Re: those folks at MIT (fwd)

["Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Tue, 12 Jun 2007 17:15:47 -0700
From: Ed Phillips <evp@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: Tesla list <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: those folks at MIT (fwd)

I suppose what gets me is that if I had seen this as a project when I 
was judging at the California State Science Fair last month, I 
wouldn't have given it a very high mark, at least based on the 
published paper.  They've left out some key things (how much current 
did they measure in the loops), the overall experimental technique 
left a lot to be desired (calibrated light bulbs?), they didn't apply 
simple physics to make quantitative predictions about the effects of 
interposing materials.


	Gosh, they have 6 coauthors!!!  Surely one of them knows something 
about experimental design? "

1. Apparently they're ignorant of simple physics!

2. Obviously not!

	I think a number of letters to the editor are in order when and if the thing ever gets published in Science!  Think of how many unsophisticated readers of "the media" will be misled - horrifying.

Ed