Flying Saucers & Science: A Scientist Investigates the Mysteries of UFOs

by Stanton T. Friedman

Flying Saucers & Science: A Scientist Investigates the Mysteries of UFOs: Interstellar Travel, Crashes & Government Cover-ups is a comprehensive look at the scientific data on the UFO phenomenon. Nuclear physicist & lecturer Stanton T. Friedman has distilled over 40 years of research, sharing his work on a variety of classified advanced nuclear & space systems. He answers relevant physics questions in lay terms, establishing that travel to nearby stars is possible without violating physical laws. Photographs of advanced propulsion systems, on some of which he worked, are included. He also presents data demonstrating the human ability to withstand high accelerations. He shows that government policy on this subject has been to provide false claims & disinformation, a kind of cosmic Watergate. Flying Saucers & Science presents data from large-scale scientific UFO studies few have detailed. It deals with cover-ups as well as reasons for aliens to visit Earth without landing on the White House lawn. He criticizes the SETI program & details the antipathy of some sf writers to UFOs. False notions about those who believe in the reality of alien visitors & the adequacy of coverage by journalistic & scientific communities are reviewed. The book reveals what technologies might allow interstellar travel, where aliens may originate, why they visit & why governments may cover them up. Readers will never feel the same about UFOs again.
Foreword by Edgar Mitchell
Foreword by Bruce Maccabee
Introduction
The case for the ET origin of flying saucers
You can get here from there
From where do they come?
The cosmic Watergate
The cult of SETI
The UFO "why" questions
Science, science fiction & UFOs-
UFOs & public opinion
Update on crashed saucers at Roswell
The press & flying saucers
The Operation Majestic 12 documents
What does it matter?
Bibliography
Index
About the Author

Genres: Nonfiction, Science, Paranormal, Mystery, Aliens

320 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2008

About the author

Stanton T. Friedman was a nuclear physicist and professional ufologist who resided in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada. He was the original civilian investigator of the Roswell incident. He worked on research and development projects for several large companies.

Reviews

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little repetitive, but this guy's a nuclear physicist that worked on government top secret projects during the Cold War. He knows how things work, and he did his research quite well. He puts out many interesting ideas regarding UFO's.

[Erik Graff · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you're interested in an author who intelligently defends the thesis that some UFOs are extraterrestrial spacecraft, Friedman is worth checking out, both his books and his numerous posted interviews and lectures. Similarly, if you're looking for extensive treatments of the Roswell incidents of 1947 or the Majestic 12 documents, his books on these topics may be the most detailed. Besides all this, he comes across as rather charming and often funny.
This one of his books, however, does not deliver what its title promises. There is some consideration of practicalities of interstellar travel, yes, but most of the text seems to be a patchwork of lectures on a variety of topics related to UFOs. Some are standalone, but others, such as those on Roswell and MJ12, presume some background on the part of the reader. As a result, there is a great deal of redundancy from chapter to chapter, indicative of the lack of an editor.
If you've some background and enjoy Friedman's style, this book is worth looking into. I you haven't, start somewhere else.

[Clayton Morris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Of all the flying saucer books I've read, and I've read a few, this one provides science and context for the genre. Stanton Friedman is the world's leading Ufologist and his knowledge, research and credibility jump off the pages of this text. He methodically refutes UFO debunkers with powerful government documents, thousands of eye witness interviews, and cold hard science. Friedman spends much of this book settling personal scores and dragging the reader through complex mathematical formulas designed to prove his point. Admittedly I had a difficult time with the math and the physics of interstellar rocket travel, but I understand the importance of proving it can be done. If you're looking for a comprehensive narrative through the history of Ufology then this isn't the book for you, but if you're interested in arming yourself with irrefutable facts then this is the book for you. Debunkers be damned!!!!

[P.S. Winn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing, interesting and a book I think all should read. Ever wonder what is really going on? you just may find out.

[Steven H · Rating 5 out of 5]

FRIEDMAN’S LAST BOOK, SUMMING UP HIS VIEWS

Stanton Terry Friedman (1934–2019) was a nuclear physicist for 14 years, before becoming a professional ufologist in 1970.

He wrote in the Introduction to this 2008 book, “I finally decided it was long past time to provide an overview and a sort of ufology textbook covering in far more depth the material that I could only touch on in a 60- to 90-minute lecture, or in one of my monthly columns in the Mutual UFO Network (MUFON) journal, UFO Magazine, or on my Website… This book covers, in depth, my answer to such questions as ‘Is there really any evidence that some UFOs are alien spacecraft?’ and covers the large-scale scientific studies the debunkers seem consistently to avoid. It deals at length with the question of whether interstellar travel within our local galactic neighborhood is feasible… It is also easy to make the case for definite major---and generally effective---efforts on the part of the U.S. government to cover up the facts and misdirect the press and scientific communities with lies and half-truths. There really is a Cosmic Watergate…

“It seems necessary to confront the mass of false arguments against flying saucer reality by such stalwart science fiction writers as Isaac Asimov, Ben Bova, Arthur C. Clark[e], and others. In addition, I seem to be one of the few willing to throw down the gauntlet to the practitioners of SETI… who have provided no scientific data to support their strange assumptions about alien technology, motivations, and actions, and have betrayed total ignorance of actual UFO evidence… Clearly, ignorance is bliss for them and those willing to take whatever they say as the gospel truth. It is also useful to deal at some length with the results of a number of public opinion polls that clearly debunk the notion that most people… don’t believe in flying saucers… Because I have spent so much time on the Roswell Incident and on the Majestic 12 documents, I will also deal separately with many of the false attacks on both stories. There seems to be no limit to the baloney being served up by the nasty, noisy, unenlightened group of critics who have consistently been guilty of ignoring facts in both situations…

“[This book] will also provide some one-stop shopping for those with a serious interest in flying saucers who are bewildered by the mass of information and misinformation in both debunking and ‘believer’ books, on the Internet, in so-called TV documentaries, and on some radio talk shows… Finally, I am especially interested in those former military personnel who have had direct exposure to aliens and alien spacecraft, and who feel it is about time to tell it like it is instead of continuing the cover-up. Please contact me…”

Later, he adds, “Two other topics I am not covering here are crop circles and animal mutilations. These are in my ‘gray basket’---they are interesting, but it is not easy to find a direct connection to the flying saucer phenomenon.” (Pg. 58)

He argues, “My point here is that my experience indicated that the Battelle Memorial Institute and the Foreign Technology Division of the Air Force could together produce an unmentioned highly classified technical report, AND an unclassified technical companion report that didn’t mention the classified report. I believe that such a report was Blue Book Report 13, produced by the same two groups. Two people have each quietly told me of seeing a copy of it in classified files. The Air Force has variously said there was no Report 13, or that it was contained in PBBSR 14. The old National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena (NICAP) actually published reports 1 through 12. Nobody I have spoken with has a copy of 13. Based on my 14 years of professional scientific work on classified projects, I am absolutely convinced that secrets can be kept…” (Pg. 48-49)

He states, “yes, we Earthlings can seriously think of going to the stars before the end of the 21st century, if we are willing to commit the mental and financial resources and are willing to do things differently. Who knows, perhaps we can hitch a ride on an alien spaceship going home? The first North American natives to reach Europe went back with Columbus, not in their own canoes.” (Pg. 87)

He notes, “I find it interesting that some people are still arguing for hidden civilizations on Earth (perhaps having come here from Mars), as opposed to those of extraterrestrial origin, to explain the worldwide reports of flying saucers, huge mother ships, landed objects and the like… There have been many followers of the Hollow Earth idea… [who] are convinced SOMETHING is happening, but that interstellar travel is impossible, so the visitors must be from Mars, other bodies in our solar system, or underground hidden civilizations. In the first place, interstellar travel… IS feasible. In the second, building high-performance craft requires a substantial manufacturing capacity: both the requisite knowledge and some very large caves in which to build huge mother ships. Could there be bases under water? Surely. But again, where are the signs of the manufacturing facilities, and why build huge mother ship that can fly up, up and away, if your base of operations is under the ground or the ocean?” (Pg. 98-99)

He summarizes, “My own conclusion is that some aliens have come to Earth from a planet around the old southern sky stars Zeta 1 or 2 Reticuli, that there are probably others from elsewhere in the local neighborhood, and that they have known we exist for a very long time. I certainly expect that there is some kind of neighborhood association with rules about interference with other more backward civilizations such as ours until we give signs of being able to bother them. Much as we would like to think we are the center of the universe, I am convinced we are at the edge of the neighborhood. Perhaps a small fish in a big pond?” (Pg. 102)

He recounts having made a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for a NSA affidavit justifying withholding of documents: “It was sent, though, perhaps not surprisingly, about 75 percent was blacked out. (For those wondering shy we didn’t scrape of the black to see that was underneath I should add that we got Xerox copies of the blacked-out version, so there was nothing under the black ink!) The government agencies may be lying and cheating, but they are no stupid. I must admit that I took great delight in showing the blacked-out affidavit on TV and to my lecture audiences, turning the pages and getting laughter in response to page after page of blacked-out text.” (Pg. 118) Later, he adds “But at least with the blacked-out CIA documents and the whited-out NSA documents, no one in or out of the government can say that all government UFO information has been released. Still, there are noisy negativists who still insist there is no cover-up.” (Pg. 121)

He records, “Another individual who has supposedly released classified information about flying saucers being back-engineered at the infamous Area 51 in Nevada is Robert Scott Lazar. He claimed to have been a nuclear physicist at Area 51 through the good offices of Dr. Edward Teller… There really is an Area 51, where such systems as the Stealth Fighter… were developed. Underground facilities there keep activities out of sight of spy satellites, and to protect them in case of nuclear war. However, none of Lazar’s claims have held up… Because I was being asked about hm, I did some checking, and found… that he was in the bottom third of his high school class … had taken only one science course, and had graduated in August, not with his class. This almost certainly indicates that he couldn’t have been accepted at MIT… Lazar has produced no diplomas from any college---he claimed his records had been erased by the government. I checked with the MIT registrar’s office… No one had ever heard of him. The counsel said there was no way to erase all of one’s records… Lazar’s name appeared in a telephone directory at Los Alamos National Laboratory… [which] lists employees of the Department of Energy, the Los Alamos National Lab… and various subcontractors… He worked for THEM, not the lab… I received a call from a friend of his, asking what it would take to convince me about Lazar. I mentioned things such as a diploma, the title of his thesis and the name of his thesis advisor, a resume, and a listing of professional papers and memberships… I never got anything back.” (Pg. 126-127)

He clarifies, “I am not a conspiracy theorist, as I can certainly prove… that agencies such as the NSA, the CIA, and the Air Force have been covering up UFO information… I have come to delineate the Susskind Syndrome this way: [David] Susskind and everyone else would acknowledge that, if aliens were visiting Earth, and the government was covering it up, it would be big and important story. But because he and other bright but clueless intellectuals such as Dr. Carl Sagen and Dr Isaac Asimov take great pride in knowing about the important stories, and haven’t known anything about flying saucers, they must not be real… such secrets couldn’t possibly be kept from such smart people as Susskind, et al. Right?” (Pg. 250-251)

He states, “The Majestic 12 documents problem is complex and extensive. On balance it appears that the EBD, TFM, and CTM are almost certainly genuine, the SOM L01 memo is very likely genuine… and the Tim Cooper documents are emulation, and fictional.” (Pg. 286-287)

He concludes, “If our governments … are withholding the facts about flying saucers---which they are---what else are they withholding? Is there truly a secret government? Have other items of great importance been withheld? How much has NASA learned about our visitors that we haven’t been told? After all, they have observers circling the planet. I for one, would like to see my great-grandson grow up in a world that has a much truer picture of our planet’s place in the scheme of things… As a scientist, it seems to me that we should be looking at the evidence, not reacting in a knee-jerk fashion with ridicule and fear. The time for action is now.” (Pg. 302)

This book will be of great interest to those studying UFOs, and related issues.

[Chuck Tulloh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I knew author as Terry Friedman when I lived next door to him in the late '50's while he was working at Wright Pat. I was probably 13 at the time. He shared information he was putting together about the UFO phenomenon and was clearly convinced from what he had seen of their existence. Blue Book was included in our discussions.
Since then I've gotten a STEM degree and MBA. My thought processes are generally governed by logic and having discussed this issue with the master, convinced he is correct.
I think Terry was trying to sum up his 50 years of discovery in this book; it's both broad and detailed. As such it's best read, put down and considered, with some rereading.
I found it to be quite a good exploration of the science and lack of it in modern discussions of these phenomena, including what appear to be evidentiary facts suggesting that governments/militaries do in fact know more than they are letting on. It does in places get very detailed which bogs down the process (e.g. MAJIC-12 discussion) but ultimately supports a conclusion that the process was heavily managed and unobjective.

[Scott Waldyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is interesting in parts. The sections pertaining to MJ-12, Dr. Stanton Friedman's hypotheses about "them," and discussions of nuclear physics and the evolution of propulsion are all fascinating. If this book were just those things, it'd be amazing!

Unfortunately, there are a great deal of pages devoted to take-downs of popular debunkers, which gets repetitive after a while. It's interesting to see a take-down of one or two of what Friedman refers to as "noisy negativists," but this book devoted many of its pages to more than just one or two debunkers. And it's a snooze, usually incorporating the same arguments over and over again. Topics like famous scifi author take-downs and media portrayal also fall into this category, and I would recommend skimming over those sections entirely.

[Nathan Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating read in defense of the idea that UFOs are real, that we're being visited, and that governments are covering it up. It's kind of a big pill to swallow for a variety of reasons, most of them discussed by the author. And I'm still not sure I believe it, so...I guess for now I'll consider myself an Alien Agnostic. But the book did answer a couple of my own ponderables on the subject. If only Friedman had held back a little more on his frustration with various people representing the opposition (But perhaps the frequent jabs WERE restrained, given the nature of the frustrations.).

[Dan Zarfati · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would say this is an ok book. The author is world-famous, outspoken nuclear physicist Stanton Friedman, who exposes the hypocrisy of scepticals and displays their modus operandi, and how they proclaim truths without examining facts. The trouble is that all this argumentation is a bit boring and the points he puts forward are very well-known, still to have them in book format may be advantageous to you as a researcher.

[Mark Binsted · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was really looking forward to this book and I was really disappointed. When I was finished the book I was less likely to believe that UFOS have visited earth. The author does a poor job arguing his points. He spends too much of his book trying to convince you of his credentials. It was a boring read, very repetitive.

[Debbie Mcclelland · Rating 5 out of 5]

He tells it as it is, or was...

A difficult topic to discuss in a few words, so I won't try. But...he has obviously researched every topic mentioned in this book thoroughly! I trust this man's opinions. The book held my attention.

[Cheryl Beseler · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book covers topics in great detail not covered in other UFO books. The late Mr. Friedman is a well-respected UFO researcher with credibility. He has a master's degree in nuclear physics. This is a good read for those who want to hear the evidence for the existence of extraterrestrials, the possibility of interstellar travel, and a serious examination of government cover-ups. Probably the most interesting aspect of the book is Mr. Friedman's experience with debunkers and the realization that many debunkers have no knowledge of the evidence for the existence of UFOs nor have impartially examined the data.

[Sharon Zink · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is interesting when it discusses actual UFO sightings and events. It gets a little bogged down trying to trace the mistakes and tricks in trying to demonstrate the lies and inaccuracies in the letters and affidavits issued by the government, the military, and UFO debunkers.