12.19 Problems in Science and Technology

Technology go first usually then science follows it as history shows by a typical example of the steam engine: the invention of the modern condensing steam engine patented in 1769 by J. Watt preceded the establishment of the Second Law of Thermodynamics more than 80 years, which has given a solid basis for investigation of any engines sparing time and energy of mankind.

On the other hand, the scientific discovery stays sometimes unknown until its application is noticed as the discovery of semiconductivity shows. In 1839, M. Faraday in England discovered the semiconductivity in Ag₂S by observation of a peculiar temperature dependence of its electric resistivity. Furthermore, in 1874, K. Braun in Germany discovered non-ohmic V–I characteristics in PbS crystal. Until the establishment of Quantum Mechanics, these discoveries were kept unnoticed.

The former was explained quantum mechanically in 1931 by H. Wilson of England who calculated the band structure of energy spectrum of electron in solids. The discovery of point-contact transistor by W.H. Brattain and J. Bardeen accomplished the application of the non-ohmic characteristics of crystals to electronics. The quantum mechanical understanding of the semiconductor made possible the exploding development of micro-electronics in late 20th century.

If scientists stay on the chair indifferent to a new phenomenon with complex events difficult to understand in conventional concepts, a new technology will be used in society after a series of trial-and-error processes without any help from science. To shorten the path to realize a new technology necessary for the present world, we have to be sensitive to a new possibility not only for application but also for development of a new science which attract intelligence of people for creation of a new culture.

The TNCF model is so powerful to give a unified understanding of the cold fusion phenomenon by now and we can take it as a mile-stone for the solid state-nuclear physics. It is not certain that the Premises assumed in the model express directly something reflecting the truth or they are shadows of the truth projected on a screen spread out on the conventional physics. There are also such unexplained problems as the absence of gamma ray in many cold fusion experiments where observed other events and also lack of simultaneity of several events expected to occur in the TNCF model. These problems should be taken up together with the verification of the Premises of the TNCF model.

It should be emphasized here that nature has stratified structure\index{stratified structure (of nature)} in itself. As S.S. Schweber discussed¹³⁸, the principles governing laws of nature in each level of the structure are independent from others in different levels. This point should be recognized correctly to keep science sound as a whole. In our history of science, not only natural but also social and cultural sciences, there has been prevailed reductionism which tends to reduce the reality to elements.

According to this notion in physics, for example, matter can be reduced to atom, atom to nucleus and electron, nucleus to proton and neutron, proton and neutron and other elementary particles to quakes, and so forth.

In this logical process, it was implied that laws governing the world of matter are only understood by the laws in the world of atom clarified, that of atom by that of elementary particle, and so forth. This is, however, not true as we recognized for more than fifty years and the fundamental principles in each level are independent of those in other levels. "The physical sciences are stratifying into independent levels with stable basic principles (S.S. Schweber)".

The cold fusion phenomenon occurs in complex systems composed of solids with hydrogen isotopes and thermal neutrons and therefore fundamentally different from two-body nuclear reaction in vacuum. They belong to different levels of physics and should be treated on different basic laws. This point seems to be forgotten by some people in and outside the cold fusion researchers who are giving unreasonably negative effect on the progress of this science.

Therefore, we have to find out laws governing processes in living creature even if we know well laws of atoms composing the cells in living creature. This recognition will give elementary particle physics a proper position in physics, physics in natural science, natural science in social and cultural sciences eliminating superiority and inferiority complexes in them apt to exist in world view of reductionism. It will also work soundly in education giving correct view for science.