Subsequently Puthoff was instrumental in setting up and running the US Government's controversial Remote Viewing programme, which would continue for over 20 years beofre being made public in 1995.

Today Puthoff is investigating Zero Point Energy, a possibly limitless, pollution-free energy source that could just change the our lives on earth and propell humankind into deep space.

Could you describe, in layman's terms, your own current research into Zero Point Energy.

Physicists universally recognize that so-called empty space, even the vacuum of outer space, is not truly empty, but is the seat of energetic field processes, sort of the electromagnetic equivalent of froth at the base of a waterfall. (The term "zero-point" simply means that if the universe were cooled down to absolute zero where all thermal agitation effects would be frozen out, this energy would still remain.) What is not as well known, however, even among practicing physicists, are all the implications that derive from this known aspect o quantum physics. However, there are a group of physicists - - myself and colleagues at several research labs and universities - - who are examining the details, We ask such questions as whether it might be possible to "mine" this reservoir of energy for use as an alternative energy source, or whether this background energy field might be responsible for inertia and gravity. These questions are of interest because it is known that this energy can be manipulated, and therefore there is the possibility that the control of this energy, and possibly inertia and gravity, might yield to engineering solutions. Some progress has been made in a subcategory of this field (cavity quantum electrodynamics) with regard to controlling the emission rates of excited atoms and molecules, of interest in laser research and elsewhere.

How close do you think you might be, in your own research, to some kind of breakthrough?

Predicting when a breakthrough in a scientific field will occur is like throwing darts to choose your stocks! The only thing that can be said with any certainty is that it probably won't occur if you don't work on the problem. That said, one hopes that within a decade or two some significant progress will be made, even if only incrementally.

Other than space travel, what kinds of applications do you imagine your own work might be used in?

With regard to the potential tapping of zero-point energy, if it were found that significant energy could be generated, then application to earthbound problems would be foremost. Because of the increasing possibility of water shortages in various parts of the world, if ZPE energy generation were competitive with current resources, I would see water desalinization as being a major application. The possibility of the use of ZPE to reduce fossil fuel pollution for transportation would also be attractive, again, if economical.

Have you had any response from fossil fuels companies about your work? Are they doing any research in this area?

I had an opportunity to brief the Presidents and Research Directors of several of the major oil companies on the potential promise of zero-point energy as an alternative energy resource. Contrary to the "urban myth," they said they would welcome such a breakthrough because the use of fossil fuels for cars and heating had a very low profit margin as compared to its use for manufacturing plastics, pharmaceuticals, etc. They likened it to heating your house by burning Picassos and van Goghs.

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