MUFON

The Mutual UFO Network or MUFON is one of the largest UFO-chasing organizations in the USA. Despite their claims of being "scientific", they are not terribly skeptical.

The woo is out there
UFOlogy
Aliens did it...
... and ran away
v - t - e
“”The Scientific Study of UFOs for the Benefit of Humanity
—MUFON's website motto

MUFON was founded in 1969 as the Midwest UFO Network. Its headquarters, previously in Cincinnati, Ohio, are now in Irvine, California. In addition to their website, they publish the MUFON UFO Journal.

MUFON's sadly unscientific method

MUFON has gotten a reputation as a haven for the credulous and gullible. More than a few MUFON members who were surveyed believe they have psychic abilities.[1]

According to their website, "MUFON strives to use the scientific method." (So far, so good…) "Data is collected through online reports…" (Wait. Someone online saying they saw a UFO is considered data?) "A MUFON Field Investigator then interviews the witnesses who made the report…" (Ah. At MUFON, anecdotal evidence = science).[2]

Online alien abduction quiz

More clues to MUFON's approach to science can be found at their online "Experiencer Questionnaire"… which soberly advises: "If you answered 15 or more questions in the affirmative, you might be an ETI contact experiencer."[3]

But wait, there's more

Want to be an official MUFON Field Investigator? Just purchase their mandatory MUFON training materials at $99.95, [4] score 80% on the MUFON exam — and you're in! They'll even sell you a cool Official Field Investigator photo ID badge that's sure to impress the gang at the next Star Trek convention.[5]

Oh, and so much more

In 2018, evidence of wide-spread anti-immigrant, anti-trans and anti-Muslim sentiments among MUFON officials and Inner Circle donors emerged. Going for a trifecta, the organization is also reportedly unwilling to adequately address sexual harassment.[6] Most embarrassingly, in 2020 MUFON head Jan Harzan was arrested for allegedly trying to arrange sex with an undercover police officer whom he believed was a 13-year-old.[7]

Conspiracy
See the main article on this topic: Conspiracy theory

True believers in global conspiracies say that MUFON has been "heavily infiltrated" by CIA and the NSA in an effort to suppress evidence of UFO/alien/New World Order activity.[8][9]:230-231}}

gollark: Cities Skylines needs 10GB of disk space?!
gollark: Well, you could always turn on infinite money.
gollark: I played it a lot, but I'm still... not very good.
gollark: No, the underground subway network.
gollark: even use the roads.

References
  1. A SURVEY OF UFOLOGISTS AND THEIR BELIEFS IN UNEXPLAINED PHENOMENA Skepticfiles.org
  2. The Scientific Method Mufon.com
  3. Fill out the following questionnaire to see if you may be an experiencer Mufon.com
  4. MUFON Field Investigator Training Full DVD Set ONLY AVAILABLE THROUGH MUFON Mufon.com
  5. Become a MUFON Field Investigator Mufon.com
  6. Andrew Whalen What If Aliens Met Racists? MUFON Resignations Highlight Internal Divisions in UFO Sightings Organization Newsweek, April 2018
  7. M.J Banias and Anna Merlan, "Head of major UFO organization arrested on child solicitation charges," VICE, Jul. 14, 2020, accessed Jul. 15, 2020.
  8. New Release! MUFON EXPOSED! by Bob Fiske (27 Feb 2014 05:49) Project Camelot (archived from April 10, 2014).
  9. Behold a Pale Horse by Milton William Cooper (1991) Light Technology Publishing. ISBN 0929385225.
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