  We study the problem of stability and instability of extreme
Reissner-Nordstrom spacetimes for linear scalar perturbations. Specifically, we
consider solutions to the linear wave equation on a suitable globally
hyperbolic subset of such a spacetime, arising from regular initial data
prescribed on a Cauchy hypersurface crossing the future event horizon. We
obtain boundedness, decay and non-decay results. Our estimates hold up to and
including the horizon. The fundamental new aspect of this problem is the
degeneracy of the redshift on the event horizon. Several new analytical
features of degenerate horizons are also presented.
