Case file · Disclosure & CE-5
Carl Sagan
American astronomer and science communicator (1934–1996) who took extraterrestrial life seriously but rejected UFOs as evidence of it.
1968 CE · 38.89, -77.01 · status: explained
The account
A planetary scientist on the Mariner, Viking and Voyager missions and creator of 'Cosmos', Sagan was one of the scientists at the 1968 House symposium on UFOs. He popularised the maxim that 'extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence' and in 'The Demon-Haunted World' criticised belief in abductions.
The sceptical view
Ufologists such as Stanton Friedman accused him of dismissing UFO evidence while promoting SETI.
Connections in the atlas
- Chilbolton 'Arecibo reply'
- Intelligent Life in the Universe
- ? What was the "Wow!" signal?
- Carl Sagan
- Donald Menzel
- The Space-Gods Revealed
- ? If the galaxy is old and vast, where is everybody?
- House Science and Astronautics UFO symposium
- Stanton T. Friedman
- Betty & Barney Hill