Quack: Truth

The purpose is not to settle scientific truth about Rife and his work. If that were my purpose, I would undertake a research project. The purpose is to tell a story.

Moreover, to definitely prove or disprove if Rife and his collaborators were able to do what they claimed they do would involve actual treatment of malignant cancer, something I have no desire to become involved with, anymore than I have already, or wish anyone to have to deal with. I am happy to leave that ultimate decision to others.

Of course we already have the judgment of history and of medical authorities about Rife. Can we assume this judgment is correct and go on?

As it happens, Rife's own work falls within the fields of optics and electromagnetism, two subjects I know a lot about through scientific training. I am not an expert engineer in those fields, but I feel competent enough to judge scientific arguments within them. Part of the pleasure I will take in telling this story will be to take complex scientific subjects and, as I learn more about them, boil them down through a narrative to make them more understandable. It is the old teacher in me, seeking an outlet perhaps, but doing it in an entertaining fashion.

The medical areas--cell biology, virology, microbiology---are fortunately built entirely on biochemistry and organic chemistry, which are themselves built entirely on quantum mechanics. Drill down within any topic of medicine and you will hit the bedrock of chemistry where it intersects with physics---the quantum energy levels of molecular orbits, and the chemical reactions that flow from them. As a physicist, that is comfortable territory for me. I am at home there.

I was just recollecting a while ago how back in college, as an undergraduate, I took a great course in molecular orbital theory from a chemistry professor. He had advanced MS. He talked with a slur and was confined to a motorized wheel chair with a personal assistant who helped him in and out of his van. His office in the newly built science building on campus was designed to allow him easy access. One of the coolest guys on campus was a senior student of his, and did glassmaking work for him in his lab. I was lucky enough to sign up for two semesters of tutorials with him (he didn't teach regular courses anymore). As a physics major, I barely knew what I was doing taking an upper level chemistry class, one-on-one with a chemistry professor in his office. It felt like a British university type of study. I felt over my head most of the time. One just sat in his office with him alone and went through the text book page and page. It was struggle to understand him, but I did all the homework and got A's in both semesters.

His name was Arthur Payton. It wasn't until I was out walking just now, while recollecting those half-forgotten tutorials, that I realized how lucky I was to know him.

I still have the textbook from one of his courses, Chemical Applications of Group Theory by Cotton. It's upstairs in my science library, which I've finally been able to put entirely on shelves again, after many years in storage.