Kevin Knuth is an associate professor of physics whose research focuses on exoplanets, and quantum mechanics and relativity. He is a former computer scientist in the Intelligent Systems Division of NASA’s Ames Research Center in the San Francisco Bay Area, where he designed algorithms to analyze astrophysical data as well as earth science data from the Hubble Space Telescope. Knuth is preparing to lead a team of scientists to track unidentified aerial phenomena (UAPs) off the coast of California. He is pairing up with Silicon Valley entrepreneurs and venture capitalists including Deep Prasad, CEO of the quantum computing company ReactiveQ, and Rizwan Virk, executive director of the startup accelerator PlayLabs@MIT, for the project. Read more on Knuth’s work. Knuth is also a member of the Scientific Coalition for Unidentified Aerospace Phenomena Studies (SCU), a research organization comprising scientists, former military officers and law enforcement personnel. The group issued a letter to several members of Congress this week containing a series of recommendations for the advancement of UAP research and the public dissemination of the data. Image credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO/Sejong Univ./Hur et al; Optical: NASA/STScI Full transcript of the SCU's letter to Congress: Scientific Exploration of Anomalous Aerospace Phenomena Subject: Non-profit research organization calls for widespread scientific studies of unidentified aerospace phenomena (UAP). From: Scientific Coalition for Unidentified Aerospace Phenomena Studies (SCU) FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE The Scientific Coalition for Unidentified Aerospace Phenomena Studies (SCU) is committed to the rigorous scientific study of the UAP phenomenon. SCU believes that all data regarding unidentified aerospace objects should be made available in the public domain so that it can be properly investigated by the established scientific community. This is currently not the case with military and other government agency sightings and encounters. The SCU conducts and publishes peer-reviewed research into UAPs, and encourages the open publication of other agencies’ and institutions’ scientific research into these phenomena. In two recent cases investigated by SCU, from 2004 and 2015 involving the interaction of UAPs with F/A-18 Super Hornets and Navy Carrier Strike Groups, SCU discovered that radar, radio, and other EM data collected by the US Navy had not been released to the public. Based on SCU’s preliminary investigations of these events, it believes that a full scientific investigation of the existing data would be able to uncover valuable information relating to both national security and advancement of our understanding of physics, aerospace engineering, and our world. The SCU recommends the following: - that Congress should allocate public research funding through the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Department of Energy (DOE), Department of Defense (DOD), and/or NASA to study these phenomena, whose results would then be published in the public-domain; - that Congress should require all government branches (e.g. Armed Services, NASA, NORAD, etc.) to disseminate all data (electronic and observational), and consequent research on these phenomena, which does not compromise our national security interests, to the open scientific community; Scientific Exploration of Anomalous Aerospace Phenomena The SCU is a research organization composed largely of scientists, former military officers, and law enforcement personnel with technical experience and backgrounds in investigation and who have studied UAP phenomena extensively. The following SCU affiliates and supporters have endorsed the above statements: SCU Affiliates Timothy D. Brigham, Ph.D. Psychology, University of Georgia, GASilvano Colombano, Ph.D. Biophysics, University at Buffalo (SUNY), Computer Scientist, NASA-Ames, CAJoseph S. DiNoto, Ph.D. Strategic Security Studies (ABD), Huntsville, ALMitchell Max Dullnig, M.D. Internal and Emergency Medicine, U.T. Houston Medical School, Houston TX Erol A. Faruk, Ph.D. Chemistry, Queen Mary College, London UniversityPaul Kingsbury, Ph.D. Geography, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BCKevin Knuth, Ph.D. Physics, University at Albany (SUNY), Albany, NYMark Rodeghier, Ph.D. Sociology, CUFOS, Univ Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, ILMichael D. Swords, PhD. Professor Emeritus of Environmental Studies and Natural Sciences, Western Michigan University, MIGregory B. Vásquez, Ph.D. Chemistry, UNC-Chapel Hill, NCSCU Supporters Ariel Caticha, Ph.D. Physics, University at Albany (SUNY), Albany NYSeth Chaiken, Ph.D. Physics, University at Albany (SUNY), Albany NYEric W. Davis, Ph.D. Astrophysics, Inst. for Advanced Studies at Austin, Austin, TXDomhnull Granquist-Fraser, Ph.D., Principal EO/IR Engineer, Collins Aerospace, Acton MACecilia Levy, Ph.D. in Physics, University at Albany (SUNY), Albany NYBruce Maccabee, Ph.D. Physics, The American University, Washington, D.C.Muhammad Asim Mubeen, Ph.D. Physics, Olin Neuropsychiatry Research Center, Hartford CTMatthew Szydagis, Ph.D. Physics, University at Albany (SUNY), Albany NYAlexander Wendt, Ph.D. Political Science, The Ohio State University, OHThe UAlbany News Podcast is hosted and produced by Sarah O'Carroll, a Communications Specialist at the University at Albany, State University of New York, with production assistance by Patrick Dodson and Scott Freedman. Have a comment or question about one of our episodes? You can email us at mediarelations@albany.edu, and you can find us on Twitter @UAlbanyNews.
