This was originally published at my personal “No One’s Listening” blog, but I have decided to re-open my Optimiskeptic blog, and use this as the inauguration post. Unfortunately, I do not know how to transfer the original comments over, but you can find them here. They are helpful in clarifying and correcting some things I wrote in the blog. There is a much better comment system integrated into this blog, so I hope that helps a little.

I recently read this Gizmodo article that questioned whether or not the results of a 13-year-old kid, Aidan’s, science experiment was properly debunked.  Aidan’s science experiment is noteworthy for three reasons: (1) He claimed to have increased the efficiency of solar cell power generation by simply arranging them in a Fibonacci  (Golden Ration) pattern copied from the leafing pattern of plants found in nature, (2) his findings, published as an essay, received a “Young Naturalist Award” from the American Museum of Natural History (and a provisional patent, no less), and (3) this was reported on and praised as “genius” and a “breakthrough” by several noteworthy magazines such as Poplar Science, Slashdot, and The Atlantic Wire.

So here’s the problem. Aidan did not actually discover a more efficient way to convert solar energy into power as he claimed and these numerous publications reported. … Continue Reading