Nepedia
Back to Discover
Advanced Reader
⚛️

Stanton T. Friedman

physical science Maturity 11-13 death dying Next article →

This article covers sensitive topics: death_dying. Parents can manage visibility in Parental Controls.

Stanton Terry Friedman was a nuclear physicist and a professional ufologist. A ufologist is a person who studies unidentified flying objects, or UFOs. He spent much of his life investigating whether these objects were real. Friedman was known for using his background in science to study these mysteries. He often called himself "The Flying Saucer Physicist." This title connected his high-level training in physics to his interest in flying saucers. He believed that serious scientific investigation was necessary to understand the sky.

Friedman's early career was rooted in the complex world of nuclear physics. After earning a master's degree from the University of Chicago in 1956, he worked for 14 years. He held positions at several major companies, including General Electric and Westinghouse. During this time, he worked on advanced and classified programs. These programs included research into nuclear aircraft and fission and fusion rockets. He also studied compact nuclear power plants designed for use in space. This deep technical knowledge shaped how he viewed the universe later in life.

In 1970, Friedman made a major career change. He left his full-time physics jobs to pursue the scientific study of UFOs. He became a very active researcher and lecturer. He gave presentations at more than 600 colleges and 100 professional groups. His work took him to 50 U.S. states and 19 different countries. He also published more than 80 papers related to his research. Friedman provided written testimony to Congressional hearings and appeared twice at the United Nations. He wanted to move the conversation away from tabloid stories and toward solid data.

Friedman held several specific hypotheses regarding the nature of UFOs. He was the first civilian to document the site of the Roswell incident. He supported the idea that an extraterrestrial spacecraft had crashed there. He also suggested that UFOs might use magnetohydrodynamic propulsion. This is a way of moving an object using magnetic and fluid forces. Furthermore, he believed these objects might come from nearby sunlike stars. He often cited a 1964 star map to support this idea. This map was created by Marjorie Fish to match a pattern seen by Betty Hill.

His views often put him at odds with the scientific community. Friedman was a critic of the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, known as SETI. He argued that SETI focused only on finding radio signals. He believed this approach ignored the possibility that beings were already visiting Earth. He also criticized famous scientists like Carl Sagan. Friedman argued that Sagan ignored empirical evidence found in reports like Project Blue Book. He believed that high-quality sightings were often dismissed as unreliable without enough proof.

Despite the controversy, Friedman used data to support his claims about public belief. He pointed to Gallup Polls conducted between 1966 and 1987. These polls showed that a majority of people believed UFOs were real. For example, in 1978, 68% of respondents took the position that they were real. He also cited polls of scientists from 1971 and 1979. In 1979, 69% of responding scientists believed UFOs probably or definitely existed. He used these numbers to show that his interests were shared by many.

Friedman was known for being a vigorous debater rather than an apologist. He did not just defend ideas; he actively challenged skeptics. One famous instance involved a challenge from skeptic Philip J. Klass. Klass offered $100 for every error found in a specific memo. Friedman provided 14 examples of typographic inconsistencies. As a result, he was paid $1,000. This showed his commitment to using precise, technical details to prove his points. He spent his life trying to bridge the gap between mystery and science.

Stanton Friedman was born on July 29, 1934, in Elizabeth, New Jersey. He lived much of his later life in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada. He died of a heart attack on May 13, 2019. He was traveling home from a speaking engagement in Ohio when he passed away at the Toronto Pearson Airport. Before he died, he donated his many records to the Provincial Archives of New Brunswick. His life's work remains a significant part of the history of UFO research.

694 words

Where will your curiosity go next?

Keep exploring at your chosen reading level.

More to explore

🔬 Go deeper

More advanced topics to explore

🪜 Step back

Simpler topics to build understanding

What is Nepedia?

A free, ad-free encyclopedia for children. Every article is written at five reading levels, so the same page works for a five-year-old and a fifteen-year-old — use the level switcher above to see this one change. No account needed to read.