Eugene Franklin Mallove (1947-2004) was an American scientist, writer, journalist, and advocate of cold fusion research. He was best known for his support of alternative energy research, particularly cold fusion, and for his criticism of what he perceived as the scientific establishment’s unjust rejection of research into this area.
Mallove held a Bachelor of Science degree in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering from MIT and a Master of Science degree in Environmental Health Sciences from Harvard University. He initially worked in mainstream science, including a position at MIT’s Technology Review magazine.
His career took a significant turn following the 1989 announcement by Martin Fleischmann and Stanley Pons of their discovery of cold fusion, a supposed nuclear reaction occurring at room temperature. This claim, which promised a revolutionary and limitless source of clean energy, was initially met with excitement but quickly became mired in controversy as other scientists failed to replicate the results.
Mallove became a staunch defender of Fleischmann and Pons and a critic of the mainstream scientific community’s response to their work. He resigned from his position at MIT in protest over what he saw as the institution’s biased handling of cold fusion experiments.
In 1991, Mallove authored “Fire from Ice: Searching for the Truth Behind the Cold Fusion Furor,” which argued in favor of the legitimacy of cold fusion research. He also founded and edited Infinite Energy magazine, which provided a forum for discussion and reporting on non-conventional energy sources, including cold fusion.