354 Nature Vol. 280 2 August 1979 correspondence

usual. It is time to establish some priorities. government to enter any profession of his Airey Neave Let the Health and Safety Executive produce choice. The federal and state governments Memorial Trust guidelines, not on how to test chemicals, but reserve the right to select those who apply for SIR, - Many people have suggested to us that on how to select chemicals which require to be employment as civil servants, a status that they would like to commemorate the life of tested - unless they intend to deal only with provides life-long job. security. I cannot see Airey Neave, assassinated this year by a bomb new chemicals. Let us concentrate our anything illiberal when the federal and state in the Palace of Westminster (for obituary see resources on developing test procedures which governments reject civil service status to a effectively screen chemicals for the properties handful of totalitarian radicals. To proceed page 433). Some have sent money now banked we want to avoid at all costs; and leave lesser differently would endanger the liberal system in a special account. hazards until we can afford to attack them. in any western democracy. In my opinion, the Since Airey Neave believed in the supreme Above all, let us .recognise that life is a slogan Berufsverbote is an infamous lie, importance of freedom under the law, we hazardous and invariably fatal process which cleverly invented by leftist totalitarians to consider that we can achieve something that he will surely survive twentieth century discriminate against the most liberal political would have held dear by creating a Trust to industrialism, if we keep our scientific 'cool'. system that has ever evolved in the rather sad provide for research into the extent of Yours faithfully, course of German history. personal freedom under national laws. This D. M. CONNING Yours faithfully, may include the provision of travelling British Industrial Biological Research F. MIII I H scholarships. Candidates will be chosen after Association, Surrey, UK. University ofMunich, West Germany. they have submitted a short synopsis of the scope of the paper they intend to write. The papers, embodying their research, will be Attack on paranormal is published. Degree-day values In promoting these studies, priority will be unscientific given to applications by candidates from fields StR. - In a recent issue of Nature (14 June, in which Airey Neave had a particular interest; SIR, - It is surely profoundly unscientific to page 565) the potential value of the 'degree­ former pupils of Radley College or Abingdon claim that "neither electro-magnetism nor days' measure was indicated. Readers who School and graduates of Merton College, any other scientific theory can explain" ESP wish to obtain degree-day values for the UK Oxford; holders of degrees in science or law; phenomena as Taylor and Balanovski do (14 may be interested to know that such members of the legal profession; former June, page 631). The most anyone can ever information is available in Energy prisoners of war; authors; Members or former claim is that existing theories do not explain a Management, published by the Department of Members of either House of Parliament. phenomenon so far as they can see - Energy; and is also reproduced in Energy The value and number of such scholarships someone else may be clever enough to find an Digest, published by Aliens (Clerkenwell) Ltd. will depend upon the amount of money explanation within existing theories, or to Degree-day users requiring early figures may received. Application has been made for the discover a new explanation. The latter obtain these from the EQAS service (Freefone Trust to be registered as a Charity. possibility is not "ruled out" by the "suc­ 3140, or 8305 in Scotland). Detailed Those who wish to be associated with this cessful reductionist approach of science," but information is available in the free booklet appeal should send their contributions to The is probably the main attraction of science to Degree Days, available from: Library, Airey Neave Memorial Trust, c/o The House its practitioners. To go on to deduce that an Department of Energy, Thames House South, of Commons, London SWI. Covenant forms argument of this sort casts any light on Millbank, London SWlP 4QJ. will be available on application to the Trust. whether the phenomenon exists is even more Yours faithfully, bizarre - would they have argued against the P. A. WooD Yours faithfully, heat of the Sun before relativity and the Newport Pagne/1, Buckinghamshire, UK. JOHN TILNEY(Chairman) theory of fusion? Or do they now assume and the committee of the Trust. there is doubt that the mu-meson is heavier London SWJ, UK. than the electron because no-one has yet sug­ gested an explanation? The caddish salamander It might be instructive for these authors to Costs of toxicity testing study the history of the famous argument SIR, - The vocabulary available to SIR, - That ICI Ltd is spending £6 million over the age of the Earth at the end of the sociobiologists includes altruism, nepotism, per annum on its toxicity testing programme last century. Kelvin had calculated the age selfishness and spite, but is still incomplete. seems to underline the fears of smaller from the time taken for cooling; the result Arnold (Z. Tierpsycho/.42, 247; 1976) companies that the tests they are asked to was far too short to allow species to have describes how a male salamander undertake are too expensive. This is even more evolved. Biologists suggested Kelvin might (Amblystoma) may intrude between the the case if we concede that these tests can be have ignored some unknown source of members of a mating pair, imitate the but a crude guide to the possible hazards to energy, and were roundly mocked by the female, and induce the rival male to release a man. Still, the bankruptcy of a few firms and physicists for being "unscientific". The fact spermatophore which is then covered with the a reduction in innovation might be a small that Kelvin's proponents were both confident intruder's own sperm; the latter achieve fer­ price to pay for the sensation of safety we all and arrogant did not prevent them being tilisation. For this I propose the term caddish crave; in any case, as the new legislation wrong - as the subsequent discovery of behaviour. applies to new chemicals, only the larger more radio-activity proved. Yours faithfully, affluent companies with new product I might add that I do not believe there is developments are likely to be much affected. much evidence for ESP, but this is based on S.A. BARNETT Or are they? Mr Langley has suggested (5 the absence of unambiguous experiments Australian National University, July, page 9) that industry ought to be doing rather than on anyone's inability to think of Canberra, Australia. more, anyway, under the 1974 Act, and the an explanation. new notification scheme n:erely records that Yours faithfully, defined work has been completed successfully. M.WHIPPMAN Is there an implication here that existing London SW20, UK. Erratum chemicals will be subject to the same testing In the issue of Nature of 21 / 28 December, page arrangements? The logic of the Act suggests 754, in a letter by Drs Karlson and Dixon on this ought to be so - and recent experience West Germany does not biochemical nomenclature, the word with monomers has thrown doubt on 'long 'bisphosphate' was twice misprinted as manufacturing experience' as a safeguard on pursue Berufsverbote biphosphate in the last two lines of the third health, making it more likely that some paragraph. The authors were pointing out the experimental results will be needed. SlR, - Your note "German psychologists distinction between 'diphosphate', indicating a In this case, the economic impact could be issue study of Berufsverbote" (31 May, page single diphosphate group in ADP, and substantial and, because it is happening at a 363) is utterly misleading. The West German 'bisphosphate', indicating two separate time when another world recession is expected, government does not pursue a policy of substitutions - as in fructose I ,6- it could have even more profound effects than Berufsverbote. Nobody is banned here by the bisphosphate. © Macmillan Journals Ltd 1979