The upcoming SOL Foundation Symposium

Academia

We seem to have reached a 'tipping point' as regards the involvement of academia in UAP studies. Over recent years, we have seen an increasing number of academics from various disciplines taking an active interest in the topic, e.g. Jeffrey Kripal (Religious Studies); Kimberley Engels (Philosophy); Kevin Knuth (Physics); Avi Loeb (Physics); Beatriz Villarroel (Astronomy); Garry Nolan (Immunology); and Diana Walsh Pasulka (Religious Studies.) 

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In addition, learned bodies such as the Society for UFO Studies have emerged, as well as Foundations dedicated to researching UAP, e.g. The European Echo Foundation, and now the U.S. based The Sol Foundation. 

What is the SOL Foundation?

From the Foundation's website we learn that:

"The SOL Foundation brings together experts from academia and government to address the philosophical, policy and scientific problems caused by the likely presence on the Earth of UAP."

The Executive Director of the Foundation is Dr. Garry Nolan. 

"Dr. Nolan is the Rachford and Carlota A. Harris Professor in the Department of Pathology at Stanford University School of Medicine."

The Foundation's Director of Research is Dr. Peter Skafish, who is:

"...a sociocultural anthropologist who has held faculty and research positions in France, Canada, Germany and the United States."

Research

 "Where the science of UAP is concerned, we will support...studies of potential material components of UAP, the possible physics and engineering of their 'propulsion' and energy technology and the biological effects of human exposure to them."

"As for the humanities and social sciences we are seeking researchers in fields such as anthropology, history, philosophy, religious studies and sociology to help us understand the impacts that confirmation of the reality of UAP would have for human society, cosmologies, and political systems the world over."

Symposium

On 17 and 18 November 2023, the Foundation will hold a symposium on the grounds of Stanford University, 35 miles south of San Francisco, California, USA. It is sponsored by the Nolan Laboratory and the Stanford School of Medicine. In person attendance is by invitation only. 

Speakers

 The schedule of speakers, and the titles of their presentations are listed below:

17 November

Avi Loeb. "The New Frontier of Interstellar Objects."

Beatriz Villarroel. "Multiple Transients and the Search for ET Probes."

Kevin Knuth. "The Physics of UAP, with Some Clues about Their Detection, Monitoring and Engineering."

Garry Nolan. "The Material Science of UAP."

Jacques Vallee. "The UFO Phenomenon: A Genuine Scientific Problem."

Diana Walsh Pasulka. "Rewriting the Myth of Prometheus: Innovation Through Off-Planet Research, Data and Environments."

Peter Skafish. "Conceptualizing Nonhuman Intelligence Anthropomorphism and Ontology."

18 November

Timothy Gallaudet. "The U.S. Government's UAP Apathy is Another Case of Massively Misplaced Priorities."

Jairus Victor Grove. "Crowded Skies: Atmospheric and Orbital Threat Reduction in an Age of Uncertainty."

Karl Nell. "The Schumer Amendment and Controlled Disclosure."

Jonathan Berte. "The European Union and Disclosure: Government, Industry and UAP Research."

Christopher Mellon. No title available.

Charles McCullough III. A fireside chat.

Iya Whitley. "Observation in Data: Trusting and Learning from Pilots."

Paul Thigpen. "They Are All God's Children; Insights from Catholic Theology on UAP and Nonhuman Intelligence."

Jeff Kripal. "To Shoot Down Souls: Some Paradoxical Thoughts on the UFO Phenomenon from an Historian of Religions."

In conclusion

As will be seen from the above speakers' schedule, the Symposium promises to be an excellent mix of academics from diverse disciplines. I look forward to the availability of videos of the sessions, in order to digest the impressive range of topics being discussed.