SUFOC 1972 No 3

Magazine Overview

This document is the third issue of SUFOC, the member magazine for Stockholm's UFO-Center, published in 1972 as Volume 1, Issue 3. The cover features the SUFOC logo, a holiday greeting, an illustration of the 'Great Bear' constellation, and a table of contents. The magazine is published by Stockholm's UFO-Center and is in Swedish.

Editorial and Organizational News

The editorial section (Ledaren) on page 2 announces that this is the last issue of the year and that SUFOC plans to publish six issues in 1973. The club meeting on November 16th planned the program for Spring 1973. The club cannot afford its own premises and will continue to use the film hall. Club meetings will be expanded into themed evenings where guests such as astronomers and UFO witnesses can be invited, or aspects of UFOs can be discussed. Film screenings or study visits to observatories may also be arranged. These themed evenings will be led by Per Eklöf and the author (Tony). Lecture evenings will continue monthly, organized by Leif and Lennart, and suggestions for speakers are welcome. Specific dates for themed evenings (for members only) and lectures in Spring 1973 are listed. The editorial emphasizes the need to distribute responsibility among members to foster new leaders and ideas.

The "Organisationsnytt" section on page 3 provides updates on various club activities:

• Ordföranden (Chairman): Tony Eckardt is involved in planning the program for UFO-Sverige's national conference in February 1973 in Södertälje. Volunteers are needed.
• Temakväll (Themed Evening): Planning for themed evenings is handled by Tony Eckardt and Per Eklöf.
• Föredrag (Lectures): Leif Johansson and Lennart Johansson are inviting speakers and planning lectures. Suggestions are welcome.
• Utflykter (Excursions): Aisig Peterberg is planning the club's excursions. Observation evenings will involve three groups, with members listed for each group.
• Biblioteket (Library): Lennart Johansson is responsible for the club's material and library.
• Spökraketerna (Ghost Rockets): Lennart Johansson has been appointed as the UFO-Sverige coordinator for 'Ghost Rockets 1946'.
• Rapporter (Reports): Jan-Erik Schöldström compiles press clippings and UFO-logen reports. Janne receives reports.
• SUFOC: Material for the member magazine is received by the editorial team.
• Kassören (Treasurer): The club's finances are stable. The issue includes a payment slip for 1973 membership fees (20 SEK/year for active members, 15 SEK/year for students). Members can subscribe to UFO-information for 30 SEK (regular price 36 SEK).

A financial statement for the period ending June 30, 1972, shows income from serving and membership fees totaling 306:00 SEK, and expenses including UFO-Sverige, postbox, PR radio, postage, and stationery, also totaling 306:00 SEK. The balance sheet as of June 30, 1972, shows assets (cash, bank, postgiro) and liabilities/capital.

A balance sheet from December 31, 1971, shows assets of 155:24 SEK and capital of 155:24 SEK. A membership list as of December 3, 1972, includes 20 members.

Cover Story: "Lyckad PR-aktion" (Successful PR Action)

Page 5 details a successful outreach event held on October 5, 1972, at Lötskolan in Sundbyberg. The event, featuring film and slide presentations, attracted over 60 attendees. Tony Eckardt, the chairman, had contacted the Solna-Sundbybergs Tidning (SST), which published an article about the event. The evening included films, slides presented by Tony Eckardt, a presentation by K.G. Rehn on his book "Tefaten är här" (The Saucers Are Here), and experiments with ion drive by Rubert Siemerling. The event concluded with a discussion, and SST published a positive article about SUFOC's activities the following week.

The SST newspaper article from October 5, 1972, titled "Bilder av flygande tefat" (Pictures of Flying Saucers), highlights the UFO-Center's activities. It mentions that the Stockholm UFO-Center was founded in 1970 and has about 20 members who meet weekly at Lötskolan. They watch films, borrow books, and discuss UFOs. The article notes that there are about 50 UFO organizations in Sweden, all aiming to prove the existence of unidentified objects, some of which could be saucers. It states that 240 reports of mysterious phenomena are received annually in Sweden, with 70% explained by FOA and 30% remaining unexplained. Tony Eckardt is quoted expressing his conviction about the existence of unidentified objects, having seen many himself but unable to explain their origin.

"Flygande tefat gör täta besök på jorden" (Flying Saucers Make Frequent Visits to Earth)

Page 6 features an article from SST newspaper (issue 42, October 12, 1972) detailing another event at Lötskolan. The article discusses the belief within the Stockholm UFO-Center that flying saucers frequently visit Earth and their efforts to convince others. The event showcased slides and films of flying saucers. The article mentions reports of sightings worldwide, including pictures taken in Småland in 1971, some of which have been verified by critical photo labs. It also references a landing site near Södertälje, with a film shown of a landing site visited by the club. The article touches upon theories presented by author Gösta Rehn, who suggests that flying saucers come from mother ships in the universe, monitoring Earth and awaiting its potential 'end'. The article notes a lack of debate at the event, but mentions that regular meetings involve lectures, excursions, discussions, and research projects, including a 'triangle method' to measure the altitude of suspected UFOs. The club's goal is to gain serious attention from scientists for these phenomena, expressing frustration that UFO literature is sometimes categorized under 'transportation' in libraries.

Underwater Bases for UFOs Scare USA

Page 7 contains an excerpt from "UFO-Nachrichten" (August 1972) by John A. Keel, discussing the theory of underwater UFO bases. Keel notes that UFO researchers have long investigated the origin of UFOs, with a strong belief in their extraterrestrial nature. The presence of UFOs near landing sites and their sudden appearance and disappearance in water bodies leads to the hypothesis of subterranean and underwater bases. The article mentions sightings of metallic discs and cigar-shaped objects emerging from and disappearing into water, and reports of mysterious giant submarines from unknown nations. Investigations suggest these UFOs are stationed underwater in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Arctic regions. The legend of the lost Atlantis is also mentioned as a possible civilization existing underwater with advanced technology.

UFO Observations by Christopher Columbus

The article recounts the first known Atlantic observation by Christopher Columbus on October 11, 1492. While sailing, Columbus and his crew observed a strange, dancing light phenomenon, described as a 'falling leaf' movement, which they considered a significant omen. The following day, land was sighted exactly where the light had been observed.

The Flamborough Case

At the beginning of the 20th century, with increased transatlantic traffic, UFO observations multiplied. The article describes the Flamborough case, where the captain of the British steamship Flamborough observed a shiny flying object on November 18, 1887, off the coast of Maine. He experienced symptoms like sudden temperature increases, severe headaches, and conjunctivitis due to ultraviolet radiation. Dark, round objects were seen falling into and rising from the water near the ship.

"Livets uppkomst på jorden" (The Origin of Life on Earth)

Pages 8-10 delve into the scientific and theoretical aspects of the origin of life.

Primordial Atmosphere

The Earth's primordial atmosphere consisted of methane, ammonia, and hydrogen, with lightning present. In 1953, Dr. Stanley Miller conducted an experiment where a mixture of these gases and water vapor was subjected to electrical sparks for a week, resulting in the formation of various organic compounds, including many amino acids.

Did Life Arise by Chance?

The article questions whether life arose by chance, stating that statistically, it's highly improbable given the vast timescale of the solar system. The oldest known traces of life are fossil algae and single-celled animals dating back 3200 million years. The amino acid structure in these organisms is the same as in modern proteins, indicating complex life chemistry existed even then. The author suggests life might have existed even before Earth, as the planet's existence is too short for complex life to have evolved solely on it.

Did Life Come from the Universe?

A secure proof of extraterrestrial life is suggested by the discovery of microorganisms in meteorites. The Swedish chemist Svante Arrhenius proposed in 1908 that life on Earth originated from spores from other worlds in space, transported by light pressure. These spores could travel from places like Alpha Centauri.

The article discusses the survival of spores in space, noting that while plants and insects cannot survive extreme cold or lack of oxygen, experiments show insects can survive a combination of oxygen deprivation and low temperatures for extended periods. A Freiburg research team reportedly revived 600-million-year-old fossil bacteria that had survived by being desiccated without oxygen.

Amino Acid Molecular Form

Amino acids have both left and right-handed molecular forms, but living organisms exclusively use left-handed amino acids. This asymmetry is puzzling and unlikely to be a result of chance. Fredric Vester's research in 1956 suggested that prolonged electron bombardment can create an excess of left-handed amino acids. Given that amino acids are found in interstellar dust and are exposed to asymmetric elementary radiation, this provides further argument for life originating from space, as such radiation is not present on Earth.

Life on Other Planets?

It is estimated that our galaxy may contain 10-100 million planets with conditions similar to Earth, potentially harboring life evolved from the same types of spores that seeded life on Earth. These spores could have reached other planets, leading to life forms with similar structures.

The Living Cell

Biochemists believe all life on Earth shares a common origin. The genetic code in our cell nuclei consists of 64 'words' that can describe countless combinations. This code is copied during cell division. Mutations can alter this code, leading to genetic changes. The genetic material of all life forms is interconnected, suggesting a close relationship between humans, plants, insects, and animals. The 64 code words are identical in bacteria, peas, and guinea pigs, indicating the universality of the genetic code.

While nucleic acid strands contain millions of messages, only a fraction are used in organisms like mammals. The chromosomes hold a vast reserve of dormant 'texts' containing information about human development and the potential for all species, past and present. This latent evolutionary potential is carried within us, as it was within the first living cells.

Research has shown that the genetic code for an entire frog can be stored in its cell nucleus. The article speculates that if spores containing the 64 code words originated from a single source in the universe and spread to planets with suitable conditions, life would arise based on these coded instructions.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The magazine consistently promotes the study of UFO phenomena, encouraging member participation and outreach. There is a strong belief in the reality of UFOs and their extraterrestrial origin. The editorial stance also extends to scientific inquiry, particularly concerning the origin of life, where it explores both terrestrial and extraterrestrial hypotheses, suggesting a cosmic origin for life on Earth. The publication aims to inform its members and the public, foster discussion, and elevate the seriousness with which UFO phenomena are treated.

Title: UFO-Aktuellt
Issue: 11
Date: Not specified
Content Type: Magazine Issue

Article 1: Common Origin of Life and Extraterrestrial Parallels

This section, authored by Jan Lidgren, explores the scientific concept that all life on Earth shares a common origin. The author posits that if this is true, then life on other planets, if it exists, would likely also share a common origin and follow similar evolutionary paths as dictated by Darwinian laws. The implication is that cells on other planets might contain information about all life, both terrestrial and potentially extraterrestrial.

The article is supported by an extensive list of 15 scientific references, spanning various journals and publications from the 1950s to the late 1960s. These references cover topics related to the origin of life, biochemistry, and related scientific fields, including works by S.L. Miller, S.W. Fox, A. Engel, T.L.V. Ulbricht, Ernest Borek, and others.

Article 2: Our Constellations

This section introduces readers to prominent constellations in the night sky, aiming to help them identify celestial objects and potentially UFOs. The article begins by presenting Ursa Major (Stora Björn) and Ursa Minor (Lilla Björn), along with Karlavagnen (the Big Dipper, part of Ursa Major), and their relative positions to other nearby constellations like Lilla Lejonet (Leo Minor). The intention is to guide readers in navigating the night sky.

Literature and Source References

This is a detailed bibliography listing 15 scientific sources. The references are primarily from academic journals such as Jourm. Am. Chem. Soc, Science, Nature, Chem. Eng. News, New Science, and Scientific American, as well as books and specific publications like "The Optical Asymmetry of Metabolites" and "Livets molekyler". The dates of these publications range from 1955 to 1969, indicating the scientific context for the articles presented in this issue.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The issue touches upon themes of astrobiology, the origins of life, and astronomy. The editorial stance appears to be one that integrates scientific inquiry with the exploration of unexplained phenomena, as suggested by the magazine's title, UFO-Aktuellt. The inclusion of detailed scientific references suggests a commitment to grounding discussions in established scientific literature, even when exploring speculative topics like extraterrestrial life.