Swamp Gas Journal - 1982 Volume 2 Number 8

Magazine Overview

Title: THE SWAMP GAS JOURNAL
Issue: Number 8
Volume: 2
Date: November, 1982
ISSN: 0707-7106
Publisher: The Swamp Gas Journal
Country: Canada
Language: English

UFO's Go Nova

The issue opens with a critical review of the PBS program NOVA's presentation on UFOs. The author acknowledges that while the program was biased against ufology, it wasn't as bad as it could have been and did include some rare footage and interviews. However, the inclusion of Philip Klass to discuss the history of ufology was seen as an early warning of the show's slant. James Oberg's segment, suggesting astronaut UFO sightings were errors, and Ground Saucer Watch finding strings and wires on UFO pictures, are mentioned.

The Simpson Hoax

A significant portion of the article is dedicated to the Simpson hoax at Warminster, which was reenacted on NOVA. The author explains that the hoax involved a spotlight shining onto a hilltop where UFO buffs were skywatching. An accomplice then pretended to take photographs of the light, while in reality, the photos were pre-exposed. The author notes that while the hoax was somewhat unethical due to the delayed debriefing, its purpose was to test how easily UFO investigators could be fooled. The article suggests that UFO buffs can be too gullible, and that even non-gullible people can be fooled by clever hoaxes. It expresses disappointment that ufologists were victims of a skeptic's derision and calls for ufologists to be more guarded against hoaxes perpetrated by skeptics.

The Val Johnson Incident

The program's rendition of the Val Johnson incident is highlighted as a positive aspect. The author refers to a previous mention in SGJ Vol. 1 #7 and notes that Johnson, along with two officers, explained their case in detail at the first Manitoba Conference in Ufology. Physicists and engineers were present, but no explanation was determined by consensus, and ball lightning was conclusively ruled out.

Piezoelectricity and the Val Johnson Case

On NOVA, Johnson's story was retold with animation. While no definitive explanation was given, the program suggested the case could be explained by piezoelectricity. The article questions whether piezoelectricity can truly explain the case, noting that NOVA admitted luminous piezoelectric discharge is "controversial." The theory suggests that stresses in the Earth's crust can produce electromagnetic radiation and luminous phenomena, often associated with earthquake lights. However, the author argues that Minnesota, where the Val Johnson case occurred, is not on the "Ring of Fire" and experiences only minor tremors, which seismologists believe would not produce luminous effects. Michael Persinger's suggestion that actual contact with an EM discharge could produce vivid artificial memories is also discussed, particularly in relation to the Travis Walton case, where Persinger believed Walton's experience was real due to implanted memories, despite an initial polygraph suggesting he was lying.

The Kaikoura UFO Film

The final case studied was the Kaikoura UFO film. The presentation attributed it to either the lights of Christchurch affected by unusual atmospheric conditions or squid boats. The article notes that Maccabee embarrassingly admitted his interpretation of the famous loop image was incorrect, leading to the conclusion that skeptics had triumphed over believers.

Overall Impression of NOVA

Despite the criticisms, the author states that the NOVA program "could have been worse" and that it might have been better if Allan Hendry had been allowed to speak. The author also notes that NOVA surprisingly did not include contactees or "bona fide loonies," perhaps feeling that Philip Klass provided enough comic relief.

Project UFO Canada

The author announces that as of August, they are the chairman of Project UFO Canada, an association of Canadian ufologists involved in international UFO research. They represent the Provisional International Committee for UFO Research and mention prominent Canadian ufologists like John Musgrave, David Haisell, and Stanton Friedman.

The Demise of JUFO and Canadian Ufology

The author laments the demise of JUFO, leaving Canada without a major ufology magazine. They mention other publications like John Musgrave's mailings, The Swamp Gas Journal (SGJ), Bonnie Wheeler's Cambridge publication, and Mr. X's Chaos, but note the absence of an FSR-like journal. The author reflects on the trend of scientific journals becoming too expensive, leading to cancellations and the potential loss of valuable research. They express concern that this trend, coupled with the lack of a proper citation index or abstract service in ufology, could prevent excellent articles from reaching researchers.

The Future of Ufological Research

While acknowledging the desire for a major Canadian UFO journal, the author states it's beyond their current capabilities. They draw a parallel to the scientific community, where independent research is declining due to scarce funding, leading scientists to join international cooperative efforts. The author suggests that ufology, as a "rejected science," should follow suit, encouraging the communication of experiments, statistics, and research reports to major journals, with smaller journals serving as vehicles for letters, news, and comments. They emphasize that quality of research need not suffer despite these constraints.

Book Reviews

The Bigfoot Casebook by Janet and Collin Bord

The author was introduced to the Bords through their earlier work, "Mysterious Britain." They describe "The Bigfoot Casebook" as being in two parts: a historical overview of monster sightings and a case listing. The historical overview is found to be largely boring, rehashing information from other sources with minimal original contributions, except for some comments on the relationship between bigfoot and UFOs. The cross-indexed case listing is praised as excellent and was the primary reason for purchasing the book. The review suggests that for those unfamiliar with the subject, the book offers a good historical summary, but others might want to pass unless they are only interested in the case listing.

Rael People

On Sunday, October 10, 1982, the Raelians held sessions at the University of Manitoba and the University of Winnipeg. The author attended the U of M session, which had only six attendees, while the U of W session had 45. The Raelians are described as a contactee group with several thousand members worldwide. Their formation began after a Frenchman claimed to have been taken aboard a UFO and given "instructions" for Earthlings, renaming himself "Rael" (meaning "messenger"). The author notes that while this is a standard contactee story, the size of the cult is unusual. The Raelians insist they are not a cult but a religious movement. The author's definition of a cult is "a group of people with non-standard religious beliefs which guide their lives." The Raelian message is simple: "You're screwing un so shape up!" They claim to have met Jesus, Mohammed, and Bhudda on an alien planet and were told that humans were accidentally given intelligence by creators, who then tried to correct their mistake by sending prophets. The Raelians' logo, a swastika with a star of David, is explained as signifying the infinity of time and space, although the author notes that most people fail to see this.

What Ufological Research Are You Doing?

This section is aimed at active Canadian ufologists, soliciting information about their current research. The author shares their own activities: working in a library, graduating with a degree in astronomy, being a teaching assistant in astronomy, and producing shows at the Lockhart Planetarium. They have also compiled 500 Manitoba UFO reports, performed SPSS analyses, and written a paper on UFOs for a psychology journal. The author expresses empathy for Dr. Hynek's workload and invites readers to share their recent book discoveries.

Preliminary SPSS Analyses

Early results from the analysis of Manitoba UFO data are presented. Unlike many analyses, a secondary peak at 2:00 AM was not found. Both plots of unknowns and all cases versus the hour were symmetrical about 10:00 PM, declining to zero at 9:00 AM. Three main UFO flaps since 1945 were identified: 1952, 1967, and 1975, each with a smaller "echo" peak a few years later. The 1975 peak was twice as high as the 1967 peak, which was twice as high as the 1952 peak. An associate suggested that the reporting mechanism's increased efficiency over the years might account for the perceived differences in flap intensity. The author notes that the Manitoba Centre for UFO Studies has not allowed access to their files, although their director reportedly investigated cases in 1967.

But Seriously Folks...

This section contains a series of E.T.-themed jokes.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue revolve around the critical examination of UFO phenomena and the organizations that study them. There is a strong emphasis on skepticism and the debunking of hoaxes, exemplified by the detailed analysis of the Simpson hoax and the critical review of the NOVA program. The editorial stance appears to be one that values rigorous investigation and is wary of gullibility within the ufology community, while still acknowledging the importance of continued research. The issue also touches upon the challenges faced by ufologists in Canada, including the lack of dedicated publications and the need for more collaborative research efforts. The inclusion of book reviews and a call for reader participation suggests an effort to foster a sense of community and shared inquiry among Canadian ufologists.