12: Mark OConnell The Close Encounters Man and Writing for Star Trek
In this episode, Beth and Mark discuss:
- What MUFON is and Mark\u2019s years as a \u201ccertified\u201d field investigator for MUFON.
- Dr. J. Allen Hynek and Mark\u2019s book The Close Encounters Man.
- The 1966 Michigan Swamp Gas Case, how it affected Hynek, the UFO community, and Hynek\u2019s career.
- Close encounters of the first, second, and third kind.
- IGY, the global tracking network, and Sputnik.
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Key Takeaways:
- Most people report their sightings because they want to know what it was and if anybody else has ever seen the same thing to connect with them.
- There was no one moment where Dr. Hynek changed his mind about UFOs.
- A good scientist just wants to find out more.
- \u201cRidicule is not part of the scientific method, and the American public should not be taught that it is.\u201d -Dr. J. Allen Hynek.
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The great thing about writing for Star Trek, is Star Trek is forever. \xa0\u2014 Mark O\u2019Connell
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Connect with Mark O\u2019Connell:
Website: HighStrangenessUFO.com
Book: The Close Encounters Man: How One Man Made the World Believe in UFOs
Blog: High Strangeness
Book Recommendation: The UFO Experience: A Scientific Inquiry by J. Allen Hynek
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About Beth Mund:
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Beth\u2019s love for space started as a Space Camp attendee at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, where she would return years later as an instructor.\xa0 After grad school, Beth worked as a journalist, a technical writer for Motorola, and then went on to serve as a Public Affairs Officer for the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. In addition, Beth worked to support the International Space Station program as a communication specialist. In Chicago, Beth worked as a corporate communication advisor to Fortune 50 companies including Allstate and United Airlines. She\u2019s worked as a college instructor, a political advisor, and public relations manager for her hometown city. Beth recently founded Stellar Communications, LLC and travels the country as a keynote speaker- inspiring audiences with her lessons learned from our nation\u2019s space program.\xa0 She\u2019s the host of the Casual Space Podcast, and a self-proclaimed space geek.
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Connect with Beth Mund:
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Email: bethisbeth@me.com & askbeth@casualspacepodcast.com
Website: bethmund.com
Facebook: @BethMund
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Show notes by show producer/podcastologist: Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie