Peter Sturrock
Peter Sturrock is a well-known and highly respected figure in the scientific community, recognized both for his contribution to plasma physics and astrophysics, and for his substantial efforts to legitimate scientific research into Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) and Unidentified Flying Objects (UFO).
Born in England in 1924, Sturrock received his undergraduate degree in Mathematics from Cambridge University in 1947, followed by his Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics in 1951. His educational journey helped him develop a solid mathematical and scientific foundation, which has strongly underpinned his work.
Sturrock’s career path has been characterized by distinguished roles and landmark scientific research. After obtaining his Ph.D., he held various positions at the University College London and the Atomic Energy Research Establishment before crossing the Atlantic in 1951 to join the faculty at Stanford University in the United States. There, he became the founding director of the Stanford Institute for Theoretical Physics and served as the director of the Hansen Experimental Physics Laboratory for many years.
Sturrock is one of the few mainstream scientists to openly advocate for the serious scientific investigation into UAP and UFO phenomena. According to the report from his peer-reviewed paper published in the Journal of Scientific Exploration in 1998, Sturrock encouraged a scientific review of the UFO phenomena, emphasizing that ignoring these phenomena would be unscientific (Source: Journal of Scientific Exploration, 1998).
Peter Sturrock organized and led this particular workshop, which convened a panel of scientists to review physical evidence related to UFO reports. The workshop took place at the Pocantico Conference Center in Tarrytown, New York, and it was indeed funded by philanthropist Laurance S. Rockefeller. The resultant report, titled “Physical Evidence Related to UFO Reports – The Proceedings of a Workshop Held at the Pocantico Conference Center, Tarrytown, New York, September 29 – October 4, 1997,” was published in the Journal of Scientific Exploration in 1998.
This workshop represented a significant milestone in legitimizing the scientific study of UFOs, as it actively encouraged a scientific and data-driven approach to examining these phenomena.
His work also revealed statistically significant results when he surveyed members of the American Astronomical Society regarding their views on UFOs.
One of Sturrock’s key contributions is his detailed analysis of the 1965 Kecksburg UFO incident, which he published in the Journal of Scientific Exploration. His comprehensive scientific examination of the available data has served as a template for rigorous, unbiased investigation of such events (Source: Journal of Scientific Exploration, 1999).
Sturrock’s efforts have been praised by experts in the field. For instance, Dr. Jacques Vallée, a renowned computer scientist and astronomer who has also studied UFOs, has described Sturrock as a true pioneer in opening up this domain to scientific scrutiny.
Sturrock wrote a book entitled “A Tale of Two Sciences: Memoirs of a Dissident Scientist” in which he presents his journey in the world of mainstream science, as well as his experiences investigating UAPs (Source: “A Tale of Two Sciences: Memoirs of a Dissident Scientist” by Peter Sturrock, 2019). This book offers a unique look into the dual aspects of his career, highlighting his dedication to scientific rigor whether studying well-accepted topics or controversial ones.
Peter Sturrock is a distinguished scientist with a stellar academic and professional background. His contributions to mainstream physics are as impressive as his dedication to legitimizing UFO and UAP research within the scientific community.
