60th anniversary

[vilakins]

We just celebrated the 60th anniversary of Roswell by watching the DS9 episode Little Green Men (Ferengi at Roswell), and since we were in a time-travel mood, we also saw the SG1 ep 1969 (Sam in pink glasses, hippy Teal'c and the war with Canada). :-)

Comments

[astrogirl2.livejournal.com]

It's amazing how much mileage people have gotten out of that balloon. :)

[jaxomsride.livejournal.com]

Ah that is assuming it WAS a balloon!

One of the investigators who claimed it was a balloon had recanted on his deathbed.

[astrogirl2.livejournal.com]

No assumptions are necessary, really. It's been pretty conclusively proven based on solid historical evidence, which is much more reliable than accepting things that people say many decades later, especially given that a lot of said people have been highly motivated to make something special out of it.

For anyone who's interested in the subject, I strongly recommend a book called The Real Roswell Crashed-Saucer Coverup (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1573921645/bettyraganshomep), which goes into things in great and very readable detail.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

They had a fellow from a sceptics magazine on the news last night debunking Roswell, plus the ex-governor of a state (Arizona?) who swears he saw a UFO once. The news anchors were pretty amused by it all and pointing off-screen at UFOs and aliens.

[jaxomsride.livejournal.com]

Yes but it is much more fun to speculate.
Besides the evidence is not that strong as all the material recovered is still kept pretty much under wraps.The mylar balloon was not revealed until days later and weather balloons are NOT saucer shaped.and do not match eyewitness accounts given at the time.
I doubt if the true story will ever be revealed.

[astrogirl2.livejournal.com]

Actually, I don't think witnesses at the time (as opposed to later on) described it as saucer-shaped at all. The press referred to it as a "flying saucer" or "flying disc", because those were the common terms for UFOs at the time. (Erroneously, as it happens, because the terms were based on a misunderstanding of the granddaddy of all UFO reports, in which an Air Force pilot reported seeing boomerang-shaped objects that "skipped like a saucer," not something "saucer shaped" as was usually said in the papers. Interesting, though, that after that report came out, people then started seeing saucers.) A report sent by an investigating FBI officer to to J. Edgar Hoover in Washington, released under the Freedom of Information Act, even includes the line "the disc is hexagonal in shape"... he wasn't talking about an actual saucer there. (In fact, he says it resembles, um, a weather balloon with a radar reflector.)

I could blather more, but I'll spare you. The point is, especially once you eliminate all the later embellishments, it's a lot simpler to believe in a weather balloon than a cover-up UFO, even if it may be less fun. In this case, I, at least, believe the truth is out there, it's just that people tend to prefer fiction. :)

[jaxomsride.livejournal.com]

Interesting as to what you regard as "fact" is not direct evidence but the report from an FBI officer, which again is just a report. Interesting enough though is that weather balloons were a known phenomenom even then. If it was "just a weather balloon" why such a keen interest in confiscating all the souveniers of the incident that the locals picked up?

The Roswell incident is a good demonstration though of the power of belief and how "faiths" can develop.

[astrogirl2.livejournal.com]

Well, the fact that he made the report is, er, a fact. When investigating historical events, it's highly relevant to look at what the people involved wrote and said at the time. (Much more relevant, in fact, than what they might say or remember many decades later.)

But this really doesn't seem like the place to get into an in-depth discussion about the subject, and I'm not an expert on the matter, just someone who's read other people's investigations on the subjects and found their research and logic sound enough to be extremely convincing. (Plus, I live in New Mexico and have seen first-hand what a huge interest certain groups have in keeping the whole Roswell mythos going.) Again, for anybody who really wants to see in-depth arguments and answers to this kind of question, I recommend Klass' book.

The Roswell incident is a good demonstration though of the power of belief and how "faiths" can develop.

Oh, yes. It really, really is. :)

[jaxomsride.livejournal.com]

Well I wasn't looking for a discussion in-depth either. I find more fascinating the whole belief system that has sprung up round the incident The whole mythos and counter-mythos is intriguing and a good demonstration of the human psyche.
For the sceptic no evidence can be strong enough and for the believer any argument otherwise is a cover-up conspiracy.

[astrogirl2.livejournal.com]

Oh, it is definitely interesting, psychologically. I find it rather fascinating, myself, to look at why people believe the things they do and how certain stories managed to spread and develop the kind of power and persistence that things like, say, UFO beliefs have.

For the sceptic no evidence can be strong enough

People for whom that is the case don't deserve the term "skeptic," IMHO. That's not skepticism, that's just denial. I call myself a skeptic, but show me a spaceship, and I'll believe in it! :)

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

A whole TV series and a town's main industry!

[astrogirl2.livejournal.com]

Yeah. I've been to Roswell. There's an alien on every street corner! :)

Never seen the TV show, though. I think it's on my Netflix queue somewhere, because I remember being curious about it.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

It was pretty good when the alien babies adopted and brought up as human kids were starting to find out who they were as teenagers at high school, but I think it jumped the shark when they turned out to be alien princes and princesses. I don't think you're missing that much on the whole, but the first couple of seasons might be worth watching if you're stuck for SF and want a laugh at Roswell, because they do skewer the town's tourist industry.

[astrogirl2.livejournal.com]

I'm never stuck for SF. My life is full of it. :) But I don't think I've ever seen a TV show set in New Mexico, and very, very few books or movies, and I'm curious about how badly they get it wrong. :)

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Well, S1's pretty entertaining. I can't remember at what point I lost interest, so S2 might be worthe it too; S3 loses it a bit but does tie the story lines up.

BTW Emilie de Ravin (Claire on Lost) plays an occasional character, Tess.

[selenak.livejournal.com]

Little Green Men is the definite version for me. No question about it!

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

For me too (and with added ear porn)! I'm glad they didn't vivisect the little guys.