If this isn't a hoax -- and I can think of four or five times in history where almost exactly this setup was used as a hoax, and the people got away with the equivalent of millions of dollars -- it's potentially the best news I've read, like, ever.
If I were less lazy than I am (I'm not) I'd email Discovery and ask them if they can find out what the patent numbers are for the process, as they did allude to there being patents granted in the article. A patent doesn't mean it's not quackery but it does make it less likely.
Of course, another way would be to find some poor willing shmoe who lives near there, provide 'em with a video camera, batteries and tapes and ask for a day of unedited footage from a visit to the plant. If it's a scam they likely wouldn't want that at the plant, but a legit operation would welcome it. You might even make a bit of money from making it a documentary.
A patent doesn't mean it's not quackery but it does make it less likely.
I dunno. There have been some pretty wacky patents granted (or pending) - the one on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, sideways swinging, or the one that claimed to be able to compress any arbitrary input stream in a loss-less fashion. So I don't have much faith in the current patent system.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2003-04-21 11:27 am (UTC)Of course, another way would be to find some poor willing shmoe who lives near there, provide 'em with a video camera, batteries and tapes and ask for a day of unedited footage from a visit to the plant. If it's a scam they likely wouldn't want that at the plant, but a legit operation would welcome it. You might even make a bit of money from making it a documentary.
(no subject)
Date: 2003-04-22 06:44 am (UTC)I dunno. There have been some pretty wacky patents granted (or pending) - the one on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, sideways swinging, or the one that claimed to be able to compress any arbitrary input stream in a loss-less fashion. So I don't have much faith in the current patent system.