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

our report I'as h.~lpcd them reach a clear pi duro of "her"in ('(jstiJlg
studies are faulty or incorrplett" and thereby wi 11 hWJe stimulated ideas
for mOle accurate ~tudies. If they do get such ide,,,:; and cr.n formu-
lat,~ thew clearly. we have no doubt that support ','Ii tl be forthcoming
to ~:'a:rry (·n ,,,it!l such clearly-defiw'J, specific stuuies. We think
that such ideas for work should be supported.
Some readers rna> thInk that Ive have now \"a',Jdel'ed ilJto a contra-
diction. Earliec we said that lYe do not tllinl, ;,tuLly of LIFO reports
is likely to be " frulCul direction of -;cientific advance; now we
h~lve1ust said tl:at persons ,,,lth good ideas for specific studies in
this field should b: supported. 'Ihis is no c,,'n 1.,radicion, Although
\,'e conclude after l,c3rly tloJO )'l'(lrS of intensive study, tiHlt we do not
see any frlli tflll Jines of advance frol:l the study of UFO reports, we
believe that any scienti~,t with ;j,dcqu;:tc tl'uiflillg dl1d :;l'C'dentials who
does come up with :, c1e:u'ly dpfi ned, sjJ('c, fj c prupu;C11 for st>.ldy
should be SUPP0~'tCcJ,
What ,,'0 iiL' saying i,erc Was said in a morc general conte:xt nearly
a century ago ty William Kingdon Clifford, a great J:nglish mathe-
matical physicist. 1:1 his "Aims and ]llstnJIIl,'nts of :'Cil'J1tific T~lOught"
he expresse'd himself t:1Ji. "ay:
Rerr,el1lbe'~, then, that [scientific thought] i:; (he
gllid" of act en; that the truUl whi ch it arri'los at
i:; not that wh cl. W(' call idcally uJlltel1lplat:l' withemt
error, but tl1".t I"'lid) WI' may uet 'lflOll \lithul,I r('ar;
Imd you cannot fiJi j t:J 7'·('[' that s;il'nti f:.- thought is
not all aCC,)1lII',I:lill1e r &1 Dr cOllrlitiul' 'If' :,Il::t;!l) prl)grc~is,
but hUII1'it!l such cl,.'arly-dC'finl'd, specific stutlie~. We think
that such ideas fOf work should 1w supported.
Some reauers ma:: thJllk that we h(1v(-) nO\\l \v:r'Jdercd i 1) t.o a contra-
diction, Earliec we said that 1,'1(' do not til lId, :,tudy of UFO reports
is likely to be " frult"'ul dirn'tioll of -ici('nti fic t1dVanCl'; nO\,1 we
h;lve ';ust said tl:at P'lS0IlS I,ith good i(kus for "pecifjc studies in
this fi'(.1 ,it.' ~i.lying I,cr(' Was saiel .in Ii more gencral contc)lt nearly
a century ago ty William Kingdon (:li fford, a great 1:1l)!,] ish In!lthc-
matical physicist.
he expresse,d himst'lf thL "ay:
jl.elT,elllbc", tih'll, that [sci C'nt i fi c tliollght] i:; (he
gt,id" of act on; that ttw trllUI which it arri'/cs at
i:; not that wh.:c], \\It> call ideally (;ollt"llIpbtt, witi;'Jut
('rror, but th:·.t I,hi l'h "..- JIlf.l)' ;Jel "POII \,;thUII\ roar;
anJ you ('annot fiJi, t.:; :'Cl.' that s 'i"nLi i:.' thought .is
not i.ill d.CC»1llp,l~til!1('1jt. Dr- COIldit iul' "f' Ltl~:lal1 prugrc'i.<-;,
but. IlUl1l'.lIl I rn):H";S i I.,;,' 11' .
.lus';: :~ indivic.Llal :;L:iC'llti,c.,t,; 111:1',' 111:11" I'fror", ',J' 11101)',111('11'( "Lollt
frIJ,tfu) dirl.'ct.ions fUI";ciclltii'i<: ('111!rt, :it. a:::\l illl) Individual.
adl7linl~lratol' or ,~omil1ittcl' h'hich i cil:lJ'gcd \'Iit.h ,k'ci<lil\g Oil financial
supporl fDr l'cgcarcl' pl'oros:Jl:; Illay a.bo IIli1kcl'l ('rnn of judgment.
Th S p'):islbilit)' i.s lIIiIlillliLl'c\ hy the 'xist',!IlC' of I'ar:dlpi ('~l;liPICls,
for c'Jns.i.,.kruti.on bl' more than onl' "fellif'. 'Ji' I,ro III "Its f<.'1' research