AudioBlog: UFOs, Science and Controversy at the University of Colorado

For a brief period in the late 1960’s, UFO enthusiasts were encouraged by the fact that some scientists were beginning to take the subject seriously. This was due in large part to renowned atmospheric physicist Dr. James McDonald’s coming forward and publicly acknowledging that he was investigating the mystery. Around the same time, in 1966, Project Blue Book scientific consultant Dr. J. Allen Hynek angered many in the state of Michigan by offering the possibility that some of the UFOs reported during a flap that year in the state were swamp gas. This lead to a congressional hearing looking into the Air Force’s handling of the UFO problem, and that resulted in an Air Force funded scientific study at the University of Colorado headed by physicist Dr. Edward U. Condon. This was something many in the UFO community had been hoping for, and they were optimistic that something positive might come of it. Unfortunately, the project ran into personality problems that nearly derailed it. An article written by John G. Fuller and published in the May 14, 1968, issue of Look Magazine looks deeply into the matter. Under the headline “Flying Saucer Fiasco,” the article is introduced as “The extraordinary story of the half-million-dollar ‘trick’ to make Americans believe the Condon committee was conducting an objective investigation.” After giving an overview of the project and its participants, Fuller references a story published early October 1966, in the Denver Post. Project Coordinator Robert J. Low, describing the UFO project as a function of the university, was quoted as saying that it “comes pretty close to the criteria of non acceptability.” Read more →