Daniel C. Cole
Daniel C. Cole | |
|---|---|
| Known for | Stochastic electrodynamics, zero-point energy |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Physics, stochastic electrodynamics |
| Institutions | Boston University |
Daniel C. Cole is a physicist and engineer associated with Boston University, where he has worked in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. He is known for his research on stochastic electrodynamics (SED) and the electromagnetic zero-point field. He is listed in The Worldwide List of Dissident Scientists.
Work
Cole is a long-standing proponent of stochastic electrodynamics, a classical theory in which the vacuum is modeled as being filled with a real, fluctuating electromagnetic zero-point radiation field. He and his collaborators have argued that a number of quantum results, such as the ground-state probability distribution of the hydrogen atom, can be closely reproduced by simulating a classical charged particle interacting with this zero-point field.
With Harold E. Puthoff, Cole published "Extracting energy and heat from the vacuum" in Physical Review E (vol. 48, 1993). The paper analyzed proposals for extracting energy from electromagnetic zero-point radiation via the Casimir effect and concluded that such extraction would not, in principle, violate the second law of thermodynamics, while noting that this does not by itself establish practical feasibility. This work is frequently cited in discussions of zero-point energy and vacuum energy, which lie outside mainstream energy research.