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PSYCHIC VIBRATIONS ROBERT SHEAFFER

Bigelow’s Aerospace and Saucer Emporium

erhaps you’ve seen news stories 2006, was awarded (reported in this column back in about Bigelow Aerospace, founded the Innovator Award by the Arthur C. May/June 1998), which some describe Pby real estate millionaire Clarke Foundation. as a “Hyperdimensional Portal Area” or Robert Bigelow, who made his money But there is one space-related issue “Stargate.” The ranch is said to be in- with his chain of Budget Suites hotels. troubling Mr. Bigelow, one on which he fested by an alien or shape- Following a path quite different from feels the need to obtain, even at poten- shifting creature known as “Skin- that of other companies involved in tially great cost, the best counsel avail- walker,” taking its name from Native commercial space ventures, Bigelow able: UFOs. It is not clear whether he American legends similar to European Aerospace has a bold plan to launch an fears that UFOs will interfere with his legends about werewolves. NIDS re- inflatable, orbiting space station as a des- future orbiting hotel chain or if he searchers investigated the ranch starting tination for space tourists by 2012. The believes that UFOs harbor some secrets in 1996. They compiled an impressive company plans to offer the well-heeled of propulsion or anti-gravity that his collection of what might be termed tourist the opportunity for a four-week engineers might someday be able to put “ghost stories” but, in spite of having sojourn in its orbiting space station for to good use. Whichever it is, Bigelow has access to sophisticated electronic equip- $15 million. But unlike some space contracted MUFON, the largest UFO ment, failed to obtain any actual proof entrepreneurs whose plans never leave group in the U.S., with potentially very that anything unexplainable was going earth, Bigelow Aerospace has already large sums of money for the pursuit of on. For a collection of wild claims and succeeded in orbiting two of its proto- first-hand UFO information. Indeed, stories about this ranch, check out type modules on Russian rockets: longtime UFO activist Ed Komarek is www.aliendave.com/UUFOH_The- in 2006 and Genesis II in suggesting that Bigelow’s goal is nothing Ranch.html. Rumor has it that MUFON 2007. These are inflatable modules with less than an “alien reengineering project.” will now take over the investigation of this sophisticated cameras and electronic Bigelow has a long history in the “haunted” place. packages to demonstrate the feasibility of matter of UFOs and “paranormal” sub- It might be most accurate to describe this unique and untried approach. As of jects. He was the principal sponsor of MUFON as “the largest remaining UFO this writing, both modules remain in the Las Vegas-based National Institute group in the U.S.” since there used to be orbit and continue to send back data. In for Discovery Sciences (NIDS) from its others of at least its size. Founded in founding in 1995 until it was placed on Illinois in 1969 by Walt Andrus, it was Robert Sheaffer’s “Psychic Vibrations” col- “inactive status” in 2004. The NIDS originally known as the Midwest UFO umn has appeared in the SKEPTICAL Web site is still up (www.nidsci.org) but Network. Geographically, it was posi- INQUIRER for the past thirty years, and he is apparently has not been updated since tioned between its better-known rivals author of UFO Sightings: The Evidence 2004. It reports on a number of UFO the National Investigations Committee (Prometheus 1998). He now lives near San investigations, alleged cattle mutila- on Aerial Phenomena (NICAP), head- Diego, California, where he spends his time tions, and other far-out stuff. The best- quartered in Washington, D.C., and doing amateur astronomy, writing, and known and most controversial project the Aerial Phenomena Research Organ- singing in some local opera productions. His undertaken by NIDS was its purchase of ization (APRO) in Tucson, Arizona. Web site is at www.debunker.com. a supposedly “haunted” ranch in Utah However, each of these UFO groups

26 Volume 33, Issue 4 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER SI J-A 2009 pgs 6/3/09 12:16 PM Page 27 Photo: Bigelow Aerospace Bigelow Aerospace has a bold plan to launch an inflatable, orbiting space station as a destination for space tourists by 2012. maintained its own far-flung roster of the intelligence” of the reader. During a great deal of uncertainty concerning investigators and “scientific consultants” the Andrus years, MUFON publicly UFOs and would not even make a so that any group might have a presence booted out a number of its most promi- defense of the Roswell crash claims. His more or less anywhere. Andrus had orig- nent investigators for the sin of being too position is essentially the same as that of inally been affiliated with APRO but got skeptical about one UFO case or another the late J. Allen Hynek, former scientific into a feud with its directors, the late that Andrus was determined to defend, advisor for the U.S. Air Force’s Project Coral and Jim Lorenzen, and struck off most notably Ed Walters’s absurdly Bluebook: he is sure that UFOs repre- on his own. With the demise of its rivals, unconvincing hoax UFO photos from sent something unknown and signifi- MUFON found itself the last man Gulf Breeze, Florida. Probably Andrus cant but does not claim to know what. standing. It reformulated itself as the found that the publicity over the Gulf Since it became a national organiza- Mutual UFO Network and picked up Breeze photos was helping MUFON tion (now headquartered in Colorado), many of the fading groups’ most active gain members, and thus criticism of the MUFON has appointed state directors, and valuable members. case was unwelcome within MUFON subdirectors, and investigators, as well as Walt Andrus remained at the helm of no matter how solid and factual. establishing local groups that sponsor MUFON until his retirement in 2000. I John Schuessler took over MUFON lectures and meetings. Throw a dart at a met Andrus at the National UFO until his own retirement in 2006, suc- map of the U.S., and wherever it may Conference in Phoenix in 1984. He was ceeded by the much younger James land, MUFON will have some person an irascible man who appeared untrou- Carrion. I heard Carrion speak to whose responsibility it is to investigate a bled by doubts about UFOs and who Mensa last year in Denver and chatted UFO report at that location. While was barely able to tolerate skepticism in with him afterward. Clearly more cau- MUFON may seem large, it is very thin. any form. He described my 1981 skepti- tious than Andrus and not so hostile to With 2,500 members spread nation- cal book The UFO Verdict as “an insult to skeptical questions, Carrion admitted to wide, this means that an average-sized

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state will have about fifty members, Incentive payments and bonuses are also furnished them with a special toll-free most of whom do nothing except available for those whose contributions number which they can call 24 hours a receive the publication. In reality, 80 to excel. The results of SIP’s first few day, seven days a week. Every night we 90 percent of the members of a volunteer months of investigations are scheduled get at least one call . . . we contact one organization typically contribute little if to be presented at MUFON’s annual of our 300 regional representatives, and any useful work, which shows how thinly convention in Denver this August. they go and interview the witnesses. spread organized is. While Bigelow and MUFON are no Geiger counters, soil samples, physiolog- It is exactly this matter of “a volun- doubt expecting great results, perhaps ical effects, etc., are all involved in the teer organization” that Bigelow is seek- even dramatic breakthroughs, from investigation.” Hynek gave no explana- ing to change. Bigelow’s proposal is to investigations of UFOs in near-real tion of why he had not given up on generously fund the efforts of MUFON time, this “Star Team” is not, however, UFOs as he earlier said he would if a investigators to enable them to respond the first attempt within organized year-long study yielded no solid evidence. quickly to alleged UFO incidents. The UFOlogy to create a “rapid response Other “rapid response” efforts to agreement between Bigelow Aerospace team” to quickly investigate reports. In catch UFOs have likewise been Advanced Space Studies (BAASS) and an article in Playboy (December 1967), attempted. Peter Davenport’s National MUFON sets up a “Star Team Impact Hynek proposed (and later imple- UFO Reporting Center has been col- Project” (SIP), with an initial funding mented) a national toll-free UFO lecting UFO reports on its telephone period from five months to a year, with Hotline to be “manned 24 hours a day hotline since 1974, many from law the option to renew for a second year. by competent interrogators capable of enforcement and emergency service

There is one space-related issue troubling Mr. Bigelow, one on which he feels the need to obtain, even at potentially great cost, the best counsel available: UFOs.

Investigations will be limited to cases recognizing a true UFO report from a agencies, yet UFO proof continues to where physical effects of a UFO are prankster’s report.... If the report elude them. In 1977 France’s CNES, reported or where “living beings” are passes preliminary and immediate their equivalent of NASA, created the allegedly sighted or where “reality trans- screening, headquarters notifies the local agency GEPAN to officially sponsor formation” is said to occur. “Lights seen police and they rush to the scene.” He investigations of UFO reports. It, too, in the sky” do not qualify for paid inves- explained how he expected solid and failed to come up with anything really tigation, a decision with which Hynek irrefutable UFO data “within a year of convincing, and CNES terminated all would have surely agreed. Anyone who the initiation of such a no-nonsense pro- UFO investigations in 2004. In the late is already a MUFON investigator can gram.” But in a moment of perhaps 1990s, when according to news reports apply for a position with SIP, although unguarded optimism, Hynek added, “if Mexico City was being inundated by a new or inexperienced investigators are the UFO-1000 program is sincerely and Saucer Blitz, Mexican UFOlogist and expected to demonstrate their skills by intensively carried out for a full year and TV personality Jaime Mausson organized performing investigations of routine yields nothing, this, in itself, would be Los Vigilantes, who were supposed to be UFO sightings before moving up to SIP. of great negative significance. Then we ready to respond to saucer reports with Additionally, Bigelow is in the process of could go back to the ‘real, common- cameras and such at very short notice. contracting up to fifty scientists, who sense world’ of pre-UFO days—shrug- They never obtained anything of signifi- are expected to be on the scene within ging it all off with ‘There must have cance, so far as I am aware. Obviously twenty-four hours after significant UFO been a virus going around.’” Bigelow and MUFON must expect that incidents, to perform state-of-the-art In an interview in Saga UFO Report their “rapid response” efforts will bear investigations of whatever artifacts or (August 1976), Hynek explained how more fruit than these others did, data the SIP investigators may obtain. his national hotline was working out: although I cannot see any reason to All of the investigators’ travel expenses “In an unprecedented move, the FBI expect them to have any greater success will be covered, as well as a paid stipend printed an article of mine in their than others who valiantly chased the of $100 per day of investigation. monthly bulletin [February 1975]. We UFO will-of-the-wisp. !

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