BOLIDE

Magazine Overview

Title: BOLIDE
Issue: Dossier 4
Date: December 1987
Publisher: ball-of-light international data exchange
Co-ordinator: Hilary Evans

This issue of BOLIDE, a data exchange focused on anomaly research, is presented as a mixed bag of content, with a particular note on the quality of copying from a 17th-century original.

Content Highlights

The co-ordinator, Hilary Evans, urges subscribers to keep an eye out for relevant articles in current scientific journals, emphasizing the need to integrate contemporary findings with historical material. The issue highlights a significant event in anomaly research: the publication of BUFORA's "UFOs 1947-1987". This book contains important articles by Chris Rutkowski on UFOs as natural phenomena and by David Clarke & Granville Oldroyd on British spooklights.

The contributions to the BUFORA book underscore the interdisciplinary nature of anomaly research and, specifically, of BOLs (Ball Lightning or similar phenomena). A key observation is that BOLs appear to be multifaceted, serving not only as a phenomenon in themselves but also as a catalyst for other phenomena. Evans poses the question of whether this is due to their archetypal nature in the Jungian sense or their primordial physical makeup, inviting comments and thoughts from subscribers.

Subscriptions and Contributions

The newsletter also addresses subscription matters, welcoming payments from those who have not yet paid. It clarifies that BOLIDE is run on a strictly cost basis, and further dossiers will not be sent to subscribers who do not reimburse the costs of paper, copying, and postage. The subscription rate is set at £10 / $15, or the equivalent in any currency. Subscribers are advised to send banknotes rather than cheques or money orders to avoid bank charges. The subscription covers three dossiers, which are distributed based on the co-ordinator's availability and the influx of material from subscribers.

Subscriber List

A significant portion of the document is dedicated to a list of BOLIDE subscribers, detailing their names and addresses from various countries including Spain, Wales, USA, Australia, Sweden, France, and England. Notable individuals on the list include Vicente Juan Ballester Olmos, Janet & Colin Bord, William Corliss, Barry Greenwood, Dr Michael Hough, Martin Kottmeyer, Greg Long, Dan Mattsson, Jim MeleSciuc (MUFON State Director), Mark Moravec, Hillard Piekos, Thierry Pinvidic, Clive Potter, Jenny Randles, Phil Reeder, Bob Skinner, Dennis Stacy, Mark Stenhoff (Dept of Physics), Dennis Stillings (Archaeus Project), and Uffe Syberg.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue revolve around the broad scope of anomaly research, the interdisciplinary approach required, and the multifaceted nature of phenomena like BOLs. The editorial stance encourages active participation from subscribers through the submission of relevant material, particularly from scientific journals, and through sharing their thoughts and comments on the nature of these phenomena. The emphasis on historical and contemporary research, coupled with an invitation to explore deeper psychological or physical explanations, suggests an open-minded yet rigorous approach to the subject matter.