Misplaced Pages

Steven E. Jones: Difference between revisions

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
Browse history interactively← Previous editContent deleted Content addedVisualWikitext
Revision as of 12:40, 29 October 2006 editSalvNaut (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users1,444 editsm →Cold fusion← Previous edit Latest revision as of 00:35, 8 November 2024 edit undoGreenC bot (talk | contribs)Bots2,547,810 edits Rescued 4 archive links. Wayback Medic 2.5 per WP:URLREQ#deseretnews.com 
Line 1: Line 1:
{{short description|American physicist}}
]
{{Other uses|Stephen Jones (disambiguation)}}
'''Steven Earl Jones''' is a professor of ] at ] and ].<ref>{{cite news |first = Justin|last = Pope|title = 9/11 Conspiracy Theorists Thriving|url = http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=2279929|work = ABC News > U.S.|publisher = ABCNews Internet Ventures|date = 2006-08-06|accessdate = 2006-08-21}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/21/AR2006102100635.html |title=9/11 Conspiracy Theorist to Leave Brigham Young |publisher=AP/Washington Post |date=October 22, 2006}}</ref> His research includes ] and ]. In the 1980s Jones popularized the term '']'', but his experimental work was significantly different from the more controversial cold fusion experiments of ] and ].<ref>{{cite web |last = |first = | year = | url = http://www.newenergytimes.com/PR/ColdFusionFAQ.htm |title = Frequently Asked Questions About The Field of Low Energy Nuclear Reactions | work = A Subset of Condensed Matter Nuclear Science |publisher = New Energy Times | accessdate = 2006-07-27}}</ref>
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2014}}

<!-- Deleted image removed: ] -->
Since late 2005, Jones has been defending the hypothesis that the ] was due to a ]<ref>{{cite news |first = Justin|last = Pope|title = 9/11 Conspiracy Theorists Thriving|url = http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=2279929|work = ABC News > U.S.|publisher = ABCNews Internet Ventures|date = 2006-08-06|accessdate = 2006-08-21}}</ref>, a common feature of ] surrounding the ]. On September 7, 2006, he was placed on paid leave while his university reviewed the scientific basis of his work in this area.<ref name=DMorning_pleave>{{cite news |first = Tad |last = Walch|title = BYU places '9/11 truth' professor on paid leave|url = http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,645199800,00.html |work = |publisher = Deseret Morning News|date = 2006-09-8}}</ref><ref name=USNW_BYUtakes>{{cite news |first = Will |last = Sullivan|title = BYU takes on a 9/11 conspiracy professor|url = http://www.usnews.com/usnews/news/articles/060911/11conspiracy.htm|work = U.S.News & World Report |publisher = www.usnews.com|date = 2006-09-11}}</ref> Six weeks later, before the review would have been made, Jones elected to retire from BYU. On October 20, 2006 Steven Jones and BYU finalized a retirement package.<ref name=DN_Retire>{{cite web |url=http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,650200587,00.html |title=BYU professor in dispute over 9/11 will retire |last=Walch |first=Ted |authorlink= |coauthors= |date=2006-10-21 |publisher=Desert News}}</ref>
'''Steven Earl Jones''' (born March 25, 1949)<ref name="Jones BYU CV"/> is an American ]. Among scientists, Jones became known for his research into ] and geo-fusion.<ref>Steven E Jones & ], '''' (New York: American Institute of Physics, 1989).</ref><ref>George L Trigg, ed, ''Encyclopedia of Applied Physics'', Volume 14: ''Physical Geology to Polymer Dynamics'' (New York: VCH Publishers, 1996), : "Dr. Steven Jones of Brigham Young University, who had long studied muon-catalyzed fusion...".</ref><ref>Thomas F Gieryn, ''Cultural Boundaries of Science: Credibility on the Line'' (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1999), .</ref> Jones is also known for his association with ].<ref name=Atkins2011Scholars>Stephen E Atkins, "Scholars for 9/11 Truth and Scholars for 9/11 Truth and Justice" , in S E Atkins, ed, ''The 9/11 Encyclopedia'', 2nd edn (Santa Barbara CA: ABC-CLIO, 2011).</ref><ref name=SummersSwan2011p99>Anthony Summers & Robbyn Swan, ''The Eleventh Day: The Full Story of 9/11'' (New York: Ballantine Books, 2011), .</ref> Jones has claimed that airplane crashes and fires could not have caused the ] and ], suggesting ] instead.<ref name=SummersSwan2011p99/><ref>Peter Phillips & Mickey Huff w/ Project Censored, eds, ''Media Democracy in Action: Censored 2010: The Top 25 Censored Stories of 2008-09'' (New York: Seven Stories Press, 2009), "Censored 2007 #18", .</ref> In late 2006, ] (BYU) officials placed him on paid leave until he elected to retire in an agreement with BYU.<ref name="DN_Retire">{{cite news |url=http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,650200587,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061103100717/http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0%2C1249%2C650200587%2C00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 3, 2006 |title=BYU professor in dispute over 9/11 will retire: Jones had been placed on leave 6 weeks ago |last=Walch |first=Tad |date=October 21, 2006 |publisher=Deseret Morning News |access-date=September 4, 2007}}</ref> Jones continued research and writing following his early retirement from BYU.<ref name="Europhysicsnews2016"/>


==Education== ==Education==
In 1973, Jones earned his bachelors degree in physics, ], from Brigham Young University, and his Ph.D. in ] from ] in 1978. Jones conducted his ] research at the ] Center (from 1974 to 1977), and post-doctoral research at ] and the ].<ref></ref> Jones earned his bachelor's degree in physics, ], from Brigham Young University in 1973, and his Ph.D. in ] from ] in 1978. From 1974 to 1977, Jones conducted his PhD research at the ] Center (SLAC), and post-doctoral research at ] and the ].<ref name="Jones BYU CV">{{cite web|url=http://www.physics.byu.edu/research/atomic/physics1/atomic/jones_cv.htm|title=CURRICULUM VITAE|website=www.physics.byu.edu|access-date=April 16, 2018|archive-date=April 5, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130405235635/http://www.physics.byu.edu/research/atomic/physics1/atomic/jones_cv.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref>


==Research interests and background== ==Research interests==
Jones conducted research at the ], in ], from 1979 to 1985, where he was a senior engineering specialist. He was the principal investigator for experimental ] from 1982 to 1991 for the ], Division of Advanced Energy Projects. From 1990 to 1993, Jones researched fusion in ] and ], for the U.S. Department of Energy and for the Electric Power Research Institute. Jones conducted research at the ], in Idaho Falls, ] where, from 1979 to 1985, he was a senior engineering specialist. He was ] for experimental ] from 1982 to 1991 for the ] (DOE), Division of Advanced Energy Projects. From 1985 to 1993, Jones studied ]-based fusion in the context of ] under DOE and Electric Power Research Institute sponsorship. Jones also collaborated in experiments at other physics laboratories, including ] (]), ] (]), ] (]), and the ] near ].<ref name="Jones BYU CV"/>{{citation needed|date = August 2018}}


Around 1985, Jones became interested in anomalous concentrations of ] and ] found in gases escaping from ]es. He hypothesized that metals and high pressures in the Earth's interior might make fusion more likely, and began a series of experiments on what he referred to as geo-fusion, or ''piezofusion,'' high-pressure fusion. To characterize the reactions, Jones claimed to have designed and constructed a ] counter that was capable of accurately measuring minuscule numbers of neutrons produced in his experiments. The counter indicated that a small amount of fusion was occurring, according to Jones, but that it was likely not useful energy production.{{citation needed|date = August 2018}}
Jones has also been a collaborator in several experiments, including experiments at ] (]), The National High Energy Laboratory, ] (]), and the ] at ].


Jones specializes in Metal-catalyzed fusion, ] and ]<ref>{{cite web | url= http://www.physics.byu.edu/research/energy |title = Steven E. Jones' biography at BYU | accessdate = 2006-08-03}}</ref>. Jones' interests extend to ], ],<ref>{{cite web | url= http://www.physics.byu.edu/research/energy |title = Steven E. Jones' biography at BYU | access-date = August 3, 2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://solarcooking.org/plans/funnel.htm |title=The Solar Funnel Cooker |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070111211701/http://solarcooking.org/plans/funnel.htm |archive-date=January 11, 2007 |df=mdy |access-date=November 28, 2006 }}</ref>
and, like numerous professors at BYU, ].<ref>For the relationship between ] and ] scholarship see generally John-Charles Duffy. "Defending the Kingdom, Rethinking the Faith: How Apologetics Is Reshaping Mormon Orthodoxy." '']'', May 2004, 22-55.</ref> He has interpreted archaeological evidence from the ] as supporting his faith's belief that ] (when resurrected) visited America.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.physics.byu.edu/faculty/jones/rel491/handstext+and+figures.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170510201139/http://www.physics.byu.edu/faculty/jones/rel491/handstext+and+figures.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=May 10, 2017 |title=''Behold My Hands: Evidence for Christ's Visit in Ancient America,'' by Steven Jones |access-date=June 1, 2016 }}, article claiming evidence that Jesus Christ visited the Americas (also )</ref> Jones is a member of ] and has been described as "a devout Mormon."<ref name="Chronicle">{{cite news |last=Gravois |first=John |date=June 23, 2006 |title=Professors of Paranoia? |url=http://www.chronicle.com/article/Professors-of-Paranoia-/9095 |access-date=September 14, 2016 |work=The Chronicle of Higher Education |page=A.10 |volume=52 |issue=42 |quote=Soon after Mr. Jones posted his paper online, the physics department at Brigham Young moved to distance itself from his work. The department released a statement saying that it was 'not convinced that his analyses and hypotheses have been submitted to relevant scientific venues that would ensure rigorous technical peer review.'}}</ref> In 2016-17, he and his wife served as full-time Senior Missionaries in the New Jersey Morristown Mission of the Church.<ref>https://www.facebook.com/NewJerseyMorristownMission/reviews {{User-generated source|certain=yes|date=March 2022}}</ref>


===Muon-catalyzed fusion===
Jones has written a paper entitled ''"Behold My Hands: Evidence for Christ's Visit in Ancient America"'' in which he used archeological evidence to support the claims of ] (founder of the ]) that ] had visited the ] after his ], an event chronicled in the ]. The evidence pointed to is ] depictions of deities which have ] like markings on their hands.<ref name="Christ">{{cite web |last = Jones |first = Steven E. | year = | url = http://www.physics.byu.edu/faculty/jones/rel491/handstext%20and%20figures.htm |title = Behold My Hands: Evidence for Christ's Visit in Ancient America | work = |publisher = | accessdate = 2006-07-27}}</ref>
In the mid-1980s, Jones and other ] scientists worked on what he referred to as ''Cold Nuclear Fusion'' in a '']'' article (the process is currently known as ] to avoid confusion with the ] concept proposed by the ]'s ] and ]). Muon-catalyzed fusion was a field of some interest during the 1980s as a potential energy source; however, its low energy output appears to be unavoidable (because of alpha-muon sticking losses). Jones led a research team that, in 1986, achieved 150 fusions per muon (average), releasing over 2,600 MeV of fusion energy per ], a record which still stands.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Jones|first=Steven Earl|date=1986|title=Muon-catalysed fusion revisited|journal=Nature|language=En|volume=321|issue=6066|pages=127–133|doi=10.1038/321127a0|issn=0028-0836|bibcode=1986Natur.321..127J|s2cid=39819102}}</ref>


Pons and Fleischmann commenced their work at approximately the same time. Jones became aware of their work when they applied for research funding from the DOE, after which the DOE forwarded their proposal to Jones for ]. When Jones realized that their work was similar, he and Pons and Fleischmann agreed to release their papers to ] on the same day (March 24, 1989). However, Pons and Fleischmann announced their results at a press event the day before Jones faxed his paper to ''Nature''.<ref> {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060828113846/http://blake.montclair.edu/~kowalskil/cf/131history.html |date=August 28, 2006 }}</ref>
==Cold fusion==
In the mid-1980s, Jones and other BYU scientists worked on what he then referred to as ''Cold Nuclear Fusion'' in a ] article, but is today known as ] to avoid confusion. Muon-catalyzed fusion was a field of some interest in the 1980s, but its low energy output appears to be unavoidable and the field has since fallen from interest.


According to a '']'' report, although peer reviewers were harshly critical of Pons' and Fleischmann's research, they did not apply such criticism to Jones' significantly more modest, theoretically supported findings. Critics insisted that Jones' results were probably caused by experimental error;<ref>{{cite news |last = Browne |first = Malcolm W. |year = 1989 |url = http://partners.nytimes.com/library/national/science/050399sci-cold-fusion.html |title = Physicists Debunk Claim Of a New Kind of Fusion |work = Science |publisher = The New York Times
Around 1985 Jones then became interested in the anomalous production of helium-3 found in the gasses escaping from ]. He hypothesized that the high pressures in the Earth's interior might make fusion more likely, and began a series of experiments on what he referred to as ''piezofusion'', or high-pressure fusion. His experiments initially used a ] to create high pressures, but he later moved on to an apparatus similar to the one also used by ] and ]. In order to characterize the reactions, Jones designed and built a ] counter able to accurately measure the tiny numbers of neutrons being produced in his experiments. The counter suggested a small amount of fusion was going on. Jones said the result suggested at least the possibility of fusion, though the process was unlikely to be useful as an energy source.
|access-date = July 14, 2006}}</ref> the majority of the reviewing physicists claimed that he was a careful scientist. Later research and experiments have supported Jones' metallic "]" (geo-fusion) reports.<ref>{{cite journal |year = 2001 |title = Enhancement of the electron screening effect for d+ d fusion reactions in metallic environments | pages=449–455| volume= 54| number= 4| quote=...the observed enhancement of the electron screening in metal targets can, in tendency, explain the small neutron production rates observed in the cold-fusion experiment of Jones . |bibcode = 2001EL.....54..449C
|author1 = Czerski, K.
|author2 = Huke, A.
|author3 = Biller, A.
|author4 = Heide, P.
|author5 = Hoeft, M.
|author6 = Ruprecht, G.
|journal = Europhysics Letters
|doi = 10.1209/epl/i2001-00265-7|citeseerx = 10.1.1.380.6953 |s2cid = 250756853 }}</ref>


In July 2013, Jones gave a poster talk at the ] at the ], titled, "Empirical Evidence for Two Distinct Effects: Low-level d-d Fusion in Metals and Anomalous Excess Heat."<ref>{{Cite journal |last = Jones |first = Steven Earl |year = 2013 |url = https://mospace.umsystem.edu/xmlui/handle/10355/36502 |title = Empirical Evidence for Two Distinct Effects: Low-level d-d Fusion in Metals and Anomalous Excess Heat |website = Posters (18th International Conference on Condensed Matter Nuclear Science) |publisher = University of Missouri |access-date = December 24, 2014}}</ref>
Pons and Fleischmann (P&F) started their work around the same time. Their work was brought to Jones' attention when they applied for research funding from the ] and they passed their proposal along to Jones for ]. Realizing their work was very similar, Jones and P&F agreed to release their papers to ] on the same day, March 24, 1987. However, P&F announced their results at a press event the day before. Jones faxed his paper to Nature.<ref></ref>


==9/11 conspiracy theories==
A New York Times article says that while peer reviewers were quite critical of Pons and Fleishchmann's research they did not apply such criticism to Jones' much more modest, theoretically supported findings. Although critics insisted that his results likely stemmed from experimental error,<ref>{{cite web |last = Browne |first = Malcolm W. |year = 1989 |url = http://partners.nytimes.com/library/national/science/050399sci-cold-fusion.html |title = Physicists Debunk Claim Of a New Kind of Fusion |work = Science |publisher = The New York Times
===World Trade Center destruction paper and response===
|accessdate = 2006-07-14}}</ref> most of the reviewing physicists indicated that he was a careful scientist. Other research and experiments confirmed his findings.<ref>{{cite web
On September 22, 2005, at a BYU seminar attended by around 60 people, Jones publicly presented his views regarding the 2001 ] towers and ] during the ]. Jones noted he believed it was more likely a ], using ], referencing the speed and symmetry of the collapses, and characteristics of dust jets. Later, Jones said he had identified grey-red flakes found in the dust as nanothermite traces and that the thermite reaction products (] and iron-rich microspheres) were also found in the dust.<ref name="benthamscience.com"> {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120304145947/http://www.benthamscience.com/open/tocpj/articles/V002/7TOCPJ.htm?TOCPJ%2F2009%2F00000002%2F00000001%2F7TOCPJ.SGM |date=March 4, 2012 }}. By Niels H. Harrit, Jeffrey Farrer, Steven E. Jones Kevin R. Ryan, Frank M. Legge, Daniel Farnsworth, Gregg Roberts, James R. Gourley and Bradley R. Larsen. {{ISSN|1874-4125}} {{doi|10.2174/1874412500902010007}}. ''The Open Chemical Physics Journal.'' pp 7-31</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wtc7.net/articles/stevenjones_b7_051122.html |title=Why Indeed Did the WTC Buildings Collapse? |access-date=September 9, 2008 |last=Jones |first=Steven E. |quote=I presented my objections to the "official" theory at a seminar at BYU on September 22, 2005, to about 60 people. I also showed evidence and scientific arguments for the explosive demolition theory.}}</ref> Shortly after the seminar, Jones placed a research paper entitled "Why Indeed Did the WTC Buildings Collapse?" on his page in the Physics department Web site, commenting that BYU had no responsibility for the paper.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.physics.byu.edu/research/energy/htm7.html |title=Why Indeed Did the WTC Buildings Collapse? |access-date=April 10, 2010 |last=Jones |first=Steven E. |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20051124011753/http://www.physics.byu.edu/research/energy/htm7.html |archive-date = November 24, 2005}}</ref>
|last = Czerski, K. and Huke, A. and Biller, A. and Heide, P. and Hoeft, M. and Ruprecht, G.
|year = 2001 |url = http://lenr-canr.org/acrobat/CzerskiKenhancemen.pdf |title = Enhancement of the electron screening effect for d+ d fusion reactions in metallic environments |filetype = pdf |publisher = Europhysics Letters| pages=449-455, Volume 54, number 4| quote=...the observed
enhancement of the electron screening in metal targets can, in tendency, explain
the small neutron production rates observed in the cold-fusion experiment of
Jones .}} </ref>


The paper was self-published in the online ''Journal of 9/11 Studies'', a journal co-founded and co-edited by Jones. It also appeared in a volume of essays, ''9/11 and American Empire: Intellectuals Speak Out'', edited by ] and ].<ref>{{cite book |title=9/11 and American Empire: Intellectuals Speak Out, Vol 1 |date=August 23, 2006 |publisher=Olive Branch Press |isbn=978-1-56656-659-9 |editor-last=Griffin |editor-first=David Ray |page=247 pages |editor2=Peter Dale Scott}}</ref> It was controversial both for its content and its claims to scientific rigor.<ref name="Chronicle" /> Jones' early critics included members of BYU's engineering faculty;<ref>{{cite web |last=Firmage |first=D. Allan |date=April 9, 2006 |title=Refuting 9/11 Conspiracy Theory |url=http://www.netxnews.net/vnews/display.v/ART/2006/04/09/443801bdadd6e |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120418153431/http://www.netxnews.net/vnews/display.v/ART/2006/04/09/443801bdadd6e |archive-date=April 18, 2012 |access-date=September 4, 2007 |website=Letter to the Editor |publisher=NetXNews (online edition of College Times, the Utah Valley State College student newspaper) |df=mdy-all}}</ref> shortly after he made his views public, the BYU College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences and the faculty of structural engineering issued statements in which they distanced themselves from Jones' work. They noted that Jones' "hypotheses and interpretations of evidence were being questioned by scholars and practitioners," and expressed doubts on whether they had been "submitted to relevant scientific venues that would ensure rigorous technical peer review."<ref>{{cite news |last=McIlvain |first=Ryan |date=December 5, 2005 |title=Censor rumors quelled |url=http://newsnet.byu.edu/story.cfm/57724 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090507180506/http://newsnet.byu.edu/story.cfm/57724 |archive-date=May 7, 2009 |access-date=September 4, 2007 |publisher=BYU NewsNet |quote=Professor Jones's department and college administrators are not convinced that his analyses and hypotheses have been submitted to relevant scientific venues that would ensure rigorous technical peer review. The structural engineering faculty in the Fulton College of Engineering and Technology do not support the hypotheses of Professor Jones. |df=mdy-all}}</ref>
==WTC collapse controversy==
At a department seminar held on September 22, 2005, Jones presented the substance of the paper that would become "Why Indeed did the WTC Buildings Collapse?".<ref>Jones, Steven E. "Why Indeed Did the WTC Buildings Collapse?" in Griffin, David Ray and Peter Dale Scott, eds. ''9/11 and American Empire: Intellectuals Speak Out''. Olive Branch Press, 2006. A version of the paper has also been published online in the ''Journal of 9/11 Studies'', vol 3.</ref> His hypothesis is that on September 11, 2001 the ] towers and ] collapsed as a result of controlled demolition, not the impact of the airplanes that hit them or the fires that followed. The paper does not claim to prove this hypothesis, but calls for further scientific investigation to test it along with the release of all relevant data by the government. Shortly after the seminar Jones made the paper available on the website of the physics department of Brigham Young University. It would eventually be published in a book of essays critical of the official version of the ], ''9/11 and American Empire: Intellectuals Speak Out'', edited by ] and ].<ref>Griffin, David Ray and Peter Dale Scott, eds. ''9/11 and American Empire: Intellectuals Speak Out''. Olive Branch Press, 2006.</ref>


Over the following year, Jones presented his WTC research in lectures at ], ], University of Colorado at Boulder and University of Denver, University of California at Berkeley and Davis, and the University of Texas at Austin.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.journalof911studies.com/volume/200609/DrJonesTalksatISUPhysicsDepartment |title=What Caused Not Two but Three World Trade Center Skyscrapers to COMPLETELY Collapse on 9/11/2001? |access-date=September 4, 2007 |format=pdf |last=Jones |first=Steven E |date=September 22, 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927210441/http://www.journalof911studies.com/volume/200609/DrJonesTalksatISUPhysicsDepartment |archive-date=September 27, 2007 |df=mdy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Jones |first=Steven E |url=http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=964034652002408586 |access-date=September 4, 2007 |title=9/11 Revisited: Scientific and Ethical Questions |date=February 1, 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070826183748/http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=964034652002408586 |archive-date=August 26, 2007 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Riley |first=Michael |url=http://www.denverpost.com/newsheadlines/ci_4572518 |title=Backers hail 9/11 theorist's speech |date=October 29, 2006 |access-date=September 4, 2007 |publisher=Denver Post |work=Denver & The West}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Physicist says heat substance felled WTC |last=Dean |first=Suzanne |url=http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,635198488,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060411152937/http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,635198488,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 11, 2006 |date=April 10, 2006 |access-date=September 4, 2007 |publisher=Deseret Morning News}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sonoma.edu/pubs/newsrelease/archives/000865.html |date=October 26, 2006 |access-date=September 4, 2007 |title=Scholars For Truth Founder Is Keynote Speaker for Media Accountability Conference, Nov. 3 And 4}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://liftingthefog.org/program.html |date=November 11, 2006 |access-date=September 4, 2007 | title=Analysis of the World Trade Center Destruction |website=Lifting the Fog: The Scientific Method Applied to the World Trade Center Disaster}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pnacitizen.org/41407event.php |title=The Twin Towers in scientific detail |website=Project for a New American Citizen: Rebuilding America's Senses |date=April 14, 2007 |access-date=September 4, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070901063540/http://www.pnacitizen.org/41407event.php |archive-date=September 1, 2007 }}</ref>
Jones has been interviewed by mainstream news sources and has made a number of public appearances, including the ], which was held in Los Angeles on June 24-25, 2006.<ref></ref> While Jones has urged caution in drawing conclusions,<ref name=AnsQJones>{{cite web |last = Jones |first = Steven E.| year = July 18, 2006 | url = http://www.journalof911studies.com/JonesAnswersQuestionsWorldTradeCenter.pdf | format= pdf |title = Answers to Objections and Questions | work = |publisher = | accessdate = 2006-08-05}}</ref> his public comments have suggested a considerable degree of certainty about both the controlled demolition of the World Trade Center and the culpability of agents working within the U.S. government.<ref>{{cite news | last = | first = | title = Fury as academics claim 9/11 was 'inside job' | publisher = London Daily Mail | date = ]| url = http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=403757&in_page_id=1770| accessdate = 2006-09-06 }}</ref> In an article published on September 5, 2006, Jones told ] that the attacks were an "inside job".<ref>{{cite news | last = | first = | title = Who really blew up the twin towers? | publisher = The Guardian|Education Guardian | date = September 5, 2006| url = http://education.guardian.co.uk/egweekly/story/0,,1864524,00.html| accessdate = 2006-10-09 }}</ref> His name is often mentioned in reporting about ].<ref>{{cite web |last = |first = | year = | url = http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/02/nyregion/02conspiracy.html?_r=1&ex=1157342400&en=fe751c70a0d04ae0&ei=5087%0A&oref=slogin |title = 2 U.S. Reports Seek to Counter Conspiracy Theories About 9/11 | work = |publisher = ] | accessdate = 2006-09-06}}</ref>


==== Retirement from BYU ====
The paper has been the center of controversy both for its content and its claims to scientific rigour. Engineers have dismissed the controlled demolition hypothesis with reference to the consensus that has formed in the engineering community about the collapses.<ref name="Chronicle">{{cite web |last = Gravois |first = John | year = June 23, 2006 | url = http://chronicle.com/free/v52/i42/42a01001.htm |title = Professors of Paranoia? Academics give a scholarly stamp to 9/11 conspiracy theories| work = |publisher = The Chronicle of Higher Education | accessdate = 2006-07-27}}</ref><ref>Bazant, Zdenek P. and Mathieu Verdure. "Mechanics of Progressive Collapse: Learning from World Trade Center and Building Demolitions" in ''Journal of Engineering Mechanics ASCE'', in press. PDF</ref> Jones's early critics included members of BYU's engineering faculty<ref>{{cite web |last = |first = | year = April 9, 2006 | url = http://www.netxnews.net/vnews/display.v/ART/2006/04/09/443801bdadd6e |title = Refuting 9/11 Conspiracy Theory | work = Letter to the Editor |publisher = | accessdate = 2006-07-27}}</ref> and shortly after he made his views public, the BYU College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences and the faculty of structural engineering issued statements in which they distanced themselves from Jones' research. They noted that Jones' "hypotheses and interpretations of evidence were being questioned by scholars and practitioners", and expressed doubts about whether they had been "submitted to relevant scientific venues that would ensure rigorous technical peer review."<ref>{{cite web |last = McIlvain |first = Ryan | year = December 5, 2005 | url = http://newsnet.byu.edu/story.cfm/57724 |title = Censor rumors quelled |accessdate = 2006-07-29}}</ref>
On September 7, 2006, Jones removed his paper from BYU's website at the request of administrators and was placed on paid leave.<ref name="Deseret Morning News">{{cite web |last=Walch |first=Tad |date=September 14, 2006 |url=http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,645201360,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070316160642/http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,645201360,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 16, 2007|title=BYU's Jones Denies Bias| publisher=Deseret News | access-date=October 9, 2007}}</ref> The university cited its concern about the "increasingly speculative and accusatory nature" of Jones' work and that perhaps Jones' research had "not been published in appropriate scientific venues" as reasons for putting him under review. Six weeks later he chose to retire, and the review was not pursued further.<ref>{{cite news |last=McFarland |first=Sheena |date=September 8, 2006 |publisher=Salt Lake Tribune |title=BYU prof on paid leave for 9/11 theory }}</ref><ref name="DN_Retire" />


While Jones has always maintained that the paper was peer-reviewed prior to publication, doubts about this remain. On Thursday, September 7, 2006, Jones removed his paper from BYU's website at the request of administrators and was placed on paid leave.<ref>{{cite news | last =Walch | first = Tad| title = Controversy dogs Y.'s Jones | publisher = Deseretnews | date = September 9, 2006| url = http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,645200098,00.html| accessdate = 2006-09-09 }}</ref> The university cited its concern about the "increasingly speculative and accusatory nature" of Jones's work and the fact it had "not been published in appropriate scientific venues" as reasons for putting him under review.<ref name=DMorning_pleave/><ref name=USNW_BYUtakes/> The review supposed to be three-tiered, with the school's administration, the College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences and the Physics Department involved.<ref>{{cite web |last = McFarland |first = Sheena |year = September 8, 2006 | url = http://www.sltrib.com/ci_4306831 | title = BYU prof on paid leave for 9/11 theory | publisher = The Salt Lake Tribune}}</ref> This action has drawn fresh criticism from the ] and the ]. Both organizations are long time critics of BYU's record on academic freedom.<ref>http://www.deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,645200780,00.html</ref> Some of Jones' colleagues also defended Jones' 9/11 work,<ref name="Deseretnews">{{cite web |last=Walch |first=Tad |date=September 18, 2006 |url=https://www.deseret.com/2006/9/18/19974713/three-at-byu-praise-jones |title=Three at BYU praise Jones | access-date=September 3, 2007 |work=Deseret News |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210210225159if_/https://www.deseret.com/2006/9/18/19974713/three-at-byu-praise-jones |archive-date=10 February 2021 |url-status=live |language=en}}</ref> and Project Censored listed his 9/11 research among the top mainstream media censored stories of 2007.<ref name="Project Censored">{{cite web |last=Kramer |first=John |author2=David Abbott |author3=Courtney Wilcox |year=2007 | url=http://projectcensored.org/censored_2007/index.htm#18 |title=Physicist Challenges Official 9-11 Story |website=Project Censored |access-date=September 3, 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070902044813/http://www.projectcensored.org/censored_2007/index.htm#18 <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = September 2, 2007}}</ref> His placement on paid leave drew criticism from the ] and the ]. Both organizations have long been critics of BYU's record on academic freedom.<ref>{{cite news |title=BYU action on Jones lamented |url=http://www.deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,645200780,00.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120724154945/http://www.deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,645200780,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 24, 2012 |last = Walch |first=Tad |publisher=Deseret Morning News |date=September 14, 2006 |access-date=September 3, 2007}}</ref>


==Elected retirement from BYU== === Subsequent papers ===
Jones was later interviewed by mainstream news sources and made public appearances. He urged caution in drawing conclusions.<ref name="AnsQJones">{{cite web |last = Jones |first = Steven E| date=July 18, 2006 |url=http://www.journalof911studies.com/articles/JonesAnswersQuestionsWorldTradeCenter.pdf |title=Answers to Objections and Questions |access-date=September 4, 2007}}</ref> His name was often mentioned in reporting about ].<ref>{{cite news |last=Dwyer |first=Jim |title =U.S. Reports Seek to Counter Conspiracy Theories About 9/11 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/02/nyregion/02conspiracy.html |work = ] |date=September 2, 2006 |access-date=April 8, 2008}}</ref>
Jones and Brigham Young University finalized a retirement package on the ], ], six weeks after the school placed the physicist on paid leave to review his statements and research on the September 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center.


In August 2008, Jones, along with Kevin Ryan and James Gourley, published a peer-reviewed article in ''The Environmentalist'', titled, 'Environmental anomalies at the World Trade Center: Evidence for energetic materials'.<ref>{{Cite journal |title=Environmental anomalies at the World Trade Center: evidence for energetic materials |journal=The Environmentalist |volume=29 |pages=56–63 |last=Jones |first=Steven E|doi=10.1007/s10669-008-9182-4 |year=2008 |doi-access=free }}</ref>
"I am electing to retire so that I can spend more time speaking and conducting research of my own choosing," Jones said in a statement released by the university.


In April 2009, Jones co-authored a paper in ''The Open Chemical Physics Journal'', titled, 'Active Thermitic Material Discovered in Dust from the 9/11 World Trade Center Catastrophe'.<ref>{{Cite journal |title=Active Thermitic Material Discovered in Dust from the 9/11 World Trade Center Catastrophe |journal=The Open Chemical Physics Journal |volume=2 |issue=1 |pages=7–31 |last=Harrit |first=Niels H |df=mdy-all |bibcode=2009OCPJ....2....7H |year=2009 |doi=10.2174/1874412500902010007 |doi-access=free }}</ref> The editor of the journal, Professor ], an expert in explosives and nano-technology,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sri.jussieu.fr/cv-pileni.htm |title=Professor Marie-Paule Pileni |access-date=September 14, 2009 |website=Laboratoire des Matériaux Mésoscopiques et Nanométriques |publisher=] |quote=1990–1994: Société Nationale des Poudres et Explosifs, SNPE, France. |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090501150348/http://www.sri.jussieu.fr/cv-pileni.htm |archive-date=May 1, 2009 |df=mdy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chemistry.gatech.edu/faculty/Pileni/ |title=Marie-Paule Pileni |access-date=September 14, 2009 |website=Georgia Institute of Technology }}</ref> resigned. She received an e-mail from the Danish science journal ''Videnskab'' asking for her professional assessment of the article's content.<ref name="Chefredaktor">{{cite journal|last=Hoffmann|first=Thomas|title=Chefredaktør skrider efter kontroversiel artikel om 9/11|journal=Videnskab|date=April 28, 2009|url=http://videnskab.dk/content/dk/naturvidenskab/chefredaktor_skrider_efter_kontroversiel_artikel_om_911|access-date=November 15, 2009|quote=Mailen får hende til med det samme at smække med døren til tidsskriftet.|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091201114804/http://videnskab.dk/content/dk/naturvidenskab/chefredaktor_skrider_efter_kontroversiel_artikel_om_911|archive-date=December 1, 2009|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref name="Pileni">{{cite web |url=http://screwloosechange.blogspot.com.br/2009/04/bentham-editor-resigns-over-steven.html |title=Bentham Editor Resigns over Steven Jones' Paper |access-date=May 17, 2014 |date=April 28, 2009}}</ref> According to Pileni, the article was published without her authorization. Subsequently, numerous concerns arose regarding the reliability of the publisher, ]. This included the publishing an allegedly peer reviewed article generated by ]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn17288-crap-paper-accepted-by-journal.html#.VKNxBvldUrU |title=CRAP paper accepted by journal}}</ref> (although this program has also successfully submitted papers to ] and ]<ref>{{cite web|last1=Van Noorden|first1=Richard|title=How three MIT students fooled the world of scientific journals|url=https://news.mit.edu/2015/how-three-mit-students-fooled-scientific-journals-0414|website=Nature.com|date=April 14, 2015 |access-date=11 August 2016}}</ref>), the resignation of multiple people at the administrative level,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/27461/title/Editors-quit-after-fake-paper-flap/ |title=Editors Quit After Fake Paper Flap}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://activistteacher.blogspot.com/2010/11/editor-in-chief-resigned-over-harrit-et.html#links |title=Editor in Chief resigned over Harrit et al. nanothermite paper |date=2010-11-11 }}</ref> and soliciting article submissions from researchers in unrelated fields through spam.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://legacy.earlham.edu/~peters/fos/2008/04/some-background-on-bentham-open-but.html |title=Some background on Bentham Open, but just some}}</ref>
Jones' retirement is effective January 1, 2007. He hasn't decided what he'll do next, though he has received a feeler from another school and intends to keep talking about the September 11, 2001 attacks. BYU abandoned its review of Jones's 9/11-related work after the agreement about retirement was reached. The review, which was expected to last the rest of the semester, was still in the early stages. <ref name=DN_Retire/>


''Europhysics News'', in August 2016, published a feature "15 Years Later: On the Physics of High-rise Building Collapses," which strongly challenges the official U.S. Government (]) narrative of the collapse of WTC7 and the WTC Towers, including a disclaimer about the speculative and not peer reviewed status of the article.<ref name="Europhysicsnews2016">{{Cite journal|last=Jones|first=Steven|date=24 August 2016|title=15 years later: on the physics of high-rise building collapses|url=http://www.europhysicsnews.org/articles/epn/pdf/2016/04/epn2016474p21.pdf|journal=Europhysics News|volume=47|issue=4|pages=21–26|bibcode=2016ENews..47d..21J|doi=10.1051/epn/2016402|access-date=16 September 2016|doi-access=free}}</ref> The paper was authored by Steven Jones, Robert Korol, Anthony Szamboti and Ted Walter.
==Affiliations==
Jones is Co-Chair of ], which according to the organization itself is "a non-partisan association of faculty, students, and scholars, in fields as diverse as history, science, military affairs, psychology, and philosophy, dedicated to exposing falsehoods and to revealing truths behind 9/11."<ref>{{cite web | last = | first = | year = | url = http://www.scholarsfor911truth.org/WhoAreWe.html |title = Scholars for 9/11 Truth - Who Are We? | work = |publisher = | accessdate = 2006-08-04}}</ref> Jones is also the co-editor of the Journal of 9/11 Studies.<ref>{{cite web | last = | first = | year = | url = http://www.journalof911studies.com/ |title = Journal of 9/11 Studies | work = |publisher = | accessdate = 2006-08-06}}</ref>


===Scholars, Architects, and Engineers for 9/11 Truth===
Jones is a member of ].
In December 2005, Jones was a founding member of ]. In 2006, most of its members left that organization to establish ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.stj911.org/|title=Scholars for 9/11 Truth & Justice|website=www.stj911.org|access-date=April 16, 2018|archive-date=September 27, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130927204029/http://stj911.org/|url-status=dead}}</ref>{{citation needed|date = August 2018}} Also in 2006, Jones became a founding member of ], and an editor of the ''Journal of 9/11 Studies''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://journalof911studies.org/|title=Journal of 9/11 Studies - Truth Matters|website=journalof911studies.org|access-date=April 16, 2018}}</ref>

Jones has been described as "a devout Mormon and, until recently, a faithful supporter of George W. Bush."<ref name="Chronicle"/>


==Recognition and awards== ==Recognition and awards==
* 1968, David O. McKay Scholarship at BYU; ]<ref></ref> * 1968, ] Scholarship at BYU; ]<ref name="Jones BYU CV"/>
* 1973-1978 Tuition Scholarship and Research Fellowship at Vanderbilt University * 1973–1978 Tuition Scholarship and Research Fellowship at Vanderbilt University
* 1989 Outstanding Young Scholar Award (BYU); Best of What's New for 1989 ('']''); Creativity Prize (Japanese Creativity Society) * 1989 Outstanding Young Scholar Award (BYU); Best of What's New for 1989 ('']''); Creativity Prize (Japanese Creativity Society)
* 1990 BYU Young Scholar Award; Annual Lecturer, BYU Chapter of ] * 1990 BYU Young Scholar Award; Annual Lecturer, BYU Chapter of ]
* 2005 BYU Alcuin Award and Fellowship, for excellence in teaching


==References== ==References==
{{reflist|30em}}
<References/>

==See also==
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]


==External links== ==External links==
* , Bio on Steven E. Jones * {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100610062849/http://www.physics.byu.edu/research/energy/ |date=June 10, 2010 }}
* - 'Cold Fusion' * - 'Cold Fusion'
* and ]
* {{gutenberg author| id=Steven+E.+Jones | name=Steven E. Jones}}
* - 'Top 25 Censored Stories of 2007,' Project Censored, Nov 2006.
* - 'The BYU Solar Cooker/Cooler'
* , Oct. 26, 2006. * , Oct 26, 2006.

===Links covering Steven Jones' Cold Fusion research===
* article covering Cold Fusion with mention of Jones' contributions
* article covering Cold Fusion with mention of Jones' contributions

===Links covering Steven Jones' 9/11 research===
* by Steven Jones, video recording of the one-day conference "Lifting the fog: the scientific method applied to the world trade center disaster" held at the ], Berkeley Campus, November 11, 2006.
*
* by Steven E. Jones
* PDF presentation by Steven E. Jones
* {{Cite web |last=Gravois |first=John |year=2006 |title=A theory that just won't die |url=http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/news/story.html?id=2bcf9f07-6407-4b2c-9f4e-7d4a15afcb98&k=46273 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120212210153/http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/news/story.html?id=2bcf9f07-6407-4b2c-9f4e-7d4a15afcb98&k=46273 |archive-date=February 12, 2012 |access-date=August 21, 2006 |website=News |publisher=CanWest Interactive |df=mdy}}
* {{Cite journal |last=Jones |first=Steven E. |last2=Legge |first2=Frank M. |last3=Ryan |first3=Kevin R. |last4=Szamboti |first4=Anthony F. |last5=Gourley |first5=James R. |date=2008-04-22 |title=Fourteen Points of Agreement with Official Government Reports on the World Trade Center Destruction |url=http://benthamopen.com/ABSTRACT/TOCIEJ-2-35 |journal=The Open Civil Engineering Journal |language=en |volume=2 |issue=1 |pages=35–40 |doi=10.2174/1874149500802010035 |issn=1874-1495}}
* {{Cite journal |last=Ryan |first=Kevin R. |last2=Gourley |first2=James R. |last3=Jones |first3=Steven E. |date=March 2009 |title=Environmental anomalies at the World Trade Center: evidence for energetic materials |url=http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10669-008-9182-4 |journal=The Environmentalist |language=en |volume=29 |issue=1 |pages=56–63 |doi=10.1007/s10669-008-9182-4 |issn=0251-1088|doi-access=free }}
* {{Cite journal |last=Harrit |first=Niels H. |last2=Farrer |first2=Jeffrey |last3=Jones |first3=Steven E. |last4=Ryan |first4=Kevin R. |last5=Legge |first5=Frank M. |last6=Farnsworth |first6=Daniel |last7=Roberts |first7=Gregg |last8=Gourley |first8=James R. |last9=Larsen |first9=Bradley R. |date=2009-04-10 |title=Active Thermitic Material Discovered in Dust from the 9/11 World Trade Center Catastrophe |url=http://benthamopen.com/ABSTRACT/TOCPJ-2-7 |journal=The Open Chemical Physics Journal |language=en |volume=2 |issue=1 |pages=7–31 |doi=10.2174/1874412500902010007 |issn= 1874-4125|doi-access=free }}

{{911ct|type=BLP|cat=yes}}


{{Authority control}}
====Links covering Professor Jones' 9/11 research====
* by Steven E. Jones
* PDF presentation by Steven E. Jones
* {{cite web|last = Gravois|first = John|year = 2006 |url = http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/news/story.html?id=2bcf9f07-6407-4b2c-9f4e-7d4a15afcb98&k=46273|title = A theory that just won't die|work = News|publisher = CanWest Interactive |accessdate = 2006-08-21}}


] {{DEFAULTSORT:Jones, Steven E.}}
] ]
] ]
] ]
] ]
]
]
]
]
]

Latest revision as of 00:35, 8 November 2024

American physicist For other uses, see Stephen Jones (disambiguation).

Steven Earl Jones (born March 25, 1949) is an American physicist. Among scientists, Jones became known for his research into muon-catalyzed fusion and geo-fusion. Jones is also known for his association with 9/11 conspiracy theories. Jones has claimed that airplane crashes and fires could not have caused the fall of the World Trade Center Towers and 7 World Trade Center, suggesting controlled demolition instead. In late 2006, Brigham Young University (BYU) officials placed him on paid leave until he elected to retire in an agreement with BYU. Jones continued research and writing following his early retirement from BYU.

Education

Jones earned his bachelor's degree in physics, magna cum laude, from Brigham Young University in 1973, and his Ph.D. in physics from Vanderbilt University in 1978. From 1974 to 1977, Jones conducted his PhD research at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC), and post-doctoral research at Cornell University and the Los Alamos Meson Physics Facility.

Research interests

Jones conducted research at the Idaho National Laboratory, in Idaho Falls, Idaho where, from 1979 to 1985, he was a senior engineering specialist. He was principal investigator for experimental muon-catalyzed fusion from 1982 to 1991 for the United States Department of Energy (DOE), Division of Advanced Energy Projects. From 1985 to 1993, Jones studied deuterium-based fusion in the context of condensed matter physics under DOE and Electric Power Research Institute sponsorship. Jones also collaborated in experiments at other physics laboratories, including TRIUMF (Vancouver, British Columbia), LANL (Los Alamos, NM), KEK (Tsukuba, Japan), and the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory near Oxford University.

Around 1985, Jones became interested in anomalous concentrations of helium-3 and tritium found in gases escaping from volcanoes. He hypothesized that metals and high pressures in the Earth's interior might make fusion more likely, and began a series of experiments on what he referred to as geo-fusion, or piezofusion, high-pressure fusion. To characterize the reactions, Jones claimed to have designed and constructed a neutron counter that was capable of accurately measuring minuscule numbers of neutrons produced in his experiments. The counter indicated that a small amount of fusion was occurring, according to Jones, but that it was likely not useful energy production.

Jones' interests extend to archaeometry, solar energy, and, like numerous professors at BYU, archaeology and the Book of Mormon. He has interpreted archaeological evidence from the ancient Mayans as supporting his faith's belief that Jesus Christ (when resurrected) visited America. Jones is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and has been described as "a devout Mormon." In 2016-17, he and his wife served as full-time Senior Missionaries in the New Jersey Morristown Mission of the Church.

Muon-catalyzed fusion

In the mid-1980s, Jones and other BYU scientists worked on what he referred to as Cold Nuclear Fusion in a Scientific American article (the process is currently known as muon-catalyzed fusion to avoid confusion with the cold fusion concept proposed by the University of Utah's Stanley Pons and Martin Fleischmann). Muon-catalyzed fusion was a field of some interest during the 1980s as a potential energy source; however, its low energy output appears to be unavoidable (because of alpha-muon sticking losses). Jones led a research team that, in 1986, achieved 150 fusions per muon (average), releasing over 2,600 MeV of fusion energy per muon, a record which still stands.

Pons and Fleischmann commenced their work at approximately the same time. Jones became aware of their work when they applied for research funding from the DOE, after which the DOE forwarded their proposal to Jones for peer review. When Jones realized that their work was similar, he and Pons and Fleischmann agreed to release their papers to Nature on the same day (March 24, 1989). However, Pons and Fleischmann announced their results at a press event the day before Jones faxed his paper to Nature.

According to a New York Times report, although peer reviewers were harshly critical of Pons' and Fleischmann's research, they did not apply such criticism to Jones' significantly more modest, theoretically supported findings. Critics insisted that Jones' results were probably caused by experimental error; the majority of the reviewing physicists claimed that he was a careful scientist. Later research and experiments have supported Jones' metallic "cold fusion" (geo-fusion) reports.

In July 2013, Jones gave a poster talk at the 18th International Conference on Condensed Matter Nuclear Science at the University of Missouri, titled, "Empirical Evidence for Two Distinct Effects: Low-level d-d Fusion in Metals and Anomalous Excess Heat."

9/11 conspiracy theories

World Trade Center destruction paper and response

On September 22, 2005, at a BYU seminar attended by around 60 people, Jones publicly presented his views regarding the 2001 collapse of the World Trade Center towers and World Trade Center 7 during the September 11 attacks. Jones noted he believed it was more likely a controlled demolition, using thermite, referencing the speed and symmetry of the collapses, and characteristics of dust jets. Later, Jones said he had identified grey-red flakes found in the dust as nanothermite traces and that the thermite reaction products (aluminium oxide and iron-rich microspheres) were also found in the dust. Shortly after the seminar, Jones placed a research paper entitled "Why Indeed Did the WTC Buildings Collapse?" on his page in the Physics department Web site, commenting that BYU had no responsibility for the paper.

The paper was self-published in the online Journal of 9/11 Studies, a journal co-founded and co-edited by Jones. It also appeared in a volume of essays, 9/11 and American Empire: Intellectuals Speak Out, edited by David Ray Griffin and Peter Dale Scott. It was controversial both for its content and its claims to scientific rigor. Jones' early critics included members of BYU's engineering faculty; shortly after he made his views public, the BYU College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences and the faculty of structural engineering issued statements in which they distanced themselves from Jones' work. They noted that Jones' "hypotheses and interpretations of evidence were being questioned by scholars and practitioners," and expressed doubts on whether they had been "submitted to relevant scientific venues that would ensure rigorous technical peer review."

Over the following year, Jones presented his WTC research in lectures at Idaho State University, Utah Valley State College, University of Colorado at Boulder and University of Denver, University of California at Berkeley and Davis, and the University of Texas at Austin.

Retirement from BYU

On September 7, 2006, Jones removed his paper from BYU's website at the request of administrators and was placed on paid leave. The university cited its concern about the "increasingly speculative and accusatory nature" of Jones' work and that perhaps Jones' research had "not been published in appropriate scientific venues" as reasons for putting him under review. Six weeks later he chose to retire, and the review was not pursued further.

Some of Jones' colleagues also defended Jones' 9/11 work, and Project Censored listed his 9/11 research among the top mainstream media censored stories of 2007. His placement on paid leave drew criticism from the American Association of University Professors and the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education. Both organizations have long been critics of BYU's record on academic freedom.

Subsequent papers

Jones was later interviewed by mainstream news sources and made public appearances. He urged caution in drawing conclusions. His name was often mentioned in reporting about 9/11 conspiracy theories.

In August 2008, Jones, along with Kevin Ryan and James Gourley, published a peer-reviewed article in The Environmentalist, titled, 'Environmental anomalies at the World Trade Center: Evidence for energetic materials'.

In April 2009, Jones co-authored a paper in The Open Chemical Physics Journal, titled, 'Active Thermitic Material Discovered in Dust from the 9/11 World Trade Center Catastrophe'. The editor of the journal, Professor Marie-Paule Pileni, an expert in explosives and nano-technology, resigned. She received an e-mail from the Danish science journal Videnskab asking for her professional assessment of the article's content. According to Pileni, the article was published without her authorization. Subsequently, numerous concerns arose regarding the reliability of the publisher, Bentham Science Publishers. This included the publishing an allegedly peer reviewed article generated by SCIgen (although this program has also successfully submitted papers to IEEE and Springer), the resignation of multiple people at the administrative level, and soliciting article submissions from researchers in unrelated fields through spam.

Europhysics News, in August 2016, published a feature "15 Years Later: On the Physics of High-rise Building Collapses," which strongly challenges the official U.S. Government (NIST) narrative of the collapse of WTC7 and the WTC Towers, including a disclaimer about the speculative and not peer reviewed status of the article. The paper was authored by Steven Jones, Robert Korol, Anthony Szamboti and Ted Walter.

Scholars, Architects, and Engineers for 9/11 Truth

In December 2005, Jones was a founding member of Scholars for 9/11 Truth. In 2006, most of its members left that organization to establish Scholars for 9/11 Truth & Justice. Also in 2006, Jones became a founding member of Architects & Engineers for 9/11 Truth, and an editor of the Journal of 9/11 Studies.

Recognition and awards

  • 1968, David O. McKay Scholarship at BYU; National Merit Scholar
  • 1973–1978 Tuition Scholarship and Research Fellowship at Vanderbilt University
  • 1989 Outstanding Young Scholar Award (BYU); Best of What's New for 1989 (Popular Science); Creativity Prize (Japanese Creativity Society)
  • 1990 BYU Young Scholar Award; Annual Lecturer, BYU Chapter of Sigma Xi
  • 2005 BYU Alcuin Award and Fellowship, for excellence in teaching

References

  1. ^ "CURRICULUM VITAE". www.physics.byu.edu. Archived from the original on April 5, 2013. Retrieved April 16, 2018.
  2. Steven E Jones & Johann Rafelski, AIP Conference Proceedings, 181: Muon-catalyzed Fusion: Sanibel Island, FL 1988 (New York: American Institute of Physics, 1989).
  3. George L Trigg, ed, Encyclopedia of Applied Physics, Volume 14: Physical Geology to Polymer Dynamics (New York: VCH Publishers, 1996), p 112: "Dr. Steven Jones of Brigham Young University, who had long studied muon-catalyzed fusion...".
  4. Thomas F Gieryn, Cultural Boundaries of Science: Credibility on the Line (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1999), pp 198–99, 214-215, 223.
  5. Stephen E Atkins, "Scholars for 9/11 Truth and Scholars for 9/11 Truth and Justice" pp 385–87, in S E Atkins, ed, The 9/11 Encyclopedia, 2nd edn (Santa Barbara CA: ABC-CLIO, 2011).
  6. ^ Anthony Summers & Robbyn Swan, The Eleventh Day: The Full Story of 9/11 (New York: Ballantine Books, 2011), p 99.
  7. Peter Phillips & Mickey Huff w/ Project Censored, eds, Media Democracy in Action: Censored 2010: The Top 25 Censored Stories of 2008-09 (New York: Seven Stories Press, 2009), "Censored 2007 #18", pp 140–41.
  8. ^ Walch, Tad (October 21, 2006). "BYU professor in dispute over 9/11 will retire: Jones had been placed on leave 6 weeks ago". Deseret Morning News. Archived from the original on November 3, 2006. Retrieved September 4, 2007.
  9. ^ Jones, Steven (August 24, 2016). "15 years later: on the physics of high-rise building collapses" (PDF). Europhysics News. 47 (4): 21–26. Bibcode:2016ENews..47d..21J. doi:10.1051/epn/2016402. Retrieved September 16, 2016.
  10. "Steven E. Jones' biography at BYU". Retrieved August 3, 2006.
  11. "The Solar Funnel Cooker". Archived from the original on January 11, 2007. Retrieved November 28, 2006.
  12. For the relationship between BYU and Mormon apologetics scholarship see generally John-Charles Duffy. "Defending the Kingdom, Rethinking the Faith: How Apologetics Is Reshaping Mormon Orthodoxy." Sunstone, May 2004, 22-55.
  13. "Behold My Hands: Evidence for Christ's Visit in Ancient America, by Steven Jones". Archived from the original on May 10, 2017. Retrieved June 1, 2016., article claiming evidence that Jesus Christ visited the Americas (also here)
  14. ^ Gravois, John (June 23, 2006). "Professors of Paranoia?". The Chronicle of Higher Education. Vol. 52, no. 42. p. A.10. Retrieved September 14, 2016. Soon after Mr. Jones posted his paper online, the physics department at Brigham Young moved to distance itself from his work. The department released a statement saying that it was 'not convinced that his analyses and hypotheses have been submitted to relevant scientific venues that would ensure rigorous technical peer review.'
  15. https://www.facebook.com/NewJerseyMorristownMission/reviews
  16. Jones, Steven Earl (1986). "Muon-catalysed fusion revisited". Nature. 321 (6066): 127–133. Bibcode:1986Natur.321..127J. doi:10.1038/321127a0. ISSN 0028-0836. S2CID 39819102.
  17. Jones’ manuscript on history of cold fusion at BYU, Ludwik Kowalski, March 5, 2004 Archived August 28, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
  18. Browne, Malcolm W. (1989). "Physicists Debunk Claim Of a New Kind of Fusion". Science. The New York Times. Retrieved July 14, 2006.
  19. Czerski, K.; Huke, A.; Biller, A.; Heide, P.; Hoeft, M.; Ruprecht, G. (2001). "Enhancement of the electron screening effect for d+ d fusion reactions in metallic environments". Europhysics Letters. 54 (4): 449–455. Bibcode:2001EL.....54..449C. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.380.6953. doi:10.1209/epl/i2001-00265-7. S2CID 250756853. ...the observed enhancement of the electron screening in metal targets can, in tendency, explain the small neutron production rates observed in the cold-fusion experiment of Jones .
  20. Jones, Steven Earl (2013). "Empirical Evidence for Two Distinct Effects: Low-level d-d Fusion in Metals and Anomalous Excess Heat". Posters (18th International Conference on Condensed Matter Nuclear Science). University of Missouri. Retrieved December 24, 2014.
  21. Active Thermitic Material Discovered in Dust from the 9/11 World Trade Center Catastrophe Archived March 4, 2012, at the Wayback Machine. By Niels H. Harrit, Jeffrey Farrer, Steven E. Jones Kevin R. Ryan, Frank M. Legge, Daniel Farnsworth, Gregg Roberts, James R. Gourley and Bradley R. Larsen. ISSN 1874-4125 doi:10.2174/1874412500902010007. The Open Chemical Physics Journal. pp 7-31
  22. Jones, Steven E. "Why Indeed Did the WTC Buildings Collapse?". Retrieved September 9, 2008. I presented my objections to the "official" theory at a seminar at BYU on September 22, 2005, to about 60 people. I also showed evidence and scientific arguments for the explosive demolition theory.
  23. Jones, Steven E. "Why Indeed Did the WTC Buildings Collapse?". Archived from the original on November 24, 2005. Retrieved April 10, 2010.
  24. Griffin, David Ray; Peter Dale Scott, eds. (August 23, 2006). 9/11 and American Empire: Intellectuals Speak Out, Vol 1. Olive Branch Press. p. 247 pages. ISBN 978-1-56656-659-9.
  25. Firmage, D. Allan (April 9, 2006). "Refuting 9/11 Conspiracy Theory". Letter to the Editor. NetXNews (online edition of College Times, the Utah Valley State College student newspaper). Archived from the original on April 18, 2012. Retrieved September 4, 2007.
  26. McIlvain, Ryan (December 5, 2005). "Censor rumors quelled". BYU NewsNet. Archived from the original on May 7, 2009. Retrieved September 4, 2007. Professor Jones's department and college administrators are not convinced that his analyses and hypotheses have been submitted to relevant scientific venues that would ensure rigorous technical peer review. The structural engineering faculty in the Fulton College of Engineering and Technology do not support the hypotheses of Professor Jones.
  27. Jones, Steven E (September 22, 2006). "What Caused Not Two but Three World Trade Center Skyscrapers to COMPLETELY Collapse on 9/11/2001?". Archived from the original (pdf) on September 27, 2007. Retrieved September 4, 2007.
  28. Jones, Steven E (February 1, 2006). "9/11 Revisited: Scientific and Ethical Questions". Archived from the original on August 26, 2007. Retrieved September 4, 2007.
  29. Riley, Michael (October 29, 2006). "Backers hail 9/11 theorist's speech". Denver & The West. Denver Post. Retrieved September 4, 2007.
  30. Dean, Suzanne (April 10, 2006). "Physicist says heat substance felled WTC". Deseret Morning News. Archived from the original on April 11, 2006. Retrieved September 4, 2007.
  31. "Scholars For Truth Founder Is Keynote Speaker for Media Accountability Conference, Nov. 3 And 4". October 26, 2006. Retrieved September 4, 2007.
  32. "Analysis of the World Trade Center Destruction". Lifting the Fog: The Scientific Method Applied to the World Trade Center Disaster. November 11, 2006. Retrieved September 4, 2007.
  33. "The Twin Towers in scientific detail". Project for a New American Citizen: Rebuilding America's Senses. April 14, 2007. Archived from the original on September 1, 2007. Retrieved September 4, 2007.
  34. Walch, Tad (September 14, 2006). "BYU's Jones Denies Bias". Deseret News. Archived from the original on March 16, 2007. Retrieved October 9, 2007.
  35. McFarland, Sheena (September 8, 2006). "BYU prof on paid leave for 9/11 theory". Salt Lake Tribune.
  36. Walch, Tad (September 18, 2006). "Three at BYU praise Jones". Deseret News. Archived from the original on February 10, 2021. Retrieved September 3, 2007.
  37. Kramer, John; David Abbott; Courtney Wilcox (2007). "Physicist Challenges Official 9-11 Story". Project Censored. Archived from the original on September 2, 2007. Retrieved September 3, 2007.
  38. Walch, Tad (September 14, 2006). "BYU action on Jones lamented". Deseret Morning News. Archived from the original on July 24, 2012. Retrieved September 3, 2007.
  39. Jones, Steven E (July 18, 2006). "Answers to Objections and Questions" (PDF). Retrieved September 4, 2007.
  40. Dwyer, Jim (September 2, 2006). "U.S. Reports Seek to Counter Conspiracy Theories About 9/11". The New York Times. Retrieved April 8, 2008.
  41. Jones, Steven E (2008). "Environmental anomalies at the World Trade Center: evidence for energetic materials". The Environmentalist. 29: 56–63. doi:10.1007/s10669-008-9182-4.
  42. Harrit, Niels H (2009). "Active Thermitic Material Discovered in Dust from the 9/11 World Trade Center Catastrophe". The Open Chemical Physics Journal. 2 (1): 7–31. Bibcode:2009OCPJ....2....7H. doi:10.2174/1874412500902010007.
  43. "Professor Marie-Paule Pileni". Laboratoire des Matériaux Mésoscopiques et Nanométriques. Université Pierre et Marie Curie. Archived from the original on May 1, 2009. Retrieved September 14, 2009. 1990–1994: Société Nationale des Poudres et Explosifs, SNPE, France.
  44. "Marie-Paule Pileni". Georgia Institute of Technology. Retrieved September 14, 2009.
  45. Hoffmann, Thomas (April 28, 2009). "Chefredaktør skrider efter kontroversiel artikel om 9/11". Videnskab. Archived from the original on December 1, 2009. Retrieved November 15, 2009. Mailen får hende til med det samme at smække med døren til tidsskriftet.
  46. "Bentham Editor Resigns over Steven Jones' Paper". April 28, 2009. Retrieved May 17, 2014.
  47. "CRAP paper accepted by journal".
  48. Van Noorden, Richard (April 14, 2015). "How three MIT students fooled the world of scientific journals". Nature.com. Retrieved August 11, 2016.
  49. "Editors Quit After Fake Paper Flap".
  50. "Editor in Chief resigned over Harrit et al. nanothermite paper". November 11, 2010.
  51. "Some background on Bentham Open, but just some".
  52. "Scholars for 9/11 Truth & Justice". www.stj911.org. Archived from the original on September 27, 2013. Retrieved April 16, 2018.
  53. "Journal of 9/11 Studies - Truth Matters". journalof911studies.org. Retrieved April 16, 2018.

External links

Links covering Steven Jones' Cold Fusion research

Links covering Steven Jones' 9/11 research

9/11 conspiracy theories
Key topics
Groups
Film and TV
Books
Category
Categories: