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Shelby T. Brewer is President of S.
Brewer Enterprises Inc. He was Chairman, President and CEO of
ABB Combustion Engineering Nuclear Power Businesses from 1985
through 1995, accomplishing a major turnaround in this company,
and positioning it as the world leader among nuclear suppliers.
From 1981 through 1984, he was the top nuclear official in the
Reagan Administration, as Assistant Secretary of Energy.
I grew up and was educated (1960s) in a time when
Einstein's lifelong (but unattained) quest for a unified field
theory was celebrated rather anecdotally, as a sort of historical
curiosity. One spoke of theories as 'tools' or 'models'. The
prevailing mentality was 'one model does not fit all.' A model
would work and be useful in one set of circumstances, but
not another; use a model to get practical results, but a pursuit
of absolute unifying truth was regarded largely as a waste
of candle wax.
Other characteristics of this time in science were intolerance,
arrogance, and rigidity. Scientists preened and postured,
became intensely political, and delegated the 'doing' of science
to students. Science was becoming big science - a big governmental
and corporate enterprise - demanding more resources and becoming
less accountable. We now have an expensive standing army in
American science, marching in place, with little creative,
definable mission. Most of what passes for science is merely
chauvinism - who has the largest accelerator, etc.
Now along comes Randell Mills. Without expending billions
or even millions or even hundreds of thousands of US taxpayers'
dollars, Dr. Mills has apparently completed Einstein's quest
for a unified field theory. Dr. Mills' theory is presented
in his book, The Grand Unified Theory of Classical Quantum
Mechanics (July 2002). This is a huge achievement for
three reasons. First, the Mills Theory tidies up theoretical
physics by stitching together quantum mechanics and relativity.
That in itself is a major triumph. Second, and more important,
the Mills Theory explains several major empirical anomalies
that have vexed physicists for decades: the sun's energy balance
deficit; the dark matter in space phenomena; and mountains
of atomic-electron spectral data that is inconsistent with
prevailing theory. Third, the Mills Theory gives rise to the
possibility of an inexhaustible energy source based on phenomenology
not yet recognized and accepted by the scientific community.
Remarkably, Dr. Mills has developed his theory and its energy
generation application as an entrepreneur -- without largesse
from the US Government, and without the benediction of the
US scientific priesthood. Because his enterprise does not
suffer these two impediments, it just might succeed. If so,
Mills will be the next Thomas Edison.
Shelby T. Brewer, former Assistant Secretary of Energy
(top nuclear official in the Reagan Administration) |
