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In Remembrance of Alan Smith
by Lynn Bowen
Dr. Alan Smith. June 25th 1945. Feb 13th, 2026.
Let’s come together to honor the remarkable legacy of Dr. Alan Smith, whose dedication
to LENR research and leadership as CEO of the
ISCMNS inspired us all. His brilliant mind, warm humor,
and genuine friendship left an indelible mark on our
community.
Alan was a scientist, an innovator, and an experimentalist. He possessed a wonderful sense of humor, expressing his direct and forthright personality. He was confident in himself, yet always respectful of others. Alan was committed to helping the environment, humanity, and the planet. He joined the LENR community for exactly that reason, to help create a better world through science. This is why he had such endurance, dedication, and creativity for the field of LENR. Alan was the CEO of the ISCMNS for two years, and together with myself, we carried on the tradition of the ISCMNS, working to grow the society and make it even better. Alan and I always felt that we worked better as a team, sharing our ideas and thoughts, than we did separately. Most importantly, Alan was my dear friend, and I will miss him. I feel secure in saying that Alan was also a friend to everyone in the LENR community.
Let us gather our thoughts to honor our friend Alan, and take a
moment to reflect on the profound impact he had on our lives and in
the field of LENR. With his many years of dedication as a scientist
and researcher, his remarkable contributions and unwavering
commitment have left an enduring contribution that will continue to
inspire us.
Alan is survived by his wife Christine and his son Max.
Service for Alan will be held on Sunday the 8th of March at 10:30am at South Chapel Essex Crematorium
Ockendon Road, Upminster, RM14 2UY
After the service, please join us for a wake from 12:00 noon onward:
“The Archers” Gidea Park
194-204 Main Rd, Gidea Park, Romford RM25HA
Alan had requested no flowers and instead any donations should be made to the Trussell Food Bank
(Thank you Maurizio Maggiore for providing service information)
Commercial LENR News:
(1. Jan 29, 2026) Clean Planet says it has secured a strategic investment (~JPY 500M) and is shifting from R&D into “full-scale commercialization,” global expansion, and mass-production planning.
Source: https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000004.000086976.html
• (Feb 6, 2026) Forbes JAPAN profiles Clean Planet’s “QHe” concept and commercialization narrative, including the recent ~JPY 500M financing.
Source: https://forbesjapan.com/articles/detail/90998
• (Feb 10, 2026) Clean Planet posts that it was featured in Forbes JAPAN, pointing readers to the QHe coverage (company media note).
Source: https://www.cleanplanet.co.jp/2026/02/10/forbes-japan
(2. Feb 2026) Astral Systems announces Dr. Theresa Benyo (NASA Lattice Confinement Fusion) has joined as Chief Research Officer.
Source: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/astralsystems_we-are-incredibly-proud-to-announce-that-activity-7427702655122042880-6i9w
• (Feb 19, 2026) Astral publishes “Astral Insights” with additional details on Benyo’s Feb 9 start date, hiring ramp, and irradiation services bookings for Q2/Q3 2026.
Source: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/astral-insights-february-2026-velocity-vision-astralsystems-jbaqe
Papers:
1.) One we forgot to report on in last months newsletter was the anniversary of this living research paper from B.J. Huang that has been stuck in peer review for 2 years, is now also on: https://app.dimensions.ai/details/publication/pub.1167571248
Water can trigger nuclear reaction to produce energy and isotope gases
Scientific Reports, 14(1), 214 – January 2024
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-50824-8
(2. Feb 9, 2026) EngrXiv preprint proposes Ir/Rh surface engineering for Pd–D to increase electron screening and modeled fusion-rate enhancement (preprint; claims-stage).
Source: https://engrxiv.org/preprint/view/6438/10547
(3. Feb 8, 2026) New paper upload (JCMNS 41 (2026) 1–13) discusses anomalous heat effects in Constantan wires driven by longitudinal/transversal excitations and related activation mechanisms (as posted on ResearchGate).
Source: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/400576174_Anomalous_Heat_Effects_via_Longitudinal_and_Transversal_Excitations_in_Constantan_Wires_Advances_in_Electromigration_and_Plasma_Generation
(4. Feb 7, 2026) IWAHLM-17 abstract upload: “Advances on Kepler Solid-State Fusion Generators” (abstract-level disclosure; preprint).
Source: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/400552701_IWAHLM17_Abstract_Advances_on_Kepler_Solid-State_Fusion_Generators
(5. Feb 21, 2026) New theoretical upload: “Femto-Hydrogen and Mass-Number Increase in Cold Fusion Experiments” (organizes transmutation claims by ΔA patterns; preprint).
Source: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/401028751_Femto-Hydrogen_and_Mass-Number_Increase_in_Cold_Fusion_Experiments
(6. Feb 1, 2026) “Prime-Resonant Low-Energy Nuclear Reactions” theoretical framework upload.
Source: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/400280500_Prime-Resonant_Low-Energy_Nuclear_Reactions_A_Theoretical_Framework_from_Information-Curvature_Duality_in_the_Universal_Model_Framework
(7. 2026; shared via LENR-Forum attachment) Ed Storms paper (JCMNS 41 (2026) 1–18) “A New and Improved Understanding of Cold Fusion Based on the Observed Behavior” (forum-shared manuscript/PDF).
Source: https://www.lenr-forum.com/attachment/29054-storms-jcmns-41-2-pdf/
Patents:
(Feb 5, 2026) WIPO PCT publication WO2026028231: “apparatus for the direct production of electrical energy from nuclear fusion”.
Source: https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/WO2026028231
In the Media:
Ruby Carat and Esa Ruoho present Three Cold Fusion Now! Documentary Storyboard Interpretations – please review and weigh in
Youtube/Videos:
(1. January 30, 2026) Informative presentation by Jonah Messinger at the HPS Department in Cambridge late January. It is based on the recent paper (reported in January’s newsletter) with he (Jonah), Huw Price, and Florian Metzler:
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o43x5DC2DBE&t=9s
(2. Feb 3, 2026) HYLENR CEO Siddharth interview (Telugu media) discussing LENR positioning (media appearance; not validation).
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cXWE5UQbv0
(3. Feb 2026) HYLENR short clip: founder speaks on budget / data centers / energy framing (social video clip).
Source: https://www.facebook.com/Hylenrtech/videos/budgets-shape-priorities-science-shapes-the-futuresiddhartha-durairajan-founder-/3876419719155168/
Good to Know:
(1.) We mentioned this new exciting development last month, but when DARPA takes the baton from ARPA-E’s 2022 LENR program: https://www.lenr-forum.com/forum/thread/6821-arpa-e-looking-for-teaming-partners-update/?postID=181771#post181771 , it is worth another mentioning again:
(Deadline Mar 12, 2026) DARPA MARRS solicitation page lists HR001126S0007 with a proposal deadline of March 12, 2026
Source: https://www.darpa.mil/research/programs/marrs-mechanisms-amplification-fusion-reaction-rates-solids
(2.) An interesting theoretical framework article likely assisted by a LLM with interesting physical modelling interpretations:
” This article lays out a clean framework for understanding how LENR occurs, why heat appears first, how direct electricity becomes possible, and why radiation remains suppressed. It also shows how several leading approaches fit naturally into that framework.”
How Rossi, Brillouin, ENG8, Clean Planet, and Others Are Building the Same Machine in Different Ways
(3. Feb 16, 2026) C&EN profiles “Project Omega” coming out of stealth with betavoltaic nuclear batteries and a nuclear-waste recycling pitch (not LENR, but relevant to “direct conversion” / compact nuclear power interest).
https://cen.acs.org/energy/nuclear-power/Project-Omega-comes-stealth-nuclear/104/web/2026/02
Community Notices & Events:
1.) Forum member David Fojt attended the French industrial fair “SEPEM Douai 2026”, and put in a good word for LENR while teasing about his own development:
https://www.lenr-forum.com/forum/thread/7346-about-pinnow-miller-results/?postID=217763#post217763
2.) A reminder about the 17th IWAHLM: https://iscmns.org/event/iwahlm-17/
3.) A reminder of last months reporting : https://www.darpa.mil/research/progr…on-rates-solids
4.) Dr. Storms opinion on the DARPA “Cold Fusion” Program: RE: Team Google (Project Charleston) alumni still at it.
5.) Forum member participates at SEPEM Douai 2026 in France: RE: ABOUT PINNOW & MILLER RESULTS
6.) The ARPA-E Energy Innovation Summit https://www.arpae-summit.com/Home
7.) 249th ECS Meeting, May 24–28, 2026 | Seattle, WA, US
Seattle Convention Center – Arch and Sheraton Grand Seattle
https://www.electrochem.org/249
8.) Esa Ruoho contributed more work to LENR Academy – The Nanosoft Package
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DISCLAIMER Mentions of any investment funds or private business do not indicate endorsement by the Authors or LENR-forum members. LENR-forum supports metal-hydrogen energy and solid state fusion as a zero-carbon solution to global energy needs. By publicizing community activity, we do not intend or seek to promote any one entity over any other. We do not give investment advice or suggestions. Due diligence is required before investing in any venture. Information is provided solely for educational and research purposes.
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