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.
“The Advance”52 pages
- 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…
•
215
TABLE 1.—CATEGORIZATION OF UFO SIGHTING REPORTS 1
Category Number Percent
Astronomical 479 21. 8
Aircraft 474 21.6
Balloon 339 15.4
Other 233 10. 6
Unknown 434 19.7
Insufficient information 240 10.9
Total 2,199 100
1 Data from reference 3. TABLE 2.—QUALITY DISTRIBUTION OF UNKNOWNS 1
Quality Number Percent of
total Unknowns Percent of
group
3
Excellent 213 9.7 71 33.8
Good 757 34.5 188 24.0
Doubtful 794 36.0 103 13.
Poor 435 19. 8 72 16. 6
Total 2, 199 100.0 434 19. 7
1 Data from reference 3.
5. Aren't most of those "unknowns" really sightings for which insufficient
data is available to identify an otherwise conventional object?
Absolutely not. If there was not enough information available about a sighting
it was labelled "Insufficient Information" not "Unknown"—again contrary to
what many people believe about UFOs.
6. Were there any differences between the Unknowns and the knoVvns?
A "chi square" statistical analysis was performed comparing the Unknowns
in this study to all the "knowns". It was shown that the probability that the
unknowns came from the same population of sighting reports as the knowns was
less than 1%. This was based on apparent color, velocity, etc. Maneuverability,
one of the most distinguished characteristics of UFOs, was not included in this
statistical analysis.
7. Weren't most sightings of very short duration, say less than a minute?
The average duration of the sightings labelled as "Unknown" was greater
than that for the knowns. More than 70% of the unknowns were under observa-
tion for more than 1 minute and more than 45% for more than 5 minutes.
8. Isn't it true that UFOs have never been sighted on radar?
No, it is not. Ref. 3 specifically mentions radar unknowns. In ref. 4, Edward
Ruppelt, former head of the official UFO investigative effort, makes specific
mention of not only "Unknowns" observed on radar but of combined visual and
radar "Unknowns". Hynek 5 also mention radar and visual sightings.
9. Where can I get more information about"Unknowns"?
Ref. 6 presents an unbiased description of about 160 "Unknowns". Ref. 7 in-
cludes data on over 700 Unknowns. References 8 and 9 contain many others.
10. Why haven't the worldwide Smithsonian Network of Satellite Tracking
cameras picked up "Unknowns"?
The former head of the film evaluation group concerned with the Smithsonian
sky watch said" that the purpose of the search was to get data on satellite
orbits. If a light source on the film could be shown not to be a satellite then no
further measurements were made. 10% to 15% of the plates showed anomalous
light sources which were not a satellite but were not otherwise identified.
11. How about the other space surveillance radar installations?
Baker in Ref. 11 deals with this question in detail. In summary, the systems
are set up to reject signals which refer to anything other than the objects of
interest—typically ballistic missiles coming from certain directions.
12. Aren't the reported maneuvers of UFOs in violation of existing laws of
physics?
Footnotes at the end bf article.
Cases discussed
- The Miracle of the Sun at Fátima 1917
Except for the Fatima incident... Walsh, Our Lady of Fatima - The Kenneth Arnold Sighting 1947
June 24, 1947... Mr. Arnold, reported "nine peculiar-looking aircraft" - The Father Gill Sightings at Boianai 1959
Boiani, New Guinea, June 26, 27, 1959... Father W. B. Gill - The Lonnie Zamora Incident, Socorro 1964
terrain of the Socorro, New Mexico, sighting, April 24, 1964. Zamora first sighted the object - The Exeter Incident 1965
Exeter, New Hampshire, September 3, 1965... Patrolman Eugene Bertrand - Michigan "Swamp Gas" Sightings: Dexter and Hillsdale 1966
the subsequent one in the Michigan swamps
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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.