SKEPTICS UFO NEWSLETTER #73

This issue of the Skeptics UFO Newsletter (SUN #73, Fall 2002) serves as a critical examination of various UFO-related claims, primarily focusing on the debunking of the McGuire Air Force Base 'Dead-ET' incident. The newsletter reports that the National Institute for Discovery Science (NIDS) concluded the story, which originated from a 1980 letter by James Morse, was a hoax. NIDS investigator Roger Pinson found no corroboration for the incident, noting that the official-looking 'Incident/Complaint Report' provided by Morse was likely counterfeit and that former military personnel stationed at McGuire at the time denied the event ever took place. The newsletter also critiques the claims of George A. Filer, a MUFON director who had promoted the story. Beyond the McGuire incident, the newsletter addresses other UFO-related topics, including Dr. Stephen Greer's claims regarding a government-staged hoax attack, the decline in reported UFO abductions as noted by researchers like John Velez and Mark Rodeghier, and the skepticism surrounding crop circles. The newsletter highlights the role of human hoaxers in creating crop circles, citing the 'Circlemakers' group and the confession of Doug Bower and Dave Chorley. Furthermore, it examines the credibility of UFO photo analyst Dr. Bruce Maccabee, who admitted to being fooled by hoaxed digital photos, and discusses errors in the book 'The Day After Roswell' by William J. Birnes and Philip J. Corso. The newsletter concludes with a critique of the academic and scientific community's lack of interest in UFO research, while simultaneously noting that the field has been plagued by self-promoters and disreputable individuals.