The Scientific Gold Rush

University of Utah

100

Was conversational analysis (page 114) used between BYU and Utah? Explain why or why not.

No. Initially Pons and Fleischmann had an agreement regarding the release of their findings (which would be considered yes) however that agreement was disregarded. Conversation ended with what Jones (BYU) considered a huge breach of scientific etiquette.

200

Give three examples of boundary objects (page 20) that were found throughout the skit.

media,experiment,baltimore meeting, telephones/computers

300

How did the idea of credulity apply in the case of the University of Utah?

The two scientists from the University of Utah, Pons and Fleischmann, were initially faulted because their background was in chemistry and they had taken on a physical topic. Physicists were very skeptical of them from the beginning and when more of the facts of the experiment were announced, claims of secrecy were directed towards the Utah group, and claims that the scientists were changing graphs to suit their agenda, their credibility diminished.

BYU

100

How did BYU build on foundationalism (originating from sensory experiences and rational principles, that lead to higher-order beliefs pg.15)?

The initial experiment acted as the “base foundation” that the future research was based on. The attempts at replication were additional layers that were added on to the base. When the experiments started to fail, “bricks” that were no longer believed to be true had to removed. The result was a crumbling structure that could not stand up to the scrutiny of the scientists.

200

Do you believe BYU or Utah relied more on the theory-dependence of observation(pg18)?

University of Utah seemed to be more dependent on this concept for many groups were telling them that their experiment had faults in it, but they continued to deny the errors and believe in their research. Utah even continued to move on to their actual field to publish their findings in comparison BYU just backed out of the situation to let Utah deal with it.

300

Which theory best goes with the evolution of cold fusion, Whig vs.Khuninan?

The Khunain theory states that science is not a steady progression; It is mostly normal with some revolutions. Whereas the Whig theory claims that science is a steady progression through time and discovery. So the Khunain theory fits more nearly with this skit. We demonstrated that science--at least in this example--is not linear; there are twists, turns, and reversals that all lead to the acquiring of knowledge and information.

Media/Other Schools

100

How is the actor network theory represented throughout the whole scenario?

In this particular scenario the actor-network theory starts off with University of Utah and BYU separately conducting the cold-fusion experiments. Once the media got a hold on the details of the experiment it soon turned into a “scientific gold rush” soon many were in on the development of the cold-fusion experiment turning it into a huge network of people in which eventually led to the downfall of the cold-fusion evolution.

200

Tacit knowledge (knowledge that is difficult to transfer from one person to another) is demonstrated how?

Tacit knowledge is often best transferred through speech, observation, or simply learning by doing. In this skit, many of the specifics of the experiment were not originally released and researchers attempting to replicate the experiments had to rely on gathering bits and pieces from any source that they could find. That included anything from photos, to emails, to word of mouth. Scientists from MIT even claimed to have based their experimental methods on a news story that they watched on television.

300

How did the media fuel the interestedness of the other schools?

When the media catches on to the idea that cold fusion was real, many scientists and researchers around the world were scrambling to attempt replication of Pons and Fleishmann’s experiments. Without the huge part that the media played in the promotion of cold fusion, knowledge of the subject would have been greatly decreased.

Physicist Views

100

When did organized skepticism play a role in the process of University of Utah attempt to gain acceptance for their work in the scientific community?

One of the largest examples was demonstrated by the American Physical Society at their Conference in Baltimore. They had all gathered to hear the new information pertaining to cold fusion. However they did not accept the information without question. They were quick to ask questions in an attempt to find the “holes” in the theory and in the end they discredited not only the experiment but some of the researchers as well.

200

Did the physicists base their decision to disprove University of Utah’s findings based off the Duhem-quine thesis(p.5)?

Yes, due to the many schools and organizations finding errors within the experiment University of Utah’s findings on cold-fusion did not fit the web of beliefs in which cold fusion was based off of in the 1920s by two German chemists working at the University of Berlin which attempted to produce hydrogen fusion using palladium.

300

Did the physicists believe that the unethical norm secrecy (page 28) was being used and in what way?

Yes, they believed that Pons and Fleischmann from the University of Utah were not completely transparent when releasing the information about the experiment. They claimed that they had left out information that did not support their hypothesis and they did not share all of the details. Additionally, they were not completely open with Steven Jones from BYU when they disregarded their original agreement. It was believed that Pons and Fleischmann were more interested in the patent process and the possibility of funding and wanted to keep that to themselves.