7/28/2019 Sheaffer Hynek 1970

1/6

i

Dsqs D;'. Eyae&;

oet. $, r97o

Illntr yor. for ililng !o !*kt . look .t lbe sasugr'ttG of. elslttet Iqt your &ars beoh. Xr{ llka te l|{k6 r re; r1retd.|18 eoEoit81 Just ae tleteoltE to 6l,Id.

Ie tbo &r3st cont?o?c?ry e:e! US itaflltiiloli tr flar lrll beYo to d.d*sl,th ,t folaoa, bocauee your dofthi*lns, LiF ar unst&id l-P49I[ l|suTPlorytbat t{Eiatattt tioalr llF ta eJre actnelLyr }Hd.Galty dlttrcBt tbs)r ldeatlne|lonce. tr 6r'!r!t trd.3 tg Ds tralEr but !.lre lot 6o!q t6 "!:"1 !S eEauallg L!. -iou haye-to grErt tEE tIelsfF np a[clqsd.Y ev1dasoc tha$ Nrollsbla ef |nead,alfilnso ainot le Jlrgt oxtrffib 1lf!6quemt u1i.dotlt13eatloq6r Jo dolrtpatr,"ty tb&t asenaptlon l,!to ynnr dtflrl"u.ou.

ILlhotr6l &1reua.!l cond"dorrtlotts ara ot the utsget ldportelle 1! -f6eg6BlzL|Bg *!rue gltteir yoll s!..tar tl&t tDqc al"lota{rcor of courae r [rat D6ra4o to! laeEcblo tlllrso;t lotl.oa o! a .t*tlooatlr f!g]t tla lbaolcs of Efrqre ot -reforatcer. FDr iuch &tl6enlat Fot ottod? Hor larg ls ttro aY6!'*6taiioralce to bo Eaabi got 1q!88 l,s the 6r:d'!u|? rlet !. tbo stalldaid dorrle|lon?(!or nueb eole llaqtlstt la tho avor.E ths! the rctdaur)

'Eatt'l tless

qucEAloar ror b arsEg?edr youirc etandla* on 9or5r so8lr 8tsuBd.Elq l'te! ot lelLable gb r.ltqGodsa coqplled ta r.e1v Lqpregsl'vst but

do&tt golrf,uie rellalil,e sttL llfslubL. I|lgtoad ot sayt!6t i31I fretllgCoatlsllate Eaks no El.stekolr you slould be ssktnar nEon ofttr lautd I3xlreet d! A1! a}Elf,Ls cqatrolrir te Eake a tstetekq?r AltbBgh v6 ollatobkoqslv d"trs Eore crderco tg 6sv9"&l tti|losags thsr. oltl.ll o&9t ti'"creae"ai itrrcuon' LEtrtt llnaa:r ri ta dr.ghf i]rlak. Ir8leai ttls prq]ab1ttos&rLtldle. geYetal vl tDoco6 tlo tsee the Eade thtag *re tl^kely to bo l:'l'6nda,haifns "luffar baqk6rular. By the tl!|e inve6ti8etola arr1"3' theyrvtalkei qter tle exportonoa ao tborEugblt that dt\t dltfernltec 1[ plctpt ',4lror tnterprctatioa -have beeu 4pgtbstl ou!. Alft donrt a.&a I't 6olr]td a6 lti. *o"t '"ioou" botrett the wltne8asa beln8 o'faotly eorusctr or belEg qFeut lltunetabte, !,rone ts ciliy Jualgoqentar or ho{zte!!t. tlre aot iha' o!ar'ent'fve.|N r lislly rl.ltble FtlBoaa ,l&he6 a6rlsue errErs qcc{retoaau'y.

tt lg noEt urlfoltqnats that ysu ].gok dsrd irloE ntbe su8bena S6'it fo!are acoesal.J| she4evea any 1n81e"1t9!i say be l.!

7/28/2019 Sheaffer Hynek 1970

2/6

!,agr g.

tr!:! Eoutil conotltuto a rrs.I Job ot lhYestl8a*,oE4 Il a sltneastell! yorl q}1 he hnola, !rhe! Eoae cEl bo dl.al sbout lg? Ss 6ust bE serelullrot to tfr8tr ihe t'!!!s6e tof lnfo$rat6'ta' 46. i!.ttr.tlo lastest taf to tAilarqeuriElia Lato tle ayeta. If t6 bavc 4q6 d'.looi tl{tsLo&l .vldsue I!nn:' gtvea qeior out SglX j.nfeixaetlo!! coleg ftrsa ?b $ltBesees. 3a bs! dtre- go olout as'Later;6-tnvootta&tt onl Oo nottrst)Ea$r& :s01 forEat !!at ttcreasoc qedlsvaX vltch-coafcssttets 16t.6 {lustly 6.0 esnd,steet 18 thst ilq|*.f6tc sl: eatrcd t!. sslBe qrraetloatr ont ot tl dsg f,I.t|rbutrlefta l!s[url.,q ygn Foc sLt tlgbt hefysn 1t u& rLt&Gcses lcro &ltbjatsd to & lsn8tllttl.ldrLa(t.oar tg ..1d thalr tolror{,ott' t s! cxpl*1B cech ol tl3 a.tta8 yoB troto otr qrlallttgivoltr ! t I ll,oult eErs yqu Foul.{trrt be sattE.tid rltl fiY sGrpl6dqgLonr' gc tBstoad ltttic put trelio UBL-n$ra' )4Al-f o*ess tt trau' tq so 1! yotl na 85va s6sii,8t&story e*p1alatlq4 3or 3,ae| of tbt|l.tr Thousalds of ]stLobl4 !,rsortr Lleludlng ltlllt arr colrltl ot no116ad qai!itt bB et lte ngln8, 9tt|ts;sqa albortus HiStue t':![ tLnigr t' t a&34er lotra etterrooa on hl,i eai{ts la 06tqan!r 1& tlo tH"rteo[tl teatult.!. fro ilolsrna Frttsa rl tloestd s d6$! flytns abqut r soFeerr a! l|lt-.:ecutLoal and air !t Dat a tL gaUor al,|rho' sitl . on,td sf tlunisr'.!'Jrso8er, FratroG, Altrtl 2\. LGJ0.5. tr! Brtsar, Poldd. e b*td'liah (r $l{lELr'ha qergalt L6ia&ed 3ror| a horr'liE. rfore binatl la'a dtadlr xpr.6o!) kLllld sEvoral DorEo!! tn tbc beE r6ltoi-ia ofd b{rftdlttE. !h creatqro ra! !.Eovtd froB the bulld,.ng I'n fufr vlcrct oY.r i"o thene&td l|argsns. (15St)A- E&rlv letl8btra rltaaasaa affi,lt that tb6t ba"s rses ibaSoEa. Olre tas k..llG6i c u-cater aGrt nore on oet. 9r f66O. It flre a foareero ttngod b6..t'

5i frrrc SqLooE ,*n tsets 3 trcsttaa ts 1680 !{Il!ls ot asvr.l 3c'.l'a!ilorl,t&aa6e8 !!o k{vc ae*i tatt}6 t! slo3l oBcgulllole.6' flc Aroes nDar8o! ot trdtol.llr !asa{ attia, tl!!r t}tega a?oulal lorllry nsnt|r. It tee rltlr46sra !U t|rnGlsab ot ltcrqqasr sBd afftetcd aatiela.&6l,a|!d' 1,56tr.

EtXzabetl SiLl. l5r sre ues beiiitehcd lt !:],l.rabetl' gttle-' ua6 aeen by

7/28/2019 Sheaffer Hynek 1970

3/6

tr.rge f .

1I. .0E,. fookr, chaplsf! to ques& e8.sabsth I, End Etllte qlouor, tk6quelr Eurco!, bgth et.rsDrly aff,irs thg curg tro:&d bt lho q]oea btrtsuc&iD$ her subjectsr h4 tE. E6 you klrots, tousbias ure ;over.t eE could. culonany rx.nsesser M6,4r thousdtds gt pgrson$ so!6 curod tsJr l'artruE L,lnge aadq[eeaa aB tht6 eea$.r.1:, Let ee 1uap toEether tb.6 ,leey, !a$Ur tbo{eandG o.f al-racles atfl}tlad byCaibol*cis, eaclr, on* aa apBara4i vl,olatioE et slorilllr laEa. $1rl.l,.@e pere {68- 9r1{ tE e ltdvele6Ed ges, othre hcve boen vl,tnassa lElthqlra$d of, fetrl.abls vltqe8ees, ellcb as the t2tFacle a! tattsa

tnlg1?:

Sgs I fealiy dortt expact you to birt tbeas tse&?6 tor*.oa. I detrtballov ,:rsy o.f, ibsF. FEt you Bust b 6o!4d,stoat Lb your p)rBl8Leg. If ycub.lr "e UIO taLecL oE the EoLglt of t6etloo$' of uaproparea srlta$ga,t:lljsr bt_ earptds6 br a stt&lrge phoBoaonon, tou BuFt be equul,ly roadJ.'ta app$this cral6sdon oleelrlero. Of sourse, tbe6? w{ tneseF a:,s -dead so thiy qela'r! -)e tato:rLssed, but aai$r reetre intervterd i-n tbslr llfetiile hr {rlveeitgalot1glexact*r as yon a-re doL'lg. fhsE lbyesdg6tals Eetr earefu: to pclnt outth* vul8ar at6l",'s6 er6 n6t to be ,&&ei: csreL{erad, qallr lbe caretr!teati,eoqt qt 961*able perEoDa do8r{.blh& rooorrt sxperloacoE.

5o you !a!.? aceo$f l,(5utr preaBnt Lnreetj.s&itys ieckld.ql|6a, as.d s$,11rolect ed"tshsr&fl out of hnai. Oaleos yor cdl c(&e up sllk 606; reeuyeubstrait&l }{ra8on shf gFra are so$ehes aEEk beiie? sl tEsdega 1n th!;Sentury tbqn o!h6r phetoeena tn cebiurtE tsst, you bav6 e cbsLge in eltherEl19!.tn6 se ha?a tfr$ljr ost&bltah6{ lt}!rF, atrac}esr ptte&ear deitrcrghoats, etcry or elag N!4a GvLdetco EnpFoltfng sadh 9g tholll lq inuff1c!.obt.But be ca&.l,etettl

U+

7/28/2019 Sheaffer Hynek 1970

4/6

NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY

Inter-Oft ce Correspondence

To Bob SchaefferDarE October 29, 1970

rRou J. A1len liynek, chairnlan

DEp^RrMENr Astronomy

Dear Bob,

Thanks for your review of my chapter. Honever, \,/e have a funda-mental difference of vieirpoint. T sitrtply an not interested in studyingnoise and am willing to 1el sociologists worry about how nany people mis-take Vealls for sonething else.

I do not believe that the statislical approach is valid in thisproblem, unless of course you \,/ant to study noise. I do not assume, as youdo, ahal sightings made by highly competerl witnesses represent the tail

end of ttre distribulion curve of nisperceplions,The limits of mispercep-

tion have not been established, and f imagine they are a rathe. cornplexfunction of personality and numbers of observers. That assumplion ernascu-lates and makes senseless any further wor:k on the subject.

Perhaps I should restate the objectives of my book. like MadaneCu::ie, f am ou! to sludy "radium," not mounlains of I'pitchblende.rr If lheradiun does not exist, then no anoun! of distillation of the pitchblendeiril1 produce it. If honever one operates on the assumption lhat the radiun,lhough infinitesinally snLa1l, lnay indeed exist, then one does nol statisli-cally study the pitchblende but rather extr.acts from il ahe active ingredie$tand very properly throws the rest of the pitchblende in lhe dunp. This isthe problem as I conceive it. I am examining !b4! residue of the pitchblendewhich no!,r shows lhe greatest ptomise of yieldlng radiur, so to speak. So,under your assrmpiioni any serious study of lhe UFO subjecl is cleatly awaste of time, unless you do wanl to study distribution curves \,'hich clearlydo not interest me. 0n the other hand, your asstltrrption certainly needslesting, and in order to accomplish that you should do some !,7ork to support

7/28/2019 Sheaffer Hynek 1970

5/6

PHILIP J. KLASS560 "N', SrFEEr.9. W.

wasBrNcroN- D. c. 20024Novenber 29. 1970

Dear Bob:

Having spent aI1 day, fion early this norning until flow (ddnight), writing, itlte!-viewing, etc. the flext j.ssue of ny Coope?ative A?t. newspaper, I an too weary to dis-cuss nole than your recent couespondence and exchange with J. Al1en H. about his book.

Clear1y, i.f one rere to give your letter and Hfnekrs teply to a wise o1d nan andsay that one of the authors l1las a PhD in scielce of sone years and the other v{as ayoung student--and ask the sage to identify vhich was h'hich, he uould very quicklyconclude that Sheaffer ras the wise professor a'ld Hfnek $as the naive student.

But if he llere a truly wise, super-$ise sage, he would correctly identify you asthe student. For he ould lecognize that otrly youth would attenpt to chalge anothertsbasic conndtment arld long-he1d views in a single letter. For youth thinks that theviews of anothe!, silce they theoreticalty can be changed i.n a split second, ooght tobe capable of change in at least a few nonents or ninutes. But ln fact, changing aPexsonts deeply held convictions can take a lifetine--without success--al1d tecognitionof this cofies only with age and naturity--and bittel experience.

In reality, of course, Itfnek i his deep seated egotisrn, could never publ.icly ad$itso gross an erlor in judgmelt as you seek to force him to adruit. And in fact, whelreverANYoNE gives you a paper, ar:tic1e, nanuscript--whateve"--and erhe'lever he nodestly says:trlrn rea11y NOT nuch of a lrriter and I seek your conmeats"--what he REALLY IS ASXINGFoR is your PRAlSE--not yout criticisn.

I have uorked with engiteers and scielltists who vo].unteered that they uef,e terriblewriters, hated to write...and afte" our intefiiew, if I chanced to show then ny atticle,invariabl). they {ould suggest adding, o! deletiag a comna, or changing a sentetcestlucture. The fact is that !rhe[ we get ou! ideas down on paper--they becone even lesssusceptible to change than when they are sonewhat fluid in ou" heads.

So what Hfnek aea1ly wanted fron you was: 'rD!. Hynek, that is superb. Your logicls unassailable and your style is inpeccable." Then, to show that you had really readit rrcritically,l you ndght have added: r'However, there is one place where I think youshould heve used rthat' instead (Since eve?yone ntakes kind nistake,

7/28/2019 Sheaffer Hynek 1970

6/6

26 The AFO Earyienceerallv is so sbocked anil suPrilEd that careful sequenrial

otF

iiiit** *a-t p..ttg "* i$possiblaTbe skillfir! interrc'

;Jif #,:i:f :"f .,f_t#,,xfl,S",:'ffi i"TtiJ"it"rta-*i-p*pi"

taced'witn witressiog a suddeo and

il."'fii "oi.."uir" u""ideot do Dot go about metodic'Ilyl"i?ru*.it*"t*,' "tecking tises' dutations'ledgth o-f

il-iE i,"oooit"o

i't tlu satber' ad dher related evi-i'"'iJT.#"*, it .*uite th inodeot to a competent

-tr-

;J;";i;; ill;,* "* dAuco aooextract r'brcugh calm

Ja"rlit.r, q"J"";rg "surprisrig amomt of in-tordatton

from ihe wrtness.-"6'"-.t"r"l u.w n-equ"ltly ak forco 'hvesdga@rs' io-bo# *;-.i-t6-.m-"ra pniotoPlv that LrFOs are delusiocs'

#; ;*";*tf*"t"tvinrcirogatiotr (whv spend ttu:le oo**t.,uti G" i,t t.""itg)ess in dre Erst plac?)'"-itiu rf*i",,lst

upoielorts that ato cobeftnt' sequeFtiJ"J.utt. uoott"ts "t these strange

humal expenences'

iiJ" -#"*" in"t" n* been !o Decbanisn for brilling"d"""" 1"** ,o g*".4 attmtjon, r!y reo: to bo far t'ool#iriJii''ti Lfi*;. m"v dotr\ 6t tte. established ro'1-l"i""ii" "*-t a ^odem phvsical scjef,c

lt is about;:";ffiffi;p*;;;"'I into a "blief ftamwork" and ac-^--r . !,^{ ^f tlFO reDorts as baimg

uescdbed acrual

*Lr. *, Li.*t-pt"' ii woulil bavo bm for Ne$4oo toil"""iJlt"a tto ia.sic cotc"pts ot quan$m mechalics""'v"irt"'"i-*"""*

"l uFo reponsdos fal into fairlv

a"drirc p"n.t"]ru ' tttangeffss-spread" of LrFo tepo(siJitl IJ."i. w" a' 'ot' ior instanct' reteivo

teports o{

,r'1"'ir*. "* Av*g op*& dows'Un;deotided Sailing Ob'

Hil"iii-t"l,u["i tlat burrow ioto tbe srouD&'*iJt""r?"

wo"cetre

onc remarked' ' ' unex:"#; Uil; do trol cot$titubo evideoco in favor

o[

'f..T,*g:+mYtffi,s-::W**"i*ti"""r,"rt"* sy,a pin! elephants" fft?r ben report--il"i

"i"uu, *';i ot straoge "ctaft' has t uFos in-

i'*J*."0i.*,! .t $e ioagin;doo it is srange tbat ibe

On thz Str.mseness of UFO Reports 27imaginatiods ot thos who rQort UFOS frcd over theworld should be so restricted.

Pre.isely becaose the spectum of reports of strangebiendnss is oarrow can fiey be "tudied II each stxange re.pon.as unique and tlclr -olal;ry ran l}e gamul of all coo-ceivabte straDAe ac!-ount', *ien 6c in\esligation of sucb achaodc panopiy !r'ould be i-mpos'ible. Scienlr-8c study pre-suoposei data partcrn" and a meruu-re of repeatabiliry, andliana tarqe, Ul-o repo4s lend'hemselves to cla-esi-6caticm;tbin their doDains ot srrangeoess lt rs these wo shall

Turoirq, tben, lo the co, r? ol UfO repons let us as'.u-e thai we have elinindted all thoe rcporls wbjch dorct ft rhe dennition of UFO as used earlier; that is, thedrcss from the odgin:l mass of "mw'' reports-al leporlsthax cdr be explained with good reasotr ac ballooos' ait_qaft, meteo{N, etc. (Such reports rcFesent tle "gaxbage"in the Droblem. u er'e incarporaF ihat in our sE]dies, lbecompuiemge adage. Carh"ge in-garbage out," wi sure-ly apply. This bas beetr tbe trap that UtO i.o\'estjgadons itrthe Dasthav not ben able to avoid.*)

In terms of scietrdic atudy, the only sigtrmcanl UFO re'oorts axe. as wo llave seen, IJFO reports that remain Puz_;liaa altct corrpeteor'urvestigrlioo has beetr cooducld.Onl-v tbele calt be temed repon, of u FOs. The stimulusfor these Eports js tnrly unkno$rl-that is, the repofercbavo oassed a rliabilily sc'feening. and rhe known Possiblestimuii have paised a phycical e\planadon sltnin&Thotlsatrds of such reporb .lt!l; Ihere are ahout 700 a(_kno*ledsed case,s itr Blue Book 61es alone, and many oth-ers are c6ntahed in the files of UFO organiatioB and Pri-vate iflsagatols.

Each such screftd report demands an ans\tet to two

*Mmr o.iti.g 4inlain $di.ll UFO lepor13 do saftaga Sinca.l:rce mrdotr oI !t@ odsidal. urLmFFd relotu 56 cledtv de edt oJni-;*pdo!, criu6,t) rhar n.6' g.riod in d?rh wodd toEal rbal,r'.'-tit! tav of U?O lb.notrna 'e be "o.hde6iad su'h.-g',.-Lt *i"io tt"t "tl

i-no reFd\ Del6d.e to de sM. sladsri'alm;dltion md Lba! tno detEL, lne ruly r r bti!.g LrFO 'eporl: doi..,ar .*** ir !ha' porurJrioo on. misi wirh equtl jnsLj@ 'av$hi e pb$rA rhe wittio. a td or rrMse' tbil@relr__tbe kJ @d.t de dissibu oo .u.. of rbe 'i7* of o'anEe'