November 20, 2005: Ufology Update - Stanton Friedman

Art Bell welcomes nuclear physicist and UFO researcher Stanton Friedman to discuss the current state of ufology, including his recent trip to a World UFO Conference in Dalian, China. Friedman describes an open atmosphere among Chinese scientists and notes that the Chinese government appears to encourage public discussion of UFOs, possibly to pressure the United States toward greater transparency.

Friedman outlines evidence from Project Blue Book Special Report Number 14, which analyzed 3,201 sightings and found that 21.5 percent were truly unexplained. He details how the Air Force publicly claimed only 3 percent were unknown, and explains how statistical analysis showed less than a 1 percent probability that unknowns were simply misidentified known objects. He also discusses the feasibility of nuclear-powered aircraft, a technology he worked on as a young physicist.

The conversation turns to the MJ-12 documents, the legacy of debunker Philip Klass, and a newly discovered letter in which Klass attempted to undermine Friedman with Canadian government officials before his move to Canada. Friedman challenges the SETI community for refusing to examine UFO evidence while claiming none exists, and argues that advanced civilizations would have moved far beyond radio communication.