Sir, The article "Paranormal Customs are unhealthy" by William Reville (Science Today, July 26th), read like a breath of fresh air. It comes at a particularly apt time after the article by Dominique Tassot (Opinion, July 18th). I agree it is quite frightening to see the rubbish (there really is no other word for it), appearing on the shelves of book stockists.
I would go further and say that paranormal customs can not only be unhealthy but downright damaging. President Regan believed in astrology (I am told), so if the signs were right would he have nuked Russia?
I wrote to a number of Irish newspapers some years ago asking them to consider dropping the astrology column. Only one bothered to reply to say neither the people who believe in their stars or those who do not would ever agree on these issues. Not sure what the logic was. The column remained.
We need more articles to defend the scientific method and try to slow the avalanche of New Age hysteria. - Yours, etc.,
Fergal MacAlister, Blackwater, Co Wexford.