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.
true.
The scientists' caution in such a situation does not represent
ouposition to the idea. It represents a detennination not to accept
til: l,Jrr;.;osition as true in the absence of evidence that clearly, UI1-
:U,Oi/ClOUS)Y ano with certainty establishes its truth or falsity.
Sde"dfically it is not necessary -- it is not everl desirable
to :odopt a P051 tioll abo'.!t the truth or falsity of ETA in order to
investigate the question. There is a widespreau misconception that
~d('ntific inquiry represents ~ome kind of dehate in which tho truth
adjudged to b~' all the s ide of the team that has scored the most
puints. Scientists investigate an undeciJed proposition by seeking to
f i ld,a}'s to get uccisi ve observational mated al. Sometimes the ways
tJ get si.lch data arc Jifficult to conceive, difficult to carry out,
an,\ so indirect that the rest of the scientific world remains uncertain
of the probative value of the results for a long time. Progress III
science can he painfully slOl'i -- at other times it can be sudden and
dramatic. l11C question of ETA would be settled in a few minutes if a
flying saucer \vere to lanJ on the lawn of a hotel \vherc a COllvelltion
of the American Physical Society was in progress, and its occupants
were to emerge and present a special paper to the assembleu physicists,
revealing where tht'y caml' from, and the technology of how thei r craft
operates. Searching questiors fro~ the audience would follow.
In sayi ng that thus far no convincing evi lIence exists for the
truth of i:TA, no prediction is made about the future. If evidence
appears soon after this report is published, that will not alter the
tn.lth of the statement that \ve do not now have such evidence. If new
cv.i.denc(' app~ars luter, this report can be appropriatel)! revi :;cd in a
5·:conO printing.
j i1 • In te 1 l.2-s5.!l..!-.!::..iJe ~ 1S l'whc r~
\vhcthcr there is intelligent life clsm,)~~ro (ILL:) il' ~he Universe
is a question that has rccl'iveJ a great Jeal of s,:)rious speculative
attentioJl in :recent years. A good popular review of thinking on the
true.
The scient i.st~' cauti on in such a situation does not represent
anpositlon to the idea, It represents a deten~ination not to accept
tJl~ ~lr('~os:tion as true in the absence of evidence that clearly, un-
:U1,bi!JousJy and wi th certainty establishes its truth or falsi ty.
Sdeni:ifically it is not necessary -- it is not evell desirable
to ::dopt a P051 tioll aboclt the' truth or falsity of ETA in order to
im'cstigfite the question. There is a widespreat! misconcept i.on that
~d('ntlfic i.nquiry represents some kintl of dehate in which the truth
adjudged to b~· on the s ide of the team that has scored the most
pvi.nts. Scientists investigate an undecided proposition by seeking to
fi Id ,a>'s to get t!ecisive obsl'rvational material. Scmetimes the ways
tJ get such data arc difficult to conceive, diffi.cult to carry out,
an,\ so indirect that the rest of the scientific world remains uncertain
of the probative value of the results for a long time. Progress in
science can he painfully., 1011i -- at other tlllles it call be sudden and
dramatic. 111(' question of ETA would be settled in a few minutes if a
flying saucer lIere to land on the lawn of [l hotel \~her(' a COllvclItion
of the f\meri can Ph)'s i cal S oei ety was in progress, and i t.s occupants
were to eml'rge and p:ct'scnt a speci;;l paper to the asscmbleu pilysici.sts,
revealing where tht'y CaIne from, and the t~chl1ology of how thei r craft
operates. Searching qucstiors fro~ the audience would follow.
In sayi ng that thus far no convincing evi dellee exists for the
truth of i:TA, 110 predlctioll is made about the future. If evidence
appears soon after this report is published, that \Vi 11 not alter tht'
tn;th of the statement that I,e do not now have s1lch evidence. If new
('vidence app~ars lutl'l', this report can be appropri atel:- ['('vi ~ed j n a
s·~cond printing.
j (1. In te IJ2J:';l!~if~~~_~~t·whe r':.
Il'hether there is intcll;~('nt lift' else,~J~~re (ILL:) iI' ,he Univl'rse
is a question that has received a great deal of s-:!rious ~;pcculative
attention in Tec;cnt yeurs. A good popular review of thinking on the 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.