E. Paul Palmer (1926–2011) was a Brigham Young University physicist who specialized in geophysics. He coined the term "cold fusion". However he was an early critic of Fleischmann and Pons's claims to have developed a useful method of cold fusion.
Palmer served in the US Navy during World War II. He later served as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the East Central States Mission (primarily Tennessee and Kentucky). He received his bachelor's degree in physics from the University of Utah.