Scientific Study of Unidentified Flying Objects (the Condon Report, complete, three volumes)

correspondence with them. He is motivated by an active curiosity
about nature and by a personal desire to make a contribution to
science. lie i~; con;;tantly probing for error and incompleteness in
the efforts thnt hal'e b\~en m",de in h15 fields of in,,~rest, and look-
ing f"r new ideas about new ways to attack new prob leIns, From this
effort he arrives It pel~onal decisions as to where his own vffart can
be most fl'uitful. 'Dlese decisions are personal in the senSe that he
mus t estimate hi.'; L,wr, intt'llectual limi tat ions, an.d the limitations
inherent in the i,wrking si tuation in which he finds himself, includ-
ing limits on the support of hi~ work, or hi~ invo.vement ~ith other
pr~-cxisting scientific commitments. While individual errors of
jUdgment may ar1~,'..;. : i~~ generally not true that all of the scientists
who are actively cl_tivating a given field of science arc wrong for
vrney, and for medical treatment !;I_'nsibl e people seek'
qua 1,ified phY"iciall. The nation's surest gL.arantu: of scicntiflc
excellence is to leave the decision-making iJroces~ to the indhidual
and collective judgment of its scientists.
Scientists are no respecters of author.~ty. Our conclusion tlHi.t
study of UF', l'::ports is not likely to advancc' ~;dence will not he
uncritically ar,;G(~pted by them. Nor shculcl it be, nor do we wish it to
he. FOl scientif;ts, it i~ our hope that the detailed finalyth.:al pre-
5rntation c/ w"at \\'(: werE' able to do, and of what I'll' were unable to do,
~'il1 assist them in deciding whether or not ~hcy agree with our con-
cll1sioll~. (Jur hope is that the details of this report wi.ll help other
scientists in st~eing "hat thl' problems are and the difficulties of
co~ing with them.
If they agree Idth vur conclusions, they \dll turn their valllablE:'
attl'nticn ano talents elsewhere. If they disagree it will be bccf".';(·
correspondence with them. fle]s motivatod by an active curiosity
about nature and by a personal desire to make a contribution to
science. lie i!i con3tan tly probing for error and Incompleteness in
the efforts thHt have b,'en rn"de in his fields of in,,0rest, and look-
ing f~r new ideas about new ways to attack new problems, From this
effort he arrhd~s 1t pelsonal decisIons as to where his own effort can
be mOEt fruitful, 'DIes£' decisions are personal in the sense that he
must estimate Itis coWl'. intdlectual limi tations, an.d the lirni tations
inherent in the working situation in which he finds himself, includ-
ing limits on the support of his work, or hi!' invo"vement ·o:ith other
pr~·<.,.dsting scientific commitments. While individual errors of
judgment may ari,,'~, : i:, generally not true that all of the scientist~
who are activel." (;l _ :_ivating a given field of science arc wrong for
v<'ry long.
Even concedL1g tlut the cntire body of 'c''fidal'' science might
be in error for a time, we believe that. thcI" , i:i no hette:..' way to
correct error thal1 to gl ve free reign to the id,~as cf individual
"c:ienrists to mak,~' uccisions as to the dirc'.'tior,'.. iil which scientific
J rogress i~ most like ly to be made. For legal "ark scr:"ible ;)copl(.
seek an att'Jrney, and for medical treatment ';I.'!lsib 1e peopLe seek
qua 1.i.fied phy,;ician. The nation's surest gl..arantlt' of ';clcntijic
exee 11 ence is to leaV<' the decis ion-making iJroces~ to the indh idua I
and collective judgment of its scientists,
Scientists are no respecters of author~ty, Our conclusion ~lut
study of UF', l'~ports is lWt Lii<.(Jly to advance !;clencc wi 11 not he
ul1criticall) al~c~~pteJ bv them, Nor shculu it be, nor do we wi~h it to
he, FOT ~ci(,llt:iS ts, i t i~ our hope that the uet.ailed finalyti..:al pre-
srntation c/ w"at "'(: wen' able to ,}o, and of what I"e were unsule to do,
\'I'ill assist them in deciding whl'ther or not ~hey agree with our cort-
ClllSioll~, (Jur hepe is that the details of this report w111 help other
scientists til st~eing "hat thl' problems arc and tlH~ difficulties of
cO!-,i ng with tllem,
If they agree Ivlth our (.ollclusions, they w.i11 turn their valllJhle
attl'nt.icn and talents elsewhere. If they uisagree it wi 11 be bccw.,;t,