THE PHYSICS AND METAPHYSICS OF UNIDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECTS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP81R00560R000100010007-4
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 12, 2001
• Sequence Number: 7
• Publication Date: September 15, 1967
• Content Type: MAGAZINE

Approved For Release 2001/04/02 : CIA-RDP81 R00560R.000100010007-4,.
, a~,a .ea J G's cannot be per extraterrestrial
control K he laws o: :.ys os are. valid.
William Markowitz
he possibility that life exists on
other ,lanets .?/ithi,: the solar system
and other stellar systems is a question
`ound interest. "onceivably, in-
nt ':ie may exist on some of these
p'. ar-its, and in some cases the inhabi-
tants may be more advanced techni-
ciliy than we are. We assume, for
,;.::poses of discussion, that such tech-
:ict,i'y advanced beings exist.
n recent years a large number of
riving objects of uncertain origin have
'c.:cn reported. Some persons ;relieve
t these unidentified flying objects
r:i's) are controlled by extrater-
r_:cl beings who :ere passengers in
ih._ spacecraft, or who may be control-
.n,; .:iem by radio from the moon or
from another planet. Others doubt this.
In a recent letter to Science, J. Allen.
i-iymck urges the scientific investigation
of a residue of puzzling UFO cases
by physical and social scientists (1).
says there are a number of mis-
conceptions concerning UFO reports;
two o'f -the misconceptions that he cites
(with his comments) are as follov;s:
UFO's are never reported by scientifi-
cally trained people. This is unequivocally
false. Some of the very best, most coherent
reports have come from scientifically
trained people. It is true that scientists are
reluctant to make a public report. They
also usually request anonymity which is
always granted.
UFO's are never seen at close range
and are always reported vaguely. When
we speak of the body of puzzling reports,
we exclude all those which fit the above
description. I have in my files several
hundred reports which are fine brain
teasers and could easily be made the
subject of profitable discussion among
physical and social scientists alike.
of C-clcsti;tl !ncch:uiics tut' Ar
special relativity. Soi:.- -- :i:?_su
lay's arc as follows:
ca:al
I) Every action must have
and opposite react;On.
2) "very particle in the
attracts every other particc
force proportions-, to t:'.c.
the masses and ,:,versely The ::c?
of the distance.
3) Energy, mass, anu none,-.
conserved.
4) No material body c.., it,";;
speed as great as c, th SP--c.
(45) The maxin;uro. tier i phi cr..:
tannica that there were no reports of be obtained fram. a bcdy at rest is
UFO's by trained observers (2). He E = me"-.
wrote: if anyone wishes to rejec*.
U.S. air force investigators long recognize.:
that most ori"inr.tors of UFO reports arc
sincere, intdrested in the welfare and se-
curity of their country and honestly puz-
zled by the sightings they report. Their
frequent readiness to ascribe a UFO to
extraterrestrial sources, their emotional
attachment to this explanation and their
reluctance to take into account the failure
of continuous and extensive surveillance
by trained observers to produce-such sight-
ings is surprising. It appears unreasonable
that spacecraft should announce them-
sclve, to casual observers while craftily
avoiding detection by :!':tined observers.
I have been intcrestcd in the slight
of spacecraft from t'.ie standpoint of
celestial mechanics and physics for a
number of years and have published
method of interstellar navigation (3).
With the publication of the appeal by
Nvr.c k I decided to make a new study
of the ayn :mic:. cif light and coni-
pare t _is wish published reports and
with t:ne reports which Hyrick had.
Aristotle wrote onn, natural phcnorn-
ena utidcr tic .. ..ding "Physics" and
continued with another section called
"Metaphysics" or "beyond physics." I
use a similar :Q )roach here. First. I
consider the physics of UFO's when
the laws c,physics are obeyed. After
that I consider the cts,; when the laws
of physics are not obeyed. The specific
question to be studied is whether UFO's
are under extraterrestrial control.
I have no quarrel. yw, sec,
what the consequences a.- K ..'vs
.,;ccpted.
impossible. `-Fs i t:o: ::).
mathematics .and;
do provide !imiati:}r.:
done. Hoi~c',.r.
says :h:.s :;111 t11U1.'?
not
we cc-
nur?ne.'
Leger, drill i, sc:
2) It 1n"y .....
regular pot: g, r,
or"y
as prove:; to he itr : ca b; is
t,:cidcntally, he s:,c.,,.:.
of 17 sites, w i.. -...., cnc
po:,;:i,._.
2000-kilogrccl
bu c: fiver fro: : _ ., _......
top of a : Ounta-.i
4) It is tnlnoss-,.,e
lift himself by
main in the air.
It It is impossible ...
This letter is surprising because. The laws of physics to which I re- er etual motion
Hynek, who has been a consultant to fer are those taught in any accredited The author is r:of.
by extraterrestrial beings is contrary t o
the laws of physics.
2) The data published do not justify
the holding of investigations.
SCIENCE, VO!.. 157
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,:u, t..,i, :%ii Puree Ilas been able tit tut- t:abet 11'1)11, Iltc 11It0n, Irottl a
I?c.l51 pressures to declare that UFO'a planet of our solar systcl ;, or from any
:.1a under extratcrrer,.rlal control, but other stellar system-until I and shown
not pressures for the repetition of in- such a visitor.
vcs il;ncions. However, if the U.S. Pat-
ent 0'.. :o can take a position on the
feasibility of constructing perpetual mo-
tion machines, then the Air Force
shcl.:'r_; be able to take a position on
elos.::g oat its investigations of UFO's.
We have been reminded (1) that
21st-century science will look back on
This is true. We, ourselves, look
back on eras when many people be-
havcd in the existence of centaurs, mer-
maids, and fire-breathing dragons. I am
:tfr:,i.I that 21st-century science will
::1)p?ate with wonder the fact that,
in an age of science such as ours, the
U.S., Air Force was required to spon-
sor repeated studies of UFO's.
have not quarrel with, anyone who
'.vise:es to believe that UFO's are under
extracerrestrial control. As for me, I
hail not believe that we have ever
,teen visit. -d by any extraterrestrial visi-
Rcfere,:ces and
I. J. A. Llynek, Science 154, 329 (1966.)
2. "Unidentified flying object;." in
Encyclopaedia Britannica (Benton, Chicago,
rev. ed.. 1964), vol. 227 p. 696; Eucvclopae is
Britannica (Benton, Chicago, rev. ed. 1967),
vol. 22, p. 499.
3. W. Markowitz, in Air, Space. anti Instru-
ments, S. Lees, Ed. (McGraw-I-Jill, New
York 1963). pp. 201-06; the method is
based on the fact that the observed time of
minimum of an eclipsing binary depends
upon the position of an observer in space
relative to the sun.
4. Electrons given an energy of I X 105 ev in an
electron synchrotron should have a, speed of
62c, according to Newtonian mechanics.
However, from measurements of the syn-
chrotron diameter and the frequency of the
alternating ? field it is readily determined that
the speed is nearly Ic,'The speed, according
to relativity theory, is 0.999 999 87c (c = 3 X
01 meters per second).
5. His last name was Gauss.
6. The energy required is 3.1 X 107 joules.
combustion of 0.5 kilogram of gasoline, pro-
duces energy of 2.4 X 101 joules (I joule e
0.74 foot-pound or 9.5 X 10-t BTU).
7. General lnforuaa:ion Concerning Patents
(Government 'Printing office. Washington,.
i D.C., 1966), p. 3; see'also U.S. Patent Office
mirncograplied statement POL-49 (6-11-47).
8. Rra/I.'o , of .S'pac'e 1:, ?"f,.t
i t , to:.h tuterptan,aury ..
Ea. (MeC? ,:v-IIiII. New York, 1957); c1ue~_,
are L. R. Shepherd and A. \'.
"The atomic rocket," and L. i. Sttep:.-re:.
"Interstellar flight."
9. T.::formation about the Apollo
:y supplied by N:-.SA.
10. Pierce, Proc. I.R.E. pit. ...
Engrs.) 47, 1053 (1959).
11. Letter from J. A. Hynck, 25 Js:n, _9c?.
12. F. D. Drake, ir. J,tterst,Da; Cs,.:,' ' icaCn
G. W. Cameron, Ed. Scr.;:..-,..
York, 1963), p. 176. f .)c
of extr::terrestrtal life and probic:u;
travel are also discussed in variot:s c,'.
13. B. h1. Oliver, in Interstellar Con)ntur:.: ^:;r;.,
A. G. W. Cameron, Ed.
York, 1963), pp. 294-305.
14.. G. G. Simpson, Science 143, '769
15. J. A. Flynck, Saturday Everi,i,' Post 17 (17 Dec., 1966). .
16. Some darly sightings. none at :-ose
are reported' by J. A. Hynck, I. Opt. Sc.,-
Amer. 43, 311 (1953).
17. D. H. Menzel and L. G. Boyd, 'Tint Ward
of Flying Saucers (Doualeday, New York.
1963).
18. W. T. Powers, Science 156, 11 ;1967).
19. J. Vallee, Anatomy' of it Piu?noutonni. t,_ecc
Books, New York, 1965).
20. and J. Vallec. Cira!ler g.,- .'., 5e,:: nest
(RcgncrY. Chicago, 1966).
21. S. Newcomb, Funalame'ntal Ce; n.; t:.,,ts a'
A.crronoiny (Government - Printing O....
Washington, D.C., 1895), p. 115.
22. Myrick, in the Satu?dar Evening 5),
describes the near-hysteria sv ich accon,-
panics the chase of UFO's.
be farmed,. and that oysters.
and fish can be .-:rjed (not
as an improvement over cat;::-,
in their wild state. :Mcte that
materials such as
shells, pearls, wool, hides, ar._; _,.
izer are not inciaded in
1 s _.. y.
K. O. Emery and C. O'D. Iselin
The production figures (Table 1) are
uneven in quality. Some figures, such
as those for fishing, herding, any'
During recent years many claims food resources was used to compare ing are reasonably well know:: j
have been made about the importance the present stages of technology in the have been reprocduced in many publica-
of the ocean to man's future well- ocean and on the land. For plants, tions. Others, such as for gathering
being. Some, of these claims appear to the primitive stage is that of gathering and hunting on land, must be based
its to be reasonable, whereas others wild plants (on land-berries, nuts, Ilpon judgment guided by scanty meas-
have :in Alice-in-Wonderland quality, mushrooms, herbs); the next stage is urenlents. The data for the United
As a basis for judgment in this mat- farming (whereby seed are planted and States arc far better than those for
ter, we have compiled a table that the plants are tended and then har- the whole world, so they are presented
shows our estimate of the tonnage vested). For animals, the primitive stage separately. Tonnages are expressed in
:Ind dollar value of food derived from . is that of hunting wild animals for wet weight or live weight as usaaily
the ocean as compared with that dc- food (on land-deer, rabbits, quail); reported, and dollar values are for _h-
rived front the land during 1964, the the next stage is herding (whereby level of the fisherman, faralcr, or hunt-
lalesl. year for which statistics are rca- selected breeding, culling of young, and Cr; values at the retailer level wo-id
sonahly complete. The difference in controlled slaughter are practiced (llong be much higher.
the furor u' productivity of the ocean with the nondestructive taking of
by- Data for the gathering of seaw c?
if Ili land is so };teat as to Sill!
},csI products Such as eggs, milk, and wool).
lhilt ail eno1,11io s effort will be re- This terminology, gathering and farm- (1were ), u but t the the qa? by tluantity :: B l?c iof_,. i,d.
and d value of tuft.:
gaited before the production of the ing of plants, and hunting and herding plants gathered,from land is sa
been; can be comparable with that of of animals, is also applied to the ocean
the lane(' in a strict sense. For example, we con- The authors are members or ,,i; ??;x
Woods Hole Oceancgrcchic snrc ;. `,6 rot
A sort of genetic classification of cider that only algae or bacteria can Hole, Massachusetts. - "
15 SEPTEMBER 1967
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