Nimitz Encounters

Scientific opinion has generally followed public opinion in the belief that unidentified flying objects either do not exist (the "natural phenomena hypothesis") or, if they do, must represent evidence of a visitation by some advanced race of space travellers (the extraterrestrial hypothesis or "ETH"). It is the view of the author that research on UFOs need not be restricted to these two alternatives. On the contrary, the accumulated data base exhibits several patterns tending to indicate that UFOs are real, represent a previously unrecognized phenomenon, and that the facts do not support the common concept of "space visitors." Five specific arguments articulated here contradict the ETH: (1) unexplained close encounters are far more numerous than required for any physical survey of the earth; (2) the humanoid body structure of the alleged "aliens" is not likely to have originated on another planet and is not biologically adapted to space travel; (3) the reported behavior in thousands of abduction reports contradicts the hypothesis of genetic or scientific experimentation on humans by an advanced race; (4) the extension of the phenomenon throughout recorded human history demonstrates that UFOs are not a contemporary phenomenon ; and (5) the apparent ability of UFOs to manipulate space and time suggests radically different and richer alternatives, three of which are proposed in outline form as a conclusion to this paper.

2019

An investigation into the USS Nimitz UAP case from 2004. SCU published this report on our two year investigation into the incident.

History and Technology, 2012

Beginning in 1947, with the first waves of UFO sightings, and continuing in the subsequent decades, debates on the existence and gestalt of extraterrestrial life gained unprecedented prominence. Initially an American phenomenon, flying saucer reports quickly became global in scope. Contemporaneous with efforts to legitimize the possibility of spaceflight in the years before Sputnik, the UFO phenomenon generated as much sensation in Europe as in the USA. In the public imagination, UFOs were frequently conflated with technoscientific approaches to space exploration. As innumerable reports of sightings led to a transnational movement driven by both proponents and critics, controversial protagonists such as ‘contactee’ George Adamski became prominent media celebrities. Incipient space experts including Willy Ley, Arthur C. Clarke, and Wernher von Braun sought to debunk what they considered a great swindle, or, following C.G. Jung, a modern myth evolving in real-time. Yet they failed to develop a response to the epistemic-ontological challenge posed by one wave of UFO sightings after another. Studying a phenomenon whose very existence has been non-consensual since its genesis presents a particular challenge for historians. Posing complex questions of fact and fiction, knowing and believing, and science and religion, this article analyzes the postwar UFO phenomenon as part of a broader astroculture and identifies transcendental and occult traditions within imagined encounters with extraterrestrial beings.

1986

Folklore, 2011

This paper presents a detailed narrative reconstruction of the events that occurred near Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, during the early hours of October 24, 1968, when U.S. Air Force personnel reported encounters with unidentified aerial phenomena. Integrating official documentation—including declassified Project Blue Book case files, radar logs, B-52 flight recordings, teletype communications, and post-incident interviews—this account provides a coherent chronological synthesis of an event widely regarded as one of the most credible UFO incidents in U.S. military history. The narrative unfolds through the vantage points of multiple trained observers: security personnel on the ground, radar operators at the base and regional command centers, and the flight crew of a Strategic Air Command B-52 engaged in a training mission. These observations included radar tracking of an anomalous target, visual sightings of luminous aerial objects exhibiting non-ballistic motion, abrupt altitude and trajectory shifts, and unexplained electromagnetic effects aboard the aircraft. The close integration of ground and airborne reports, along with confirmed instrumentation data, makes the Minot case exceptional among Cold War-era UFO incidents. Rather than offering speculative conclusions, the narrative underscores the limitations of official inquiry at the time, highlighting the narrow investigatory scope of Project Blue Book, which concluded the case with insufficient explanation while avoiding broader implications for air defense readiness or aerospace sovereignty. The paper also examines the institutional filters through which such anomalous data were interpreted or dismissed, revealing a disconnect between field-level observations and policy-level assessments. Situated within the broader context of Cold War deterrence, nuclear command and control, and increasing public concern about unidentified aerial intrusions, the Minot case narrative raises enduring questions about how advanced sensor data and trained human testimony are reconciled—or disregarded—within official frameworks. The event remains a focal point for contemporary UAP investigations and a case study in the historical interplay between military readiness, observational credibility, and bureaucratic constraint.

October 10, 2023 update. After an effort of many years, I have prepared a comprehensive timeline of UFO history that will be useful to UFO researchers and historians. “UFOs and Intelligence” is an up-to-date retrospective of UFO history (from Agobard of Lyons to the newly appointed US investigation agency UAPTF), intertwined with events in US and world history concerning military and civilian intelligence agencies and the cult of secrecy. It is now 679 pages and more than 555,000 words (including a substantial “Sources and Further Reading” appendix). Readers will discover or rediscover many events, people, and UFO cases they may not be familiar with. Some will find it useful for current or planned research projects. Military cases, those involving commercial aircraft, close encounters involving physical traces and other evidence, reports involving occupants or entities, and events surrounding military and sensitive nuclear sites are emphasized, but this timeline covers the full spectrum of UFO history, from contactee experiences to misidentifications of mundane phenomena and notorious hoaxes. Links to online sources are given, and links to biographical information are provided when available. A timeline like this allows us to view events from a different perspective, letting us make connections we might not otherwise see. It forces us to view the big picture, amid the grand flow of UFO cases, military security decisions, a vast swathe of personalities, and world history.

1986

Over 5,500 English-language monographs on UFOs (unidentified flying objects), from the most substantial to the most ephemeral, are included in this bibliography. Nearly 6,000 UFO or related articles in English-language periodicals not specializing in UFOs have been listed. About 2,200 foreign-language books, 1,350 UFO and related periodicals, and a large number of domestic and foreign government documents, non-print materials, conference proceedings, and unpublished papers are represented. Books and articles have been grouped by topic wherever possible. General UFO overviews and unspecific editorials will be found in all-inclusive sections. Other types of material are arranged by format. Volume One includes topics related to traditional UFO studies, while Volume Two encompasses the Extraterrestrial Contact Movement--groups and individuals who claim to be in contact with aliens from somewhere else.

SUNlite, 3(3), 17-18., 2011

NIKTO UTA, Analyses and News About International Politics, 2025