Cyclops

Perhaps some of the most controversial and contradictory information concerning attempts at space communication surrounds the project known as Cyclops.

Construction of Cyclops began in November of 1971, 20 miles north of Carlson, Arizona. This project was said to have begun operating Thursday, May 31, 1973 and was headed by John M. Oliver.

On February 14, 1976, it was reported in The New York Times under the heading, "Late Bulletin," that Cyclops had picked up intelligent signals from the Ophiuchi star system in a "series of tones, in a regular rhythmic pattern that could not possibly be of random natural origin." This star system is approximately seventeen light years away! The transmission lasted about 28 seconds.

On February 29, 1976, The New York Times ran another story claiming that the Cyclops project had lost its credibility and on March 27, 1976, the President, in a White House press release, accused Dr. John M. Oliver of "staging a hoax of colossal magnitude in order to enlist unearned support for the federally-funded program."

On April 10, 1976, in another press release issued by the President, it was stated that the "hoax was carefully planned, the finished product having fooled the scientific experts across the nation, including Dr. Oliver himself." He said the "supposed" alien message was composed of the regular emanations of a pulsar, over-dubbed with artificially-generated tonal pulses. After receiving the natural pulsar signals, two unidentified astronomers fed the additional compatible tones into the computer tapes for the final results.

In the summer of 1977 I requested a copy of the report on Project Cyclops and received a rather large book detailing the plans and hopes for the project, and a letter from John Billingham, Chief of the Interstellar Communications Study Group.

There was no indication of problems of a hoax in the Cyclops project. That would seem to be the end of it, however, further investigation revealed the probability that the communications were real and had been partially decoded, and that Cyclops would continue under a new name with new and additional funding. The classified black project apparently continues to monitor Ophiuchi and Eta Cassiopeia systems.

Apparently several nations are in hot pursuit of technology for interstellar communications. Contracts are made, then suppressed; information is gained, then buried. As long as rival governments are playing games it becomes the responsibility of private civilian investigators to collect, research and disseminate information. Even if the best we can do is call attention to these projects, that is a fruitful beginning.

Other research into interstellar communications is being conducted by large universities worldwide. Classified as experimental or paranormal research, many acclaimed colleges today are continuing studies begun in the 1960s and 1970s concerning the abilities of some gifted espers to contact off-world beings or to manifest appearances of UFOs at will. Even some federal intelligence agencies, while they publicly deny it, are using espers to seek out and communicate with off-world beings.

At some time in the future, a number of researchers claim, some gifted people will set in motion all the engines of the world and keep them going with the power of their thoughts alone! This new physics or supranormal mental activity does not suggest a solution to the age-old question of the effects of the human mind over matter; it does, however, admit to the possibility of such action and suggests where this action will occur.

The following letter, received from NASA in July 1977 seems to indicate that Project Cyclops was under full power with no hint of the scandal.

NOTE: No letter attached to this article.