Product Description

In 1966, a group of respected aerospace engineers revealed that US scientists were perfecting ways to control gravity. Aerospace and defence journalist Nick Cook considers the possibility that America did indeed crack the gravity code, examining German weapons technology along the way.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #108643 in Books
• Published on: 2002-07-04
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 413 pages

New Scientist
‘Classic sleuthing journalism…I couldn’t put it down’

About the Author
Nick Cook is the Aviation Editor of Jane’s Defence Weekly, the world’s leading military affairs journal, a position he has held for 12 years. He has also written for national UK newspapers including The Times, Sunday Times and Sunday Telegraph, and has had many of his stories syndicated worldwide. The Hunt For Zero Point is the culmination of a five-year investigation into an undocumented technological phenomenon.

Customer Reviews

Stranger than fiction
'Zero-point' energy is an aspect of quantum field theory whose 'reality' is still very much open to interpretation. However, given its existence then there are theories which argue that ZPE, gravity and hence mass are inextricably linked. The intriguing possibility then is that the fabled 'anti-gravity machine' is a theoretical possibility rather than science fiction.

A more intriguing possibility - have scientists already stumbled upon such machines?

Nick Cook, a respected Jane's hack, recounts his own story of delving through the ofttimes murky world of aerospace research in order to find answers to this question. And despite what the blurb above says the answers are very much less than definitative.

This is not a criticism, indeed its what makes the book so credible. Much of his investigation is involved with the absence of information - widely publicised research which suddenly disappears, loquacious engineers who quckly become cagy when asked the 'wrong' question. You are left with an elusive notion that there must be *something* behind the stories but no definite idea of what this might be in a world where excessive, paranoid security seems to be the norm.

All in all its a fascinating real-life X-files investigation involving high-technology, forbidden science and Nazis. If only he threw in some hot gypsies it would be a classic.

Do not miss the "Billion Dollar Secret" TLC companion video
It documents Nick Cook's journey through the Aerospace industry of the United States and includes the interviews with Boyd Bushman, Widmer and others. Until I had read this book, I had always wondered why Widmer kept looking over his shoulder before he'd answer, and now I know it's because there was a U.S. minder in the room as he answered, trembling, "yes" to Cook's inquiry of whether he ever felt frightened by the security rings around him. yikes.

As for the research, I'm not surprised to find the reviews a bit more astute across the pond. American reviews whine about things that they didn't even take the time to read. Sadly. Again.
So, I'll save breath in the UK reviews to say only:

THANKYOU NICK COOK, and all the other overlooked and forgotten researchers, the world owes you one.

Utterly intriguing, yet not sure whether I believe any of it
One of the most interesting books, I've ever read, "The Hunt for Zero Point" is crammed full of fascinating glimpses into what may be some of the greatest secrets of science and history.
My two quibbles about it are that it is too short - far too short - to do justice to almost any of the fascinating issues it covers; and that there is very little in the way of evidence to back up many of the things Cook speculates about.

A proper index and beefed up bibliography would have helped, too.

Having said that, I'd urge anyone interested in cutting edge science and engineering, military technology, or the great secrets of World War 2 to read this book.