In 1990, freelance journalist Gary Taubes wrote an article in Science magazine and depicted electrochemist John O'Mara Bockris, at Texas A&M University, and his graduate student Nigel Packham, as science frauds. The article gave the impression that they had spiked their "cold fusion" cells with tritium to fake positive results.

There had been no university investigation, let alone official determination. By his own admission, Taubes had no material evidence, "no smoking gun," as he wrote. There were no witnesses. Taubes and Science nevertheless depicted Bockris as a fraud with innuendo, gossip, and rumors, casting doubt on Bockris' reputation for the rest of his life. Taubes had even used intimidation tactics and threats to get Packham to confess.

For a summary of the many gross deficiencies in Gary Taubes's science journalism process (as of 1993), please see the Krivit Review of Gary Taubes' Bad Science book.