Sci-Fi Channel Looks for LGM in NASA Files

SharkJumper writes "The Sci-Fi channel expects to file a lawsuit within the week against NASA. They are attempting to gain access under the Freedom of Information Act to classified documents concerning a 1965 UFO sighting in Kecksburg, Pennsylvania. The Department of Defense, Army, and Air Force are next on their list. Here's Sci-Fi's account of the story."

Sounds familiar

[DeadSea]

I lived in Acme, PA [mapquest.com] just south of Kecksburg for about 9 years. I talked to a couple of the firefighters that went into the woods that night before the Army got there. From what I understand, the object that landed was an acorn shaped about the size of a car. It had strange markings around the rim that did not appear to be any language with which the the firefighters were familiar. They knew English and one of them said he would have recognized Russian.

In any case, the little down is making the most of it. There isn't much else in the down. The only industry when I was there was a Pepsi bottling plant. That shut down and was converted later into an aluminum camper manufacturing plant. The only other thing in the town center is the firehall where they have linedancing on Friday nights. The firehall has a giant acorn shaped UFO replica on the top now. ;-)

Dude NASA isn't going to go through with it

[xintegerx]

It is standard practice that when submitting a request for public or declassified information from state and federal government agencies under the Freedom of Information Act, the angency must reply within 10 days. (The agency might also request a reasonable fee to accomodate researching and sending the information.) Of course, if 10 days expires, what do you do? Of course you "sue" the agency. Not "sue" in financial terms, but "sue" as in "bring this in front of the court to get a court order to release this information." And the government will not have to pay a penny to Sci-Fi, since all the court order will ask for is the release of the information. Simple as that.

Actually, many times agencies are not smart enough to even know about the FIA, and thus can easily use the incompetence excuse or "I never got it" even though you sent your request and have a proof of receipt that they did get it. Geez...

Re:Classified Documents

[SparklesMalone]

The regulations [gsa.gov] have 9 exemptions, and yes, the first is "classified national defense and foreign relations information". Of course the suit will probably attempt to question the merits of the classification.

Carl Sagan's Baloney Detection Kit

[Kaimelar]

I feel compelled to add a link to Carl Sagan's Baloney Detection Kit to this discussion:

http://www.skeptics.com.au/journal/baloney.htm [skeptics.com.au]

And if this interests you, read Sagan's book, A Demon-Haunted World [amazon.com].

Alien invasions, abductions, etc. are great topics for movies, comic books, video games, and other forms of entertainment -- and the domain of the Sci-Fi Channel is, in fact, entertainment. But it saddens me to know that people are going to see stunts like this and begin to confuse fact with fiction -- you know, the "Fi" in Sci-Fi. :-)

People of the world, I beg you: please, please, don't take anything as fact without bothering to examine it rationally and critically.

Re:Coincidental Developments

[s20451]

As much as I love a good conspiracy story, integrated the first integrated circuits date to 1958 [ti.com]. A much better story would be the Roswell (UFO crash in July 1947) - Transistor (Bell Labs produced the first one in December 1947) connection.

Re:So what DOES the "fi" stand for in sci-fi then?

[calethix]

Since they cancel shows like Farscape but then pick up John Edwards, I'd say they've got the 'fi' part down but need to work on the 'sci'.

Re:Great.

[jgoemat]

They're not suing for money though, they're suing for the courts to force NASA to release documents.

Re:They're Made Out Of Meat

[GeneralEmergency]

Apparently, Terry is not concerned and appreciates the attribution.

http://www.terrybisson.com/meat.html [terrybisson.com]

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