Philip Klass

From The Book of THoTH (Leaves of Wisdom)

Philip Julian Klass (November 8 1919–August 9 2005) was born in Des Moines, Iowa and died in Merritt Island, Florida. He was an electrical engineer by training, and also a journalist, but he is probably best known as a leading debunker of UFOs, arguing especially against the extraterrestrial hypothesis.

In the ufological and skeptical communities, Klass tends to inspire strongly polarized appraisals. Klass has been called the "Sherlock Holmes of UFOlogy" by supporters. And 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." [1]

Contents

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Biography

Klass graduated from Iowa State University in 1941, with a BS in electrical engineering. He worked for General Electric for ten years 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.

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UFO researcher and skeptic

Klass was a founding fellow of the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal (CSICOP). He is best known for his skeptical investigations of reports of UFOs. He published the bimonthly Skeptics UFO Newsletter for several years and wrote several books on the subject (see below).

In his first book, UFO's: Identified, Klass argued that UFO reports were best explained as a previously unknown type of ball lightning. Though initially speculative and provisional, Klass thought that plasma was 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's plasma conclusion met with considerable incredulity, even from some pronounced UFO skeptics who argued that Klass was essentially invoking one mystery to explain another. The Condon Committee, led by the UFO debunking Edward Condon, rejected Klass's theory after assembling a panel of plasma physicists who demonstrated that Klass was out of his depth. (Clark, 369)

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. - Michael Sokolove, "The Debunkers", The New York Times Magazine, December 35, 2005, page 58.

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Books and articles

Books:

Articles:

  • Plasma Theory May Explain Many UFOs, Aviation Week & Space Technology, August 22, 1966.
  • A Field Guide to UFOs, Astronomy, September 1997, pg. 30-35.
  • N-Rays and UFOs: Are They Related;, Skeptical Inquirer, 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

Note - reprinted in The UFO Invasion, edited by Kendrick Frazier, Barry Karr, and Joe Nickell, Prometheus Books, ISBN 1-57392-131-9.

(There are several other articles.)


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Sources

  • Jerome Clark The UFO Book: Encyclopedia of the Extraterrestrial 1998 Visible Ink Press ISBN 1-57859-029-9
  • Timothy Good Above Top Secret: Morrow William Company 1988 ISBN 0688078605
  • David R. Saunders and R. Roger Harkins UFO’s? Yes! Where the Condon Committee Went Wrong World Publishing 1969
  • James W. Moseley and Karl T. Pflock (2002) Shockingly Close to the Truth!: Confessions of a Grave-Robbing Ufologist Prometheus Books ISBN 1-57392-991-3
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External links

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