Active: 1995-2004
Founder: Robert (Bob) Bigelow
Location: Based in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Website: nidsci.org (Inactive – but here is a backup saved by Tim McMillan)
“We don’t study aliens, we study anomalies. They’re the same thing in a lot of people’s minds, but not in our minds.”
– Colm Kelleher (Deputy Administrator, day-to-day operations)
History
The National Institute for Discovery Science, or NIDS, was a privately financed research organization, founded by billionaire hotel magnate Robert Bigelow in 1995, serving as a way to channel funds into the scientific study of paranormal phenomena. NIDS performed research in the area of cattle mutilation and black triangle reports.
In 1999, a hotline was established to receive reports of odd occurrences. Over 5,000 calls and e-mails were received by the organization. Officials say many were explained as missile test launches and meteors.
In 2002, NIDS issued a report which said the black triangles were U.S. military prototype blimps, a finding agreed to by other experts but not confirmed by the military.
In 2004, NIDS became defunct.
NIDS Members:
- Colm Kelleher (Deputy Administrator, day-to-day operations)
- George Onet (Veterinarian)
NIDS SAB (Science Advisory Board):
- Al Harrison (Professor of Psychology at the University of California, Davis, who studied how contact with extraterrestrials would impact society)
- Christopher (Kit) Green (the first Chairman of the NIDS SAB, a former CIA senior scientist, then senior executive with General Motors, then head of fMRI research at Wayne State Medical Center)
- Edgar Mitchell (Astronaut)
- Gian-Carlo Rota (of MIT)
- Hal Puthoff
- Jacques Vallée
- John B. Alexander
- Johndale Solem (Theoretical Physicist from LANL who held the Enrico Fermi chair and had published hundreds of peer-reviewed papers in some 50 different fields)
- O’Dean Judd (Physicist, previously the technical director of the Strategic Defense Initiative and later became the National Intelligence Officer for Research and Development at the National Intelligence Council)
- Senator Harrison “Jack” Schmitt (Astronaut)
Sources:
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