Documents / Report
This is the final report of the Scientific Study of Unidentified Flying Objects, conducted by the University of Colorado under Air Force contract F44620-67-C-0035, with Edward U. Condon as scientific director and Daniel S. Gillmor as editor. It was submitted to the National Academy of Sciences on 15 November 1968 for review. The report includes field studies, photographic and radar analyses, case studies, historical chapters and appendices such as the Robertson Panel report and the Twining letter.
TIll' subject of LJH)s has lH'l'1\ \~iJ('l:; lilisr~\pf'(';;l)l\tvJ to 1.11._ puhl ic
" a small nUll1h')' of individuals who l1avt' l(IV(\l1 sl'nsati:malizecl prv-
sellt;ltions i;\ \,ri tings and public lecturt'~;, So far as we can judge,
no~ many people have been mislf':ll by such irrtJsponsible behavior, but
'n' latever effect there has becn has lJ('en bad.
A related problem to loJhich we wish to c!i.rect public attention is
the miSt·J"lulticnin \,JUt' schools whit.:h arL,cs from the fact that many
children are being allc\~eJ, if not actively E!llCOUl'aged, to devote
thci r 5 cil.'lIce study tim': to the read i ng Jf UFP hooks and ;na~:azinc
articles of the type r(>fern'd to in the preC(;c"ilg pllrCigraph. We feel
that children arc educationally harm,J f.y' ab~;()d'ing llnsound and
erroneous matl'rial IS if it \~en' sdenLfically well founded. Such
~;tudy is harmful not Ill'.'rl'l\' hecause of tile crrOne0l1S Iititun.' of the
material itself, but also lH.'eause such :;tutly retards the u(,vl'lopmcnt
of a critical Faculty I'lith rl\gard tc sci,'nti f; ,: ,,'vl.jen~~c:, which t';)
some Jegree ought: to be part of the e'enrs,
TIll' sllhJect of UF(l~ ha~ 1)('('11 wille!'! misfl'IH'C';;cnt('J to til>. I'll!, 1 ic
,'a ~mHll Illllnh'!' of individuals who have l(iVl'l1 sL'nsati:)nalizf~d prc-
!'t'llLltions in \\ritings and p\lblic: lecture", So faJ' as we can judge,
11()~ many people have been lUisl,.,,(l by such irrusponslble hehavior, but
" let ever effect then- has h(,(,11 has beer, bad.
A related problem to \,hieh we wish to dlrec't public attention is
the mi5.,J'cll:r.ti~n iii '->"1' schools which ariA'S from the fact that many
chi Idr'm are being allc\~eJ, if not activBly EII1CDuJ'age(l, to elevote
their sci(>nc.;> stud}' tim'.' to the reading ::>f UFO hoob and :nal:azine
arti.cles of the type ref0rrcd to il' the preC(;('~Hg parCigraph, We feel
that children arc edUcationally harmJ i.y' absod·ing (llisOunu and
l'r:roncous matL'ri al IS if it. I'l'rt.' sci ent:. f'i call v IveIl founded, Such
',tllUY is harmful not 11I','rl'\1' hccaw;c of lj\e ct'JOneOI1S Iilltufe of the
materi al itsd f, but al~o h(.'ctltlse such ,;tudy retards tIle' u('vl'lopment
of a cri tiral faculty "Ji th rl'gard tc S diT"cti{)'. ,)./ ':~)l":ou.s study of astronomy
an of 3rgum('nt~
fOf fantastic propo5ition~ tll:1t at ~ b('inl~ surpcrtcd by appeal::, t",
fallaciotlf, ,'v<lso;!lng or Callie <lll,'"
We ;,ope that tht' ""S\lI ts o! our study w'i i, prove useful to
sci,'ntbt!' and th(J~(~ l'l'''l'clllsihlt, for the fCJrJ)";;ltioll of public p()li,:y
general'll' Itl llc.dill): v;ith thi~ pl'OI.1il'lII '"hi\:h ilJ~; now Iwt'll W(tl1 t'S fur
~ 1 )'l'nr~, Report, from the classic collection. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is under it. 1497 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.