1953 08 08 Nature - Vol 172 No 4371 - Brooks

Magazine Overview

Title: NATURE
Issue Date: August 8, 1953
Volume: 172
Content Type: Scientific Journal/Magazine

Review of "Flying Saucers" by Prof. Donald H. Menzel

This section reviews Prof. Donald H. Menzel's book "Flying Saucers," published by Putnam and Co., Ltd. The reviewer, C. E. P. Brooks, notes the deep-rooted human instinct to attribute unexplained celestial phenomena to the supernatural, a trend that has evolved from gods and portents to 'flying saucers' and visitors from other worlds.

Menzel, a professor of astrophysics at Harvard, attempts to provide a rational explanation for the 'flying saucer' reports that surged in popularity after June 24, 1947, when a businessman in Washington State reported seeing a chain of "saucer-like things." The book is described as thorough, with Menzel adjudicating on numerous reports, often after personal interviews.

The review categorizes the reported 'flying saucers' into three main groups:

Real but Natural Phenomena

• This category encompasses a wide array of natural occurrences:
• Celestial Bodies: Stars and planets.
• Atmospheric Lights: Will-o'-the-wisps.
• Electrical Phenomena: Auroræ, St. Elmo's fire, and possibly ball lightning.
• Optical Phenomena: Sun dogs, mock suns, mock moons, and other effects caused by ice crystals.
• Cloud Formations: Peculiar cloud formations.
• 'Foo Fighters': Small whirls of ice crystals formed by the wings of aircraft, with one pilot reportedly engaging with one.

Menzel devotes a significant portion of his book, including a long appendix, to the theory of mirages, suggesting that many sightings, particularly those appearing to skim the earth's surface from moving vehicles, are simply mirages of distant peaks.

Man-Made Objects

• This group includes:
• Weather Balloons: Almost certainly responsible for some sightings.
• Searchlight Rings on Clouds: These can appear to move with incredible speed as the beam shifts.
• Radar Anomalies: 'Galloping ghosts' of radar, attributed to the mechanics of radar systems.

Hoaxes

• This category addresses deliberate fabrications:
• 'War of the Worlds' Incident: The reviewer recalls the 1938 radio adaptation of H. G. Wells's novel, which led at least a million listeners to believe it was a real invasion, with some reporting sensory experiences like smelling smoke.
• 'Little Men from Venus': The book mentions a lecturer at the University of Denver who described visitors from Venus emerging from a saucer, indicating the persistence of such narratives.

Brooks notes that while a few reports remain unclassifiable, Menzel firmly believes that these phenomena are not extraterrestrial. The book supports this by surveying conditions on planets that make civilized life highly improbable.

The reviewer concludes that readers of NATURE likely never believed in flying saucers as interplanetary visitors but will find the book valuable for its information on curious natural phenomena and its entertainment value.

Review of "The Merck Index" (Sixth Edition)

This section reviews the sixth edition of "The Merck Index of Chemicals and Drugs: An Encyclopedia for the Chemist, Pharmacist, Physician and Allied Professions." First published in 1889, this edition has undergone significant updates and modernizations.

• Key features of this edition include:
• Scope: Nearly fifty thousand copies were ordered prior to publication, indicating high demand.
• Content: Over eight thousand descriptions of individual substances, more than two thousand structural formulæ (conforming to the Ring Index), and about twenty thousand names of chemicals and drugs, including trade names.
• Purpose: Primarily intended for rapid reference, but also offers a stimulating browsing experience.

• Appendixes:
• 'Name' Reactions: A list of over three hundred 'name' reactions with descriptions and references.
• Radioactive Isotopes: A table detailing isotopes, their half-life periods, types of radiations, and medical uses.
• Dyes: A list of dyes permitted in the United States for coloring foods, drugs, and cosmetics.

The review comments on the selection of compounds, noting it can seem arbitrary. It includes chemical descriptions, literature references for structure determination and synthesis, and brief indications of toxicities, medical, and veterinary uses for drugs. The index also covers natural products without established therapeutic applications and purely synthetic products unrelated to medical usage, reflecting the original edition's broader scope.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The magazine "NATURE" consistently focuses on scientific discourse and reviews. This issue demonstrates a commitment to critically examining popular phenomena like 'flying saucers' through a scientific lens, prioritizing evidence-based explanations over speculation. The review of Menzel's book aligns with this stance by presenting a rational, scientific debunking of extraterrestrial claims. Simultaneously, the review of "The Merck Index" highlights the journal's dedication to providing comprehensive information on established scientific resources for professionals in chemistry, pharmacy, and medicine. The editorial stance favors rigorous scientific inquiry and the dissemination of factual, verifiable information.