UFOs, UAPs, WTF
I Go Where Only the Foolhardy Dare to Tread
Author’s Preface
Chatting with some friends this morning, the topic of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UFOs) came up. I had looked into this in the late 1960s and early 1970s. While I originally believed that there was some substance to the claims made at the time, I eventually read The UFO Experience by J. Allen Hynek, which covered Project Blue Book, and concluded that there wasn't much to these reports.
About 20 years ago, I picked up a copy of Crash at Corona, co-authored by Stanton T. Friedman and Don Berliner. I thought they made a convincing case that a UFO had indeed crashed at Corona near Roswell, New Mexico. The core of their argument was that certain elements in the government were covering up this information. It was a compelling story, and I couldn't dismiss it outright.
In the years since, more information from whistleblowers has surfaced. There is now even a U.S. congressional committee focused on the issue. Occasionally, I've come across claims that the entire UFO phenomenon is a psychological operation (psyop). I find that idea perplexing. Could it be true? And if so, why? Who are the liars and who are the truth tellers?
So, I thought I’d revisit the topic. As the title says: WTF!
Introduction
UFOs have captivated human imagination for decades, evolving in our lexicon from "Unidentified Flying Objects" (UFOs) to the more contemporary "Unidentified Aerial Phenomena" (UAPs). While the name has changed, the mysteries remain. In discussing UFOs or UAPs, we often confront a tangled web of information, misinformation, and disinformation. These three categories are crucial for understanding how we interpret, or misinterpret, the evidence surrounding such phenomena.
Take, for example, the book Crash at Corona co-authored by Stanton T. Friedman and Don Berliner. This text dives into the alleged UFO crash near Roswell, New Mexico, in 1947. The authors claim that the U.S. military initially confirmed the crash of a "flying saucer" before retracting that statement and offering up alternative explanations—first, a weather balloon, and later, the classified Project Mogul, which involved high-altitude balloons meant to detect Soviet nuclear tests. Crash at Corona argues that these shifting narratives represent a deliberate government disinformation campaign designed to obscure the recovery of extraterrestrial technology and possibly even alien bodies.
This book exemplifies how difficult it is to separate truth from falsehood in UFO discussions. Information may be accurate, yet interpreted through a lens of misinformation (unintentional errors or misunderstandings), or it may be deliberately falsified as part of disinformation campaigns meant to mislead the public. In this case, the authors present a compelling narrative, but how do we know if their research is sound or if they are, themselves, victims or perpetrators of misinformation or disinformation?
Deep State PSYOP Hypothesis
A particularly odd assertion I've come across is that the UAP phenomenon is part of a massive deep state psychological operation (PSYOP). While PSYOPs certainly exist, I find this hypothesis difficult to believe in this context. I haven't encountered a convincing rationale for it, although it's possible such an argument exists. The problem is, who would benefit from such a massive operation? How could it be sustained for decades, spanning generations and convincing numerous people—including military personnel and pilots—that they witnessed inexplicable aerial phenomena? PSYOPs may be far-reaching, but the complexity and scale of the UAP phenomenon make it unlikely to fit neatly into this framework.
The evidential trail of UFO sightings stretches back to World War II and perhaps even earlier. Pilots reported strange, unexplained phenomena during the war, known as "foo fighters." These sightings add credibility to the idea that the UAP phenomenon is not a modern invention and certainly not something orchestrated as part of a PSYOP. The long-standing nature of these reports suggests that something real is at play, even if we don’t yet fully understand it.
Blinkered Unimaginative Minds
One of the biggest obstacles in the UFO debate is the narrow, unimaginative thinking that characterizes so much of the discussion. We are navigating uncertainty here, and it's easy to see how conventional minds cling to limited interpretations of what life is, what forms it might take, and how it might behave. These blinkered perspectives hinder genuine exploration. Consider the Drake Equation, often cited as proof that we are unlikely to be visited by extraterrestrial life. This equation attempts to calculate the number of intelligent civilizations in our galaxy, but it relies on speculative assumptions—assumptions that are, at best, shaky and at worst, nonsensical.
The Drake Equation assumes that carbon-based, water-dependent life forms like those on Earth are the only kinds of life that could exist. This is a myopic viewpoint. We have already discovered extremophiles on Earth—organisms that can survive in extreme environments, like deep-sea hydrothermal vents or acidic pools—which challenge our previous notions of what life requires. Who’s to say that life elsewhere in the universe couldn't be based on silicon, ammonia, or some other entirely different chemistry? This is why dismissing the possibility of extraterrestrial life, based on limited knowledge, seems not only blinkered but also reckless.
Similarly, our understanding of physics is undoubtedly incomplete. To claim that UFOs defy the known laws of physics is to admit our limitations, not theirs. History is full of paradigm shifts in science. We once thought the Earth was the center of the universe. We once believed heavier-than-air flight was impossible. Just as these ideas were upended, so too could our current understanding of the universe.
Secrecy and Skepticism
Then there's the question of secrecy. Governments have always been prone to hiding information, especially when it pertains to national security. If there is any truth to the UAP phenomenon, it's plausible that the government, or more likely private contractors with ties to the military, would work to suppress that information. It's not unreasonable to suggest that secrecy may be a key reason why we know so little, despite credible reports and testimony from military personnel and pilots.
But secrecy can cut both ways. Some of it may be genuine, meant to protect sensitive projects unrelated to UFOs, while other times, disinformation might be deployed to muddy the waters. This brings us back to the tricky task of navigating information, misinformation, and disinformation. It’s possible that some whistleblowers are telling the truth, while others are spreading falsehoods—either deliberately or unknowingly.
A Balanced Stance
Ultimately, my leanings are toward the possibility that we've had alien visitations, but this viewpoint comes with considerable skepticism. It's hard to be certain of anything in a field so rife with unreliable witnesses, sensationalism, and deliberate obfuscation. While some UFO proponents are flakes, others are cautious, methodical thinkers. We need to remain open to the possibility while also scrutinizing the evidence with a critical eye.
Testimonies from military pilots, photographic evidence, and other forms of documentation present real challenges for those who want to dismiss UAP phenomena outright. These pieces of evidence may be flawed, but they deserve serious consideration, especially when they come from trained observers accustomed to identifying aerial phenomena.
As Congress holds hearings on UAPs and whistleblowers come forward, we find ourselves at a crossroads. Is this a government cover-up, a PSYOP, or the unveiling of a genuine mystery? Or perhaps it's all three, wrapped up in one confusing, decades-long saga. The truth remains elusive, but the quest to understand these phenomena continues. Whether it leads to an extraordinary revelation or fizzles into more secrecy and uncertainty, only time will tell.
In the meantime, we must keep an open mind, allowing for the possibility that radically different forms of life and unknown physics could exist. If we don't, we risk dismissing important possibilities—not because they're implausible, but because our assumptions are too limited to see them.
Some Readings
Project Blue Book and Other UFO Investigations: A Historical Perspective
In any serious discussion about UFOs, one cannot overlook Project Blue Book, an extensive investigation launched by the United States Air Force in the 1950s to address the growing number of UFO sightings in post-war America. This project was part of a series of government-led efforts to analyze and debunk (or validate) unidentified flying objects and potentially alleviate public concerns during an era of increasing Cold War anxiety. Alongside Project Blue Book, there were numerous books published during that time which explored UFO phenomena, adding to the debate and often fueling both scientific inquiry and public fascination.
Project Blue Book: Overview and Goals
Project Blue Book, initiated in 1952, was actually the third official U.S. government study on UFOs, following Project Sign (1947–1949) and Project Grudge (1949–1952). The project had two main objectives:
To determine if UFOs posed a threat to national security.
To scientifically analyze UFO-related data and attempt to explain the phenomena.
The project collected and analyzed thousands of UFO sightings from civilians, military personnel, and commercial pilots, compiling extensive reports on each case. Most sightings were attributed to conventional aircraft, weather balloons, atmospheric phenomena, or astronomical misidentifications. However, a small percentage of cases—about 5%—remained unexplained.
In 1969, after analyzing over 12,000 reports, Project Blue Book was officially terminated, with the conclusion that none of the UFO sightings investigated posed a national security threat or indicated the presence of extraterrestrial technology. Despite this conclusion, skeptics and UFO enthusiasts believed that the project may have suppressed or overlooked crucial evidence, perpetuating the belief that the government was covering up the existence of alien life.
The Report on Unidentified Flying Objects by Edward J. Ruppelt
Captain Edward J. Ruppelt, who was the first director of Project Blue Book, authored The Report on Unidentified Flying Objects (1956), one of the earliest and most authoritative accounts of UFO investigations from someone inside the program. Ruppelt’s book was significant because he took a serious and balanced approach to the UFO phenomenon. He didn’t dismiss the sightings out of hand and was critical of how his successors managed the project, accusing them of debunking UFO reports rather than investigating them impartially.
Ruppelt’s time with Project Blue Book led him to the conclusion that while most UFO sightings had logical explanations, there were still a number of cases that defied explanation. His book has been seen as both a defense of serious UFO study and an indictment of how the Air Force, post-1953, shifted the focus of Project Blue Book from unbiased investigation to outright debunking.
Flying Saucers: A Report on Flying Saucers by Donald Keyhoe
Another influential figure during this era was Major Donald Keyhoe, who wrote Flying Saucers Are Real (1950) and Flying Saucers: A Report on Flying Saucers (1953). Keyhoe, a former Marine Corps aviator, became a major proponent of the idea that UFOs were extraterrestrial in origin, and he accused the government of engaging in a systematic cover-up.
Keyhoe's writings were particularly notable for how they blended aviation expertise with a conspiratorial angle, making them popular with the general public. His books are seen as essential readings for anyone studying the rise of UFO culture in America, as they helped stoke public fascination with UFOs during the 1950s. Keyhoe was also a member of the National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena (NICAP), a civilian UFO research organization that often clashed with the Air Force over the government's alleged mishandling of UFO evidence.
The Hynek UFO Report by J. Allen Hynek
Dr. J. Allen Hynek, who initially served as a consultant to Project Blue Book and was highly skeptical of UFO reports, became one of the most important and respected UFO researchers. Over time, Hynek grew disillusioned with the Air Force’s dismissal of serious UFO sightings, and his views evolved significantly. His book, The Hynek UFO Report (1977), is a culmination of years of involvement with government investigations into UFOs.
Hynek created the "Close Encounter" classification system, which famously inspired the title of the film Close Encounters of the Third Kind. He is remembered for being an objective, scientifically-minded individual who called for serious scientific inquiry into unexplained UFO cases, particularly those that Project Blue Book had failed to resolve. His stance became a bridge between skeptics and believers, encouraging a more scientific approach to understanding these phenomena.
Other Notable Books and Theories in the Era
During the Project Blue Book era and into the 1960s and 1970s, the UFO phenomenon garnered increasing attention in literature, with many authors contributing to the growing body of UFO-related material. These works varied greatly in tone and credibility, from scholarly investigations to sensationalist claims of government conspiracies.
John G. Fuller's Incident at Exeter (1966): This book investigated a series of UFO sightings in Exeter, New Hampshire, and was widely regarded as a credible account of multiple unexplained events witnessed by civilians and law enforcement. Fuller's work lent credibility to the idea that certain UFO encounters were not easily explained by conventional means.
Frank Edwards' Flying Saucers – Serious Business (1966): Edwards’ book took a sensationalist approach, arguing that UFOs were not only real but were being covered up by the U.S. government. His work echoed many of the themes found in Keyhoe’s writings but pushed them further into conspiracy territory, appealing to a more credulous segment of the public.
Jacques Vallée’s Passport to Magonia (1969): Vallée, a French astronomer and computer scientist, took a different approach in his writings, linking UFO phenomena to folklore, mythology, and human consciousness. He proposed that UFOs may not necessarily be extraterrestrial but could represent phenomena that defy our understanding of time, space, and dimensions. Vallée’s work was highly influential in broadening the scope of UFO studies beyond the extraterrestrial hypothesis.
The Legacy of Project Blue Book and Its Impact on UFO Research
Although Project Blue Book officially concluded that UFOs did not pose a national security threat or represent extraterrestrial craft, the project did little to quell public curiosity. In fact, it arguably heightened suspicion, as many believed the government was either suppressing the truth or deliberately discrediting UFO sightings. Subsequent projects, like The Condon Report (1968), sought to continue the debunking trend, but this too was met with skepticism from the UFO community.
In the years since Project Blue Book was terminated, UFO sightings have continued, and government interest in the phenomenon has not waned. Recent revelations, including the release of Pentagon reports on UAPs, suggest that the issue is still being studied, though under different names and possibly with different objectives.
Conclusion: UFOs, UAPs, and the Enduring Mystery
The era of Project Blue Book represents a significant chapter in the study of UFOs. The investigations, books, and debates from this time laid the groundwork for the ongoing dialogue about UAPs. Whether viewed through the lens of national security, scientific curiosity, or public fascination, the UFO phenomenon continues to challenge our understanding of reality. Authors like Ruppelt, Keyhoe, Hynek, and Vallée have all contributed to this ongoing exploration, leaving behind a rich and complex legacy that straddles the boundary between skepticism and belief, science and speculation.
Summary
This essay explores the debate around UFOs, now called UAPs, focusing on the role of information, misinformation, and disinformation. It discusses the 1947 Roswell incident, as covered in Crash at Corona by Stanton T. Friedman and Don Berliner, and critiques the idea that UFOs could be part of a deep state psychological operation. The essay highlights the long history of UFO sightings, including World War II’s "foo fighters," and challenges narrow thinking like the assumptions in the Drake Equation.
It also examines Project Blue Book, the U.S. government's investigation into UFOs, which concluded that UFOs posed no national security threat. The works of Edward J. Ruppelt, Donald Keyhoe, and J. Allen Hynek are discussed, showing how they influenced public views. Ultimately, the essay calls for keeping an open mind, acknowledging the limits of current science and the possibility of extraterrestrial life.