1897 Aurora "crash"

[Ian]

Brian Dunning discusses the 1897 Aurora, Texas, crash in his latest episode of Skeptoid, at:

The Alien Buried in Texas

Dunning's analysis here seems perfectly reasonable to me, but not something MUFON's 199-page report concluded.

I know some forum members have "issues" with Dunning, but I like his cut-the-paranormal-crap-what's-the-simplest-explanation attitude.

As a complete sceptic (debunker?), he might make a refreshing Paracast guest if allowed to explain his approach and arguing his corner over some classic cases.

Unfortunately I fear it would be a very short show...

Regards,

Ian

 

[Kandinsky]

Kevin Randle investigated Aurora in the 70s and identified it as a hoax. Like so many of the zombie-like UFO folklore tales, this one just keeps coming back and has no respect for the 'head shot.'

The problem here is that I beat most of these people to Aurora by several years to conduct my own investigation. I talked to some of those same longtime residents who told me in the early 1970s that nothing had happened. I talked to the historians at the Wise County Historical Society (Aurora is in Wise County) who told me that it hadn’t happened, though they wish it had. I learned that T.J. Weems, the famed Signal Corps officer was, in fact, the local blacksmith. I learned that Judge Proctor didn’t have a windmill, or rather that was what was said then. Now they suggest that he had two windmills. I wandered the grave yard, which isn’t all that large (something just over 800 graves) and found no marker with strange symbols carved on it, though there are those who suggest a crude headstone with a rough airship on it had been there at the time. I found nothing to support the tale and went away believing, based on my own research and interviews, this to be another of the airship hoaxes.

http://kevinrandle.blogspot.com/2005/03/aurora-texas-story-that-wont-die.html

Despite all the bad aspects of ufology, I think the majority of hoaxes are exposed from within the field by researchers and 'armchair ufologists' posting on forums. Even back in the 50s, Keyhoe was gunning for Adamski. Bob Pratt's tapes pointed the finger at the Aquarius documents and subsequent MJ-12 documents.

Dunnings makes a blanket generalisation, "Why the UFOlogists decided that this one story out of all the dozens was a literal true account, while the others were obvious jokes, is a secret known only to themselves." I know nothing about the man, but he doesn't appear to be aware that few people take the Aurora case seriously. In the Paracast member list, I'd be surprised if just one member thought it was a real event.

 

[Angel of Ioren]

Oh man would I love to hear him on the show. I listen to his podcast every week. I pretty much agree with him every time.

 

[Sean Elifritz]

Like that "case" needed a treatment from him in the first place. What's the point in debunking something that everyone (OK, practically everyone. The ones that matter anyway) already knows is bunk?

 

[TClaeys]

No kidding,...... low lying fruit as far as I can tell.

What I'd like to hear is him and someone else go at it about Rendlesham. He easily debunks this case in his usual dismissal tone. I just think I have a lot of questions about the true facts of this case.

 

[Angel of Ioren]

Like that "case" needed a treatment from him in the first place. What's the point in debunking something that everyone (OK, practically everyone. The ones that matter anyway) already knows is bunk?

He was getting emails about it.

---------- Post added at 08:39 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:39 AM ----------

What I'd like to hear is him and someone else go at it about Rendlesham. He easily debunks this case in his usual dismissal tone. I just think I have a lot of questions about the true facts of this case.

That would be really interesting actually. It would be great to have someone give the skeptics perspective on paranormal topics.