Review of the University of Colorado Report on Unidentified Flying Objects by a Panel of the National Academy of Sciences

!-
-3'
The Panei beg=rn its review inmr.idjztcly- c'fter- the, 1"eport
became available, on -Novcmber .5ý, 1968, by an initiala readbig of
the Report by: each, member of the Panel durxing a tw0-week period.
The 'PaneJ. convened on tdcember 2 for a dfiscussioh of members'
,-initial assessmentsq, for consi]deration .of the-Pane)' sý charge
(scope, methodolVogy, and findings in. the Report), and fob. de6-
.Uineatibn 0f further steps in its review. Te iatter iii•lued
.,the study of other documents -presenting views and fkid ing•4o5% i
technit.aJ.y trained persons, (e.g., the documents eited- a)•-•"•
,fuitheP cxamination of the Report's summark and findings, -nd
furher -directed 'study -of specialized chapters of -the Rebprt.7by:
appropriate members of the Pane,. Extensive dscLssion; •oh
by qorrespqodence and by, Aelcphon, occurred du.ing this perieod.
The 'Panel met again -on January '6,19G9, to conclude it"s -deliberatiohs
and to ,prepare its findings,, which are presented beJ7b!.w
Ie I. SCOPE
The- study by the University- of Colorado commenced in October
S196G and continued for about two, years,. Case studies of 59 reports
of UFOs are' 'presentedin detail, with 68 plates; of these, ten
reports predated the ,project, but were so well, documented 'that
they were included.. A chapter is devoted to UFOsý iný history, oneS~~toLIFO study, ,programs in foreign countries, and one to UF~s reported
in the 20 yeais 'receding the study. Ten chapters are devoted to
perceptual problems, 'processes of peFception,and reporting, psycho-.;.
.ogical, aspects of UFO reports, optids, radar, sonic boom, atospheric
el'ectricity and plasrfa interpretations, 'balloons., instrumentation
for UFO searches,.," and statistical analyses. (T.Wentýy-four appdndix&s
add' 1detailed ,teechnical backgroundct the" study. Volume 4 cohcludGes
with an index of 27 pages.)
p In 6ur: bpinion the- scope. of the, ýtfdy was adequate to its
II. ME'rHOpOLOGY
As a)rule, fibel trips we.re made t6o investigate UFO reports
only if they were less than a y,-ar o]ld,. The Report states -that
"nearl/ all MO-sigtgtirL, are of short: duration, seldom last;j an
"hour .2nd ',uually for a iew minuces. Thus most investigations co,.
siste,] of intervi.ews with persons 'who ,made .fcports. Three teams,
usually consi'sting of two persons each (a physical scientist rid
,a p;y,'hologi,;t-), •c",,'re ,mployed in f•jield in'vcstigations whe'e, tele- j.phoni,, co!1mIunio1t:J.or, v-,J:t h 1,O•-..':.ghti ,r" individuals gaive hoie -of
gc,:i.•ing added irnfo:.'ma-t:icn. The aim %%,as to get a tcam to the site
I'
el
ti ii .