.

Nebel strikes me as professional, and is under constraints not to reveal results prematurely, so sure, he speaks with care.

When will the review process be completed? If it is no-go for additional funding, will the experimental results be made publicly available so that others can pursue it?

Talk Polywell is great for following this topic, but what Journal or Conference would be a likely venue for publishing or making a public announcement about the results of WB-7?

Would they go to the International Aeronautical Conference, like Dr. Bussard did, or is there a better place to publish?

Here are a few Plasma Conference listings. There are a lot of places to publish.

"Bob Bussard was a truly innovative person, that's abundantly clear," Nebel said. "I hope he will be remembered for that. I think that will be the case."

For me this is quite clear. I hope I will be in the right track. We should wait for the review. This will give us the final clue ( or maybe not in case of going secret )