Dear colleagues.
Here is another find for audio archives. You can listen to the audio at this link:
https://app.box.com/s/xwg64bm49silftdkwdgd
Description:
Back in 1996, few months before his death, Carl Sagan was interviewed on Science Friday show. During the show, caller Mike asked Sagan a question:
„My brother in law is a high classified person that works for Air Force. The question revolves around what are your beliefs in UFOs. He's told me some things that I can't repeat about the Roswell incident. Perhaps you can give us your thoughts on that.“
Sagan replied that Roswell incident was caused by project Mogul and adds: „I don’t know what your brother has told you, but I would treat it with a real grain of salt”. On the general issue of UFOs, he states that vast majority of UFO reports have prosaic explanations and that they can also be explained as hoaxes and hallucinations.
Of course that is nothing strange. Sagan views about UFOs were known and on that note he was also author of the book “The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark”. Still it is good to have audio clipping of a direct reply for archives.
On the opposite note on the question of UFOs, here is the rebuttal to Sagan’s view on UFOs from Allen Hynek’s editorial, published in IUR, March 1977 issue – pasted in the text below:
"EDITORIAL by Dr. J. Allen Hynek
"The reliable (UFO) cases are uninteresting and the interesting cases are unreliable. Unfortunately, there are no cases that are both reliable and interesting."
So has written my astronomer colleague, Dr. Carl Sagan, in his book, "Other Worlds." Much of course depends on those two words "interesting" and "reliable", but persons who have made a serious study of the UFO problem will testify that there are indeed some UFO reports that are both interesting and reliable, even when those two words are not used lightly.Support for this statement has come rather unexpectedly from both professional and amateur astronomers. Two independent surveys, one of professional astronomers made by Dr. Sturrock of Stanford University (see feature article in this issue), and of amateur astronomers made by Mr. Gert Herb of the Center for UFO Studies, have brought to light some very interesting UFO sightings made by members of these groups. I must therefore differ with my colleague Dr. Sagan: there are indeed UFO reports which are both interesting and reliable. By UFO reports here we mean reports the contents of which do not submit to logical explanation. I must also differ with the oft-made statement that "astronomers never see UFOs". Apparently, they do and have, and they are just as puzzled as ordinary mortals are.Whoever sees such puzzling sights should not have to wait for a formal survey by questionnaire, but should contribute his data for the benefit of science. They present us with a paradox and, as our masthead repeatedly proclaims, "There is no hope of advance in science without a paradox". It is the things that "don't fit" that lead to breakthroughs."
--- end of quote ---
Best Wishes.
UFORadio
Here is another find for audio archives. You can listen to the audio at this link:
https://app.box.com/s/xwg64bm49silftdkwdgd
Description:
Back in 1996, few months before his death, Carl Sagan was interviewed on Science Friday show. During the show, caller Mike asked Sagan a question:
„My brother in law is a high classified person that works for Air Force. The question revolves around what are your beliefs in UFOs. He's told me some things that I can't repeat about the Roswell incident. Perhaps you can give us your thoughts on that.“
Sagan replied that Roswell incident was caused by project Mogul and adds: „I don’t know what your brother has told you, but I would treat it with a real grain of salt”. On the general issue of UFOs, he states that vast majority of UFO reports have prosaic explanations and that they can also be explained as hoaxes and hallucinations.
Of course that is nothing strange. Sagan views about UFOs were known and on that note he was also author of the book “The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark”. Still it is good to have audio clipping of a direct reply for archives.
On the opposite note on the question of UFOs, here is the rebuttal to Sagan’s view on UFOs from Allen Hynek’s editorial, published in IUR, March 1977 issue – pasted in the text below:
"EDITORIAL by Dr. J. Allen Hynek
"The reliable (UFO) cases are uninteresting and the interesting cases are unreliable. Unfortunately, there are no cases that are both reliable and interesting."
So has written my astronomer colleague, Dr. Carl Sagan, in his book, "Other Worlds." Much of course depends on those two words "interesting" and "reliable", but persons who have made a serious study of the UFO problem will testify that there are indeed some UFO reports that are both interesting and reliable, even when those two words are not used lightly.Support for this statement has come rather unexpectedly from both professional and amateur astronomers. Two independent surveys, one of professional astronomers made by Dr. Sturrock of Stanford University (see feature article in this issue), and of amateur astronomers made by Mr. Gert Herb of the Center for UFO Studies, have brought to light some very interesting UFO sightings made by members of these groups. I must therefore differ with my colleague Dr. Sagan: there are indeed UFO reports which are both interesting and reliable. By UFO reports here we mean reports the contents of which do not submit to logical explanation. I must also differ with the oft-made statement that "astronomers never see UFOs". Apparently, they do and have, and they are just as puzzled as ordinary mortals are.Whoever sees such puzzling sights should not have to wait for a formal survey by questionnaire, but should contribute his data for the benefit of science. They present us with a paradox and, as our masthead repeatedly proclaims, "There is no hope of advance in science without a paradox". It is the things that "don't fit" that lead to breakthroughs."
--- end of quote ---
Best Wishes.
UFORadio