Thomas Tulien

Following my particular interests, I began a study of the history of the UFO phenomenon that eventually led to establishing the Sign Oral History Project in 1999. In May 2000, we interviewed Minot AFB, B-52 co-pilot, Bradford Runyon. This resulted in years of research, and various collaborations in order to present the 24 October 1968, Minot AFB case study online. This offers the opportunity to critically examine an extraordinary UFO event in some detail, and to learn in the process.

“That UFOs exist is indisputable.” A four-year intelligence study by Britain’s Ministry of Defense (“Condign Report”) also notes that UFOs occur on a daily, world-wide basis, are credited with distinguishing attributes, “and clearly can exhibit aerodynamic characteristics well beyond those of any known aircraft or missile – either manned or unmanned.” The report concludes that UFOs can be explained as mis-reporting of man-made vehicles, natural phenomenon, or relatively rare and not completely understood natural phenomena. In particular, “the events are almost certainly attributable to physical, electrical and magnetic phenomena in the atmosphere.” Some may be triggered by meteor re-entry forming electrically-charged buoyant plasmas, however, “the conditions and method of formation… and the scientific rationale for sustaining them for significant periods is incomplete or not fully understood.”

The UFO phenomenon continues to defy any reasonably justified explanation as to its actual cause. Professors Wendt and Duvall recently commented that in the current state, “the UFO can be ‘known’ only by not asking what it is.” This disregard of UFOs transforms to active denial of their object status. To this extent “one may speak of a ‘UFO taboo,’ a prohibition in the authoritative public sphere on taking UFOs seriously.”

Contact: thomastulien at gmail dot com