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.
as the planet Venus, but it became an UR) hecause the observer did not
knoh' what it was With this usage it is clear that less we.! 1 inhl'med
indi viduals are more likely to see an UFO than t;lose who are more know·
ledgeablc because the latter are better able to make d;rect identific,l-
tion of \o:hat they see. A related complication is that less well informed
persons are often inaccurate observers who Cire unable to give an accurat.e
account of what they believe that they have seen.
If additional stu~y of 3 rcp'rt later provides an ordinary inter-
pretation of \~hat was seen, some have sug~estld that we should change
its name to !Fa, for iJcntificd flying object. But we have elected to
go on calling it an UFO because some identifications arc tentative or
cOJltrov[~rsiaI, due to lack of sufficient ,lata on which to base a
defi~ite identification. A wide variety of ordinary objects h9VC
through misinterpretation given rise to UFO reports. This tcpic is
discussed in det8il in S,~ction VI,:haptcr 2. (The Ajr rorcl' heiS rub-
lished a pamphlet enU ned, "/,jjs to IJcnti fic'ltiol1 of Flying Objcct~"
(USAf, 1968] which is a useful aid in the int0rpretation of somcthint
seen which might o~herwi~~ be an UrO,)
The words "f;uffh~icnt1y puzzling that tb,~y u'1dertook to make a
report ... " art-j essential. /\s a jH'adical mu,tter, we can not study
something that is not reported, so a puzzling thing seen but not
reported is nut h~1'e c las sed as an UI'Q,
3. LIFO !\ePt:?~
In our experience, the pe~::',ons making reports 1iccm in nearly ;)11
cases to oe nOlmal, responsible individuals. In most CihCS they arc
quite calm, at least by the tir1e they make d report. They are s,~mply
pUZZled about what they SetW and hop;~ that tlley can l,c hcJped to a better
understanding of .t. Only a very few Ire ol:vlously quite emotionally
disturb""d, their minds being filled with p;-;cud(i-~cil'nt i fie, j)scudo-
religious or othcr fantasies. Cast's 0:' this kind ,';:np,e from Slight
disturbanc.e to those who are manifestly in need uf IJsychiatric care,
The latter form nn extremely ~;l1lall l1Ijnori-~y of all the persons
14
as the planet Venus, but it became <In UFO ·:lccause the observer aid not
know what it was With this usage it is dear that less we.! 1 inf01'med
individuals are more likely to see an UFO than t;105(' who are more know,
ledgeable because the latter ,lTe better able to make d:rect identific,l-
tion of Iolhat they see, A related complication is that less well informed
persons are often inacCllrate ()b~ervers who dre unable to give an aCCU1's1:e
ac·:ount of what they believe that they have seen.
If additional sturly of 3 rcp'rt later provides an ordinary inter-
l'fl't:J.tion of what was se",n. some have sug~estl,d that we should ch,mge
its name to HO, for iJenti.fiod flying object, Hut we have elected t.o
go on calling it ;il) UFO becaUSE" gome i.dent iii catIons are tentat.i vc e)l'
controv'~rsial, due to lack of sufficient ,luta on which to base 11
defi~ite identification. A wide variety of ordinary objects h9VC
th':'ol.lgh misinterpretation given rise to uro reports. ThIs tcpic is
discussed in detaLl in S'cction Vl,:haptcr 2, (The Ai.! f'orCl' !leiS rub·
lished a pamphlet enU Llcd, "/,ids t,] Identi fiC'ltion of Flying Object~"
(U~;A!" 1968) \,hich is a useful ald in th(~ interpretation of :,;ol11othillL
seen which might o~herwi~~ be an ura.)
The words "o;uffidcntly )luzzling that th,~y 1..ndertook to make a
report .. ," an) essential. As a Ill'a(.'t.i.cal mutter, we can not study
something that i.s not reported, 50 a puzzLing thing see" but not
reported is not ot:l'e c las sed as nn UI·Q.
3. UFO HepC?!!E..
In our ('xpericncc, the pe:·:'.ons making reports :;l~cm i.:l nearJy 011
cases to he nOlmal, responsible illdi viduals. In most ,:a-,es they arc'
quite calm, at least by the time they make <I rCJlort. They ore ~.impl)'
puzzled about what they saw and hop,~ that tIICY can i".? helped to ;j bette)"
understanding of .t. Only a very {'eWITe ol,viJ)u;;ly quite emotionally
disturbed, their minds being Fillct! with pscudu-,eicnt i fie, jlscudo-
l'digi()uS or other fnntasic5. Cas ...,:; u:' thi~i kind ~',:ngc from slight
distllrbllnc.e to thos(· who are manifC5tly in need ()f !Jsychi:,tric cnre.
The latter form nn extremely ~;rnall lIIinori';'y of ~dl the persons
14 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.