by Leslie Kean
Gradually, science will sort out the wheat from the chaff, and devise a way to integrate the so far unorganized UFO data into its own framework. Specific steps to be taken have been suggested by some concerned scientists, but lie outside the scope of this book. However, radical changes to the accepted scientific norm—anything leading to profound shifts in understanding—have never come about easily. UFOs seem to be the first to challenge something as fundamental as our anthropocentric, or human-centered, worldview, which could mean that resistance to studying them may turn out to be the longest in human history.
As defined by the philosopher of science Thomas S. Kuhn, author of the classic 1962 study The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, the process of a paradigm shift begins when a persistent anomaly is discovered that can’t be explained by the existing set of assumptions within the current scientific framework. The unexplained phenomenon undermines the foundational tenets of the prevailing worldview. When the anomaly first shows itself, its implications and physical characteristics seem absolutely inconceivable, totally outside the boundary of what could be real, thereby requiring dismissal by the establishment. At first its presence is rejected as an error and often ridiculed, with proponents of its legitimacy scorned and persecuted, their jobs and reputations at risk. As evidence mounts and it can no longer be discarded, attempts are made to incorporate it and define it within the parameters of the existing paradigm. The threat to current understanding is heightened and the establishment clings ever tighter to its self-defining, and self-defined, reality, as if confronted with death. At the same time, as Kuhn describes it, the old paradigm boundaries begin to soften, and a few highly placed scientists start exploring the study of the anomaly, gradually attracting additional researchers into the fold. Finally, the new reality breaks through, often suddenly and quickly, sometimes precipitated by the efforts of a single scientist acting at a crucial time. The anomaly then becomes part of the expected and we’re able to see nature in a new way, and soon the once-radical discovery becomes part of the known.
Kuhn writes: “A scientific revolution is a noncumulative developmental episode in which an older paradigm is replaced in whole or in part by an incompatible new one … the normal-scientific tradition that emerges from a scientific revolution is not only incompatible but often actually incommensurable with that which has gone before.”
With regard to the anomaly of the UFO, it’s easy to recognize its potential to create a “paradigm shift,” depending on what is discovered once science decides to recognize it. Because of the extraterrestrial possibility—a challenge to our understanding of the physical universe and our place in it—there is, indeed, a risk of a very large scientific revolution. If the UFO is determined to be a secret technological creation of mankind or something more complex such as a manifestation of nature from perhaps another dimension, the discovery would be potentially transformative. And Kuhn says it can all happen due to one defining, “noncumulative” event—perhaps one pivotal, lengthy UFO display, a new type of explosive physical evidence, or even communication via radio waves or other more advanced means—an event that will leave scientists certain as to the nature and origin of the phenomenon.
Unfortunately, history shows that such change usually progresses slowly in the buildup to that defining moment. Based on scientific observations in the early sixteenth century, Copernicus proposed the heliocentric model, according to which the Earth was not stationary at the center of the universe, as orthodox science claimed, but in fact was spinning on its axis, and the planets were moving around the sun rather than the Earth. The movements of the planets were anomalies at the time, and couldn’t be explained within the accepted model. Copernicus acquired data that supported this new theory and explained the observed anomalies. But, despite his rationality, his findings were considered impossible—it can’t be, therefore it isn’t—given what was then understood to be true. Worse, as we human beings gazed out to space in a state of ignorance, secure on our fixed planet Earth, his theory also defied our self-imposed religious dogma. A hundred and fifty years passed before the fact that the Earth revolves around the sun was accepted, and only after Galileo, Kepler, and Newton contributed in turn. Finally, humanity witnessed the emergence of the new scientific paradigm. It had been a long and painful road. Galileo had been forced by the church to retract his ideas, and was placed under house arrest for maintaining what was actually the correct view.
Smaller discoveries, even though they, too, are initially considered impossible, can shift the norm more expediently. In the early nineteenth century, scientists rejected the idea that rocks could fall from the sky, despite reports to the contrary by multiple eyewitnesses. The consensus was that this couldn’t possibly be, so anyone who said otherwise must be lying, crazy, or a hoaxer. Finally, a scientist collected meteorite fragments reported by villagers in France, which were then studied in the lab, proving the reality of rocks from the sky, and the new phenomenon of meteorites was accepted from that moment on.
Presently, a few physicists are beginning to put forward theories that could explain faster-than-light travel through space, including concepts such as space travel through wormholes, multiple dimensions, and even time travelers.7 According to an August 20098 Newsweek cover story, scientists now estimate that 100 billion suns in the Milky Way galaxy support Earth-like planets in orbit around them. Given how many stars there are and the number of extrasolar planets already discovered, the chance of life existing elsewhere in the universe is very high. NASA’s Kepler spacecraft was launched in 2009 to hunt for some of these planets among 100,000 stars in the constellations of Cygnus and Lyra, with the hopes of finding some terrestrial planets with habitable conditions. As of this writing, we’ve already found over 400 planets orbiting other stars.9 By 2013, Kepler is likely to have located hundreds, if not thousands, of potentially habitable planets. NASA has also developed a highly sensitive infrared space telescope10 now searching for small, dark asteroids and other near-Earth objects in our solar system, and it sent its first images back through space in January 2010.
Through its persistent recurrence, the UFO phenomenon makes its own demands on scientists, who should no longer be allowed the luxury of denial. We have always been an evolving species seeking to understand the unknown, and we will handle whatever changes come from radical new discoveries. As Kuhn said many years ago, “when paradigms change, the world itself changes with them.”
Over the years, debunking organizations have developed the slogan “Extraordinary claims demand extraordinary evidence” as a kind of mantra, rolling all their objections into one, which is used to dismiss UFOs out of hand. They’re claiming that there is not sufficient evidence to support the “claim” that UFOs exist.
This book has accomplished, in my view, the presentation of some of the very compelling evidence—only a slice of it, we must remember—that UFOs do exist. We have seen that there are solid, three-dimensional objects of unknown origin flying in our skies, stopping in midair and zooming toward outer space, which are apparently not natural or man-made. They’ve come very close and landed as well, leaving physical traces in soil while shriveling the leaves of nearby plants. They interact with aircraft and have physical effects upon them. Photographs have captured their image on film, and radar blips have done the same on tracking monitors. Thousands of people from all walks of life in every continent have seen these objects, including many pilots and military officers. The group represented in this book, myself included, understand that what the skeptics love to call a “claim”—the existence of unknown objects in the sky—is actually an established fact. There is more than enough evidence to determine that something physical is there.
We in this group are also “militant agnostics”: we don’t know what this something is, nor do we know what it is not. We are not making an extraordinary claim, because we’re not claiming anything beyond the reality of a physical phenomenon, and the five premises that stem from this reality as outlined in the int
roduction to this book. Yes, that phenomenon is definitely extraordinary. The basic misunderstanding underlying the skeptics’ catchy buzz-phrase—“Extraordinary claims demand extraordinary evidence”—is, once again, the equating of UFOs to extraterrestrial spacecraft by definition. When the debunkers rally around this battle cry and dismiss all the evidence with a wave of their hand, this is really what’s on their minds; otherwise, there would be no need for them to be so blindly defensive, and even hostile.
Their concern is understandable, even if it’s dealt with dishonestly. The COMETA group pointed out at the very beginning of this journey, and many of our contributors have stated as well, that the extraterrestrial hypothesis is the most likely one to explain what we know. That’s a very loaded proposition, but we’re stuck with it. And actually, it is not an extreme position, in comparison to the two polarized positions that are so common in the culture: either we know already what UFOs are (alien spacecraft), or they can’t possibly exist at all, and therefore don’t. These two extremes are the real extraordinary claims.
We ask those on the two sides of this outmoded contest between unwavering believers and nonbelievers to realize the fallacy of both positions, and to accept the logic, necessity, and realism of the agnostic view. Scientists must disavow the untenable claim that we have no evidence other than eyewitness reports, which are to them—of course—unreliable. That is another “extraordinary claim” that doesn’t hold up, as this book attests.
The time has come to proceed logically. Given that we know we have a physical manifestation of something highly unusual of unknown origin, isn’t it time to acquire the additional evidence needed to find out what it is? If we need extraordinary evidence, then let’s do our job and go get it. We Americans will have the cooperation of other scientists from around the world who have already invested their limited resources into such an endeavor. And so a new slogan is in order: “An extraordinary phenomenon demands an extraordinary investigation.”11 The world’s scientists are entirely capable of devising the methodologies and manufacturing the technology needed to solve this extraordinary mystery.
As the contributors here have shown, there is too much at stake to continue stonewalling. At the same time, we can’t deny the fact that there is a risk in moving forward. The phenomenon itself has placed us in a precarious situation that we have not chosen, and that we can do nothing about. We must strive to learn what we can, for it’s in our deepest nature and best interest to do so—to simply want to find out. Perhaps this discovery will be a turning point in our history. Perhaps not. But most likely, there’s something supremely important locked up in the UFO phenomenon that could be transformative for all of us. It’s time now, finally, to open our eyes and find out what that might be.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
First and foremost, I’d like to thank the eighteen distinguished contributors whose pieces form the essential core of this book, and who made it all possible. It has been a privilege to work with this exceptional group. My deepest thanks to each of them for their trust and for their diligent work on many drafts. These men have courageously gone on the record about the reality of UFOs, and I hope others in comparable positions will now be moved to do the same.
I extend a special appreciation to John Podesta for his eloquent foreword and for his ongoing public support of the Coalition for Freedom of Information (CFi). His brilliance and honesty are inspiring. Others made major contributions to the text: Yves Sillard of GEIPAN wrote an important commentary, and André Amond, J. Dori Callahan, Julio Chamorro, Anthony Choy, Jean-Pierre Fartek, Will Miller, and Robert Salas provided interviews and helpful material. I am very grateful to former Arizona governor Fife Symington III for his encouragement, which helped launch the book.
Phyllis Wender, my agent from the Gersh Agency in New York, believed in this project from the outset. I thank her wholeheartedly for her appreciation of the approach embodied by the book and her unwavering determination to see it published. Her wise advice has been indispensable, and her assistant Lynn Hyde also deserves my thanks. At the Crown Publishing Group, I am indebted to Shaye Areheart for her vision, leadership, and commitment to the book, and to my enthusiastic editor, Kate Kennedy, who guided me throughout the lengthy publishing process and made many significant editorial contributions that improved the manuscript.
A special thanks goes to my close friend Budd Hopkins for providing daily, steady support as I dealt with the myriad personal and professional challenges inherent in producing this book. He dutifully read and reread every word of the manuscript at its various inceptions and offered many perceptive edits and suggestions. I’m also grateful to David M. Jacobs, Paul McKim, and Lloyd Garrison for reading parts of the manuscript and providing useful feedback.
I cannot overlook two key colleagues who profoundly influenced my life before I was unexpectedly confronted with the issue of UFOs. Burma activist and writer Alan Clements inspired me with his compassionate activism and commitment to a people’s struggle, and opened up a new world to me. Investigative reporter Dennis Bernstein, host of Flashpoints on Pacifica radio, taught me the principles and craft of advocacy journalism, leading me into the world of freelance publishing and, eventually, radio broadcasting. I can’t thank my dear friends Alan and Dennis enough for giving me the foundation that made it possible for me to later take on the risky subject of UFOs.
At the beginning of my UFO explorations, Ralph Steiner helped me navigate and offered much reassurance, Stephen Bassett was supportive, and Clifford Stone, Steven Greer, and Grant Cameron provided me with hundreds of government documents released through the Freedom of Information Act. I thank Boston Globe editor Chris Chinlund and Robert Whitcomb from the Providence Journal for publishing my first UFO articles.
I am very grateful to Larry Landsman, my partner in the CFi, for opening so many doors for me, and for his consistent advice and comradeship over all these years. Without Larry, this book would never have been born. I also appreciate the invaluable education provided by Ed Rothschild, senior public affairs strategist with the Podesta Group. And I extend my thanks to James Fox, Stan Gordon, Lee Helfrich, and Jeff Sagansky and the team at Break Thru Films for the meaningful opportunities they provided me.
Many skilled investigators have spent decades collecting data on UFOs, and I relied on their work continuously throughout the book. I pay special tribute to veteran researcher Richard Hall, who died of cancer in 2009, and who was always available to answer my questions. Along with others already mentioned, I’m also personally indebted to researchers Jerome Clark, Peter Davenport, Richard Dolan, Stanton Friedman, A. J. Gevaerd, Timothy Good, Bernard Haisch, Bruce Maccabee, Mark Rodeghier, Ted Roe, Brad Sparks, Peter Sturrock, Rob Swiatek, and Nancy Talbott.
Pituka Heilbron and Andrea Soares Berrios spent much time translating both text and many e-mails. Thanks also to Jean-Luc Rivera and Oscar Zambrano for translations, and to Jean-Claude Ribes, Valery Uvarov, Ruben Uriarte, and André Morin. Others assisted with various aspects of the book: Yvan Blanc, Joaquim Fernandes, Kelly Fox, Seth Keal, Phil Imbrogno, Charles Miller, Gustavo Rodríguez, Susan Stanley, and Bernard Thouanel; and at Crown, thanks to Mark Birkey, Jill Browning, Lenny Henderson, Kyle Kolker, Elizabeth Rendfleisch, Kira Walton, and Campbell Wharton.
Finally, I thank my mother, Ellen S. Kean, and my father, Hamilton F. Kean, for their steadfast, unconditional support and genuine enthusiasm for this project, despite the taboo nature of its subject matter. Thanks for having faith in me.
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTORS
RAY BOWYER has been a flight calibration inspection pilot, and continues as a commercially qualified airline pilot. He has flown for ten airlines operating in Europe and the Middle East, including Jersey European, Channel Express, Regionair, BusinessAir, and Farner Air. From 1999 to 2008, he was a Line Captain for Aurigny Air Services in the Channel Islands, flying inter-island and international routes based in Guernsey. He currently flies as a captain for a Channel Island–based corporation througho
ut Europe and has a total flying time of 7,000 hours.
WILFRIED DE BROUWER spent twenty years as a fighter pilot in the Belgian Air Force. He was then appointed to the Strategic Planning Branch of NATO in 1983, while a Colonel. After that, he became Wing Commander of the Belgian Air Force Transport Wing and, in 1989, chief of the Operations Division in the Air Staff. Promoted to Major General in 1991, De Brouwer served as Deputy Chief of Staff of the Belgian Air Force. Beginning in 1995, after retiring from the Air Force, he worked for more than ten years as a consultant for the United Nations to improve the UN Logistics rapid-response capabilities during emergencies.
JOHN J. CALLAHAN has over thirty years of experience at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) specializing in the air traffic control centers. As Automation Branch Chief, he supervised the design, programming, testing, and implementation of all air traffic control facilities software programs. From 1981 to 1988, he was Division Chief for Accidents, Evaluations, and Investigations at Washington Headquarters, where he was responsible for the quality of air traffic service provided to FAA users. After retiring, Callahan was employed as a Senior Analyst for Washington Consulting Group and Chief Executive Officer for Crown Communications Consulting Company. He now owns and operates Liberty Tax Service in Culpeper, Virginia.