Literature Review #2

Summary

The chapter “Area 51: What Is Really Going on in There?” within the book UFOs, Chemtrails, and Aliens dives into the establishment of the Area 51 base and what has been going on there, and according to them, it has nothing to do with UFOs. The chapter begins with the location of the base, what surrounds it, and different ways you can view the base. The authors detail how well protected the base is with guards, cameras, multiple warning signs, and sensors on the road leading into the base. The chapter takes a shift when the authors mention that the CIA released documents that discuss Area 51 and what takes place inside it. As per the chapter, multiple aircraft were tested at Area 51. These aircraft were used as surveillance methods against foreign powers such as the Soviet Union. The chapter discusses various missions and the aircraft associated with them. The chapter takes yet another shift and considers the theories about UFOs and aliens. The authors discuss that there is so much in the media, such as movies and shows, about Area 51 holding UFOs and aliens; it has created a heavy influence on the public, who essentially don’t want to believe otherwise. Additionally, the authors discuss that the UFO conspiracy is an excellent misdirection so that the public doesn't focus on the secret spy aircraft. There is also discussion of Project Blue Book and that many of the sightings are explainable by spy planes, but that information could not be released at that time. The chapter summarizes its contents and establishes the point that there is nothing but the spy aircrafts being tested at Area 51.

Author(s)

The two authors of this book are Donald R. Prothero and Timothy D. Callahan. Prothero is an American geologist and paleontologist. He also often indulges in writing about cryptozoology, in which he also writes about UFOs and abduction claims. Callahan, who is an artist within the animation industry, has also had an interest in science and mythology. Both these authors were awarded the Robert P. Balles Annual Prize in Critical Thinking for this book by the  Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (CSI) who stated, that the book “not only refute(s) false claims and misguided beliefs ... but more importantly they also arm readers with the tools they will need to fairly evaluate any extraordinary claim they come across.”

Key Terms

Spy Aircraft: what was being tested by the CIA at Area 51

Portrayal: Area 51 being portrayed as a hoax in the media to misdirect attention from the secret aircrafts

Quotes

“The isolation of the base was deliberate. Its location was purposely chosen to be as remote as possible. It is impossible to see from the paved road no matter how high up you drive.” (Prothero and Callahan 40)


“By World War II, however, the entire region was taken over by the federal government as a convenient, remote, inaccessible military base in which the U.S. government could do its most secretive and dangerous things: nuclear testing, bombing, and testing top-secret aircraft.” (Prothero and Callahan 49)


“The Air Force’s “Project Blue Book” checked a long list of UFO sightings and found that most reports in southern Nevada could be explained by spy planes 11 (although investigators could not divulge the information at the time). Veterans of Area 51 who were interviewed later agreed with this assessment.” (Prothero and Callahan 57)

Value 

This chapter helps me explore my research question as it goes in-depth on the other end of the conspiracy, that Area 51 has always been used for the testing on aircraft. It is beneficial as, towards the end of the chapter, the authors discuss what might have made people believe that there were UFOs/aliens at the base. They proceed to debunk these reasons with some evidence to back them up.

Citation 

Donald R. Prothero, and Timothy D. Callahan. “Area 51: What Is Really Going on in There?” UFOs, Chemtrails, and Aliens, Indiana University Press, 2017, p. 39–.


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