OMNI

Magazine Overview

Title: OMNI
Issue: October 1988
Volume: Special Tenth Anniversary Issue
Date: October 1988
Publisher: Bob Guccione
Country: USA
Language: English
Price: $3.50

This issue of OMNI Magazine, marking its tenth anniversary, presents a diverse range of speculative and scientific topics. The cover prominently features "HUMAN CLONING: THE MIRACLE THAT'S ABOUT TO HAPPEN," alongside other compelling headlines such as "NINE GREAT MYSTERIES THAT HAVE STUMPED SCIENCE," "ROBOTS THAT THINK LIKE INSECTS-AND HOW TO BUILD YOUR OWN," and "HOW SCIENTISTS CREATE NEW LIFE FORMS."

UFO Update

The "UFO UPDATE" section introduces the New York Center For UFO Research (NYCUFOR), a group launched in the Big Apple the previous year with a conference attended by 800 people. NYCUFOR's founder, Michael Luckman, a freelance PR man with experience working with notable figures like Jane Fonda and David Dellinger, aims to inject excitement back into the UFO movement, which he feels has become too dry and intellectual. He contrasts NYCUFOR with established organizations like MUFON and CUFOS, which he acknowledges for their research but criticizes for their conservatism and lack of pizzazz. Luckman's goal is to significantly increase membership, aiming for five thousand to ten thousand members within two years, and to reach the average citizen.

Luckman's interest in UFOs began in the Seventies when he was publishing a newspaper. His belief that UFOs carried visitors from other worlds was solidified by an experience where he, as a PR man for a UFO conference, received more media attention than the keynote speaker, physicist Stanton Friedman. This led him to realize the movement's need for a publicity expert and inspired the idea of starting his own organization.

NYCUFOR plans to use advertising on independent TV stations during late-night hours and is raising funds to pay for airtime. They also intend to conduct nationwide lecture tours of college campuses, with proceeds supporting rallies across the country. Luckman stresses the urgency of these efforts due to his concerns about Earth's deteriorating condition, citing increased earthquake activity, damage to the ozone layer, and widespread weather disturbances. He suggests that contacting extraterrestrials might be humanity's only hope, positing that their superior intelligence could help replenish the planet or facilitate evacuation if necessary.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

This issue reflects OMNI Magazine's ongoing commitment to exploring cutting-edge scientific possibilities, speculative futures, and unexplained phenomena. The editorial stance appears to be one that encourages public engagement with complex scientific and potentially paradigm-shifting topics, such as human cloning and extraterrestrial contact, while also highlighting the importance of effective communication and public relations in advancing these discussions. The magazine champions a forward-thinking, sometimes provocative, approach to science and the unknown.