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August 26, 1972

Dear Dr. Velikovsky,

At the Symposium in Portland a biologist, whose name I cannot recall, questioned some of the precepts of mutation you had described. You had reiterated that heat, radiation and chemical agents may be individually or in concert responsible for mutation of species. Later I chatted with the biologist and described another agent which, up to now. may not have been seriously considered, and which I feel is of primary importance.

Undoubtably chemical and radiation activity could be responsible for the generation of mutations, which may or may not result in a new species. I would prefer to consider how selective wide-spread radiation might incur a mutation by absorption of various, but selective wavelengths. This, by statistical relationship, would give a distribution of mutations that may be somewhat gaussian, whereby only those in the main sequence would survive while those at either extreme have been subjected to unregenerable damage. Similarly, organisms which have been exposed to potentially toxic chemicals, or to pathogenic microorganisms, may develop mutagenic strains.

We must, however, be cautious in descriptions of mutations in absolute terms. The current definition of a species rests on the principle that it can viably reproduce generation after generation. But it should also be noted, and in very strong terms, that the species of mankind is made up of mutations.

We can viably reproduce, begetting offspring who can repeat the cycle, while on occasion begetting mutations which cannot survive or reproduce. Yet, the difference between individual members of the human species lies in the fact that we have a genetically inherited xenophobia — in no case, except identical twins, have organs been successfully transplanted. Even with blood transfusions a temporary stopgap is performed until the body can replenish its own supply. Thus each individual stands alone as a mutant, whose very life is limited by the number of cycles the cell-reproducing functions can continue.

In regard to heat as a mutagenic cause, I would relegate this means to the category of radiation, as heat nominally is induced by infrared or microwave radiation as a by-product of their effects. And unless the radiation is discriminatory the heat produced will prove damaging to an organism in the majority of cases.

Therefore, in the example of the strange, new species observed in the bomb craters in London, I can think of two possible explanations. Either the seeds or spores were carried to the site by the bomb or were uncovered by the blast, or the mutations were caused by the acoustical effects of the detonation. Both the thermal and acoustical effects are transient factors, achieving high temperatures or pressures in an extremely steep gradient, but the thermal effect would tend to be degenerating while that of the shock wave would be one of displacement.

In the literature shock wave forming of complex metal parts is well known, where complicated topologies are formed which are stress-free. I have even performed an experiment by detonating a charge within an enclosed space to observe the effects on a crystal slurry of magnesium carbonate; the crystals, under the miscroscope, showed peculiar displacements of the structure which also appeared to be stress-free and there were selective fragmentations of a given crystal.

By congruency, I would expect that acoustically induced shock fronts would be responsible in a large part for selective mutations, which could also be of a new species. As explosive shock waves contain large energy potentials, these wavefronts are also made up of various frequencies and their harmonics. For mutagenic effects to take place, which most likely are on a molecular level, there would be a selective absorption of energy from a rather narrow band of frequencies depending on the geometry of the molecule being affected. Displacements would occur near instantaneously, and may affect the whole or only part of an organism, dependent on its size and composition.

Now, if the theophany of which you spoke included shock waves of sufficient magnitude to be world wide in scope then it is within reason to expect that mutations should occur planet-wide, and may also in some measure add to the psychological trauma to which you referred.

So, I submit that the three agents are radiative, chemical, and acoustical.

Sincerely,
Frederic B. Jueneman
Director/Research
Innovative Concepts Association
San Jose, California



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