Ken et al.,

 

As best I can determine, sadly this is really true, and Gene is really gone.

 

With the murder of Gene Mallove, we’ve lost one of the most dedicated and sincere—and competent—researchers in the alternate energy field.  He was a champion—even the champion—of rigorous scientific work on cold fusion. Due in large part to his stalwart efforts, cold fusion is one area that just would not be squelched, even though some of the most powerful (and even some of the most immoral) aspects of the big and powerful nuclear and hot fusion community vehemently opposed and still oppose cold fusion.

 

It is doubly sad because of the energy crisis hurtling upon us and threatening eventual economic collapse of the U.S. and of our society. Gene well-understood that coming massive problem, and he also understood that the conventional energy things being worked on and funded by the established scientific community were largely “business as usual”, and not anywhere near equal to solving the problem.

 

It is triply sad because, starting from statistical fluctuations in systems originally at constant temperature and in equilibrium, it is already well-known and experimentally proven—e.g., in forefront thermodynamics; see Wang et al., Phys. Rev. Lett., 89(5), 29 July 2002—that the statistical fluctuations alone are sufficient to “make the chemical reactions run backwards” for up to two seconds in a region of the size of a cubic micron. In an aqueous solution, that is some 30 billion ions and molecules involved in that region where the reactions can be and are being reversed.  As Gene often pointed out, the only thing chemically preventing nuclear reactions at low temperature is the “Coulomb barrier” between like charges, such as two hydrogen ions (simply two free protons). Yet the statistical fluctuations alone can temporarily result in the “Coulomb barrier” becoming a “Coulomb attractor” between like charges. If this reversal lasts sufficiently long, then statistically some of the H+ ions will be drawn together closely enough to involve the strong force region, forming a quasi-nucleus. In that case, decay of the fluctuation can indeed lead to a new nuclear reaction where a single quark flips in one proton and converts it to a neutron, producing a deuterium nucleus.  Obviously there are many more previously uninvestigated “backwards nuclear reactions” available from this generatrix of statistical fluctuations.  Just as obviously, without additional stimulation, the backwards reaction occurs but with extremely low expectation.

 

This “statistical reversal of reactions” momentarily, is especially pertinent if very sharp perturbations are also made to the solution; in nonequilibrium thermodynamics, it is already well-known and proven that strong gradients are one of the areas that experimentally violate the Second Law of thermodynamics. It is also well-known that re-ordering and shifts to new states not otherwise achievable are accomplished. And to quote Kondepudi and Prigogine, not much is known about it, either experimentally or theoretically. It simply has not been sufficiently investigated scientifically.

 

So one day, it is almost certain that cold fusion efforts will prevail, because—if the scientific community would simply fund research in the area, particularly for the pioneers, some doctoral theses programs, and some sharp young post doctoral programs—then in a very short time cold fusion would be proven and established, including controllably. These were the kinds of things that Gene was deeply dedicated to try to help bring about.

 

It is also sad that now Gene will not live to see the eventual fruition of his hard work and tremendous dedication over these years. When it does happen, he will have played a major role in getting that great achievement established.

 

Gene was always an inspiration and uplifting, and I very much valued his friendship and our occasional contacts. He was also that rarity of rarities: A real gentleman in this old modern cut-throat world, and a person with a truly noble soul. He will be sorely missed.

 

With the untimely passing of Gene Mallove, we have truly lost one of the real pioneers and one of the great alternative energy researchers of all time. We shall not see his likes again for many a year.

 

With deepest regret,

 

Tom Bearden

 

 

DR. EUGENE MALLOVE - DEAD AT 56
JUNE 9, 1947 - MAY 14, 2004

Author Of:

*Fire from Ice: Searching for the Truth Behind the Cold Fusion Furor
*Nuclear Transmutation: The Reality of Cold Fusion
*The Starflight Handbook: A Pioneer's Guide to Interstellar Travel
*The Quickening Universe: Cosmic Evolution and Human Destiny
 

http://www.norwichbulletin.com/news/stories/20040516/localnews/430783.html

NFA grad killed
Science writer Mallove slain at family home in Norwich

By GREG SMITH
Norwich Bulletin
------------------------------------------------------------
Several photos on site of article;
Photos by Rory Glaeseman/Norwich Bulletin

Officer Damian Martin, center, and Officer Anthony Gomes, left, ask drivers Saturday night if they were witness to any activity Friday night in front of 119 Salem Turnpike in Norwich.

Dr. Eugene F. Mallove was found dead Friday night at
his family home at 119 Salem Turnpike, Norwich.

Mallove

NORWICH -- A 56-year-old former Norwich man was killed
during a suspected robbery and brutal assault at his
family home on Salem Turnpike Friday.

Dr. Eugene F. Mallove, a Norwich Free Academy graduate,
published author and father of two, died of multiple
injuries to his head and neck, according to an autopsy
performed Saturday at the Office of the Chief State
Medical Examiner in Farmington. The death was ruled a
homicide.

Police would not confirm Mallove's identity Saturday
pending positive identification by family members.

Mallove was discovered at the small 119 Salem Turnpike
house at 10:55 p.m. Friday after police received a
report of an injured person.

At the house, situated at the entrance to Interstate
395 in a primarily commercial area, police found
Mallove unresponsive, the victim of an assault. He was
later pronounced dead by medical personnel called to
the scene.

Police said initial investigation indicated a robbery,
during which a physical confrontation took place.
Several unidentified items were taken from the scene
and Mallove's vehicle was missing, according to a
written statement released by Norwich police.

Several hours later, Mallove's 1993 green Dodge Caravan
was found in the Foxwoods employee parking lot on Route
2 in Preston. The vehicle is easily identifiable by
several large bumper stickers, including an American
flag and his company Web site, www.infinite-energy.com,
in the rear window. The New Hampshire license plate
bears the registration INFNRG.

Police are now seeking information from anyone who saw
the vehicle between 7 p.m. Friday and 2 a.m. Saturday.

Police declined to provide further details of the
killing Saturday.

Cars sped past the quiet Salem Turnpike home Saturday,
where a large Dumpster was situated alongside the home
in the driveway. Several cars, which looked as though
they hadn't been moved in some time, are near the
two-bay detached garage.

The home, owned by Mallove's parents since 1958, is now
under Eugene Mallove's care, according to city records.

Mallove, with his wife, Joanne, had moved to Pembroke,
N.H., from Norwich in 1987.

In New Hampshire, Mallove was the president of the
nonprofit New Energy Foundation and since 1995 the
editor-in-chief of the organization's magazine Infinite
Energy.

The bimonthly magazine covers topics of new
technological innovations in energy and science and
follows developments in the field, according to its Web
site.

Infinite Energy managing editor Christy Frazier worked
with Mallove for the past six years and had become very
close.

She called Mallove the "most caring and giving person I
probably have ever known -- a very successful,
brilliant man.

"It's been a wonderful, wonderful experience. It's hard
not to love the things he loves because he's so
passionate," she said. "He touched the lives of
everybody he came in contact with."

Mallove's parents, Mitchel and Gladys Mallove, had
followed their son's move to New Hampshire in 1988. His
father, the son of Russian immigrants, died in March
2003 after a long illness, according to a published
obituary. He is buried at the Hebrew Benevolent
Cemetery in Norwich.

Eugene Mallove had become a grandfather just this year
and was caring for his mother, who has Alzheimer's
disease, Frazier said. She said Mallove was a Norwich
Free Academy graduate.

He held a master of science degree and bachelor of
science degree in aeronautical and astronautical
engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology and received a science doctorate in
environmental health sciences from Harvard University
in 1975.

He also taught science journalism at MIT and Boston
University and previously was chief science writer at
the MIT news office.

He is the author of numerous technical articles and of
several books, including the Pulitzer-nominated book on
cold fusion titled, "Fire and Ice: Searching for the
Truth Behind the Cold Fusion Furor."

Anyone with information can call Norwich police at
886-5561, or the anonymous tip line at 886-5561, Ext.
500.

gasmith@norwichbulletin.com

Originally published Sunday, May 16, 2004