Fi reballs Sir: Brian Inglis's comments on fireballs were of interest
to me and so also was the c,9rrespondence following, but I am nevertneless surprised that the scientific world has allowed him to get away with his condescending remarks about their reluctance to consider such phenomena. 1 have not seen !he article in Nature but to suggest that it is
Putting a toe in the door' is quite ludicrous.
Scientists have been taking the subject very seriously for a long time. I am no physicist but as long ago as 1969 C. M. Cade and D. °aViS gave a popular presentation of the subject in The Taming of the Thunderbolts: the Science and Superstition of Ball Lightning (Abelard-Schuman, 1969).
If I understand the issue rightly the inter
e" of scientists has been considerable for two reasons. First, the phenomenon may give us a key to holding a plasma together fi31. some length of time, and thus it may provide us with an enormous source of energy froM a fusion reaction. The other and more frightening reason for scientific interest is a military one. If fireballs can be artificially created then we have a terrifying weapon at our disposal. One gathers that some pro!gress has been made in this project but that It is shrouded in secrecy.
This is what we should be afraid of in
modern scientific research, rather than the °,1ri refusal to face the facts of observed Oneoomena.
Timothy C. F. Stunt
Aiglon College, 1885 Chesieres, SWitzerland
Communism and the EEC
The EEC headquarters in Brussels has confirmed that Signor Altiero Spinelli, author of Manifesto for a ahind Federalist Europe a member of the powerful Common arket Commission, will stand as a Comunist in next month's Italian general elections. This draws attention to the extent of rriunist influence within the Brussels Oureaucracy, while the fact that for a time later r SPinelli left the Communist Party but toreturned should cause a close scrutiny othb,,e made of all MPs, both in Britain and co'''. EEC countries, who were formerly rnmunists.
rA,„ °ugh not one candidate bearing a s`ternunist label was returned to Westmintherin the last general election, at the time of rhu referen dum there were thirteen ComAssn,Lst,s in the much smaller European ro ing lY and fourteen million card-carryas a °rnMunists in Italy and France alone, ,rgainst only 17,000 in Britain. Wasrtc'htskY told the proletariat that their task States creation of 'the Republican United unit °f Europe as the foundation of the ecl States of the World.' The macabre
grin on the face of his ghost must broaden daily.
L. M. Hopkins Vice-Chairman, Devizes and District Anti-Common Market Group, Wick Crest, Devizes, Wiltshire
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