Dr. Busk [of Dow Chemical Company] knew of no one who intentionally added strontium to commercial magnesium.” It was found that Dow Metallurgical Laboratory had made experimental batches of magnesium alloy containing 0.1% up to 40% of strontium, which is to be compared with the level of 500 ± 100 parts per million of strontium in the Brazil sample. Although the lowest value in this range is twice the value found in the Brazil sample, Craig states that Dow had “produced a . . . batch of magnesium containing nominally the same concentration of Sr as was continued [sic] in the Ubatuba sample.”

Craig also makes the following remarks: “Metallographic examinations show large, elongated magnesium grains, indicating that the metal had not been worked after solidification from the liquid or vapor state. It, therefore, seems doubtful that this sample had been a part of a fabricated metal object.” This is a very curious remark, implying–as it does–that no fabricated object has ever been made of cast metal.

Condon, in his summary, remarks that “the magnesium metal was found to be much less pure than the regular commercial metal produced in 1957 by the Dow Chemical Company . . . (and) therefore it need not have come from an extra-terrestrial source. . . .”

Once again, Condon’s statement does not give an accurate representation of the work of his staff. The staff describe the comparison sample simply as “magnesium produced by known earthly technology” (Condon & Gillmor, 1968, p. 96). Condon describes it as “regular commercial magnesium.” As Craig states (Condon & Gillmor, 1968, p. 95), the Dow Chemical Company has “supplied on request samples of triply sublimed magnesium.” These samples represented a laboratory production, not “regular commercial magnesium.” Furthermore, the samples of triply sublimed magnesium supplied by the Dow Chemical Company had not been annealed (annealing would introduce further impurities), so that their metallurgical properties were grossly different from those of Brazil magnesium.

However, the most regrettable aspect of the Colorado Project investigation of the Brazil magnesium is that the investigation was confined to a rather limited laboratory analysis of the sample. It is a basic rule of UFO research that one must assess the total evidence, which always includes the narrative evidence. According to this rule, another investigator (fluent in Portuguese, or accompanied by a translator) should have been sent to Brazil to track down any evidence of events that might have been related to the Brazil magnesium sample.

The last category of evidence considered is “Indirect Physical Evidence,” reviewed by Craig (Condon & Gillmor, 1968, pp. 97-115). In presenting his conclusions, he states:

Of all physical effects claimed to be due to the presence of UFOs, the alleged malfunction of automobile motors is perhaps the most puzzling. The claim is frequently made, sometimes in reports which are impressive because they involve multiple independent witnesses. Witnesses seem certain that the function of their cars was affected by the