Stay ConnectedGoing beyond the basics… Interviews and discussions with UFO researchers, authors, witnesses, scientists, and others to talk in-depth about issues related to this very real phenomenon. We bring together some of the best minds from multiple disciplines so that we can put our heads together to try to gain insight into this enigmatic issue.
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Caleb Hanks
Copyright: © Copyright Alejandro Rojas (C/O Blogtalkradio)
Nick Pope was in charge of the British Ministry of Defence’s UFO desk from 1991 to 1994. It was his job to officially investigate UFO reports, and although he was skeptical at first, the reports convinced him of the serious nature of the phenomenon. He has been an advocate for the serious investigation of UFO sightings ever since. Due to the large amount of requests, the UK decided to proactively release their official UFO investigation files beginning in 2008. They have been released semi-annually in batches. Then in late 2009, the UK decided to close their UFO desk and no longer take UFO reports. With one final batch of files, that just came last week, the UK government says they have released all their files on UFOs. The contents of those files and the decision to close their UFO desk are the focus of our discussion with Nick Pope. You can read more about Nick at his website here: www.nickpope.net.
Maureen Elsberry is the director of marketing for Open Minds Production. She also co-hosts the UFO web-series Spacing Out!, and writes for Open Minds magazine and our website. She is a Ufologists in her own right, and we will talk to her about some of her favorite cases, how to get the youth involved with UFO research, and how she got involved with this topic. Read more about Maureen here: www.openminds.tv/maureen-elsberry
Leslie Kean is an independent investigative journalist with a background in freelance writing and radio broadcasting. She is the author of the book UFOs: Generals, Pilots, and Government Officials Go on the Record. Kean draws on her research to separate fact from fiction and to lift the veil on decades of U.S. government misinformation. Throughout, the book she presents irrefutable evidence that unknown flying objects – metallic, luminous, and seemingly able to maneuver in ways that defy the laws of physics – actually exist. In our interview, we will discuss the upcoming 2013 Symposium on Official and Scientific Investigations of UAP (UFOs) being held in North Carolina on June 29 and 30. She is bringing together some of the people in her book, and other scientists and government officials from around the world, to discuss UFO investigations. Visit the event’s website at: www.centerforuforesearch.com
Westrum says when an event is widely experienced but seldom reported, we can refer to it as a “hidden event.” Many anomalous events, including UFOs, by appearing to violate common sense or scientific paradigms, fall into this category. We talk to Ron about hidden events and how the public had reacted to them historically and how that relates to UFOs. We also talk to him about his lifelong interest in the UFO phenomena, and his work as a consultant for the Mutual UFO Network (MUFON). Ron Westrum is emeritus professor of Sociology at Eastern Michigan University, holding an honors B.A. from Harvard in Social Relations and a Ph.D from the University of Chicago in Sociology. Dr. Westrum is a specialist on the sociology of science and technology, and has written books such as Technologies and Society: The Shaping of People and Things (1991), as well as Sidewinder: Creative Missile Design at China Lake (1999). He has been a consultant for NASA, for the National Research Council, and also for the Mutual UFO Network. He will be speaking at the MUFON Symposium in July, 2013, and the 2013 Symposium on Official and Scientific Investigations of UFOs in June, 2013.
Ben Hansen is a TV host and lead investigator for the Syfy channel’s Fact or Faked: Paranormal Files. Ben has a degree in sociology and certification in criminology and corrections. He has worked investigating child sex crimes and severe physical abuse on the Utah County Sex Crimes Task Force, and was a special agent for the FBI. He also does TV producing, firearms training, aerial RC filming, night vision consultation, and lecturing. We talk to Ben about a recent UFO sighting he had of a triangular craft in California. He shares his advice on what night vision is best to film sightings, and we also talk about the profile of hoaxers. For more information about Ben, you can visit his website at: www.benhansen.com
Open Minds journalist, Antonio Huneeus, was one of the UFO experts testifying at the Citizen Hearing on Disclosure. Now that he is back, we will get a behind the scenes look at the Hearing. Former congressman Mike Gravel, after hearing the testimony, suggested that the United Nations be the hub for international UFO investigations. Antonio was present in the late 1970’s when this was attempted in the past. We will discuss how this idea could be rekindled, and what it would take to get the ball rolling again.
Lee Speigel, reporter for the Huffington Post, live blogged the Citizen Hearing on Disclosure last week. This was a mock-congressional hearing with former members of the congress listening to five days worth of testimony from UFO witnesses and researchers. We got some insight into the testimony presented, and how the former congress members seemed to be very persuaded by the information. Read Lee's stories here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lee-speigel/ Visit the Citizen Hearing on Disclsoure website here: http://www.citizenhearing.org/
Scott Ramsey began his investigation into an alleged crash of a UFO near Aztec, New Mexico over 25 years ago. Skeptical at first, and assuming he would demonstrate there was nothing to it, compelling bits of information eventually led him to believe the case was worth taking seriously. Ramsey, along with his wife, Suzanne, and with the help of many others, has painstakingly followed every clue. Now in his book, The Aztec Incident: Recovery at Hart Canyon, we can finally read the details of his rigorous investigation. This book truly is necessary material to review for anyone who is interested in alleged UFO crash cases. You can read more about the book, and get your own copy here: http://www.theaztecincident.com/
Ryan Sprague has been a writer for Open Minds UFO for several years. He is also a playwright in New York City. He is currently writing a play based on the events of the third night in the Rendlesham Forest incident, in which a man claims a UFO landed and aliens talked with military personnel. We will talk to Ryan about his play and about his latest Open Minds Magazine story. It is a famous case of an alleged abduction near the Brooklyn Bridge in 1989 that was witnessed by several other people. For more about Ryan’s play, visit the Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/RendleshamPlay
Gary is a former videogame journalist and Editor-in-Chief of PC Gamer magazine. He is now a screenwriter for film and television, comic-book author and podcaster. Whitta’s first major screenplay was for the movie The Book of Eli, starring Denzel Washington. His latest screenplay is co-written with M. Night Shyamalan. This sci-fi adventure flick, titled After Earth, stars Will Smith and his son Jaden, and is directed by Shyamalan. It is set to premiere in June. We talk to Whitta about his new movie, science fiction, and, of course, extraterrestrials. For more on After Earth, visit the movie’s official website at: www.afterearth.com
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