Research Proposal

A Working or Tentative Title:

Area 51: Conspiracy Theory or Coverup? 

Topic Description: 

Area 51 has been an area of national interest for many decades now. Area 51 is one of Americas’s most secret domestic military facility established in 1955. Over the years, there has been widespread speculation that alludes that Area 51 is where government-driven UFO and alien research takes place. This topic has been an area of interest as many people are curious about the UFO and extraterrestrial life phenomenon. According to a New York Times article, “But U.F.O. enthusiasts and conspiracy theorists have long suspected that the base was devoted to the study — or even the captivity — of extraterrestrial life forms.” The popular debate is regarding what the government is testing and researching in the base, the UFO phenomenon, or advanced military technologies. Books and articles such as Area 51: The Graphic History of America’s Most Secret Military Installation, discuss the evidence that points in the direction that Area 51 is a base where the U.S. government tests planes and bombers. 

Research Question:

Regardless of the government continually denying it as anything but an AirForce facility, Area 51 has been the center for UFO theories for many decades. Initially, Area 51 was seen as a base to develop national security that would aid us in the Cold War. Why do we need to maintain this security state now that the Cold War is over? If we have alien technology at Area 51, why don't Americans have the right to know about it?

Theoretical Frame:

One of the most extensive academic ideas I will be using is the use of secrecy and how it is used to cover the national security state or possibly, alien technology. Regardless of what side of the conspiracy theory one looks at, the concept of concealment is involved. If Area 51 is a base where the government tests military technologies, “Area 51: An Uncensored History of America’s Top Secret Military Base” discusses that the idea of UFOs may be used to cover the development of the surveillance technologies being developed. If Area 51 is a place of UFO research, then the government has been concealing the truth for many decades and continues to do so, as seen in the “Bob Lazar: Area 51 and Flying Saucers” documentary. In sources such as these, the world concealment may not be directly used however, there is that constant theme of manipulation, secrecy, and suppression. Another idea present in all the readings and visuals is the idea of development. Similar to concealment, development is present on both sides of the conspiracy. Technology within the United States is being developed, whether through reverse engineering UFO aircrafts or the advancement of current intelligence technologies. 

Case:

One particular case that has played a substantial role in the UFO and Area 51 conspiracy is Bob Lazar’s case. Bob Lazar worked in an Area called S-4, located near and apart of Area 51, as a physicist. According to Lazar, he worked on reverse engineering, an aircraft that he can guarantee was not made by humans or even on this planet. In the documentary “Bob Lazar: Area 51 and Flying Saucers,” he mentions that the aircraft’s technology was something that did not exist on Earth. Lazar claims that the aircraft had the ability to affect and manipulate gravity while we barely knew what gravity was, let alone how to manipulate it. Additionally, Lazar describes the fuel of the aircraft being element 115, which wasn’t even on the periodic table of elements until 2004, while Lazar worked with the element in 1988 and 1989.

As one can assume, many people are against Lazar’s story and him speaking out about his accounts at S-4. Records of Lazar’s existence, such as his birth certificate, were erased. Furthermore, Lazar’s educational records were erased, and there is no proof of him attending the California Institute of Technology or Massachusetts Institute of Technology, as he claimed. Lazar does mention that there are people who verified going to school with him but, because of the possible danger to them, doesn’t want to reveal their names. Moreover, there were no records of him working in the laboratories that he claimed as well. However, Lazar’s name was found in the phone book directory of employees at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, where he said to have worked previously. In efforts to use this small bit of information to prove himself and his credentials, Lazar always says, “They didn’t just hire me out of high school.” In short, whatever that could prove that Bob Lazar was a credible physicist was erased. 

Another example that may add some credibility to Lazar’s accounts is a device that would give him a badge that would give him access to S-4. The device was a scanner in which the bones of one’s fingers were measured, and since the length of every person’s finger is unique, the scanner is able to identify whether or not a person is allowed into S-4 or not. Lazar described this device to the public, and he was ridiculed that there was no such device. Jeremey Corbell, the filmmaker of “Bob Lazar: Area 51 and Flying Saucers,” found this device years later and said that only specific government programs used this device at the time. There are a few other examples such as this one that would make one consider Lazar’s story being real; however, due to the lack of substantial evidence, his story is often swept under the rug. 

Working Bibliography:

Carpenter, Buz. “Area 51: The Graphic History of America’s Most Secret Military Installation.” Air Power History, vol. 63, no. 1, Spring 2016, pp. 55–56. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=116136979&site=ehost-live.

Corbell, Jeremy, director. Bob Lazar: Area 51 & Flying Saucers. Netflix, 18 June 2019, www.netflix.com/watch/81083891?trackId=13752289&tctx=0%2C0%2C8995a24b205d04006eb931002e157d753a56e69d%3A85ccfb179356d69cc1011a14ac8168c85c61c8d5%2C8995a24b205d04006eb931002e157d753a56e69d%3A85ccfb179356d69cc1011a14ac8168c85c61c8d5%2C%2C.

  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–.

Fortin, Jacey. “Storm Area 51? It’s a Joke, but the Air Force Is Concerned.” The New York Times , 15 July 2019, www.nytimes.com/2019/07/15/us/area-51-raid.html. 

Krishnan, Armin. “Teaching about ‘Area 51’? How to Cover Secret Government Technology and Capabilities in Intelligence Studies Courses.” Journal of Strategic Security, vol. 6, no. 3, 2013, pp. 187–196. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/26485069. Accessed 13 Feb. 2021.

“Transcription for #1315 - Bob Lazar & Jeremy Corbell - The Joe Rogan Experience.” PodScribe, 20 June 2019, podscribe.app/feeds/http-joeroganexpjoeroganlibsynprocom-rss/episodes/31d35c7d3eeb49c2a35ce759af3a3e23. 

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