Introduction to the Special Series of Papers in Accountability in Research Dealing With Cold Fusion

During the 14 century, the noted theologian and philosopher William of Ockham identified and applied the “law of economy,” as a fundamental postulate of logical thought. Subsequently, Galileo and others used this “law” as justification for the notion of “scientific parsimony.” This idea, which is also often called “Ockham’s Razor,” states that simplicity should be the cornerstone of scientific logic: given a choice between competing theories of a particular phenomenon, the simpler explanation should be selected in preference to the more complicated ones.