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

Claims of strange animal reactions or. unusual human sensations when
an UFO is near cannot be verified by examination of residual evidtilce,
for no physical evidence remains after the event. Certain physical effects,
however, might be expected to leave a detectable alteration in the affected
object, or a permanent record of an instrumented m~asurement of a physical
quantity. Attem?ts to find and examine such evidence are ~~ported in
this chapter.
One expected physical effect is noteworthy because of its absence.
In numerous reports, the UFO is ~een, visually or by radar, to be moving
at presumed speeds far exceeding the speed of sound, yet no sound,
particularly no sonic boom, is heard. Our present knowledge of physir.s
indicates that any material object moving through the atmosphere at such
speeds would neaessarily create a pressure wave in the atmosphere result-
ing in a sonic boom. This expecteJ physical effect is discussed in
Section VI, Chapter 6.
2. Radiation Level Excursions
In 1952-53, Project Blue Book personnel investigated claimed corre-
lations of visual sightings of UFOs with rapid rises of radiation counts
on radiation-dete~ting devices (Blue Book, 1953). The events allegedly
occurred near Mt. Palomar Observatory it October 1949, and at the Los
Alamos Scientific Laboratory in 1950, 1951, and 1952. Air Force lnvesti-
gators examined their records and searched, as well, for reports of
unrecorded UFO sightings. They foun~ no evidence of UFO observations
which would correlate with the Los Alamos high-radiation occurrences.
The Blue Book investigators also reviewed a Navy report of the
October 1949 incidents at Mt. Palomar. According to the Air Force r~port,
on two occasions at ~lt. Palomar at the same time that radiation detectors
indicated a sudden burst of radiation, "personnel from the observatory
observed ~omething in the air."
147
Claims of strange animal -reactions or. unusual human sensations when
an UFO is near cannot be verified by examinatIon of residual evidtilCe,
for no physical evidence remains after the event. Certain physical effects,
however, might be expected to leave a detectable alteration in the affected
object, or a permanent record of an instrumented measurement of a physical
quantity. Attempts to find and examine such evidence are ~?ported in
this chapter.
One expected physical effect is noteworthy because of its absence.
In numerous reports, the UFO is ;.;een. vi sually or by radar. to be moving
at presumed speeds far exceeding the speed of sound, yet no sound,
particularly no sonic boom, is heard. Our present knowledge of physics
indicates that any material object moving through the atmosphere at such
speeds would neeessa:I''ily create a pressure wave in the atmosphere result-
ing in a sonic boom. This expected physical effect is discussed in
Section VI, Chapter 6.
Radiation Level Excursions~
... In 1952-53, Project Blue Book personnel investigated claimed corre-
lations of visuhl sightings of UFOs with rapid rises of radiation counts
on radiation-dete~ting devices (Blue Book, 1953). The events ullegedly
occurred near Mt. Palomar Observatory it October 1949, and at the Los
Alamos Scientific l.aboratory in 1950, 1851, and 1952. Aii' Force lnvesti-
gators examined their records and searched, as well, for reports of
unrecorded UFO 5ightings. They found no evidence of UFO observations
which would correlate with the Los Alamos high-radiation occurrences.
The Blue Book investigators also reviewed a Navy report of the
October 1949 incidents at Mt. Palomar. According to the Alr force report,
on two occasions at Nt. Palomar at the same time that radiation detectors
indicated a sudden buX'st of radiation, "personnel from the observatory
observed !>omething ill the air."
147