New scathing review of the current state of ufology by veteran Spanish ufologist VJ Ballester Olmos

Well what this researcher is pointing out just tells us the CIA was successful in their job of relegating UFOLOGY to the ridiculous column.


I’ve said all along UFOLOGY is a very esoteric field still. People in general don’t take it seriously and the secret boys have been careful to keep it confined to a few.


It wasn’t hard to do in a society prone to sensationalism, naked greed, a tabloid culture and scientist in the pay of governmental powers

The problem is we don’t have enough people like Issackoi in the field!

a reply to: Willtell


In 1978, to mark the recent passing of the 30th anniversary of 'flying saucers', a British company sponsored an essay contest judged by 'New Scientist' magazine for a scientific paper assessing the scientific nature of 'UFO studies'.


I won the award, which included a nice trip to London to meet Patrick Moore.


In my essay I speculated about whether things would improve in the NEXT thirty years, and expressed hope they would.


Here's the essay -- how much if anything has changed since then?


www.debunker.com...


Award ceremony image -- here
www.jamesoberg.com...


ADD: It is worth pointing out that an even better prosaic explanation for the Jimmy Carter report has recently been found.....

a reply to: JimOberg

The original magazine can now be viewed on Google Books containing your prize winning essay.

“The Failure of the Science of Ufology” - James Oberg, New Scientist Magazine Oct 1979”

What if anything has changed after nearly 40 years since you wrote that?

I would say this :

After you wrote that sober piece, Ufology suddenly exploded with stories of crashed UFOs, captures of alien beings, abductions, treaties made by Eisenhower with little grey aliens. Flying Saucers seemed to be 'out' and black triangles were in. The legend of MJ-12 entered the fray. But perhaps most significant of all the small town of Roswell slowly became synonymous with a legend that even now will not die. So much so that the United States Air Force felt it necessary to write up, not one, but two reports on what happened (or didn't).

In the 21st century everything seems to have gone quiet. Very quiet. If Ufology was meant to prove the existence of extra-terrestrial life then it's now fell way behind mainstream science.

Even after all of that you could re-write that piece today with very little alteration and it would still ring true.

a reply to: JimOberg

Congratulations....Nicely written essay...

a reply to: IsaacKoi

The reason this fight continues to help prove flying saucers or visitations of earth are true is because their is a constant attack from the powers that be. This is not me saying the same overly used line, that somehow makes out that some invisible hand is hiding information. Well actually it is. Those running the country are puppets, on very long strings. The military is the higher puppet, used to mimick what 'those' in power wish to see occur using force. While they sit behind their tables and depict the rest of our futures. With that in mind, it is these people that are condemning the seeking of proof. The moment something is collated in evidence it is quickly attacked or silenced. Whether this means destruction of data or manipulation of thought. These things have been discussion numerous times on here and should be known. Like MK Ultra. Used to change perception, on mass. So if a flying saucer say lands on your lawn tomorrow, you may take photos and you may report it to the police. Then what? Those kinds of calls will go right through to the people that come knocking on your door in black suits and you never see those images or evidence again. (they can also erase data from a device wirelessly.) so how does the average person, in a split second of intense joy and amazement contain ones self to properly obtain such data. Any photo you have ever seen has already been vetted to determine its effectiveness at making people look crazy that use it. Which pushes the field into more 'insane' people topics.

originally posted by: BlackProject
a reply to: IsaacKoi

The reason this fight continues to help prove flying saucers or visitations of earth are true is because their is a constant attack from the powers that be. This is not me saying the same overly used line, that somehow makes out that some invisible hand is hiding information. Well actually it is. Those running the country are puppets, on very long strings. The military is the higher puppet, used to mimick what 'those' in power wish to see occur using force. While they sit behind their tables and depict the rest of our futures. With that in mind, it is these people that are condemning the seeking of proof. The moment something is collated in evidence it is quickly attacked or silenced. Whether this means destruction of data or manipulation of thought. These things have been discussion numerous times on here and should be known. Like MK Ultra. Used to change perception, on mass. So if a flying saucer say lands on your lawn tomorrow, you may take photos and you may report it to the police. Then what? Those kinds of calls will go right through to the people that come knocking on your door in black suits and you never see those images or evidence again. (they can also erase data from a device wirelessly.) so how does the average person, in a split second of intense joy and amazement contain ones self to properly obtain such data. Any photo you have ever seen has already been vetted to determine its effectiveness at making people look crazy that use it. Which pushes the field into more 'insane' people topics.

That is the laziest and most overused excuse ever. How long did it take you to "research" it?

originally posted by: onehuman
First and foremost, it is very nice to see you back with a new thread. I highly hope this trend continues from you to us.

Cheers. I still visit, but simply don't post anymore for reasons that are too tedious to explain to anyone unfamiliar with my reasons for quitting UFO research last year.

So I guess the best question would be, What can we do to break this vicious circle?

Well, that is a subject that I've raised and posted about a few times over the last decade or so. While there are lots of problems within ufology, I've always been optimistic that at least some of the significant problems could be addressed. Basically, we need to seek to reduce the amount of time wasted within ufology on polarised arguments and on reinvention of the wheel. There are lots of potential constructive projects - _if_ a few people/groups interested in ufology are willing to work together, even for a short period.

Perhaps the best (and most fun) answer to your question would be a short experiment in relation to collaboration within ufology.

While I'm not going to return to UFO research, I'm thinking about simply doing a short-term (say, about 1 week long) collaborative project with a number of other researchers/groups in around November-December this year to obtain and share a bunch of UFO material. I didn't like leaving so many loose ends in relation to my UFO research, particularly since my research had reached the point that I think it would be relatively easy to find and post a bunch of further official UFO documents.

I'd like to leave ufology with a smile on my face.

Working name : "The Phoenix Project".

a reply to: IsaacKoi

I don't think it's the Ufologists problem, due to the work of the pioneers in the field sky watchers can now spot the difference between a UFO and a MIFO (misidentified flying object) while others are not well informed enough to tell the difference.

I'll use some personal experiences as a template. Just a few days ago I heard a rumbling sound and rushed outside and saw blinking red and blue lights that emitted a powerful ray of light, I knew it was a military chopper with a searchlight but others such as kids or tourists do not know we reside near a military training ground and could say that was a UFO. Another experience was when an old flame called me and frantically said there are orange lights over the ocean, i looked out and sure enough-there was military chaff.

When so many experiences can be explained then only the strongest of the herd can survive i.e MUFON or NUFORC. The plausible explanations are turning UFO's into FO's thanks to the military, drones, and we have come full circle as googles latest balloon trials are apparently responsible for recent UFO sightings (think Roswell.) I have also seen a white streak through the sky like someone was using the smear function on a photoshop program (that's the best way I can describe it) and I would classify that as a UFO as I could not identify it.

As long as technology and knowledge increases the reported sightings will fall.

a reply to: IsaacKoi


Is it true: That any U.S. military evidence of space alien visitation here on Earth, is classified 'ULTRA TOP SECRET'; where only a selected few --- like Henry Kissinger and the late Edward Teller --- have or had the security clearance to see such evidence?


Alien starships are very stealthy...and the majority of the civilian population --- with seemingly no help from federal or state governments in providing UFO evidence in recent decades --- seems to be confused, as to what these hi-power and low-power energy light modes of alien starships really are.

a reply to: moebius

Excuse? It is what occurs. Research lol, not going to spend my days researching everything, I have other things to do in life other then help people like you rant on more.

I nearly did not reply but really, some people....

a reply to: IsaacKoi

Great work :-)

Don't break the chain

I will not break the chain, I am a part of it too !

Ufology is far to be dying.. far far

Time to put things in a new dimension , because time is now clearly running out

anakin_nEo

originally posted by: mclarenmp4
I agree with him, Ufology is in a sad state of affairs.

It's been taken over by fantasists selling fiction and CGI hoaxes.

People are still posting pictures of gulls in flight as UFO's.

The hoaxes and CGI are unfortunate, and throw a shadow of doubt on anything produced.

For the latter though, I'm fine with people posting pictures of gulls. The more taking pictures of things in the sky, the better. There is only an increase because of the increased ways of capturing pictures and videos. There is just a sad # of people who care to actually go over those pictures and videos carefully. Just look here on ATS - it is "debunked" with half a dozen different explanations within the hour of it being posted.

I'd encourage people to take pictures of things they find strange (or accidently catch on cameras). But the way people are harassed for doing so, hardly invites others to do the same.

Isaac - just as I'd hoped, you left the dust settle and now you're back in this part of ATS. What a pleasant surprise! A very welcome one at that. Great - one more reason to visit - thank you.

JimOberg - I love reading threads that you participate in. Besides your wealth of experience, you're always to the point and almost like a mathematical constant! I seldom post on ATS, but this is one of those times. A thread like this - which is open and designed for thought provoking discussion rather than infantile bickering is already promising enough to Star and Flag.

Different flavours maybe, but both of you give so much. This is basically a shot in the arm for ATS.

I think it's good that there are still some genuine mysteries for mankind to mull over. If ATS' primary objective is to deny ignorance, then surely it's guys like you that can help separate the wheat from the chaff.

Ufology changed with popular usage of the Internet. It changed everything. Initially I think it was easy for people to hoax things and to have more reach - scammers had a medium in which to peddle their 'wares'. Fabricated stories can be cut and pasted, thus wildly propagated. Those with the gift of critical thinking though are quick to list the stories that are bogus and much good work has been done here on ATS.

Stuff still happens though, right? There will always be somebody, somewhere catching something on camera, often accidentally, who will then pluck up the courage and share it. People should keep an open mind, and treat others with respect, even if we don't share their view.

Fleabit - Some individuals fancy themselves as all-knowing and jump straight to conclusions without any analysis. This happens on both sides of the fence. It happens all the time and you're right - it puts people off posting what they've seen. A higher percentage of stuff that people video or snap won't see the light of day, even if they have the full power of the internet at their disposal - because they don't want to be trolled and/or ridiculed.

Hopefully, there will be enough of us with sufficient passion to successfully shed some light on the subject, in spite of things. None of this should ever become like a new age religion, although for some it kinda already has :/ I can't think of anything worse than individuals who become radicalised.

Ufology is about people discussing, investigating, analysing - it is what we make of it, not what someone tells us it is.

originally posted by: Thecakeisalie
a reply to: IsaacKoi

....... i looked out and sure enough-there was military chaff.

Just to clarify - it's highly doubtful you saw military chaff - it's one material way used to seduce/confuse radar, consisting of metallic strips, released in dispensing devices which create 'clouds' designed to give a RCS similar to that of an aircraft in an attempt to 'seduce' the radar. But you wouldn't see this with the naked eye.

If it was bright, slowly descending lights that you saw, then it would possibly have been IR decoy flares or, more likely, military illumination flares which are typically mortar launched and burn for a few minutes whilst descending by parachute. Close up (within a couple of miles or so), you can clearly see the smoke trails and the 'parachute swing' - where the flare swings like a pendulum beneath the parachute (which is almost always invisible, especially at night). The flares clearly descend and drift with the wind. From greater distances, flares seem virtually motionless and the smoke trails simply cannot be seen. They appear from nowhere and then after a few minutes, vanish.

originally posted by: fleabit

originally posted by: mclarenmp4
I agree with him, Ufology is in a sad state of affairs.

It's been taken over by fantasists selling fiction and CGI hoaxes.

People are still posting pictures of gulls in flight as UFO's.

The hoaxes and CGI are unfortunate, and throw a shadow of doubt on anything produced.

For the latter though, I'm fine with people posting pictures of gulls. The more taking pictures of things in the sky, the better. There is only an increase because of the increased ways of capturing pictures and videos. There is just a sad # of people who care to actually go over those pictures and videos carefully. Just look here on ATS - it is "debunked" with half a dozen different explanations within the hour of it being posted.

I'd encourage people to take pictures of things they find strange (or accidently catch on cameras). But the way people are harassed for doing so, hardly invites others to do the same.

And then the posts are instantly hijacked. A normal sequence is this:
- Person post pic/video
- Pic/video is torn apart as a hoax/just plain bad that shows absolutely nothing
- People argue back and forward
- Someone post another pic/video and go "well OP might not be real, but *this* is!"
- Second pic/video is torn apart as a very well known hoax
- Third pic/video is posted with "ok maybe the OP and that pic/video is hoaxed but this one is real, it's awesome!"
- That one is a weak image/video of absolutely nothing but it cant be disproved due to the camera used being a cellphone from the 90's or something.
- Proof positive of aliens in the OP post
- OPs post is later used as proof in another thread

And round and round we go. Every. Single. Time.