1978 12 00 OMNI - Coyne-Oberg controversy

Magazine Overview

Title: OMNI
Issue: 1
Volume: 1
Date: October 1978
Publisher: Omni Publications International Ltd.
Country: USA
Price: $2.00

This first issue of OMNI magazine features a cover story on "classic Shrinking Man" and the creation of an "ultimate gorilla suit" by artist Rick Baker. The issue includes a variety of reader letters, discussions on UFO phenomena, and an exploration of creativity and brain function.

Reader Correspondence

The reader letters section highlights several key topics:

Media Influence

Paul Mandell from New York comments on Ron Goulart's "Invisible Stripes," relating it to Jerry Mandler's "Four Arguments for the Elimination of Television." Mandell emphasizes the realistic influence of television on perception and consumer behavior, noting that it can be the primary form of education for some after high school. He states he has not watched TV in two months and feels his mind is clearing.

UFO Sightings and Investigations

Several letters focus on James Oberg's UFO Update column. Kathy Van from Pottstown, PA, congratulates OMNI on its "fine first issue" and praises Oberg's report on UFOs as the best in a popular magazine. Charles Labbe from Woonsocket, RI, found Oberg's update engaging and accurate but strongly disagrees with comments made about UFO debunker Philip J. Klass. Labbe argues that Klass's investigations are not more careful or scientific than others.

To illustrate, Labbe details the UFO-helicopter close encounter near Mansfield, Ohio, in October 1973. He describes a lighted, domed, cigar-shaped object that flooded the helicopter's cockpit with brilliant green light. The object was observed for over 300 seconds by the helicopter crew, and the craft reportedly climbed 1800 feet in one minute, despite the pilot's attempt to dive. Labbe criticizes Klass's explanation of the event as a fireball from the Orionid meteor shower, noting that Klass's investigation consisted of only three long-distance phone calls and a brief TV talk show conversation, with no face-to-face contact with the witnesses. In contrast, Labbe highlights the "superficial" but "unscientific" investigation by Jennie Zeidman for the Center for UFO Studies and the Mutual UFO Network, which involved over 18 hours of interrogation and extensive research, uncovering five ground-based witnesses whose testimonies corroborated the crew's account.

Al Porterfield, Field Investigator for the Aerial Phenomenon Research Organization and Mutual UFO Network, also addresses the Coyne helicopter case. He notes that Mr. Oberg considers it one of the best on record and will feature it in his column. Porterfield agrees that the object is believed to be from outer space but questions whether it was a spaceship or a fireball meteorite.

R. Peet Brown from Upper Montclair, NJ, further corrects the impression that Philip Klass and his UFO Subcommittee have satisfactorily explained away "best case" sightings. Brown emphasizes that many UFOs are observed as distinct, artificial "craft" in daylight, by reliable witnesses, for extended periods, and sometimes near the ground, which cannot be explained by understood phenomena.

Split-Brain Decisions

Thomas Hoover's article on creativity and brain hemispheres draws commentary. Terence Hines, Ph.D., a research psychologist from Boston, MA, agrees that intuition is vital in creativity but criticizes Hoover's identification of creativity with the right hemisphere and a "slavish, noncreative mode" with the left. Hines states there is no evidence that the left hemisphere is less creative than the right, though their modes of thought differ. He suggests that left hemisphere specialization for speech production arose from the need to avoid interference in vocal control, citing bird song as an example of complex speech lateralized to the left half of the avian brain. Hines questions whether Da Vinci or Beethoven could have created their masterpieces without the left side of their brain.

James Morrow, Director of The Institute for Multimedia Learning in Westford, MA, reminds readers that Darth Vader was "seduced by the dark side of The Force," implying a connection to intuitive villains. Morrow is not convinced by Roger Sperry's "proof" of dual consciousness, suggesting it only proves that a bisected organ behaves as such.

Praise for OMNI

James B. Irwin, President of High Flight Foundation in Colorado Springs, CO, praises the magazine, calling it "absolutely the best magazine I have ever read" and commending the quality of authorship, artwork, and the timely and accurate report on UFOs.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue revolve around the exploration of the unknown, particularly UFO phenomena, and the nature of human creativity and cognition. There is a clear editorial stance favoring rigorous, scientific investigation, as evidenced by the publication of James Oberg's column and the inclusion of critical feedback on less scientific approaches to UFO research. The magazine also engages with contemporary scientific and psychological theories, such as the split-brain theory, inviting debate and diverse perspectives from its readership and experts. The inclusion of reader letters as a significant component suggests an editorial approach that values audience engagement and discussion.