PSYCHIC VIBRATIONS ROBERT SHEAFFER IV;

Levity with Lifters

laims of anti-gravity keep pop- the testing surface." So says the Lifter effect, especially now that NASA and ping up all the time—it seems FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) sec- otJicr well-respected scientific authori- Cthat nothing will keep them tion on American Antigravity's Yahoo ties have experimented with it." (If you down. Robert L. Park exposed certain discussion group. purchase a physics textbook that does large aerospace companies' flirtation Now, lots of devices contain electrical describe this supposed "effect," I recom- with the so-called "Podkletnov gravity capacitors, but nobody expects to see mend that you return it as defective.) shield" (SI November/December 2002, them rising into the air. Ah, but you are However, it is indisputable that the p. 7), which has unfortunately not yet forgetting about the "Biefeld-Brown "lifters" really are rising into the air. The resulted in a gravity-shielded airliner. But according to a growing number of enthusiasts, "lifters" can use electric The lifters do indeed fly, charges to cancel gravity—and they give detailed instructions so that you can using the little-known build one of them in your own home! phenomenon of ion wind. (See http://groups.yahoo.coni/group/ americanantigravity/files/How-To- Documents/.) The leading promoter of "lifter tech- effect," named for its supposed discover- so-called "lifter effect" can be repeated nology" is the appropriately named ers Alfred Biefeld and T Townsend on demand, and does not conceal itself American Antigravity (www.american Brown, who founded the once-influen- from scrutiny by skeptics or hide from antigravity.com). The Web site is filled tial UFO group NICAP. (If you want to cameras and videos, as do most alleged with pictures of actual "lifters" in flight. know more about Brown and his exper- "unknown phenomena." So an explana- A "lifter" is a simple triangular device iments, there's a whole chapter about tion of some kind is clearly warranted. made of lightweight balsawood contain- him in The Philadelphia Experiment: Actually, the explanation is not diffi- ing wires and aluminum foil that are Project Invisibility by William L Moore cult to find: the lifters do indeed fly, charged with high voltage, acting as an and Charles Berlitz.) According to the using the little-known phenomenon of electric capacitor. "The Lifter utilizes FAQ, "The Biefeld-Brown effect has ion wind. Highly electrically charged the aluminum-foil skirt as the nega- been described as a net-directional plates will bleed some of their charge tively-charged capacitive plate, which motive force exerted on a capacitor into nearby air molecules, causing them has a very large surface area on which to when a high-voltage charge is applied. to become ionized. As these ions rush store charge compared to the corona- . . . The Biefeld-Brown effect has tradi- toward the nearby oppositely charged wire. The difference in size between tionally been neglected in physics text- plate, the)' run into other molecules in tJicsc two capacitive surfaces means that books because it was not well under- their path, setting up a wind effect. If the net-directional motive force should stood and many researchers and physi- push from the larger plate towards die cists weren't even sure if it existed. Robert Sheaffers World Wide Web page for smaller plate—in the case of the Lifter, Newer text-books may well contain UFOs and other skeptical subjects is at pushing the apparatus upward, and off information on the Biefeld-Brown www.debunker.com.

SKEPTICAL INQUIRER March/April 2003 31 the device is light enough and its electric something turned out to be nothing crash, such as die date. Still, Kaufmann charge is sufficiently strong, it will rise more than evidence of a furrow in the spoke convincingly, had documents to into the air for the same reason that a ground, which might have been caused support his tale, and seemed to supply so helicopter rises from the downward by an alien crash—or a burrowing ani- many credible facts about the "crash" diat wind created by its rotating blades. mal. But the "smoking gun" was actually UFOlogists found it impossible to ignore However, the "lifter" will remain aloft nothing more than researcher David his account. The pro-Roswell researcher only so long as it has enough charge to Rudiak's earlier claim to be able to read Kevin Randle wrote, "It seemed diat every keep the ion wind blowing—and it about "victims" of a saucer crash in a time we began to doubt, or ask difficult must be connected by wires to a bulky blurry news photo of General Ramey questions, Kaufmann would provide power source that remains on the holding a memo while reciting die sup- anodier a litde bit of documentation ground! Break the ion wind, and the posed Roswell "cover story" about a bal- along with broad hints diat he had much "Biefeld-Brown effect" vanishes. Even loon (see www. roswellproof. homestead, more. He said, repeatedly, when the time NASA's "Breakthrough Propulsion com). In the most shameless example of came, he had the documents to prove Physics" group, whose mission seems to TV hucksterism since Geraldo Rivera's what he said. ... Kaufmann died in be a quest for the science fiction Holy prime-time excavation of what he called February, 2001, without ever been proved Grail of "warp drives," includes "lifters" "Al Capone's vault" uncovered precisely [sic] a liar and a fraud." and other "electrogravitic" anti-gravity nothing, The Roswell Crash ended by The proof, however, was not long in devices on its Web site under "common ostentatiously carrying bags of dirt under coming. After Kaufmann's death, errors" (www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/bpp/ heavy armed guard to be placed in a CUFOS Scientific Director Dr. Mark ComnErr.html): "Even in a vacuum, bank vault, because nobody had proven Rodigher and two of his colleagues met diere can still be enough ion motion or that they did not contain microscopic with Kaufmann's widow to attempt to corona discharge to cause counter extraterrestrial artifacts. secure whatever additional documenta- forces. If the devices were operating by The other, more famous UFO- tion he might have had concerning the something other than ion wind, riien related programming on that channel alleged UFO crash. What they found such devices would appear to violate has been Steven Spielberg's appropri- was truly amazing, beyond what any of 'Conservation of Momentum,' a basic ately-named big-budget mega-series, them had expected. They found law of known physics." Taken. While the series is admittedly fic- Kaufmann's true, undoctored military American Antigravity concedes to its tional and hence beyond criticism on record that, unlike the copy he showed critics, "Although ion-wind does factual matters, it purports to be based them, revealed he had never worked in undoubtedly provide some motive-force upon real-life incidents. Indeed, the intelligence. "To put it quite plainly, on our test-apparatus, the substantial Science Fiction Channel has set up a Frank Kaufmann created an altered ver- body of evidence at this time indicates "UFOlogy Resource Center" on its Web sion of an official document to present a that ion-wind could not provide the site at www.scifi.com/ufo, where the fic- false version of his military career con- necessary force that has been measured tional Taken and purportedly factual sistent with his claims about his involve- on the Lifter and related technologies." material mingle freely. As the old adage ment with the events at Roswell. His If they are correct, we'll have to toss all warns: don't get "Taken"! supposed work in intelligence was used our old physics books into the trash— As for the "serious" Roswell evidence: to explain how he came to be so knowl- but don't hold your breath waiting for the Center for UFO Studies (CUFOS), edgeable about what crashed at Roswell Biefeld and Brown to replace Newton. which purports to do scientific research and the subsequent military cover-up," Rodigher writes. Another document, a * » » on the subject (and is also reported to be nearing financial insolvency), has memo purporting to show Kaufmann's The Science Fiction Channel certainly recently acknowledged—witli admirable involvement in a "Flying Disk" recovery lived up to its name with its supposed courage—mat one of die most famous team, was dated July 25, 1947. signed documentary The Roswell Crash— and credible Roswell witnesses appears to by Major Lester Garrigues. Rodigher Startling New Evidence, which premiered have been lying all along. The late Frank determined that Garrigues was still liv- on November 22, 2002 (see Dave Kaufmann claimed to have served in ing, and got in contact with him. Thomas's report in diis issue, page 16). military intelligence at Roswell in 1947, Garrigues not only stated that he had Prior to the broadcast, network represen- allegedly working on the retrieval of already been transferred from Roswell to tatives were promising it contains a dead aliens and UFO wreckage (see an overseas assignment on the date in "smoking gun," aluSough after seeing the www.cufos.org/FrankKauftnannExposed. question, but produced documentation show the only thing smoking seemed to pdf)- His claims were widely believed by to prove it. Worst of all, it was deter- have been die show's producers. Shovels UFOlogists, in spite of certain difficulties mined that Kaufmann owned an old in hand at the supposed Roswell "crash tliat they posed: his name did not appear typewriter whose typeface was an exact site," (actually, one of several alleged in die base yearbook for 1947, and some sites), the researchers had found some- of his statements contradicted other sup- LEVITY WITH LIFTERS thing, they tantalizingly hinted. That posed "known facts" about die alleged Continued on page 36

3 2 March/Apnl 2003 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER Eusapia stretching one of her legs out pairs of critical eyes, put a false image LEVITY WITH LIFTERS backwards past the side of her chair into upon a plate. We must unreservedly From page 32 the cabinet, and groping with her toes admit it." match to that on three alleged Roswell for the guitar lying there ready to be Marriott had not demonstrated that documents. Rodigher concludes, "Given produced by 'spirit' agency. He naturally Hope was a fake but had shown that what all this evidence of counterfeit docu- seized hold of her foot, Eusapia had been termed by believers "impossi- ments, we can have no confidence in screamed wildly, and the seance broke ble" to reproduce by normal means could any details of Kaufmann's testimony, up in confusion." actually be done by a clever magician. even though he certainly was in Roswell Feilding, convinced that in 1908 he Contrary to Houdini, who offered money in 1947 and worked at the base (though had witnessed real phenomena, be- to anyone who could perform a psychic in the personnel office, not intelligence). lieved that Eusapia resorted to fraud feat that he could not duplicate, Marriott We can speculate on his motives and only to supplement her genuine pow- simply showed that alternative explana- why he deceived investigators, but that ers, and so decided to return to Naples tions to apparent miracles existed and will probably be of little use today. The to verify his beliefs. He wanted to be then invited the open-minded observers critical point is that we have determined sure, however, and that's why he to decide for themselves which explana- the validity of Kaufmann's testimony, insisted in having Marriott as his part- tion was the more probable. and can now discard it as we seek to ner in this investigation. "If I am one of the 'scoffers'," wrote establish what exactly did, and did not, The attempt was a failure; Eusapia Marriott who was described by Harry occur at Roswell in July 1947." systematically cheated as she had done in Price as "happily still living" in 1942, "it The problem for the Roswell promot- the United States, and as Feilding himself is not because of any original bias, but ers is, however, that with the credibility expressed it, "Everydiing this time was because of the arrant humbug, cheap of "crash witness" Frank Kaufmann's tes- different." The verdict on the five sittings trickery, and pathetic self-delusion that I timony now refuted, as previously was (Marriott was present at the three last) have encountered at every point of my that of star "crash witnesses" Jim was that they were, "in the opinion of all investigations of Spiritualism, and I Ragsdale, Gerald Anderson, and Glen those present unquestionably mainly, and combat the teachings of Sir Oliver Dennis, little or nothing remains of so- in the opinion of Mr Marriott wholly, Lodge and his co-believers because I called "crash testimony." And Roswell fraudulent" (Feilding 1911). believe them to be in defiance of the critic Karl Pflock has recently noted that soundest of all laws—those of common if Kaufmann has not been telling the Conan Doyle Admits Defeat sense and human experience." truth, then it becomes very difficult to believe the story told by Walter Haut, Marriott, along with psychic researcher Acknowledgments founder of the Roswell UFO Museum. Harry Price and Houdini, was also Haut, the Roswell Army Air Field pub- involved in the Crewe Circle drama 1 wish to thank Hilary Evans, owner with his licity officer who in 1947 issued the (Polidoro 2001). In 1921 a journalist, family of the singularly precious Mary Evans famous press release stating that they had James Douglas, had a photo of himself Picture Library in London (www.mepl. recovered the debris of a flying disk, co.uk) for kindly passing along some inter- taken by medium William Hope, of the would have been in a position to know esting material on William Marriott. Crewe Circle mediumistic group, that, that Kaufmann had been lying about when developed, showed the presence working in "army intelligence"—yet sup- References ported his story wholeheartedly. of a spirit extra. Douglas was so impressed by the phenomenon that he Feilding. E., w".W. Baggally. and H. Carrington. But like Charlie Brown who can issued a public challenge to anyone who 1909. Report on a series of sittings with Eusapia Palladino. Proceedings of the SPR always be persuaded that this time Lucy could duplicate the feat without using XXIII, 309-569. will not pull the football away just as he psychic powers. Marriott accepted the Feilding, E 1911. Proceedings of the SPR, XXV, 57-69. goes to kick it, "serious UFOlogists" will challenge and performed not only in Marriott, W.S. 1910. On the Edge of the never wake up to the reality that their front of Douglas but of Conan Doyle Unknown (The Realities of the Seance!, dreamed-of Roswell Field Goal is just an March; "Spirit Messages," April; Healers who and Everard Feilding as well. He pro- do not Heal," May, "Physical Phenomena." illusion. And even in the unlikely case duced a picture of Douglas and Doyle June.) Pearson's Magazine, March-June. that CUFOS and certain other major with a young woman and a picture of Nickell. Joe. 2000. Spirit Paintings: The Bangs UFO organizations were finally per- Doyle with little fairies dancing in front Sisters. SKEPTICAL INQUIRER 23(3), June. suaded to abandon belief in the alleged Shepard. LA. 1991. Encyclopedia of Occultism Roswell crash, the story would still live of him. He then explained in detail how and Parapsychology. Detroit: Gale Research Inc. he had tricked them and Doyle felt Polidoro. M. 2002. Final Stance. The Strange forever in the minds of the public, compelled to write a public statement: Friendship Between Houdini and Conan Doyle. thanks now to Steven Spielberg and "Mr. Marriott has clearly proved one Buffalo: Prometheus Books. many others. Once a story of this mag- , 2003. Secrets of the Psychics: Investigating nitude plants itself in the popular imagi- point, which is that a trained conjurer Paranormal Claims. Buffalo: Prometheus can, under the close inspection of three Books. • nation, nothing will ever lay it to rest-D

3 6 March/April 2003 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER