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- ---------------------------
- C U F O N
- EDITORIAL
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- Computer UFO Network
- Seattle Washington, USA
-
- (206) 776-0382 8 Data Bits, No Parity, 1 Stop Bit
- 300/1200/2400 bps.
- SYSOP - Jim Klotz Information Director - Dale Goudie
- ---------
-
- UFO Reporting and Information Service
- Voice Line - (206) 721-5035
- P.O.Box 832, Mercer Island, WA 98040, USA
-
- This the first in a series of CUFON editorials: 07-JULY-1992
- =========================================================
-
- The most talked-about material in UFOlogy so far this year has to
- be the "NASA Tape" first introduced to most of us by Mr. Don Ecker
- on the June 5, 1992 Hard Copy Show, and again later on the Larry
- King Show, June 26, 1992. In fact, this tape has completely taken
- over most discussions on the subject.
-
- Many theories have been put forward to explain the apparently
- anomalous change of an object's trajectory in the featured portion
- of the tape. Put simply, the explanations fall into two groups:
-
- (1) the event is normal and can be explained
- conventionally, and
-
- (2) a truly anomalous event is shown.
-
- Mr. Dale Goudie of the UFO Reporting and Information Service points
- out what is perhaps the most important part, certainly a neglected
- part of the event, which can be seen if one continues to track the
- object as it apparently moves out into space. Note that it * AGAIN *
- changes direction, back towards the Earth on yet another trajectory!
- (This is visible on the Hard Copy segment 3 minutes, 9 seconds after
- the start of the segment on NASA tape, when Don makes the remark
- "... propulsion system not made in Detroit.")
-
- If the first change of direction and speed are the result of the
- shuttle's maneuvering thrusters as some have theorized, what caused
- the SECOND change of trajectory? We believe that this second
- direction change makes the "maneuvering jets" explanation untenable.
-
- We do not understand why this part of the event has not been
- discussed. Mr. Dale Goudie mentioned the second change of
- trajectory prior to the Larry King Show. during the Laura Lee Show
- (a Seattle radio call-in show), June 20, 1992, on which Mr. Don
- Ecker was the featured guest.
-
- Mr. James Oberg was positioned opposite Mr. Ecker on the Larry king
- broadcast. Much was made by all participants of Mr. Oberg's
- association with NASA, but no mention was made of his connection to
- CSCIOP. Mr. Oberg is a principal member of the UFO Subcommittee of
- the Committee on the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the
- Paranormal. He has been described as "(Phillip) Klass' right hand
- man." His Air Force career and position at NASA's Johnson Manned
- Spacecraft Center in Houston aside, the close relationship with
- CSCIOP establishes his position re. UFO.
-
- Also mentioned as being an anomalous object on a different portion
- of the same NASA tape, is the so called "domed disk", which
- supposedly appeared under digital video enhancement. If this is a
- truly anomalous object showing structure, why has this part of the
- tape not been center stage? Perhaps speculation about 'space wars'
- is more entertaining than mere existence of anomalous objects in
- near earth space?
-
- We believe that speculation about 'interplanetary wars' or SDI
- technology being brought to bear on 'aliens,' is harmful and futile.
- There is no frame of reference to judge the true velocities or
- object sizes in the NASA tape, much less any information which can
- support such speculations. We think that speculation, of which
- there is a great deal in the UFO literature and press, diverts
- attention into areas which do nothing to advance understanding of
- the phenomena.
-
- It is not wrong to speculate (or better to hypothesize and then
- test the hypothesis.) What is wrong, is to present speculations as
- fact. The UFO literature is abounds with unverified, unprovable
- assertions accepted and promulgated as fact. Many UFO books are
- primarily composed of previously published material rehashed.
- Hence the speculations of others are perpetuated as "fact."
-
- In this case, such a rush of people hungry for any UFO event has
- produced a storm of wide-ranging discussion and controversy in
- which this tape is now mired. It's value as documentation (or
- "proof", if you like) has been reduced to virtually nothing; it has
- become a non-event.
-
- Interested people, in these latter days of UFO popularity, rush
- onto any apparently interesting case en masse. Reports of
- "investigators" and the merely interested overrunning supposed
- "landing sites" and persons brave enough to report a close encounter,
- spark little concern or comment. Many good cases are damaged in
- this manner. It seems that this kind of thing happens in many
- "good" UFO cases; those in which there is valuable factual
- information to be had.
-
- The tape does, however, remain interesting, and should be
- investigated and whatever provable information which can be
- developed from it be carefully documented.
-
- Jim Klotz - CUFON SYSOP
- Dale Goudie - CUFON Information Director
-
-