Peter A. Sturrock
Peter Andrew Sturrock | |
---|---|
Born | 20 March 1924 |
Nationality | British |
Alma mater | plasma physics, solar physics |
Doctoral students | Lisa Porter |
Peter Andrew Sturrock (born 20 March 1924) is a British scientist.
Biography
Sturrock began his education studying mathematics at Cambridge University in 1942. During and after World War 2, Sturrock postponed his Cambridge studies in order to help develop radar systems at the Telecommunications Research Establishment, now the Royal Radar Establishment.
After the war, Sturrock resumed his education, and was awarded a
In 1951, Sturrock earned a Ph.D. in
In 1961, Sturrock was appointed a professor of
In 2009, Sturrock published his autobiography, A Tale of Two Sciences: Memoirs of a Dissident Scientist, which covered both his research in conventional physics and his less mainstream investigations.
In 2013, Sturrock published AKA Shakespeare: A Scientific Approach to the Authorship Question. In this book, he lays out a method for weighing evidence which he developed for studying pulsars. Sturrock then invites the reader to apply the method to tabulate their own "degree of belief" in three different candidates for authorship of the works usually attributed to Shakespeare.[4]
He was elected a Legacy Fellow of the American Astronomical Society in 2020.[5]
Interest in UFOs
Sturrock has been a prominent contemporary scientist to express a keen interest in the subject of unidentified flying objects or UFOs.
Sturrock's interest traces back to the early 1970s when, seeking someone experienced with both computers and astrophysics, he hired
At about the same time that the Condon Committee was conducting its investigation, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) in 1967 had set up a subcommittee to bring the UFO phenomenon to the attention of serious scientists. In 1970 this subcommittee published a position paper also highly critical of how the Condon Committee had conducted its investigation and how Condon's written conclusions often didn’t match the cases detailed in the final report. Overall, the AIAA deemed about a third of the cases still unsolved. Unlike Condon, they felt these unsolved cases represented the essential core of the UFO problem and deserving of further scientific scrutiny.[7]
Sturrock was curious what the general attitudes of the members of the AIAA might be and in 1973 surveyed the San Francisco branch of the AIAA, with 423 out of 1175 members responding. Opinions were widespread as to whether UFOs were a scientifically significant problem. Most seemed unsure or neutral on the question. Sturrock was also curious as to whether fellow scientists like the AIAA members ever reported seeing UFOs, i.e., anomalous aerial phenomena that they couldn’t identify. The survey indicated that about 5% had, which is typical for what is usually reported for the general population as a whole.[8]
In 1975, Sturrock did a more comprehensive survey of members of the
In his analysis of the survey results, Sturrock noted that many scientists wished to see UFOs discussed in scientific journals (there was an almost complete absence of such articles in journals). He subsequently helped establish the
In 1998, Sturrock organized a scientific panel to review various types of physical evidence associated with UFOs. The panel felt that existing physical evidence that might support the ETH was inconclusive, but also deemed extremely puzzling UFO cases worthy of further scientific study.[11] Sturrock subsequently wrote up the work of the panel in the 2000 book The UFO Enigma: A New Review of the Physical Evidence.
References
- ISBN 978-0787665296.
- ^ "Peter Sturrock: Emeritus Professor of Applied Physics". Stanford, CA: Stanford University. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
- ^ "Arctowski Medal". Section: Recipients: National Academy of Sciences. 2013. Archived from the original on 26 January 2013. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
- ^ "How to Quantify the Shakespeare Debate". Stanford Magazine. 42 (3): 29. May–June 2013. Retrieved 19 May 2013.
- ^ "AAS Fellows". AAS. Retrieved 30 September 2020.
- ^ Salisbury, David F. (1 July 1998). "UFO study causes media sensation: 7/1/98". Stanford Report. Stanford, CA: Stanford University. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
- ^ Kuettner, Joachim P. (November 1970). "UFO - An Appraisal of the Problem: A Statement by the UFO Subcommittee of the AIAA". Aeronautics and Astronautics: 49. Archived from the original on 12 December 2000. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
- ^ Sturrock, Peter (May 1974). "UFO Reports from AIAA (American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics) Members". Aeronautics and Astronautics. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
- ^ Sturrock, Peter. "Report on a Survey of the Membership of the American Astronomical Society Concerning the UFO Phenomenon - Summary". Retrieved 20 May 2013.
- Time magazine. Archived from the originalon 25 May 2005. Retrieved 2 June 2008.
- ^ "Physical Evidence Related to UFO Reports". Archived from the original on 18 April 2006. Retrieved 30 April 2006.
Further reading
- Sturrock, Peter A., ed. (1 September 2000). The UFO Enigma: A New Review of the Physical Evidence. Aspect Books. ISBN 978-0-446-67709-7.
- Sturrock, Peter A. (18 November 2009). A Tale of Two Sciences: Memoirs of a Dissident Scientist. Exoscience Publishing. ISBN 978-0984261406.
- Sturrock, Peter A. (2 February 2013). AKA Shakespeare: A Scientific Approach to the Authorship Question. Exoscience Publishing. ISBN 978-0984261413.