Linda & I just finished watching 'UFOs Declassified' on Freeview ('Yesterday' channel!)

Hmmmmm.... As with the previous progs in the series, there was a genuine attempt by the producers to be balanced and reasonable, and the summing up at the end was excellent: "Why would the Air Force need to invent four different stories to explain Roswell? If there was a single, credible explanation, why not announce it straight away"

But (as a scientist) I have to say there were some laughable undistributed premises and pseudo-scientific gaffes on the programme! For example: when the first 'metallurgist' examined the composition of a metal fragment from Roswell, he commented on the high MANGANESE content. Later on, a laboratory was asked to check for MAGNESIUM isotope distribution!

One glaring piece of hokum is the idea that Project Mogul - the use of high altitude balloons to look for evidence of possible Soviet nuclear testing - had to be kept secret until 1996, when the USAF report was published. The rationale for this (given by the report's author) was that it was vital to prevent the Soviet Union from discovering that the US was monitoring their activities! As if the Soviets wouldn't anticipate that everything they did was being scrutinised!

I have to say, the routine rubbishing by the military / intelligence / political community of 'civilian' accounts of extraordinary events like Roswell, Kecksburg and Rendlesham is becoming a bit tedious.