Philip J. Klass
Encyclopedia
Philip Julian Klass was an American journalist and UFO
researcher, known for his skepticism
regarding UFOs. In the ufological
and skeptical
communities, Klass tends to inspire strongly polarized appraisals. Klass has been called the "Sherlock Holmes
of UFOlogy". In a 1999 interview, fellow debunker Gary Posner wrote that despite some recent health problems, the 80 year-old "Klass's mind — and pen — remain razor sharp, to the delight of his grateful followers and to the constant vexation (or worse) of his legions of detractors." In contrast, ufologist Jerome Clark
wrote in 2003 that Klass was "an obsessed crank
who contributed little to the UFO debate except noise, strange rhetoric, pseudoscientific
speculation, and character assassination."
Longtime ufologist James W. Moseley
illustrates the ambivalence many UFO researchers feel about Klass. On the one hand, Moseley argues that Klass was sincere in his motives, and that his work ultimately benefited the field of Ufology
. Moseley contends that, when pressed, most leading ufologists would admit that Klass knew the subject and the people involved, and was welcomed, or at least pleasantly tolerated at UFO meetings . However, Moseley also noted that he and Klass "have had and continue to have intense doctrinal and factual disagreements, and there are things about Phil's 'style', like his attack on [Dr. James E. McDonald
], that I do not admire or agree with."
. He graduated from Iowa State University
in 1941, with a Bachelor of Science
degree in electrical engineering
.
as an engineer in aviation electronics. In 1952 he joined Aviation Week, which later became Aviation Week & Space Technology
. He was a senior editor of Aviation Week & Space Technology for thirty-four years.
In 1973 Klass was named a fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
, recognized for his technical writing. He was also a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
, the Aviation/Space Writers Association, the National Press Club, and the National Aviation Club. Asteroid 7277 (1983 RM2)
was named "Klass" after him.
Retiring in 1986 as senior avionics
editor of Aviation Week & Space Technology, he continued to contribute to the magazine for several more years. His book, "Secret Sentries in Space" (1971), was one of the first books about spy satellite technology.
He is credited with coining the term "avionics
," a blending of aviation and electronics.
(CSICOP), and conducted a number of skeptic-centered reports on UFOs and UFO sightings. He published the bimonthly Skeptics UFO Newsletter for several years and wrote several books on the subject (see below).
Klass's involvement in the UFO field can be traced to his reading of journalist John G. Fuller
's Incident at Exeter
(1966), about a series of UFO sightings in and around Exeter, New Hampshire
. Noting that many of the Exeter UFO incidents took place close to high-power electric lines, Klass suspected that the UFO reports were best explained as a previously unknown type of plasma
or ball lightning
that might have been generated from the power lines or their transformers. He later argued that this explanation might not apply only to the Exeter case, but to many other UFO reports. A plasma, thought Klass, could be consistent with many UFO reports of bright lights moving erratically; a highly-charged plasma might further explain the reported effects of UFOs on the electrical systems of airplanes and automobiles.
Klass initially applied this theory cautiously and selectively in a series of magazine articles. He and physicist James E. McDonald
exchanged cordial letters on the subject, and McDonald agreed that some UFOs might be a type of ball lighting. However, in his first book Klass argued that plasmas could explain most or all UFOs, even cases of alleged alien abduction.
Klass's plasma hypothesis was not well received by those on either side of the UFO debate, who noted that Klass was using one unverified phenomenon—his hypothetical plasmas— to explain another unverified phenomenon—UFOs. Criticism came from physicist McDonald, and from a more sceptical team of plasma experts assembled by the Condon Committee
, who all rejected Klass's plasma theory as unscientific. Since that time, theories evoking similar phenomena with widely differing modes of generation have proposed by commentators such as Michael Persinger
, Terrance Meaden, Albert Budden and Paul Devereux In 1999 the MoD Project Condign
report proposed that "UAPs" comparable to the plasmas originally advocated by Klass (but as amended by Devereux and Randles) may represent a viable explanation for some UFO events. Therefore, while his original concept was discredited, it has been adapted by others and in this regard Klass can be regarded as a pioneer of this approach.
Klass and McDonald afterwards engaged in a bitter, months-long debate, leveling a variety of charges and accusations at one another. Eventually, Klass wrote to McDonald's superiors at the U.S. Navy (McDonald was formally retired from the Navy, but often worked with the Office of Naval Research
), suggesting that McDonald's security clearance be revoked or reconsidered, and he also wrote to McDonald's supervisors at the University of Arizona to argue that McDonald's academic tenure
should be questioned. Even some of Klass's most ardent supporters expressed disapproval of his actions in regards to McDonald.
In the late 1960s, Klass quietly abandoned his plasma theory, and afterwards argued that all UFO sightings could be explained as misidentification of normal phenomena (such as clouds, stars, comets or airplanes), and/or as hoax
es. Clark contends that Klass argued in favor of hoaxes more than almost any other UFO skeptic, but that Klass rarely had evidence in favor of his accusations; this position was echoed by Don Ecker who asserted that during a 1992 debate, Klass made unsubstantiated charges of "drug smuggling" against Australian pilot Frederick Valentich, who disappeared in 1978 after claiming a strange UFO was flying near his airplane.
In the 1970s, Klass heaped praise on astronomer and UFO investigator Allan Hendry
's The UFO Handbook, but Hendry objected strongly to Klass's modus operandi
, which Hendry argued was based on suppressed and distorted evidence, unscientific reasoning, ad hominem
attacks, smear campaign
s, character assassination, scientific bait and switch
tactics, and seemingly refusing to evaluate evidence that conflicted with his preconceptions. Nuclear physicist and UFO researcher Stanton Friedman also frequently jousted with Klass.
In contrast, author Michael Sokolove wrote in his article "The Debunkers": "Klass was the voice of cool reason, seeking to demonstrate that a temporary inability to fill in the whole story should not open the door to wild speculation. His real argument, like all debunkers', was not with the people who believed that they had witnessed or experienced some paranormal event but with those who made an industry of igniting their imaginations."
Klass made this offer openly to anyone. The offer was specifically declined by Frank Edwards
, John G. Fuller
, J. Allen Hynek
, and James Harder
, some of whom were the most vocal promoters of the extraterrestrial hypothesis
. One person had entered into the agreement with Klass. A man in Seattle, Washington
accepted the terms in 1969 and made two annual payments of $100. Then in 1971 he made a bogus claim for the prize. When it was pointed out that his claim didn't meet any of the conditions, the man let the agreement lapse. In his book UFOs Explained, Klass offered to refund the full purchase price to every reader of the book if any of the conditions of his "UFO challenge" were ever met .
However, in another challenge, Klass claimed lexicographic inconsistencies based on the use of Pica typeface in the Cutler/Twining memo and offered $100 in a challenge to Stanton Friedman, for each legitimate example of the use of the same style and size Pica type as used in the memo. Friedman provided 14 examples and was paid $1,000 by Klass (reproduced on p. 262).
Articles:
Ufology
Ufology is a neologism coined to describe the collective efforts of those who study reports and associated evidence of unidentified flying objects . UFOs have been subject to various investigations over the years by governments, independent groups, and scientists...
researcher, known for his skepticism
Scientific skepticism
Scientific skepticism is the practice of questioning the veracity of claims lacking empirical evidence or reproducibility, as part of a methodological norm pursuing "the extension of certified knowledge". For example, Robert K...
regarding UFOs. In the ufological
Ufology
Ufology is a neologism coined to describe the collective efforts of those who study reports and associated evidence of unidentified flying objects . UFOs have been subject to various investigations over the years by governments, independent groups, and scientists...
and skeptical
Scientific skepticism
Scientific skepticism is the practice of questioning the veracity of claims lacking empirical evidence or reproducibility, as part of a methodological norm pursuing "the extension of certified knowledge". For example, Robert K...
communities, Klass tends to inspire strongly polarized appraisals. Klass has been called the "Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created by Scottish author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The fantastic London-based "consulting detective", Holmes is famous for his astute logical reasoning, his ability to take almost any disguise, and his use of forensic science skills to solve...
of UFOlogy". In a 1999 interview, fellow debunker Gary Posner wrote that despite some recent health problems, the 80 year-old "Klass's mind — and pen — remain razor sharp, to the delight of his grateful followers and to the constant vexation (or worse) of his legions of detractors." In contrast, ufologist Jerome Clark
Jerome Clark
Jerome Clark is an American researcher and writer, specializing in unidentified flying objects and other anomalous phenomena; he is also a songwriter of some note....
wrote in 2003 that Klass was "an obsessed crank
Crank (person)
"Crank" is a pejorative term used for a person who unshakably holds a belief that most of his or her contemporaries consider to be false. A "cranky" belief is so wildly at variance with commonly accepted belief as to be ludicrous...
who contributed little to the UFO debate except noise, strange rhetoric, pseudoscientific
Pseudoscience
Pseudoscience is a claim, belief, or practice which is presented as scientific, but which does not adhere to a valid scientific method, lacks supporting evidence or plausibility, cannot be reliably tested, or otherwise lacks scientific status...
speculation, and character assassination."
Longtime ufologist James W. Moseley
James W. Moseley
James W. Moseley is an American ufologist.He has exposed UFO hoaxers and perpetrated fraud in his career and, according to Jerome Clark, has "entertained just about every view it is possible to hold about UFOs, without ever managing to say anything especially interesting or memorable about any of...
illustrates the ambivalence many UFO researchers feel about Klass. On the one hand, Moseley argues that Klass was sincere in his motives, and that his work ultimately benefited the field of Ufology
Ufology
Ufology is a neologism coined to describe the collective efforts of those who study reports and associated evidence of unidentified flying objects . UFOs have been subject to various investigations over the years by governments, independent groups, and scientists...
. Moseley contends that, when pressed, most leading ufologists would admit that Klass knew the subject and the people involved, and was welcomed, or at least pleasantly tolerated at UFO meetings . However, Moseley also noted that he and Klass "have had and continue to have intense doctrinal and factual disagreements, and there are things about Phil's 'style', like his attack on [Dr. James E. McDonald
James E. McDonald
James Edward McDonald was an American physicist. He is best known for his research regarding UFOs. McDonald was senior physicist at the Institute for Atmospheric Physics and professor in the Department of Meteorology, University of Arizona, Tucson.McDonald campaigned vigorously in support of...
], that I do not admire or agree with."
Early life
Klass was born in Des Moines, IowaDes Moines, Iowa
Des Moines is the capital and the most populous city in the US state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small portion of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines which was shortened to "Des Moines" in 1857...
. He graduated from Iowa State University
Iowa State University
Iowa State University of Science and Technology, more commonly known as Iowa State University , is a public land-grant and space-grant research university located in Ames, Iowa, United States. Iowa State has produced astronauts, scientists, and Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winners, along with a host of...
in 1941, with a Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
degree in electrical engineering
Electrical engineering
Electrical engineering is a field of engineering that generally deals with the study and application of electricity, electronics and electromagnetism. The field first became an identifiable occupation in the late nineteenth century after commercialization of the electric telegraph and electrical...
.
Career
For ten years, Klass worked for General ElectricGeneral Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
as an engineer in aviation electronics. In 1952 he joined Aviation Week, which later became Aviation Week & Space Technology
Aviation Week & Space Technology
Aviation Week & Space Technology, often abbreviated Aviation Week or AW&ST, is a weekly magazine owned and published by McGraw-Hill...
. He was a senior editor of Aviation Week & Space Technology for thirty-four years.
In 1973 Klass was named a fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers is a non-profit professional association headquartered in New York City that is dedicated to advancing technological innovation and excellence...
, recognized for his technical writing. He was also a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
American Association for the Advancement of Science
The American Association for the Advancement of Science is an international non-profit organization with the stated goals of promoting cooperation among scientists, defending scientific freedom, encouraging scientific responsibility, and supporting scientific education and science outreach for the...
, the Aviation/Space Writers Association, the National Press Club, and the National Aviation Club. Asteroid 7277 (1983 RM2)
7277 Klass
7277 Klass is a main-belt asteroid discovered on September 4, 1983 by E. Bowell at the Anderson Mesa Station of Lowell Observatory.- External links :*...
was named "Klass" after him.
Retiring in 1986 as senior avionics
Avionics
Avionics are electronic systems used on aircraft, artificial satellites and spacecraft.Avionic systems include communications, navigation, the display and management of multiple systems and the hundreds of systems that are fitted to aircraft to meet individual roles...
editor of Aviation Week & Space Technology, he continued to contribute to the magazine for several more years. His book, "Secret Sentries in Space" (1971), was one of the first books about spy satellite technology.
He is credited with coining the term "avionics
Avionics
Avionics are electronic systems used on aircraft, artificial satellites and spacecraft.Avionic systems include communications, navigation, the display and management of multiple systems and the hundreds of systems that are fitted to aircraft to meet individual roles...
," a blending of aviation and electronics.
UFO research
Klass was a founding fellow of the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the ParanormalCommittee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal
The Committee for Skeptical Inquiry , formerly known as the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal , is a program within the U.S...
(CSICOP), and conducted a number of skeptic-centered reports on UFOs and UFO sightings. He published the bimonthly Skeptics UFO Newsletter for several years and wrote several books on the subject (see below).
Klass's involvement in the UFO field can be traced to his reading of journalist John G. Fuller
John G. Fuller
John Grant Fuller, Jr. was a New England-based American author of several non-fiction books and newspaper articles, mainly focusing on the theme of extra-terrestrials and the supernatural. For many years he wrote a regular column for the Saturday Review magazine, called "Trade Winds"...
's Incident at Exeter
Exeter incident
The Exeter incident was a highly-publicized UFO sighting that occurred on September 3, 1965 approximately 5 miles from Exeter, New Hampshire, in the neighboring community of Kensington...
(1966), about a series of UFO sightings in and around Exeter, New Hampshire
Exeter, New Hampshire
Exeter is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The town's population was 14,306 at the 2010 census. Exeter was the county seat until 1997, when county offices were moved to neighboring Brentwood...
. Noting that many of the Exeter UFO incidents took place close to high-power electric lines, Klass suspected that the UFO reports were best explained as a previously unknown type of plasma
Plasma (physics)
In physics and chemistry, plasma is a state of matter similar to gas in which a certain portion of the particles are ionized. Heating a gas may ionize its molecules or atoms , thus turning it into a plasma, which contains charged particles: positive ions and negative electrons or ions...
or ball lightning
Ball lightning
Ball lightning is an unexplained atmospheric electrical phenomenon. The term refers to reports of luminous, usually spherical objects which vary from pea-sized to several metres in diameter. It is usually associated with thunderstorms, but lasts considerably longer than the split-second flash of a...
that might have been generated from the power lines or their transformers. He later argued that this explanation might not apply only to the Exeter case, but to many other UFO reports. A plasma, thought Klass, could be consistent with many UFO reports of bright lights moving erratically; a highly-charged plasma might further explain the reported effects of UFOs on the electrical systems of airplanes and automobiles.
Klass initially applied this theory cautiously and selectively in a series of magazine articles. He and physicist James E. McDonald
James E. McDonald
James Edward McDonald was an American physicist. He is best known for his research regarding UFOs. McDonald was senior physicist at the Institute for Atmospheric Physics and professor in the Department of Meteorology, University of Arizona, Tucson.McDonald campaigned vigorously in support of...
exchanged cordial letters on the subject, and McDonald agreed that some UFOs might be a type of ball lighting. However, in his first book Klass argued that plasmas could explain most or all UFOs, even cases of alleged alien abduction.
Klass's plasma hypothesis was not well received by those on either side of the UFO debate, who noted that Klass was using one unverified phenomenon—his hypothetical plasmas— to explain another unverified phenomenon—UFOs. Criticism came from physicist McDonald, and from a more sceptical team of plasma experts assembled by the Condon Committee
Condon Committee
The Condon Committee was the informal name of the University of Colorado UFO Project, a group funded by the United States Air Force from 1966 to 1968 at the University of Colorado to study unidentified flying objects under the direction of physicist Edward Condon...
, who all rejected Klass's plasma theory as unscientific. Since that time, theories evoking similar phenomena with widely differing modes of generation have proposed by commentators such as Michael Persinger
Michael Persinger
Michael A. Persinger is a cognitive neuroscience researcher and university professor with over 200 peer-reviewed publications. He has worked at Laurentian University, located in Sudbury, Ontario, since 1971.-Early life:...
, Terrance Meaden, Albert Budden and Paul Devereux In 1999 the MoD Project Condign
Project Condign
Project Condign was the name given to a secret UFO study undertaken by the British Government's Defence Intelligence Staff between 1997 and 2000...
report proposed that "UAPs" comparable to the plasmas originally advocated by Klass (but as amended by Devereux and Randles) may represent a viable explanation for some UFO events. Therefore, while his original concept was discredited, it has been adapted by others and in this regard Klass can be regarded as a pioneer of this approach.
Klass and McDonald afterwards engaged in a bitter, months-long debate, leveling a variety of charges and accusations at one another. Eventually, Klass wrote to McDonald's superiors at the U.S. Navy (McDonald was formally retired from the Navy, but often worked with the Office of Naval Research
Office of Naval Research
The Office of Naval Research , headquartered in Arlington, Virginia , is the office within the United States Department of the Navy that coordinates, executes, and promotes the science and technology programs of the U.S...
), suggesting that McDonald's security clearance be revoked or reconsidered, and he also wrote to McDonald's supervisors at the University of Arizona to argue that McDonald's academic tenure
Tenure
Tenure commonly refers to life tenure in a job and specifically to a senior academic's contractual right not to have his or her position terminated without just cause.-19th century:...
should be questioned. Even some of Klass's most ardent supporters expressed disapproval of his actions in regards to McDonald.
In the late 1960s, Klass quietly abandoned his plasma theory, and afterwards argued that all UFO sightings could be explained as misidentification of normal phenomena (such as clouds, stars, comets or airplanes), and/or as hoax
Hoax
A hoax is a deliberately fabricated falsehood made to masquerade as truth. It is distinguishable from errors in observation or judgment, or rumors, urban legends, pseudosciences or April Fools' Day events that are passed along in good faith by believers or as jokes.-Definition:The British...
es. Clark contends that Klass argued in favor of hoaxes more than almost any other UFO skeptic, but that Klass rarely had evidence in favor of his accusations; this position was echoed by Don Ecker who asserted that during a 1992 debate, Klass made unsubstantiated charges of "drug smuggling" against Australian pilot Frederick Valentich, who disappeared in 1978 after claiming a strange UFO was flying near his airplane.
In the 1970s, Klass heaped praise on astronomer and UFO investigator Allan Hendry
Allan Hendry
Allan Hendry is an American astronomer and ufologist. UFO historian Jerome Clark calls him "one of the most skilled investigators in the history of UFO research." He was the main investigator for the Center for UFO Studies in the 1970s....
's The UFO Handbook, but Hendry objected strongly to Klass's modus operandi
Modus operandi
Modus operandi is a Latin phrase, approximately translated as "mode of operation". The term is used to describe someone's habits or manner of working, their method of operating or functioning...
, which Hendry argued was based on suppressed and distorted evidence, unscientific reasoning, ad hominem
Ad hominem
An ad hominem , short for argumentum ad hominem, is an attempt to negate the truth of a claim by pointing out a negative characteristic or belief of the person supporting it...
attacks, smear campaign
Smear campaign
A smear campaign, smear tactic or simply smear is a metaphor for activity that can harm an individual or group's reputation by conflation with a stigmatized group...
s, character assassination, scientific bait and switch
Bait and switch
Bait-and-switch is a form of fraud, most commonly used in retail sales but also applicable to other contexts. First, customers are "baited" by advertising for a product or service at a low price; second, the customers discover that the advertised good is not available and are "switched" to a...
tactics, and seemingly refusing to evaluate evidence that conflicted with his preconceptions. Nuclear physicist and UFO researcher Stanton Friedman also frequently jousted with Klass.
In contrast, author Michael Sokolove wrote in his article "The Debunkers": "Klass was the voice of cool reason, seeking to demonstrate that a temporary inability to fill in the whole story should not open the door to wild speculation. His real argument, like all debunkers', was not with the people who believed that they had witnessed or experienced some paranormal event but with those who made an industry of igniting their imaginations."
The $10,000 offer
In 1966, Klass made an offer that stood for the remaining thirty-nine years of his life. By 1974, the offer had changed slightly, to the following form:- Klass agrees to pay to the second party the sum of $10,000 within thirty days after any of the following occur:
- (A) Any crashed spacecraft, or major piece of a spacecraft is found to be clearly of extraterrestrial origin by the United States National Academy of SciencesUnited States National Academy of SciencesThe National Academy of Sciences is a corporation in the United States whose members serve pro bono as "advisers to the nation on science, engineering, and medicine." As a national academy, new members of the organization are elected annually by current members, based on their distinguished and...
, or - (B) The National Academy of Sciences announces that it has examined other evidence which conclusively proves that Earth has been visited by extraterrestrial spacecraft in the 20th century, or
- (C) A bona fide extraterrestrial visitor, born on a celestial body other than the Earth, appears live before the General AssemblyUnited Nations General AssemblyFor two articles dealing with membership in the General Assembly, see:* General Assembly members* General Assembly observersThe United Nations General Assembly is one of the five principal organs of the United Nations and the only one in which all member nations have equal representation...
of the United NationsUnited NationsThe United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
or on a national television program.- The party accepting this offer pays Klass $100 per year, for a maximum of ten years, each year none of these things occur. Even after the ten year period, Klass's offer of $10,000 was available until his death.
Klass made this offer openly to anyone. The offer was specifically declined by Frank Edwards
Frank Edwards (writer and broadcaster)
Frank Edwards was an American writer and broadcaster, and one of the pioneers in radio. Late in his life, he became well known for a series of popular books about UFOs and other paranormal phenomena.-Early life and career:...
, John G. Fuller
John G. Fuller
John Grant Fuller, Jr. was a New England-based American author of several non-fiction books and newspaper articles, mainly focusing on the theme of extra-terrestrials and the supernatural. For many years he wrote a regular column for the Saturday Review magazine, called "Trade Winds"...
, J. Allen Hynek
J. Allen Hynek
Dr. Josef Allen Hynek was a United States astronomer, professor, and ufologist. He is perhaps best remembered for his UFO research. Hynek acted as scientific adviser to UFO studies undertaken by the U.S. Air Force under three consecutive names: Project Sign , Project Grudge , and Project Blue Book...
, and James Harder
James Harder
James Albert Harder, Ph.D., was a professor of civil and hydraulic engineering at the University of California, Berkeley. He was a professor emeritus there.-UFO research:...
, some of whom were the most vocal promoters of the extraterrestrial hypothesis
Extraterrestrial hypothesis
The extraterrestrial hypothesis is the hypothesis that some unidentified flying objects are best explained as being extraterrestrial life or non-human aliens from other planets occupying physical spacecraft visiting Earth.-Etymology:...
. One person had entered into the agreement with Klass. A man in Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
accepted the terms in 1969 and made two annual payments of $100. Then in 1971 he made a bogus claim for the prize. When it was pointed out that his claim didn't meet any of the conditions, the man let the agreement lapse. In his book UFOs Explained, Klass offered to refund the full purchase price to every reader of the book if any of the conditions of his "UFO challenge" were ever met .
However, in another challenge, Klass claimed lexicographic inconsistencies based on the use of Pica typeface in the Cutler/Twining memo and offered $100 in a challenge to Stanton Friedman, for each legitimate example of the use of the same style and size Pica type as used in the memo. Friedman provided 14 examples and was paid $1,000 by Klass (reproduced on p. 262).
Works
Books:- UFOs — Identified, 1968, Random HouseRandom HouseRandom House, Inc. is the largest general-interest trade book publisher in the world. It has been owned since 1998 by the German private media corporation Bertelsmann and has become the umbrella brand for Bertelsmann book publishing. Random House also has a movie production arm, Random House Films,...
, ISBN 0-394-45003-5 - Secret Sentries in Space, 1971, Random House, ISBN 0-394-46972-0 LCCN 77143994 (about spy satellites)
- UFOs Explained, 1974, Random House, hardback ISBN 0-394-49215-3 Vintage BooksVintage BooksVintage Books is a publishing imprint founded in 1954 by Alfred A. Knopf. Its publishing list includes world literature, fiction, and non-fiction...
paperback, ISBN 0-394-72106-3 - UFOs: The Public Deceived, 1983, Prometheus BooksPrometheus BooksPrometheus Books is a publishing company founded in August 1969 by Paul Kurtz, who also founded the Council for Secular Humanism and co-founded the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry. He is currently the chairman of all three organizations. Prometheus Books publishes a range of books, including many...
, ISBN 0-87975-322-6 - UFO Abductions: A Dangerous Game, 1989, Prometheus Books, ISBN 0-87975-509-1
- The Real Roswell Crashed-saucer Coverup, 1997, Prometheus Books, ISBN 1-57392-164-5
- Bringing UFOs Down to Earth, 1997, Prometheus Books, ISBN 1-57392-148-3 (for ages 9–12)
Articles:
- Plasma Theory May Explain Many UFOs, Aviation Week & Space TechnologyAviation Week & Space TechnologyAviation Week & Space Technology, often abbreviated Aviation Week or AW&ST, is a weekly magazine owned and published by McGraw-Hill...
, August 22, 1966. - A Field Guide to UFOs, AstronomyAstronomy (magazine)Astronomy is a monthly American magazine about astronomy. Targeting amateur astronomers for its readers, it contains columns on sky viewing, reader-submitted astrophotographs, and articles on astronomy and astrophysics that are readable by nonscientists....
, September 1997, pg. 30-35. - N-Rays and UFOs: Are They Related;, Skeptical InquirerSkeptical InquirerThe Skeptical Inquirer is a bimonthly American magazine published by the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry with the subtitle: The magazine for science and reason....
, 2(1)57-61 - NASA, the White House, and UFOs, Skeptical Inquirer, 2(2)72-81
- UFOs, the CIA, and the New York Times, Skeptical Inquirer, 4(3)2-5
- UFO Federation Falls on Hard Times, Skeptical Inquirer, 9(4)314-316
- The "Top-Secret UFO Papers" NSA Won't Release, Skeptical Inquirer, vol. 10, reprinted in The UFO Invasion
- Crash of the Crashed Saucer Claim, Skeptical Inquirer, vol. 10, reprinted in The UFO Invasion
- A Hoax UFO Document, Skeptical Inquirer, l0(3) 238-239.
- The Condon UFO Study, Skeptical Inquirer, l0(4) 328-341, reprinted in The UFO Invasion
- FAA Data Sheds New Light on JAL Pilot's Report, Skeptical Inquirer, vol 11, reprinted in The UFO Invasion
- The MJ-12 Crashed Saucer Documents, Skeptical Inquirer, vol. 12, reprinted in The UFO Invasion
- The MJ-12 Papers "Authenticated"?, Skeptical Inquirer, vol. 13, reprinted in The UFO Invasion
- New Evidence of MJ-12 Hoax, Skeptical Inquirer, 14(2)135-140, reprinted in The UFO Invasion
- Additional Comments about the "Unusual Personal Experiences Survey", Skeptical Inquirer, vol. 17, reprinted in The UFO Invasion
- Time Challenges John Mack's UFO Abduction Efforts, Skeptical Inquirer, vol. 12, reprinted in The UFO Invasion
- The GAO Roswell Report and Congressman Schiff, Skeptical Inquirer, vol. 18, reprinted in The UFO Invasion
- That's Entertainment! TV's UFO Coverup, Skeptical Inquirer, vol 20, reprinted in The UFO Invasion
External links
- Washington Post article on Klass' death
- A 1981 article from Fate magazine which offers a critical view of Klass
- American Philosophical Society, collection of papers
- CSICOP
- Klass' "Skeptics UFO Newsletter"
- Index of Skeptical Inquirer articles, by topic