Doubt from Skeptics over U.F.O.

Press, 23 January 1988, Page 1

Doubt from Skeptics over U.F.O.

By

NIGEL MALTHUS

and NZPA-AAP

A Christchurch investigator of the paranormal, Dr Denis Dutton, says he does not take the Australian U.F.O. sighting “a bit seriously.” Dr Dutton, the chairman of the New Zealand Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal, otherwise known as the “Skeptics,” said that the incident was too similar to many discredited sightings. “The trouble with a sighting like this is that it resembles too closely innumerable American hoaxes. When and if aliens ever do land on Earth, I expect of them a more grandiose appearance than dumping their ashtrays out in the Australian outback,” he said.

“Would you rocket 100 trillion miles through space just to empty your ashtrays over some Australians?”

The sighting had been reported by a family who said their car was followed and picked up by a bright object shaped like an egg in a cup. It left four dents in the car roof, an unpleasant stench, and ash over the vehicle.

Dr Dutton, however, pointed to the prevalence of claims of the “mystery object attacks moving car” variety. Commonly, they had included claims of dents in the car,

minor burns, visual and aural disturbances, memory lapses, strange lights and weird feelings.

On investigation, however, the claims turned out to be “nothing,” he said.

Nor was Dr Dutton impressed by the corroborating evidence from people who came forward with reports of similar sightings. He said that he would like to look closely at the chronology of the various reports, since people tended to read a published report of something unusual, then use the same terms to describe their previous experiences. Dr Dutton did not want to appear totally dismissive of the Australian sightings until they were properly checked out. “I mean, maybe it is the real thing. But I think I’d advise caution, and keeping your sense of humour,” he said. The former head of the South Australian Bureau of Meteorology, Mr Allan Brunt, said he believed what the Knowles family saw on the Nullarbor as they drove towards the South Australian border was possibly an extremely distorted view of the rising sun. He said conditions on the day concerned were perfect for far horizon mirages and what happened after the sighting could probably be explained by panic on behalf of Faye Knowles and her three sons. •