Rossi's logic

Gains massive internet interest with claims of cold fusion. Initial series of demos shows COP > 10. Each demo is different, all demos have flaws. When told about an easily correctable flaw Rossi does not repeat demo with flaw corrected, but moves to a different demo with the same or a different flaw.

After a sequence of demos all with flaws, Rossi resists calls for more convincing demos saying that satisfied customers are the only test that matters. He is funded by Franchise holders who expect working devices imminently.

After some time with no satisfied customers, and restive Franchise holders, Rossi commissions a new and "independent" test. Only it is not independent, but on his premisses with his setup and his involvement. As usual there are flaws.

Nevertheless Rossi gets money from Darden and claims that he has sold IP for ecat to a new entity [lexicon]Industrial Heat[/lexicon] which has paid him for this. Rossi claims he no longer has strategic control of development.

The profs doing the first "independent test" respond to criticism by doing another, more independent, test. In this second test Rossi's involvement is limited to loading and removing fuel/ash. The fuel/ash tests show extraordinarily complete isotopic change which is however inconsistent with the claimed (also extraodinary) heat excess. Were the isotopic change real it would eman much more heat emitted than claimed.

The second (claimed more rigorous) test uses an unusual method of calorimetry which, it turns out, is incorrectly calculated by the Profs. Unusually, during this second test, there is no control measurement, making such a miscalculation possible. When corrected their apparent COP of 3.2 and 3.6 turns into a COP of 1.07 and 1.07. The errors in the experiment from unknowns mean that this result is exactly what is expected for an electric heater.

The miscalculation is ignored by the Profs (who were given it informally before it was released) and by Rossi. Rossi now reiterates that lab tests are irrelevant, all that matters is customers.

Rossi conducts a 400 day test of a claimed set of 100 10kW e-cats with a claimed customer. This morphs into 4 250kW e-cats. Throughout the test Rossi provides internet updates of progress - but says he is not sure whether the test will "work" or not.

Rossi claims that strategic development of the ecat is controlled by Leonardo Corp, all mention of [lexicon]Industrial Heat[/lexicon] is now suppressed.

Throughout this period Rossi spends much time on the internet servicing his blog, answering questions from supporters, etc.

That anyone can believe it even remotely likely Rossi has working product, after this sequence of events, only shows how varied and marvellous are human beliefs.