Great Expectations Tell Me Why SCIENCE Duke focuses on winning it all Judge undecided about calling Reagan & MEDICINE The Nation, Page 6 Page 4 • Ewing leads Knicks past Hornets • There are no lightweights in Final 4 Picture That • Is NASCAR ignoring crews' safety? For some, drawing can spell relief Sports Section Brickey, Ferry, Smith Accent, Page 29 Judge Gerhard Gesell INSTON-SALEM OURNAL WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. e TUESDAY, MARCH 28, 1989 44 PAGES e 25 CENTS LATE BLOOMER: Scientific Pathfinder Had Roots in N.C. By Greg Hitt was financed with $100,000 of their own that is most famous for its Waldensian his• JOURNAL REPORTER money. tory. B. Stanley Pons was just another kid ''We were just regular Pons, 46, graduated from Wake Forest Pons' family traces its roots to the from a small town in North Carolina when in 1965 with a bachelor's degree in chemis• Waldensians, a Protestant sect from Italy he came to Wake Forest University in boys doing regular try. John W. Nowell, the retired chair- that settled in Burke County in the late 1962. things." man of the chemistry department, remem• 1800s to escape persecution, Richard Pons Back then there was little about the bers Pons as a hardworking, "good stu• said. But despite the Waldensian influ• Valdese native to separate him from the - Richard Pons dent, but not that much better than anyone ence, Valdese wasri't much different from crowd, except that he was an athlete Brother of B. Stanley Pons else." any other provincial Southern town. with better-than-average grades who want• Nowell taught Pons in a class in phys• "We would ride around a lot when we ed to study chemistry, say those who ical chemistry, generally taken by those ei• were boys," said Richard Pons, adding that knew him then. cal of the notion that his experiments ther pursuing medical careers or ad• they played football and basketball and As his brother, Richard Pons of Hick• were conducted at room temperature and vanced chemistry degrees. ran track to keep themselves occupied. "It ory, put it, "We were just regular boys do• done with no more equipment than could "We used math and physics to under• was a small town. There wasn't much to ing regular things." be found in a typical college lab. stand chemistry," Nowell said Sunday. "It do but gather at the community center to All that changed last week, when Nuclear fusion, the power that fuels was basic work. I suspect that he's prob• talk and meet with friends or maybe go Pons, now the chairman of the chemistry the sun, is regarded as an ideal non-pollut• ably learned a heck of a lot since then. out and eat some place." department at the , ing source of energy. Thousands of re• "He was an awfully energetic fellow, E. Worth Campbell, who taught sci• stepped out of a crowd of researchers to an• searchers, spending millions of dollars, have sort of an entrepreneur," Nowell added lat• ence at Valdese High School, said Pons nounce that he and a British colleague been searching to achieve controlled nu• er. "He went home a lot of weekends to was a good student but not a bookworm. had harnessed the uncontrolled power of clear fusion for more than 30 years. work for and with his dad." "We talked a good bit about atomic AP WIREPHOTO the hydrogen bomb. Pons and of the Pons' family owned a number of small energy in those days," said Campbell, now B. Stanley Pons (left) and Martin Fleisch• The claim stunned the world of sci- University of Southampton in England said textile mills near Valdese, a community of mann say their research took 51/2 years. ence, setting off a chorus of naysayers criti- that their research took 51/2 years and about 3,000 in eastern Burke County See SCIENTIST, Page 5 ter several weeks of excitement, the claim was disproven. Scientists have SCIENTIST since been extremely skeptical of any Continued From Page 1 such claim. Pons has said that the idea for his an assistant to the president at Cen• experiment arose about six years ago tral Piedmont Community College in when he noticed some unusual re• Charlotte. sults from an experiment in separat• "It was a pretty new subject, and ing isotopes by electrochemical the students and I were interested. means. He and Fleischmann, whom You've got to remember, in the late Pons met while finishing his doctoral '50s and early '60s, there was a lot of degree in England, pondered the re• hype about nuclear fission - and sults during a drive across Texas and even some talk about atomic cars - during a hike up a canyon outside so it was a topic that everyone was Salt Lake City. interested in." Later, while swapping sips of Jack Although Polls did well in science Daniel's whiskey in the Pons family and math, his mother, Jeannette kitchen, the two came up with a Pons of Valdese, said that she strategy for the experiment. doesn't remember science as some• Pons' experiment consisted of thing he wanted to devote his life to. wrapping a platinum wire around a "I don't even remember him hav• pencil-thin rod of palladium metal ing a chemistry set," she said yester• and sticking the assembly into a test day. "But this whole thing has just tube filled with heavy water - or been wonderful - like a dream. He water rich in deuterium - to create never talked much about his experi• an energy cell. ments and work. I knew he was work• According to information released ing on something, but I didn't think at the news conference, an electric it was anything like this." current sent through the platinum wires forces deuterium nuclei into AFTER PONS LEFT Wake the palladium. Trapped within the Forest, he did graduate work for two framework of the palladium, the deu• years at the terium nuclei are brought close and eventually obtained his doctor• enough together to overcome their ate in biochemistry from the Univer• mutual repulsion - and thus fuse. sity of Southampton. He has taught at the University of FLEISCHMANN AND PONS Utah since 1983. said that they knew fusion was tak• Last week, at a news conference in ing place because they detected heat, Salt Lake City, Pons and Fleisch• neutrons, tritium and helium - all mann announced that they had set expected byproducts of fusion reac• off a fusion re .ction in a test tube tions. that had lasted for more than 100 Their claim that they achieved hours. room-temperature fusion has not The reaction, they said, passed been ruled out by experts in chemical what is known as the break-even catalysis, who use similar materials point - meaning that it produced and techniques. more energy than it consumed. Nu• Scientists at widely scattered lab• clear fusion differs from convention• oratories thus far have been unable al nuclear-power plants, which use to duplicate the efforts of Fleisch• fission, because it fuses atoms rather mann and Pons, various sources said than splitting them and generates yesterday. little radioactive waste. The lack of success was blamed Until now, the only fusion partly on a shortage of information achieved on Earth has been inside about exactly how the experiment hydrogen bombs. Only they have was conducted. One scientist said, produced - for a split-second - the "Until someone else does the experi• combination of tremendous pressure ment for all to see, I think we must be and extremely high temperature to very wary of the claim." fuse hydrogen atoms into helium, re• Pons told The New York Times leasing a tremendous amount of en - that he expected criticism from tra• ergy in the process. ditional physicists. "The fact re• mains, there is no way we could have TIDS IS THE same thing that obtained the results we did without happens, continuously, at the center fusion," he said. of the sun. If tamed, nuclear fusion could pro• SINCE THE NEWS conference, vide the Earth with a practically lim• Pons has had little time for himself. itless supply of energy. The raw ma• Barbara Shelley, a university spokes• terial - a heavy form of hydrogen man, said that Pons has had thou• called deuterium - is found in sea sands of requests for interviews from water. With fusion, scientists esti• all over the world. mate that every gallon of sea water "There's a long list of papers ahead could produce the same energy as of you," Mrs. Shelley said. "I'm hold• 10,000 tons of coal. ing Japan on the line now just to talk Since the mid-1950s, physicists with you." have been trying to produce con• Further complicating Pons' sched• trolled fusion, spending hundreds of ule is his effort to set up additional millions of dollars using huge ma• experiments to verify his research. chines and lasers that attempt to im• "And this is also the first week of itate the sun's core. classes," she said. "He refuses to Martin and Fleischmann say that miss them." their experiment used nothing more Pons' old professor, Nowell, cau• than car batteries and a framework tioned that last week's announce• of thin palladium. ment will be closely scrutinized. Pons told The Wall Street Journal "A lot of people are skeptical of that the technology is so simple that anything that breaks out of the usual "I'm going to let my son do the ex• track," he said. "But if it proves true, periment." I think it will be a Nobel Prize." Others have made claims of dis• covering fusion. In the late 1950s, a Portions of this story were contrib• British experiment appeared to have uted by The Wall Street Journal reached the break-even point, but af- and Journal wire reports. ,.

PAGE 8 WINSTON-SALEM JOURNAL

i.~-~~--,:-::--:-:-:-~-r"""/~---:--.:---.---.---..,.--~-:--::--..,..,...~-...-...---__,...... _._._-""'"""_ , ·., FuSiori, Researchers. Pl~nto · :~uplicate Experiment . (o.r::~<>,YerilDI~nt rS,c!enµsts. · 1' I ., . r - • ' . · ""'tH""'E'""A""s... soc~1A"'"TE""o"'"'P"'"R~Es;;..;s'------.,-...,_-~-- ''---~ done to develop a way of harvesting useful energy from, WASHINGTON: fusion? ·. · · t -, ' ; .' •• ' Two researchers who say that they have 'achieved ''... The Utah researchers 'said that they built their initial fusion, the process that powers the sun and the stars, told experiment for 'about $100,0oo, but. Fleischmann· 'said . . Congress yesterday that they will duplicate iheir ezperi- . -that "production' of a scale-up device :will C98t about 10 · ! ments for government scientists in .hopes of quieting, . times that" and that the next-phase, producing enough skeptics. . t · - • energy to' be useful, would cost millions 'of dollars. "We have '19 experiments being set up now," Stanley . The researchers also said that it could take years to ' , Pons, a chemist at'the University of Utah, told the House turn the cold-fusion· processinto a useful energy source. .' Science Committee, The experiments include a, demon- Fleischmann said, ·~we· thin~ it is feasible, but jt will stration of room-temperature require a very high effort." , · . · .fusion for scientis~ from the;· /, One of the elements to be investigated, Fleischmann Los Alamos National.Labora- ·,said, is the metal that can be used in . The tory. palladium used by the Utah researchers is an expensive Pons said that' the federal metal ·that is available in only a few places on Earth. scientists will monitor the ex• Fleischmann said that other experiments are under periment at Utah, . then 'dis- :way to find 'if other metals can be used. "Palladium may mantle it and take it to the "be the best choice burthere JI¥lY be also other possible national laboratory in · New· · choices," he said: - ; · • · ' · Mexico for further tests. ·. · 'Nuclear physicists, including three attending the hear- Pons and his collaborator; · ing, said they are skeptical that the'process described by Martin Fleischmann of the Pons and Fleischmann is fusion. . · · University of South Hampton ;· In 'testimony released to the committee, scientists from in England, are making the ar- 1 the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Princeton Universi-. rangement to silence some of .. .ty and Massachusetts Institute of Technology all ex- the skepticism -about ·their t, pressed strong skepticism that the 'Utah experiments claim to have discovered a way; ITANLllY PON_I . actually· achieved fusion: " , · to achieve fusion using ordinary' laboratory equipment • Researchers in Texas, California and Washington have .assembled on a table top . .: , . _ 'reported what may be fusion ·reactions, but many other The two announced their discovery· March 23, stun- 'laboratories have reported failed efforts. Scientists in the 'ning nuclear physicists around the world who. have at- Soviet, Union and Hungary reported experiments with tempted to achieve fusion for 25 years. using, multi- reactions that may be fusion. -. · million-dollar machines. · . · .. Pons and Fleischmann defended· their· work before The hearing was jammed with journalists, '1.1cientists sharp questioning by ·committee . members who probed · and industrial representatiyes eager to learn more about a not 'only the findings of the experiment but also the reaction that some predict could produce plentiful elec- · ,manner .inwhichthe work was announced. - tric power with little environmental pollution or threat. · Fleischmann said that follow-up articles detailing how . Pons told the committee how he and Fleischmann had the experiment is being-conducted will be published in inr'.rted electrodes. of platinum and palladium in a flask ~ientific journals. · _ ' · ·Cwitaining deuteriuni oxide, .or he~vy water .f Electrical . . i>onssaid that part bf the controversy revolves around .c'lrrentwas ~pplied to the platinum electrode, Pons said,~,. the different way in which chemists and physicists an- . ~i cing deuterium· atoms" into.the crystal lattice.of the nounee the .results of.their work. The Utah experiments ladium. • - · · : . ' ... ., ,.. · · . ·,. have come under hea\ty. criticism from· fusion experts . . e said that after the experiment.ran for several hours, ' because the precise detail8 n~ed for duplication of the t deuterium' became compressed and fused, giving 'off work have not been released... , ' · · · eat almost four times as.great a8 the energy the experi~ - · Poli.ll said' that physicists typically circulate. a pre· ni'int had consumed. · - . ;;<, . · ' ~.., publication Ct'"'" of their re$e&lchto colleaguesfor infor- ~leischmann Said that in One experiment researchers y mar review, • •I , \ • - • ' , . sticeeded in causing water to reach the boiling point. He "For chem1 J, it is done in• a different w~/~ he .said. added, however, that there is stµl much work·yet to be · "The review - left up to the journal." · · • ., •:.1 if --..f,, . ' { • WINSTON-SALEM JOURNAL Thursday, October 25, 1990 PAGE 1 STATE a LOCAL HEADACHE STUDY .. Tobacco Prices Fall on Winston-Salem Market Volunteers 18-75 years of age with occasional headache needed for a 3% hour research study. Study medication JOURNAL STAFF AND WIRE REPORT VESTER DA Y'S TOBACCO SALES figures reached 210.8 million will be provided, and participants who complete the Flue-cured tobacco prices aver• pounds, averaging $159.62. study will be compensated $40. aged $169.86 a hundred pounds yes• Here are yesterday's sale figures for these tobacco markets, as The stabilization corporation re• terday on the Winston-Salem mar• provided by the Federal-State Market News and the markets' sales ceived 54.9 percent of sales Tuesday For more information, call ket, compared with Tuesday's aver• supervisors: and holds 12.5 percent of gross sales Piedmont Research Associates age of $171.69, reported Sam ]. Average Loan for the season. Young, the sales supervisor. Markets Pounds Value /100 lbs. Receipts Conditions were better along the at 659-8394. Flue-cured tobacco sales are Eastern Belt yesterday. Prices . by Winston-Salem 1,087,441 $1,847,106 $169.86 613,587 scheduled to end today along the grades were steady to $3 above the South Carolina-Border North Caro• Mount Airy 432,276 $725,283 $167.78 260,045 previous day, with most sales be• lina Belt, according to the Federal• Reidsville 366,665 $620,840 $169.32 172,344 tween $157 and $175 a hundred. State Market News Service. Stoneville-Madison N/A N/A N/A N/A Dunn and Williamston held their Fairmont and Lumberton held final sales of the season yesterday, their final auctions of the 1990 sea• leaving nine markets still operating. son yesterday. All South Carolina were between $162 and $179 a hun• pounds, averaging $168.74 a hun• Officials believe that Oct. 30 will be markets have closed for the year, and dred pounds. dred. Tobacco placed under loan the final sales day in the Eastern Belt. the final sale for the belt is scheduled Sanford held its final sale of the made up 32.9 percent of Tuesday's Tuesday's auctions totaled for today in Clarkton. season yesterday. sales, raising the season take to 5.5 2,884,000 gross pounds, returning The market for Old and Middle Sales along the Old and Middle percent. $165.65 - down $2.10 from Mon• Belt tobacco continued to slip yester• Belt grossed 6,659,000 pounds Tues• Gross sales Tuesday long the Bor• day. day as most heavy-volume grades day, returning $170.00 - down der Belt were 805,000 pounds, re• Totals for the season reached were unchanged to $2 below Tues• $1.44 from the previous sale. The turning $150.81 a hundred - down 347.3 million pounds, averaging day's sales. The bulk of marketings season figure stands at 271.3 million $3.10 from Monday. Season-to-date $169.55 a hundred.

THE NATION Chemist in Cold-Fusion Breakthrough Missing THE NEW YORK TIMES Nuclear fusion is the force that powers the sun, he has made informal arrangements with col• Dr. B. Stanley Pons, the University of Utah the stars and hydrogen bombs, fusing atoms to• leagues to meet his teaching duties." chemist who startled the science world with claims gether rather than breaking them apart as nuclear Dr. Randy Moon, the state's science adviser and of achieving cold fusion, has vanished on the eve reactors do. a member of the advisory council, said Pons' of a critical review by the state of Utah on whether The process frees vast amounts of energy but absence from the review could endanger any hope to continue financing the disputed work, universi• usually requires temperatures of millions of de• of continued financing. ty officials said yesterday. grees to get started. "Stan owes it to a lot of people to be able to Pons and his British colleague, Dr. Martin In Utah, the 1989 cold-fusion announcement report on his results," Moon said. "I don't know if Fleischmann, announced in March 1989 that they set off gold-rush fever over the hope of turning a any of the other researchers will be able to repre• had achieved a nuclear fusion at room temperature table-top apparatus into a font of nearly limitless sent Pons's data. A lot of people at the university Ask Our Staff Designers For: in a simple table-top experiment. The announce• energy and profit. At one time, university officials have been counting on Pons to show the research Design Assietance • Fabric Coordination ment held out the hope of a cheap, safe and lobbied Congress for help in building a $100 is viable." virtually inexhaustible source of energy. million center for quick commercialization of cold Labof EstJmat" Despite much skepticism in scientific circles, fusion. In the worst case, Moon said, the advisory state officials in Utah directed that $5 million be University officials say they are worried. "We council would have no choice but to curtail funds. (W& ARE OPEN AU. PAY SATURDAY) spent on the work. The money was used to create don't know where Stan Pons is," said Dr. Hugo He said that the council had repeatedly asked the National Cold Fusion Institute, a nonprofit Rossi, the dean of the university's college of sci• for scientific review of the cold fusion research by corporation in Salt Lake City founded by the ence. "Nobody here at the university knows how a group of outside experts, but so far it had failed University of Utah. to get in touch with him." to materialize. "I suspect they can't show me what DECaATIVE FABRICS Today, the state's Fusion Energy Advisory Rossi said he had been told that Pons, who is a I want to see," Moon said. Council is to discuss whether to renew or end the tenured professor in the chemistry department, Salt Lalce City newspapers have reported that Alf'.,,,_.& E: ~'rf f'S financing, a decision that officials said would be was visiting foreign laboratories, but added the he Pons' hoine is up for sale and his phone discon• G20 N. Spring St. 919-724--6806 influenced by whether Pons appears. Fleischmann was now unsure about that. nected. Neither university or state officials could Winston-Salem Mon.-Sat. 9:30- 5:30 was not expected to, make a presentation. "It's craziness," Rossi said. "All we know is that confirm these reports. WS JClJRNA.l, Jan. 6, 1991 Scientist's Future At School Uncertain

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS SALT LAKE CITY A researcher in cold fusion at the University of Utah is negotiating his future at the school, and offi• cials won't say whether he will show up to teach a class that starts Monday. Neither attorneys for the electro• chemist, B. Stanley Pons, nor school officials would disclose details of the talks, except to say that Pons is more interested in research than teaching. C. Gary Triggs, Pons' at• torney, said, "The question has been that he STANLEY PONS obviously can't do his teaching du• ties and his research at the same time.'' Pons and a British colleague, Martin Fleischmann, stunned the scientific community in 1989 when they announced that they had achieved cold fusion. Their experi• ment proved difficult to duplicate and led to wide skepticism. Pons added to tension in Octo• ber, when he skipped a meeting of the state oversight committee that keeps track of $5 million in state money given the university to set up the National Cold Fusion Insti• tute. PONS, A GRADUATE of Wake Forest University,asked the univer• sity in November for a year's sab• batical. Administrators were con• sidering the request. Pons agreed to appear Tuesday at a meeting of a state-appointed panel of scientists looking into cold fusion as a science, Triggs said. Triggs would not discuss the school's negotiations with Pons, other than to say that they would be settled this week. He also said that Pons will remain affiliated with the school.