Documents / Hearing transcript

Symposium on unidentified flying objects: hearings before the Committee on Science and Astronautics, U.S. House of Representatives, Ninetieth Congress, second session, July 29, 1968.

U.S. House of Representatives · 1968-07-29 · 256 pages · text from the file's own layer

This is the printed record of a July 29, 1968 symposium on unidentified flying objects held by the Committee on Science and Astronautics of the U.S. House of Representatives, chaired by Rep. J. Edward Roush. The committee heard statements from six scientists: J. Allen Hynek, James E. McDonald, Carl Sagan, Robert L. Hall, James A. Harder and Robert M. L. Baker. It also printed papers from Donald Menzel, Stanton Friedman, Frank Salisbury and others. Hynek argued that puzzling UFO reports from competent witnesses deserve serious scientific study.

  • p. 7 …of advanced technological ma- chinery manned by some kind of intelligence, that is, the extrater- restrial…
  • p. 9 …American Association for the Advancement of Science; Astronomy Society(secretary). Specialty: Astrophysics. Fields of Interest: Stellar…
  • p. 19 …The Air Force has no evidence that UFO's are extra-terrestrial or rep- resent advanced…
  • p. 24 18 (The biography of Dr.McDonald follows:) DR. JAMES E. MCDONAI,D Born: Duluth, Minn., May…
  • p. 29 …from some advanced technology sufficiently advanced to do what we cannot do in the sense of…
  • p. 32 …The possibility that these are extraterrestrial devices, that we are dealing with surveillance from some advanced…
  • p. 40 …THE UNCONVENTIONAL NATURE OF THE UFO PROBLEM To both laymen and scientists, the impressive progress that…
  • p. 48 …At first, they thought it was a jet, whose exhaust was somehow accounting for the advancing…
  • p. 59 …advanced civilization of extraterrestrial origin, the pattern of the observa- tions, the motivation of the surveillance…
  • p. 75 …To ignore most of the salient features of a sighting in order to advance an easy…
  • p. 94 …Now, if we want to assess the likelihood that there are intelligentcivilizations somewhere in advance of…
  • p. 95 …be far in advance of our own,and this,therefore raises the question of how likely…
  • p. 96 …that an advance civilization comes here very rarely. But I again emphasize the great uncertainty in…
  • p. 97 91 So, to conclude what I understand is the main reason why this committee has asked…
  • p. 100 …the possibility of its development by other civilizations. But if each of, say, a million advanced…
  • p. 101 …a race of advanced and benign creatures were devoted to our welfare. The interest in unidentified…
  • p. 111 …The possible value of contact for purposes of advancing our knowledge of our technology. Let's…
  • p. 112 …again the same possible great value from under- standing the phenomenon in order to advance our…
  • p. 116 …We must then concern ourselves with the possible consequences of contact with technologically advanced civilizations whose…
  • p. 117 111 the task. We must also 'be concerned with the risks of panic resulting in people…
  • p. 124 …Gravitation remains one of the enigmas of modern science, although there have been some advances in…
  • p. 125 …This will depend upon advances in many fields of science. Some of the things required will…
  • p. 130 …Gravitation remains one of the enigmas of modern science, although there have been some advances in…
  • p. 132 …Baker's professional society memberships include the American Associa- tion for the Advancement of Science, Phi…
  • p. 140 …There have been many debates on the technical capabilities or limits on the capabilities of advanced…
  • p. 141 135 area of forecasting the social characteristics of an advanced extrater- restrial civilization. Philosophers, social scientists…
  • p. 142 …in the environs of the earth, or to make dubious speculations either concerning "their" advanced scientific…
  • p. 143 …the gross characteristics of an advanced civilization. These studies (probablynot Government funded) should include the social…
  • p. 150 …Applications and Advanced Topics, Academic Press, New York, pp. 112-115 and pp. 376 to 392…
  • p. 153 147 00015 "Recent Advances in Astrodynamics," (with Samuel Herrick), Jet Propul- sion, 28, No. 10, 1958…
  • p. 154 …00040 "State-of-the-Art-1960 Astrodynamics,"Astronautics, 5, No. 11, 30, 1960. 00041 "Novel Orbit…
  • p. 157 …Makemson) 00071 Astrodynamics - Applications and Advanced Topics, Academic Press, New York, 1967. 00072 "Recent Advances in…
  • p. 171 …In the past five years, he has advanced from assistant bookkeeper to teller to head teller…
  • p. 174 …He has no desire to advance any further up the bank totem pole, says he never…
  • p. 189 …advanced radar systems air being de- vekii2ed for our missile defense systems, such as the ALTAR…
  • p. 190 …of the Earth or to make very dubious speculations 191, t101 either concerning "their" advanced scientific…
  • p. 203 …The primary attribute of an advanced intelligent civilization is its ability to create its own environment…
  • p. 204 …Menzel became acting Director of Harvard College Observatory and, in 1954, was advanced to the Directorship…
  • p. 207 …approach it or advances as you move away. As we look over the Air Force files…
  • p. 210 …Or at least that is the com- mon argument advanced by UFO buffs. Radar is cursed…
  • p. 212 …Life Member of American Association for the Advancement of Science. Professional Organizational Activities: State delegate to…
  • p. 217 …our level of advancement? As noted in the Special Report of the USAF Scientific Advisory Board…
  • p. 219 …Friedman has a relatively unique background in advanced technology, hav- ing been actively involved in the…
  • p. 222 …the existence of advanced civilizations. We frequently forget that the resolution of present photographs of the…
  • p. 223 …36, 37) and the American Association for the Advancement of Science is planning a UFO seminar…
  • p. 224 …reason, would not examine the data relevant to UFOs or advanced technology. Marcowitz was totally wrong…
  • p. 225 …reason, would not examine the data relevant to UFOs or advanced technology. Marcowitz was totally wrong…
  • p. 226 …B., "The Phenomenological Aspects of Magnetogasdynamic Re-entry." Presented at the 10th Midwestern Mechanics Conference, Colorado…
  • p. 227 …not alone in the Universe and surely some civilizations are more advanced than ours, but interstellar…
  • p. 233 …possible sites in advance, we could simply move in to recover the desired information after an…
  • p. 234 …The effectiveness of the proposed procedure would depend very heavily upon the amount of thought, care…
  • p. 237 …listed in advance on a 'standardized rating sheet. However this part of the experiment will not…
119
relativity,
in
the
past decade.
There
are
theoretical
grounds
for
believ-
ing
there
must
exist
a
second
gravitational
field,
corresponding
to
the
magnetic
field
in electromagnetic theory,
and
that
the
interaction
be-
tween
these
two
fields
must
be
similar
to that
between
the
electric
and
magnetic
fields.
This
interaction
and
its
exploitation
forms
the
basis
for
our
modern
electrical
generators
and
motors.
Without
the
interaction,
we
would
be back
to
the
days
of
electrostatic
attraction
and
of
permanent
mag-
nets—two
.
phenomena
that
can
produce
only very
weak
forces
when
operating
individually.
Some
day
perhaps
we
will
learn
enough
to
ap-
ply
gravitational forces
in
the
same
way we
have
learned to
apply
electromagnetic
forces.
This
will
depend
upon
advances
in
many
fields
of
science.
Some
of
the
things
required
will
be
enormously
increased
sources
of
power
from
atomic
fusion;
very
intense
magnetic
fields
and
current
densities,
perhaps
from
superconducting
sources;
and
ex-
tremely strong
materials to contain
mechanical
forces.
Some
of
these
advances
are
approaching,
or
are
on
the
horizon.
Others
we
have
yet
to
see
clearly.
May I
close
this
part
of our
discussion
by
recalling
the statement
that the
most
important
secret
of
the
atomic
bomb
was
that
it
worked.
This gave
the
crucial
impetus
to other nations in
their
own
efforts
toduplicate
the
research
of
the
United
States.
In
the
UFO
phenomena
we
have
demonstrations
of
scientific
secrets
we
do
not
know
ourselves.
It
would
be
a
mistake,
it
seems
to
me,
to ignore
their existence.
I
have
further
comments on
UFO's
and
high
-strength materials,
butperhaps
the
committee
would
rather interrupt
at
this
point before
I
go on
to
that second
subject?
Mr.
Rousn.
Any
questions?
I
think
you
better
go
ahead,
Dr.
Harder,
because
if
we
get
started
questioning
it is
impossible
to
stop
these people.
Mr.
BOONE.
Mr.
Chairman
may
I
ask
one
question?
Mr.
ROUSH.
Go
ahead,
Mr:Boone.
Mr.
BOONE.
Have
you
concluded that
what
you have
just told
us
is
true,
we
should not
ignore
their existence?
Dr. HARDER.
I
have
no
doubt of the
veracity
of the
observer
who
saw
this
thing in the
sky;
I
know
him
personally.
Mr.
BOONE.
I
didn't question
the
observer,
I
questioned
your remark,
and
the magnetic,
if
you
will,
electromagnetic
interactions,
and
so
forth,
when
you
said
we
undoubtedly
must admit
the
existence
of
these—I
am
sorry
I
can't
quote
you
exactly.
But
your
last
sentence
there
is
what
I
refer to.
It
does
seem
like
an
obvious
conclusion resulting
from
all
the
pre-
vious
remarks you
said
about
some
supernatural,
if
you
will
Dr. HARDER.
Oh,
heavens,
I
never suggested that,
I
hope.
Mr. BOONE.
Well,
let
me
say,
science fiction
propulsion system,then.
Dr. HARDER. Well,
sir,
what we
have been
discussing this
morning,
and
this
afternoon,
is
perhaps
closer
to
science
fiction
than anything.
I
hope
it is
more
science
than
fiction,
however.
Mr.Rousn.
Go
ahead,
Dr.Harder.
Dr. HARDER.
The
instances in which
physical
fragments of
UFO's
have been found
are disappointingly
few.
To my
knowledge, there
is
only one
well-authenticated finding,
and that
was
in Brazil, in

Cases discussed

About this file

Hearing transcript, from the govinfo collection. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is above. 256 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.