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... le of the astronomical community (William Dudley). This is difficult. Ph.
D's are not conferred by respected institutions as they are in astrophysics. But there are things that can be done to start the process. Genuinely scholarly papers can be written, which the Journal of Scientific Exploration would consider, for example. Note that Bernard is not trying to solicit papers; the Journal is highly selective and turns down more articles than are accepted.
Journal articles are one way to interest mainstream scientists. In fact, eliciting the interest of mainstream scientists is a key factor in raising the level of UFO respectability. This is extremely difficult in the present environment of confusion, but this could change. A 1977 poll of American astronomers, published in JSE, showed the following. Out of 2611 questionnaires 1356 were returned.
In response to whether the UFO problem deserved further study the replies were: 23 % certainly, 30 % probably, 27 % possibly, 17 % probably not, 3 % certainly not. Interestingly, there was a positive correlation between the amount of reading done on the subject and the opinion that further study was in order. Professional researchers would be likely to lose interest if there was complete lack of credible data. This shows a surprisingly high level of potential interest that could be brought into the open if a proper professional structure could be provided.
Scientists value their reputations, and perceived danger of contaminating one's hard reputation by association with a shameful activity is a major obstacle (Dudley). There is also a kind of non-linear downward spiral. Scientists are both very busy and put off by the appearance of much of ufology. Given the proper environment this could presumably be turned into a favorable upward non-linearity: Given "evidence of evidence, " credibly seriously presented, the interest of scientists can be irritated, which would presumably lead to the "discovery" by scientists that there is evidence (William Dudley).
Two other obstacles are irrationality and paranoid claims. People cannot avoid the possibility that, as Vallee argues, the element of irrationality may be the actual key and purpose of the phenomenon so as to force a change in human consciousness (Dudley). This would not be welcome news for the apparently large patronage of nuts-and-bolts saucer enthusiasts, nor probably for those who take all abduction reports at face value. And this would be very difficult for science to deal with because it is at first glance a frontal assault on science itself. But consider the coming of quantum mechanics and relativity in the early 1900 's. Those were frontal assaults on the prevalent classical physics that must be looked like madness to many physicists of the day.
We don't read about them of course. The textbooks contain the Einstein's and Planck's and other geniuses who prevailed, not the army of "ordinary physicist" whose careers and worldviews looked to be shattered by what must have seemed irrational to them. But life went on and science even advanced (William Dudley). Scientists are also certainly not used to the possibility that a phenomenon under investigation may be subject to covert manipulation. This may be the greatest obstacle because of the small possibility that there may be some truth to it.
It is not so hard to imagine that there may be a great deal of classified information, but that would not by itself imply any greater comprehension concerning the nature of the phenomenon by those holding-and withholding-the data. The Journal of Scientific Exploration is publishing formerly classified information concerning multi-million dollar remote viewing (ESP) programs funded by the CIA and other intelligence agencies over the past 20 years. Projects that were highly secret a decade or two ago are now a matter of public record. This proves that no matter how "top secret" something is, eventually the public will find out about it.
This demonstrates two things directly analogous to the UFO situation: yes, there really were classified ESP programs as claimed; but no, the vaunted government agencies were not able to come to deeper conclusions regarding the nature of that phenomenon than was then or is now publicly available. (The two public reports-by Jessica Us and by Ray Hyman-on this 20 -year effort disagree on the strength of the evidence for remote viewing. The view of the three leading figures in this program, Harold Put hoff, Russel Targ and Edwin May, with all of whom Bernard has had in-depth discussions, is that there were astonishing successes in a fraction of the cases. Unfortunately there was no way to distinguish in advance what would be signal from what would be noise, hence the program could not achieve its required operational intelligence potential. ) (William Dudley). Only in the unlikely circumstance that the most paranoid vision of government conspiracy with non-earthly intelligence's should prove to be true would the existence of classified programs interfere a successful, open, funded research program, or by turning it into a fake to further cover "the top secret truth. " In any case, nothing would be gained by letting suspicions of this kind stop the attempt to verify an open research program. Indeed, such efforts would perhaps point to valuable indicators of conflict, if there were. It seems from Bernard's unique advantage point as both scientist and editor of JSE that substantial evidence exists of "something going on. " But in the real world of competition and politics and entrenched positions that by itself will not move the UFO disputes off square one.
Evidence needs to be properly analyzed and then properly presented using techniques and venues as close as possible to those of mainstream science. The difference in the evidence appears to be confusing enough without layers of unproven theory and conspiracy. Somehow out of organization of evidence there could originate not the truth-that is too much-but there could arise a consensus on simply what to do next, who could plan it, who would execute it, how would money be spent in a responsible, accountable, way if made available. The outcome would not be "the answer" but simply and sufficiently the input for the next logical follow-on.
If such a scientifically aligned process could be started, scientists could be attracted; grassroots political lobbying could then point to realistic funding opportunities that a representative or senator would want to vote for and praise at the next election as his or her contribution to the proper needs and wishes of the public. Even if the UFO phenomenon should turn out to be deeper than we imagine, even should it prove to rise above science as we know it, the scientific approach is the only feasible way in the real, political, economic, technological world we live in to give us some chance to control our dealings with this phenomenon, rather than letting the phenomenon entirely control us... if it might be. Is it too much to think that the government could be using UFO's as a decoy for something else they " re hiding? Approaching this scientifically, this research could also prove to be a hoax. Only time will tell us what the truth really is.
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Research essay sample on Top Secret Research Program
