BBC: Martin Fleischmann, a British electrochemist who claimed to have achieved nuclear fusion at relatively low temperatures, passed away on 3 August. In 1989, Fleischmann and Stanley Pons, a fellow electrochemist, gained notoriety for their controversial announcement of having discovered a potentially limitless and inexpensive source of power. Although hundreds of scientists tried to replicate the findings, none succeeded. The ensuing controversy led to accusations of sloppy, fraudulent work. Nevertheless, the pair continued their experiments into the 1990s in an attempt to validate their earlier results.
For the UNESCO section chief, “striking a balance between global coherence and respect for national ownership and cultural diversity is both essential and complex.”