Michael L.
Coffee swillin' Devil's advocate
Okay, I've been busy and am behind on the shows. I am about an hour into the 12-23 show and am a bit distressed by the discussion. As the ideas are bandied about for some type of new group to legitimize the field of UFO research, I have found one word shockingly absent:
PROFESSIONALS
The simple fact is that is that it is not the 1840's anymore when gentlemen scientists and explorers can practice law or medicine by day and lead expeditions to unknown lands or experiment with electricity in their free time. If UFO research is to become legitimate it needs to be approached scientifically by professional researchers, technicians and scientists. Why?
Well, for one thing, it is the only thing that is going to convince the scientific community and gain the serious attention that will result in grant money and more research. For another, the current amateur researchers and investigators are simply not equipped to take the field to the next level. All too often you hear about "the scientific method" and such. Most people, when referring to this are referring to experiments. UFO research is still in the investigative and research phase... it is like trying to find conclusive proof on the giant squid at this point or, perhaps a better analogy is to a criminal manhunt. After all, this is probably most akin to hunting down an intelligence that does not desire to make its whereabouts public knowledge. At this point, if UFOlogy (for lack of a better term) were the FBI there would be 25 profilers to every agent in a field office. And most of those field offices would be converted spare bedrooms.
What needs to happen is for a large endowment, similar to the X-Prize, but without the contest aspect as competition is counter-productive. An endowment of a few million dollars would allow for a professional staff to be gathered. Think of it as a Project Bluebook with private sector funding. I am not sure, honestly, how to staff such an organization but my gut feeling is that it should be based more on an FAA crash investigation response team with a good deal of experienced interviewers. A smaller contingent could research the history of sightings and try to be a bit more proactive in predicting appearances and attempting to gather first hand evidence.
What needs to be left behind is psychic links with ETs, fruitless imaginings as to their origins or technology and other red herrings. At this point it does not matter if they are drones, piloted, manned by ghosts or whatever, only that they are actually real. For now the focus must be on proving the existence of extraordinary airborne objects. Only when there is a real interest in the scientific community and a willingness to free up grant money will we be able to move forward.
If the topic of a professional organization forming crops up in the second half, well, ummm, sorry.
PROFESSIONALS
The simple fact is that is that it is not the 1840's anymore when gentlemen scientists and explorers can practice law or medicine by day and lead expeditions to unknown lands or experiment with electricity in their free time. If UFO research is to become legitimate it needs to be approached scientifically by professional researchers, technicians and scientists. Why?
Well, for one thing, it is the only thing that is going to convince the scientific community and gain the serious attention that will result in grant money and more research. For another, the current amateur researchers and investigators are simply not equipped to take the field to the next level. All too often you hear about "the scientific method" and such. Most people, when referring to this are referring to experiments. UFO research is still in the investigative and research phase... it is like trying to find conclusive proof on the giant squid at this point or, perhaps a better analogy is to a criminal manhunt. After all, this is probably most akin to hunting down an intelligence that does not desire to make its whereabouts public knowledge. At this point, if UFOlogy (for lack of a better term) were the FBI there would be 25 profilers to every agent in a field office. And most of those field offices would be converted spare bedrooms.
What needs to happen is for a large endowment, similar to the X-Prize, but without the contest aspect as competition is counter-productive. An endowment of a few million dollars would allow for a professional staff to be gathered. Think of it as a Project Bluebook with private sector funding. I am not sure, honestly, how to staff such an organization but my gut feeling is that it should be based more on an FAA crash investigation response team with a good deal of experienced interviewers. A smaller contingent could research the history of sightings and try to be a bit more proactive in predicting appearances and attempting to gather first hand evidence.
What needs to be left behind is psychic links with ETs, fruitless imaginings as to their origins or technology and other red herrings. At this point it does not matter if they are drones, piloted, manned by ghosts or whatever, only that they are actually real. For now the focus must be on proving the existence of extraordinary airborne objects. Only when there is a real interest in the scientific community and a willingness to free up grant money will we be able to move forward.
If the topic of a professional organization forming crops up in the second half, well, ummm, sorry.
