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. 12 …in a peasant society whose eyes were never turned toward the skies. Can we afford not…
  • p. 13 …for a proper and definitive study will never develop. I recall an encounter I had sometime…
  • p. 16 …A very character- istic statement by those making the reports is: "I have never seen anything…
  • p. 18 …They also usually request anonymity which is always granted. (4) UFO's are never seen at…
  • p. 19 …Other misconceptions are that UFO's are never reported by scien- tifically trained people, are never…
  • p. 20 …it has never been considered worthwhile to improve the data -gathering process because the whole subject…
  • p. 27 …he is looking at something he has never seen before. I like Dr. Hynek's phrase…
  • p. 37 …at the Ontario Hydro Commission plant has never been identified, but initially thetentative suspicion was centered…
  • p. 39 …cover- ing innumerable intriguing cases I had never before heard of, and (above all) after the…
  • p. 43 …diminish in sig- nificance, though they can never be overlooked. A frequent objection to serious consideration…
  • p. 45 …out- of-the-way rural areas but never over large cities? Why don't large groups…
  • p. 48 …Smith emphasized that they were never certain of sizes and distances, but that they had the…
  • p. 53 …is deceased), I believe that there has never been any dispute as to the observed facts…
  • p. 59 …Many other sources could be cited to show that the intimation that UFOs are never seen…
  • p. 65 …After the 'official "explanation" was publicized, he decided he'd never report another one. I predict…
  • p. 68 …In the ensuing two decades, he has never again seen anything like it. Clearly, the probability…
  • p. 69 …Moore never got a sufficiently clear view to identify any finer details if any were present…
  • p. 75 …the past twenty years, cases that ought never have been so labelled, had the evaluators kept…
  • p. 76 …Ground radar stations never detected the unknown that was seen visually and contacted by airborne radar…
  • p. 77 …strong, bright pips, said that "anomalous propagation never entered our heads as an explanation." Howard S…
  • p. 78 …7) but could never close with the unknown as its continued on its north- bound course…
  • p. 80 …All three said they had never before seen anything like it. Munger decided to phone his…
  • p. 81 …The photos were shortly taken by Base military authorities and were never seen again by the…
  • p. 87 …referred to repeatedly in Menzel's writings, never with any quantitative discussion of precisely what he…
  • p. 100 …visual observations of classical UFO's have never been made by profes- sional astronomers. For example…
  • p. 101 …how the promised political or social intervention never materializes. Psychological Factors. The psychologist Carl Jung pointed…
  • p. 125 …Oh, heavens, I never suggested that, I hope. Mr. BOONE. Well, let me say, science fiction…
  • p. 159 …He has not ever been exposed to any toxic substances, has never had to take any…
  • p. 168 …He said he had never had the experience of deja-vu episodes or of performing acts…
  • p. 171 …It never occurred to him to call anyone else's attention to the light (probably because…
  • p. 172 …He had never seen anything like it before and in fact had never previously had the…
  • p. 173 …He has taken only two sick days in the entire five years and is never late…
  • p. 174 …He never has fantasied actively taking his own life, however, and feels it would be very…
  • p. 175 …He never was one to participate in extracurricular activities, but always maintained a part-time job…
  • p. 176 …Prior to seeing that light, he apparently never experienced a deja vu, or any illusory or…
  • p. 194 …If the observer being studied is truly sociopathic and has never de- veloped a super -ego…
  • p. 203 197 This data, which most people have never seen or even heard of, is published in…
  • p. 206 …They never have had enough sCientists in the project. They have failed to follow up certain…
  • p. 221 …Isn't it true that UFOs have never been sighted on radar? No, it is not…
  • p. 243 …make such an all- inclusive negative statement. Never- theless, many of the arguments are highly compelling…
  • p. 244 …A balloon reported as a UFO was never out of sight of its launchers. A perplexing…
  • p. 247 …al- though he apologizes because he has never had the time to make a thorough search…
  • p. 249 …two leads appeared, but other witnesses could never be located), but his ap- parent sincerity was…
154
Ears: No pain or discharge. No previous infections or trauma. No ringing,
dizziness, or decrease in acuity.
Mouth: No difficulty with chewing or swallowing; no burning or biting of the
toneue. No history of dental problems.
Nose: No nosebleeds, trauma, difficulty with smelling or post-nasal discharge.
Neck: No history of trauma, difficulty swallowing; no limitation of motion, no
pain, sense of fullness, uncontrolled movements, or stiffness.
Cardiorespiratory: No difficulty breathing, shortness of breath or chronic cough,
no bloody sputum, night sweats, palpitation, or exertional dyspnea. No light-
heiviPdness on getting up, no chest pain.
Gastrointestinal: No nausea, vomiting, constipation, or diarrhea. No abdominal
pain, no history of bloody stools or changes in color of stool. No history of
hemorrhoids or rectal surgery.
Genitourinary: No dysuria, pyuria, or hematuria. No nocturia, no costovertebral
angle tenderness. No penile discharge or sores.
Endocrine system: No polydipsia or polyuria. Recent waning of appetite, however,
associated with his depression of the past two months. No history of increase of
hat, shoe, or ring size. No excessive sweating, heat intolerance, or loss of hair.
Sexual difficulties described in Section V (Psychiatric Anamnesis).
Allergic and Immunologic: The subject denies sensitivity to any foods or drugs.
He has had no rashes of a protracted nature. He has been immunized for smallpox,
tetanus, diphtheria, and polio (without adverse reactions).
C. General Physical Examination
General Appearance: The subject is of medium build, weighs 149 lbs. and is five
feet eleven inches tall. He has dark brown hair, is light-complexioned, appears
well-nourished and hydrated.
Vital Signs: Blood pressure: 140/80 right arm, 145/85 left arm. (On standing
the pressure in each arm dropped 10 mmHg. immediately and then returned to normal).
Temperature: 98.6; Respirations: 20 per minute; Pulse: 90 per minute and regular.
Skin: His face is ruddy with mild malar telangiectasia bilaterally. There is no
evidence of jaundice, cyanosis, or pallor. Hair distribution and texture is
normal. His nails are of good texture and clean. No scars or other skin lesions
are present.
Head: Normocephalic; no exostoses, tenderness, or bruits.
Eyes: No ptosis, exophthalmous, enophthalmous or scleral pigmentation. Mild
conjunctival injection bilaterally (for detailed examination and review, see
Section III. Neuro-ophthalmology).
Nose: No inflammation or discharge; both nostrils patent; no sinus tenderness.
Ears: Normal external configuration, no tophi discharge or tenderness. Both
external canals clear; tympanic membranes are glistening.
Mouth: No fissures, inflammation or ulceration around the lips. Oral mucosa
is clear and pink. Teeth are in good repair. Tongue shows moderate degree of
cigarette stain. Papillae appear normal.
Throat: No ulceration; moderate injection of posterior pharynx (consistent with
heavy smoking). No tonsils present.
Neck: Supple; trachea midline; carotids of good quality bilaterally without thrills
or bruits. No venous distension, masses, or tenderness.
Thorax: Symmetrical; breasts normal for male without masses or axillary adenopathy.
No increase in A-P diameter; fair diaphragmatic excursion.
Lungs: Few dry, basilar rales which cleared upon coughing. Otherwise, clear. No
fremitus, ronchi, or hyperresonance.

Cases discussed

About this file

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