Thursday, August 11, 2005

UFO debunker Philip J. Klass dead at 85

Philip J. Klass, CSICOP guru and ever-dependable UFO/paranormal debunker, has died at age 85.

Here's Klass' rather defeatist statement on the UFO phenomenon:

"No matter how long you live you will never know any more about UFOs than you know today. You will never know any more about what UFOs really are, or where they come from. You will never know any more about what the U.S. Government really knows about UFOs than you know today. As you lie on your own death-bed, you will be as mystified about UFOs as you are today. And you will remember this curse."

Let's prove him wrong, folks.

2 comments:

Mac said...

Klass' stated working paradigm was that there were no "real" UFOs. Hardly scientific, but closed-minded scientists loved him.

On a more positive note, he helped "police" the UFO crowd. In his own way he was an asset to ufology.

Mac said...

Needless to say, I heartily disagreed with Klass' unscientific approach. But as far as debunkers go, Klass was an asset. While some ufologists blithered and foamed at the mouth, I think the majority of thinking researchers appreciated his role as "referee." And he had a sense of humor, which is more than can be said for many in the UFO quagmire -- er, I mean "field."