OMNI

Magazine Overview

Title: OMNI
Issue Date: December 1989
Volume: 12
Price: $3.50

This issue of OMNI magazine, dated December 1989, features a diverse range of articles spanning science, medicine, the paranormal, and technology. The cover highlights several key topics: 'AIDS: REDEFINING MEDICINE', 'STAR WAR: AN ASTRONOMER DEFENDS ASTROLOGY', 'THE GHOSTS OF SOUTH CAROLINA', and 'RETURN OF TRON: 21ST CENTURY ANIMATION'. The cover art depicts a stylized, futuristic head with glowing internal lights against a dark, grid-like background.

UFO Update: Cattle Mutilations

The article "UFO UPDATE" revisits the controversial topic of cattle mutilations, presenting the arguments of filmmaker Linda Moulton Howe, author of "An Alien Harvest." Howe contends that the strange surgeries on cattle cannot be explained by natural predators or human actions, as previously suggested by debunkers. She introduces new case studies, interviews with farmers and ranchers, and transcripts of hypnosis sessions with UFO abductees who claim to have witnessed alien activity.

Howe's strongest evidence is a medical report by pathologist/hematologist John H. Altshuler of the University of Colorado. The report found that the cuts on the tissue samples were made at extremely high temperatures (at least three hundred degrees Fahrenheit in less than two minutes), indicating rapid, pinpoint incisions that exclude natural predators. Howe suggests that the sophisticated laser equipment required for such procedures would be beyond the capabilities of cults or ordinary humans.

However, skeptics dispute Howe's conclusions. Cornell veterinarian John M. King believes that heat damage in the tissue is due to autolysis (natural decomposition) rather than a laserlike device. Daniel Kagan, author of "Mute Evidence," also finds Howe's theory impossible to prove. Kenneth Rommel, a former FBI agent who authored a federally funded report on cattle mutilations, dismisses the claims as "garbage" and "very creative writing," stating that his 1980 report for New Mexico found only natural causes, such as predator or scavenger action, to be at the root of these incidents.

Despite the skepticism, Howe remains firm in her conviction, stating that "alienness is the very hallmark of the animal mutilations" and that the evidence should be treated credibly, similar to other medical or science stories.

Other Featured Articles

Beyond the UFO update, the magazine touches upon several other significant topics:

• AIDS: Redefining Medicine: This section likely explores advancements or new perspectives in understanding and treating AIDS.
• Star War: An Astronomer Defends Astrology: This article presents a defense of astrology, presumably by an astronomer, challenging common scientific skepticism.
• The Ghosts of South Carolina: This piece delves into paranormal accounts or folklore from South Carolina.
• Return of Tron: 21st Century Animation: This article likely discusses the future of animation, possibly in relation to the "Tron" franchise, and its technological advancements.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The issue reflects OMNI's consistent focus on the intersection of science, technology, and the unexplained. The editorial stance appears to be one of open inquiry, presenting controversial theories like Howe's cattle mutilation hypothesis alongside scientific counterarguments and other speculative topics such as astrology and advanced animation. The magazine aims to explore the frontiers of knowledge, from medical breakthroughs in AIDS treatment to the possibility of extraterrestrial involvement in terrestrial events.