AudioBlog: UFOs, Science and Controversy at the University of Colorado

For a brief period in the late 1960’s, UFO enthusiasts were
encouraged by the fact that some scientists were beginning to take
the subject seriously. This was due in large part to renowned
atmospheric physicist Dr. James McDonald’s coming forward and
publicly acknowledging that he was investigating the mystery.
Around the same time, in 1966, Project Blue Book scientific
consultant Dr. J. Allen Hynek angered many in the state of Michigan
by offering the possibility that some of the UFOs reported during a
flap that year in the state were swamp gas. This lead to a
congressional hearing looking into the Air Force’s handling of the
UFO problem, and that resulted in an Air Force funded scientific
study at the University of Colorado headed by physicist Dr. Edward
U. Condon. This was something many in the UFO community had been
hoping for, and they were optimistic that something positive might
come of it. Unfortunately, the project ran into personality
problems that nearly derailed it. An article written by John G.
Fuller and published in the May 14, 1968, issue of Look
Magazine looks deeply into the matter. Under the headline “Flying
Saucer Fiasco,” the article is introduced as “The extraordinary
story of the half-million-dollar ‘trick’ to make Americans believe
the Condon committee was conducting an objective investigation.”
After giving an overview of the project and its participants,
Fuller references a story published early October 1966, in
the Denver Post. Project Coordinator Robert J. Low, describing
the UFO project as a function of the university, was quoted as
saying that it “comes pretty close to the criteria of non
acceptability.” Read more