Searching for the Consequences of Many-body Effects in Condensed Phase Systems

Some of the background work which led to the decision to investigate the behaviour of D electrochemicaly compressed into Pd host latices is outlined. The key features of such “Cold Fusion” systems are described. 1. BACKGROUND TO THE RESEARCH ON COLD FUSION It appears to me that most scientists have the impression that my colleague Stanley Pons and I decided one day in late 1983 to go into the laboratory and to carry out the experiment best described by the statement “Gee-whiz, let’s go in the lab and charge some Pd cathodes with D and see what happens”. It is, of course, perfectly true that this is what happened. However, the conclusion that this was an isolated example is incorrect as has been realised by a relatively small number of research workers(among whom I would number pre-eminently the late Giuliano Preparata and his colleague Emilio Del Giudice). In fact, the decision to investigate the Pd/D system was preceded by a long period during which I asked the question: “is it possible to develop electrochemical experiments which demonstrate the need to interpret the behaviour of condensed mater in terms of the Q.E.D. paradigm?” Questions which we posed prior to the development of work on “Cold Fusion”; the special position of the work initiated in 1983