Research source

Trick Memo

Date of account: Repository revision bf0636323d
Source: UAP Gerb Video Database — open research notes
Reference: 02 Government Secrecy Cover-Ups · contributor research note
Rights: open_licensed
Language: English
Record updated: 2026-08-24

Record summary

The Trick Memo is a 1966 internal memorandum written by Robert J. Low, the second-in-command of the Condon Committee, which was tasked with evaluating UFO phenomena. The document was leaked in 1967 by Dr. James E. McDonald and revealed that the study was designed to discredit UFOs from the start. This revelation discredited the objectivity of the Condon Committee and exposed a pre-determined bias against serious UFO research.

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--- The Trick Memo – Pre-Determined UFO Debunking Overview The Trick Memo is a 1966 internal memorandum written by Robert J. Low, the second-in-command of the Condon Committee, which was tasked with evaluating UFO phenomena. The document was leaked in 1967 by Dr. James E. McDonald and revealed that the study was designed to discredit UFOs from the start. This revelation discredited the objectivity of the Condon Committee and exposed a pre-determined bias against serious UFO research. --- Contents of the Memo Low’s memo, written to two University of Colorado administrators, outlined how to ensure the study would appear objective to the public while signaling to the scientific community that the committee had "almost zero expectation" of finding anything of value. Key excerpts include: "The trick would be, I think, to describe the project so that to the public it would appear a totally objective study. But to the scientific community, it would present the image of a group of nonbelievers trying their best to be objective but having an almost zero expectation of finding a saucer." "One way to do this would be to stress investigation, not of the physical phenomena, but rather of the people who do the observing... The psychology and sociology of persons and groups who report seeing UFOs." This strategy shifted the focus away from actual UFO reports and onto the credibility of witnesses, ensuring that any unexplained cases would be dismissed as misinterpretations, hoaxes, or psychological phenomena. --- Impact & Controversy Broke Trust in the Condon Committee: - The memo revealed that the committee’s conclusion was pre-determined before investigations even began. - It undermined public and Congressional trust in the study. Dr. James E. McDonald's Exposure: - The memo was leaked by Dr. James E. McDonald, a physicist who strongly criticized the committee’s bias. - He described the Condon study as a scientific fraud, pointing out that 30% of cases remained unexplained yet were dismissed. J. Allen Hynek’s Criticism: - Hynek, initially a consultant for the Air Force’s UFO programs, later called the Trick Memo proof that the government wanted UFO research shut down. Condon Committee’s Legacy: - Despite the controversy, the National Academy of Sciences endorsed the Condon Report, leading to the shutdown of Project Blue Book in 1969. - This established the "official" narrative that UFOs were not worth studying, despite military and intelligence agencies secretly continuing their interest. --- Cross-References Condon Committee – The biased panel that led to the closure of official U.S. UFO studies. Project Blue Book – The U.S. Air Force’s UFO investigation, shut down after Condon’s conclusions. Robertson Panel – A CIA-led panel that similarly sought to reduce public interest in UFOs. Modern Pentagon UFO Programs – Contradictory modern investigations showing continued UAP interest. --- Tags #UFOSecrecy #TrickMemo #CondonCommittee #GovernmentCoverup #UAPResearch --- Open Questions 1. If the Trick Memo had not been exposed, would public UFO research have ended in 1969? 2. How much of the scientific community was complicit in reinforcing the UFO stigma? 3. Coul

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