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Overlooked & Underrated Docs & Features
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The Believers: The Search for Cheap Energy
Co-written and co-directed by Clayton Brown and Monica Long Ross, “The Believers” is as thought-provoking a documentary as they come.
Ross and Brown tell the recent history of ‘cold fusion’ which refers to a process that would provide energy at a significantly reduced cost. The film’s centerpiece is the controversial announcement in 1989 by respected scientists Stanley Pons and Martin Fleischmann that they had demonstrated cold fusion in the laboratory, followed by the seemingly immediate discrediting of this demonstration. Their reputations were sullied to the point that Pons and his family left the United States, an otherwise valuable, if not stellar, career torpedoed.
Surrounding this centerpiece are the expressions of one James Martinez of ‘Cold Fusion Now’ radio waxing hyper-enthusiastic about the validity and value of cold fusion in short segments throughout the film.
Most of the film’s interviewees are either believers in the possibility of cold fusion, or, at least, hold off judgment.
I was struck, however, by one of the scientists who seemed as invested in the belief that cold fusion is not possible as any religious dogmatist is in the particulars of their beliefs. Amongst the controversies highlighted or intimated in the film are the simple questions: What is science? What is a scientist? My personal answer is that a scientist is someone who explores, questions, and learns – and never ceases those activities. I’m unclear on the value of believing or disbelieving in phenomena. But this particular scientist believes cold fusion is not possible – so deeply and consistently so that I was reminded of the clichéd quote, ‘The lady doth protest too much, methinks.’ But I digress.
Throughout my viewing of “The Believers” the aforementioned thoughts were provoked. I was provoked to think about the possibility that cold fusion is possible. Let’s say an unprecedentedly efficient method of generating energy was demonstrated and implemented – one that obviates the need for the massive burning of fossil fuels; one, even, without the risks of current nuclear power generation. What does that mean? What are the implications?
It seems that the enthusiasts in this film – and others I’ve heard elsewhere – have no doubt about the potential high value of this discovery.
How would the seven billion of us human beings use this energy? The question seems to come down to utopia, dystopia, or the outcome ‘conventional wisdom’ may proffer – something between the two, perhaps more utopian or more dystopian.
In any case, a small group of scientists peppered throughout our world continues the search for cold fusion.
So, I proffer another documentary exploring this question: What do we do with the energy?