Bubble Fusion

Bubble fusion, also known as sonofusion, is the non-technical name for a nuclear fusion reaction hypothesized to occur inside extraordinarily large collapsing gas bubbles created in a liquid during acoustic cavitation. Rusi Taleyarkhan and collaborators claimed to have observed evidence of sonofusion in 2002. The claim was quickly surrounded by controversy, including allegations ranging from experimental error to academic fraud. Subsequent publications which followed, which claimed independent verification of sonofusion were also highly controversial. Taleyarkhan was found to have engaged in falsification of independent verification, and to have included people on his papers who weren't aware of it by an investigation by Purdue University. He was subsequently stripped of his professorship. One of his funders, the Office of Naval Research reviewed the report by Purdue, and deemed that the behaviour was "so severe as to merit debarment".