The electrochemically active elements of the transition series include both the third, fourth and fifth d block elements, the lanthanides and the actinides. These transition elements have distinct electrochemistry for driving many chemical reactions, in particular the absorption of large volumes of hydrogen and the formation of various hydrides. In particular, Pd, Th, Ti, Ag, Au and La hydrides exhibit anomalous effects. The chemical reactions for forming, decomposing and rearranging the bonds of metal hydrides involve large energies. Furthermore these metal hydrides and mixtures are here demonstrated to exhibit greater strange cold nuclear reactions both cold fission and cold fusion. This invention provides magnetic, x-ray, laser irradiation, pressure, neutron beam, beta ray, alpha ray, gamma ray and catalytic technology for accommodating the special conditions for more controlled and accelerated cold nuclear reactions within the dense plasma (pycno) provided by the lattice of these metal hydrides. Under these conditions, the cold nuclear reactions are controllably enhanced to rates for practical energy sources but the very nonsynergistic nature of these pycnonuclear phenomena diminishes the possibility of runaway or explosive systems.