UFO Potpourri No 424

Magazine Overview

"UFO Potpourri," issue No. 424, dated March 1999, is a publication edited and distributed by John F. Schuessler from Littleton, Colorado. The issue focuses on the involvement of real scientists in UFO research and presents various accounts and theories regarding unidentified flying objects.

Real Scientists Do UFO Research

The lead article addresses the common question of why scientists don't engage in UFO research, asserting that many have been involved since 1947. It highlights a two-day scientific conference held at the University of Arizona on November 22-23, 1971, sponsored by the University of Arizona Student Chapter of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and the Aerial Phenomena Research Association. Participants were described as having unquestioned stature and significant UFO data research and analysis.

Several scientists shared their perspectives:

• Dr. John C. Munday, biophysicist and associate professor of geography at Erindale College, University of Toronto, Canada, stated that he did not believe all UFOs were from Earth. He recounted investigating a case near Chicago where a housewife reported a bright orange light and a whistling sound. The woman subsequently experienced sickness, thirst, and skin problems (red, dry, scaly, peeled skin) which he attributed to an overdose of ultraviolet radiation or the high-frequency energy from the object. A lie-detector test confirmed her story.
• Dr. Robert F. Creegan, educator and professor of philosophy at the State University of New York, Albany, expressed conviction in intelligent extraterrestrial life and stated that UFOs are not illusions but controlled objects. He theorized that UFOs are controlled by intelligent beings from outer space. He also noted observed electromagnetic effects, such as automobiles, motorcycles, motor scooters, and farm tractors being stalled in various parts of the world, and electrical failures occurring in ships and a fish cannery in Alaska after a red-and-white light pattern swept overhead.
• Dr. R. Leo Sprinkle, associate professor of psychology at the University of Wyoming, believed the most reasonable explanation for UFOs is that they are craft controlled by intelligent beings who are studying humanity without hostile intent.
• Dr. J. Allen Hynek, director of the Dearborn Observatory and a long-time scientific consultant to the U.S. Air Force UFO Investigation project, stated that UFOs are now a respectable subject for scientific study.
• Dr. Emerson W. Shideler, retired chairman of Philosophy at Iowa State University, believed UFOs exist and are likely controlled by intelligence from another planet, potentially having a tremendous impact on human culture and religion.
• Dr. Frank B. Salisbury, head of Plant Science at Utah State University, considered the possibility that UFOs are controlled by intelligent space beings, possibly virtual immortals, and that their origin could be from other stars.

Dubai Official Stands By UFO Report

This section details an incident reported by the Khaleej Times on June 10, 1997. Dubai Civil Defense Chief Colonel Ali Al Sayed reported seeing an unidentified flying object (UFO) on June 5, 1997, at 8:10 p.m. while at his farm in Hatta. He described it as initially a round, white light that became clearly oval as it approached. He observed it descend to about 5,000 meters, remain static for about 10 seconds, and then disappear, leaving behind two arcs resembling an eye. Colonel Al Sayed, an experienced sky-watcher, was convinced it was an alien spacecraft.

Laser Beam Can Pop Out Single Cells

This article explores the mystery of animal mutilations, suggesting a possible link to UFO technology due to the advanced precision of the incisions. It discusses research into laser technology that can precisely cut out single cells from tissue samples. Scientists Karin Schutze and Georgia Lahr at the Academic Hospital in Munich, Germany, developed a laser process that can isolate a cell in less than 30 seconds. Another method using an infrared laser at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, MD., involves heating a plastic film to lift cells. The article questions how such precise laser technology could be applied in a field setting on a ranch at night.

Ball Traveling at Nearly the Speed of Light

Reporting from The Orange County Register on December 17, 1996, this section describes a mysterious ball of light videotaped in the Earth's upper atmosphere. The footage, appearing for about three-hundredths of a second at an estimated height of 50 miles, showed the object crossing upward and left while retaining its shape and glow. Dean A. Morss of Creighton University, leading a project on atmospheric phenomena, noted it was the first such photographed event. Morris B. Pongratz of Los Alamos National Laboratory examined the tape and concluded that the object had no mass and was moving at an angular speed too fast for orbital velocity, indicating it was "clearly moving."

Chilean Air Force UFO Committee

According to Reuters News Service, Chile's air force established a committee in 1997 to compile reports on UFOs and unusual aerial occurrences. However, the committee is specified to only accept reports from what the air force deems reputable sources, excluding reports from ordinary people.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring theme throughout "UFO Potpourri" is the validation of UFO research through scientific inquiry and credible eyewitness accounts. The editorial stance, as presented by the articles and the editor John F. Schuessler, is that UFOs are a legitimate subject of study, often involving advanced technology and potentially extraterrestrial intelligence. The publication aims to present evidence and expert opinions that support the reality and significance of UFO phenomena, encouraging a more open and serious consideration of the subject by the scientific community and the public.