Australian UFO Bulletin - 1988 09 - September

Magazine Overview

The Australian U.F.O. Bulletin - September 1988

This issue of The Australian U.F.O. Bulletin, published by the Victorian U.F.O. Research Society (V.U.F.O.R.S.), focuses on unexplained phenomena, alleged government cover-ups, and scientific investigations into UFO sightings. The cover prominently features an image of an alien face with the question "Unexplained Visitors from Where?", setting a tone of mystery and inquiry.

Office Bearers and Society Information

The issue begins by listing the office bearers of the Victorian U.F.O. Research Society, including President Judith M. Magee, Vice-President Paul Norman, Secretary Mark Sawyers, Treasurer Clive Yates, and others. It also outlines subscription rates for Australian and overseas members and encourages membership renewal. The society welcomes reports of unusual phenomena, promising strict confidence, and exchanges information with similar organizations and scientists.

Contents

The table of contents reveals a diverse range of articles:

• Editorial: "On the UFO Trail" by Paul Norman.
• "Cover-Up/Debunking Program" by Jim Melesciuc.
• "Book Review" by Mark E. Sawyer.
• "UFOS & The Condon Report Part 2" by Berwyn Lewis.
• "Electromagnetic Interference" by John F. Schuessler.
• "Frills and Scales: Mankind's New Look" by Berwyn Lewis.
• "Faraday Rings Around UFOs Part 1" by Siegmund Podsiadly.
• Discussion Night dates.

Editorial: "On the UFO Trail"

The editorial, written by Paul Norman, addresses the scientific community's persistent debunking attempts, which are often contradictory. It highlights a significant encounter on January 20, 1988, involving the Knowles family near Mondrabilla, Western Australia. Their 1984 Ford Telstar was lifted by a UFO, causing a tyre burst upon landing. Norman notes that a test conducted by V.U.F.O.R.S. investigator John Auchettl confirmed that the car could not achieve such speed on the ground. The editorial also recounts an encounter on October 18, 1973, where a four-man Army helicopter crew in Ohio, USA, experienced their helicopter being pulled upwards by a cigar-shaped, metallic UFO.

The editorial questions whether the Knowles incident was a failed abduction attempt and contrasts it with the Frederick Valentich encounter of October 21, 1978, suggesting that while the helicopter crew reported their experience, Valentich did not.

"Cover-Up/Debunking Program" by Jim Melesciuc

This article posits that a conspiracy exists to prevent the public from learning the truth about UFOs. Melesciuc recounts a plan in January 1953 by Dewey Fornet, Ed Ruppelt, and Al Chop to inform the public, which was allegedly halted by the CIA. The CIA supposedly ordered a national debunking campaign, including planting articles and arranging broadcasts to discredit UFO reports and ridicule witnesses. The article cites examples of alleged harassment of witnesses, such as Olden Moore and Robert Todd, and mentions unusual telephone behavior, including wiretapping.

Melesciuc also discusses how UFO groups have been infiltrated, citing NICAP and AFRO. A CIA memo from April 1976 is mentioned, proposing surveillance of civilian UFO organizations to discredit them. The article suggests that the infamous MJ12 documents might be a government smoke screen and that the cover-up/debunking program has been ongoing since January 1953.

"Electromagnetic Interference" by John F. Schuessler

This article compiles reports of electromagnetic effects associated with UFOs. A 1960 NICAP report noted automobile motor and light failures near UFOs. Schuessler highlights that in 1957, such cases were considered a "new dimension" to UFO investigation, with the potential development of devices capable of disrupting mechanical equipment being of interest to the Armed Forces. Examples include car motor and headlight failures near UFOs in Texas and New Mexico in 1957, and similar incidents in Brazil. Other reported issues include radio failure, TV interference, clock failure, and heat effects on humans.

The article draws a parallel to modern incidents involving lightning strikes causing similar electronic failures in newer cars, such as a Cadillac dashboard display going dark. Bob Kisslinger of McDonnell Aircraft Company suggested electromagnetic pulsations from lightning could induce current that overwhelms car computer chips. Schuessler concludes that experts often discount eyewitness accounts of UFO effects on automobile systems, similar to how they might dismiss lightning effects, rather than finding rational explanations.

"Frills and Scales: Mankind's New Look" by Berwyn Lewis

This is a speculative piece about the future of humanity in 500 millennia, considering dramatic environmental changes due to human activity. It envisions humans evolving into various forms, such as Homo quad, sapien, Homo atrophia, Homo effluvius, or Homo consumer, adapting to a radically different environment.

"Faraday Rings Around UFOs Part 1" by Siegmund Podsiadly

This article discusses the Knowles family incident in more detail, focusing on the physical evidence. Fibers found near the car crumbled into a powder. A man who touched an object on the car later suffered an illness similar to Faye Knowles. Dust samples vacuumed from the car were sent for laboratory tests. Dr. Richard F. Haines, a retired NASA scientist, analyzed some samples, which were found to be composed of Oxygen, Carbon, Calcium, Silicon, and Potassium. The possibility of ASTATINE (Atomic Element 85) was also mentioned. Astatine is a radioactive element with a short half-life. The article notes that the incident was taken seriously until debunkers intervened.

It also mentions the Australian Mineral Development Laboratories (AMDL) report stating the dust was iron oxide consistent with brake linings, which V.U.F.O.R.S. disputes. The article criticizes debunkers' explanations, such as the family being mesmerized or UFO experiences being dreams.

"Book Review" by Mark E. Sawyer

Mark E. Sawyer reviews "100 Billion Suns" by Rudolf Kippenhahn, published by Harper and Row, with a R.R.P. of $29.50. Sawyer praises the book for its simple and straightforward language, making astrophysics accessible to the lay reader. He highlights the author's clear distinction between fact and theory and the book's exploration of star birth, life, evolution, and death, including topics like Dwarfs, Red Giants, Pulsars, Binaries, X-Ray stars, and Black Holes. The review notes the book's useful diagrams, basic physics and chemistry references, and appendices on calculating star speed, distance, and mass. It also mentions six color photographs and recommends the book for those interested in stars and the cosmos.

Discussion Night

Details are provided for a discussion night on December 5, 1988, at 8:00 pm at 'The Royal Society of Victoria' in Melbourne. The cost is a $1.00 donation for supper. The event is organized by the International Committee for UFO Research.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue include the persistent nature of UFO phenomena, the alleged efforts by governments and certain scientific factions to suppress or discredit UFO information (cover-up and debunking), and the investigation of physical evidence and electromagnetic effects associated with sightings. The V.U.F.O.R.S. maintains a stance of open inquiry, welcoming reports and conducting its own investigations, while critically examining official explanations and debunking claims. The editorial emphasizes the need for continued investigation into unexplained encounters.

This issue of The Australian UFO Bulletin, dated April 1988, delves into speculative future human evolution, critical analysis of UFO cases from the Condon Report, and the physics behind potential UFO phenomena.

Future Human Evolution

Several experts offer insights into how humans might evolve. Professor Ailsa Burns of Macquarie University suggests that environmental changes like the greenhouse effect and radiation could accelerate evolutionary changes, potentially leading to desirable traits like larger nostrils for filtering pollutants. She also speculates about changes in sensory perception, with humans developing new ways to 'see' beauty, perhaps akin to bats' sonar.

Wes Battams, Executive Director of the Sports Science and Research Centre, describes a potential future human as 'Homo effluvius,' characterized by an 'atromorph' or atrophied physique, with spindly limbs, spatula-shaped fingertips, large chests, hypertrophied lungs, flattened noses, and possibly thicker ears for noise protection. He also suggests senses might become deadened to cope with stress and noise, and that large, flaccid buttocks could develop from a sedentary lifestyle.

Ann Murphy, a lecturer in anatomy, believes humans might live in technologically designed environments, develop an extra oxygen-carrying molecule, and have blue-black skin and less body hair. Charles Morgan, an astronomer and futurologist, predicts that 99% of people will live in space, leading to adaptations for zero gravity, such as becoming larger, lankier, and more spindly, with a greater use of feet and toes like hands. He also suggests the development of adaptable skin for temperature control and vacuum survival.

Analysis of Condon Report UFO Cases

James E. McDonald critically examines several UFO cases presented in the Condon Report, arguing that the report's conclusions are inadequate and that these cases warrant further scientific investigation. He highlights the Lakenheath incident (1949-1962), where an RAF pilot encountered a UFO exhibiting extraordinary speed and maneuverability, which the Condon Report conceded was likely genuine but suggested a mechanical device of unknown origin. McDonald argues that current aerospace technology cannot explain the observed performance.

He also discusses the November 14, 1956, sighting near Mobile, Alabama, involving a Capital Airlines pilot and copilot who witnessed a luminous object performing extreme, sharp turns and rapid accelerations. McDonald points out that the Condon Report only features two commercial airline pilot sightings out of many significant ones.

Another case detailed is the September 19-20, 1957, B-47 incident in the Texas-Louisiana area, where an Air Force aircraft detected and was paced by a UFO over a 400-mile distance. McDonald criticizes the Condon Report for not fully detailing the extent of the sighting and for downplaying the significance of the radar-visual observations. He notes that the report's conclusion that such cases are not of scientific interest is puzzling given the evidence.

McDonald expresses frustration that the Condon Project ignored many suggested cases and advises against further UFO study, despite the existence of baffling and intriguing cases within Air Force records.

Magnetic Fields and UFOs

Siegmund Podsiadly, in Part 1 of 'Magnetic fields of Unidentified Flying Objects: Faraday rings around UFOs,' explores the phenomenon of dark rings observed around UFOs. He explains that these rings are visible when the observer is not looking directly along the UFO's axis and are likely caused by the magnetooptical effect (Faraday effect) of strong magnetic fields associated with the UFO. This effect rotates the plane of polarized light, and the strength of the field determines the degree of rotation. Podsiadly's analysis, including computer simulations, suggests that for a current loop, the integral of magnetic intensity is zero outside the loop, meaning no rings would be seen, whereas for a transparent annular coil, rings could be observed.

Society History and Other Items

The issue includes a brief history of the Victorian UFO Research Society, detailing its formation in the early 1950s and its evolution through various names and reorganizations. It highlights the society's dispassionate approach to UFOs as a scientific problem and its role in maintaining a large U.F.O. library.

Additionally, there is a feature on a French jeton from the 1680s that some believe depicts a UFO sighting, possibly related to the biblical 'chariot of Yahweh.' The issue also contains subscription rates for V.U.F.O.R.S. and contact information for the publication.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the speculative nature of future human development, the critical re-evaluation of official UFO investigations (specifically the Condon Report), and the exploration of scientific principles that might explain UFO phenomena. The editorial stance appears to be one of advocating for continued scientific investigation into UFOs, challenging the dismissive conclusions of reports like the Condon Report, and promoting a rigorous, evidence-based approach to the subject.