New "study" : UK's Fringe Weird Report , page 1

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Topic started on 28-9-2009 @ 10:21 AM by IsaacKoi

Several websites (including Fox 8 news and Unreality Primetime) have reported (or, rather, misreported) a "study" commissioned to mark the release of Season 1 of "Fringe" on DVD.

The first of these articles claims that the new "study" (the "U.K.'s Fringe Weird Report") shows that "over 250 cases of spooky sightings and UFO occurrences have been reported" and that "UFO's are the leading paranormal occurrence that has been reported in the U.K. over the last 25 years, followed by general phantoms and werewolf sightings".

Some of the articles feature the following numbers:

1. UFO's 109

2. General Phantoms 50

3. Werewolf Sightings 21

4. Road Phantoms 17

5. Strange Sounds 12

6. Crop Circles 5

7. Poltergeists 4

8. Big Cats 4

9. Time Slips 1

10. Big Dogs 1

Anyone even vaguely familiar with the statistics relating to the numbers of UFOs reported in the UK each year will know that a figure of 109 for UFO reports is far, far too low to represent the numbers of UFO sightings reported over the last 25 years...

Oh, and a grand total of 5 crop circle reports over 25 years. Errr...

I have collated below some of the relevant figures for numbers of UFO reports received by the British Ministry of Defence (based on numbers given to Parliament in discussions of UFOs reported in Hansard on various dates, which I have previously made available here on ATS).

1959 : 22 reports
1960 : 31 reports
1961 : 71 reports
1962 : 46 reports
1963 : 51 reports
1964 : 74 reports
1965 : 56 reports
1966 : 95 reports
1967 : 362 reports
1968 : 280 reports
1969 : 228 reports
1970 : 181 reports
1971 : 379 reports
1972 : 201 reports
...
1980 : 350 reports
1981 : 600 reports
1982 : 250 reports
1983 : 390 reports
...
1996 : 609 reports
1997 : 425 reports
1998 : 193 reports
1999 : 229 reports
2000 : 210 reports
...

As far as I can tell from the various relevant press articles, the numbers in the "UK's Fringe Weird Report" are in fact simply the numbers of different types of reports received by one individual (the colourful Lionel Fanthorpe).

Most of the press reports relating to the new "study" are, therefore, rather misleading.

Unfortunately, misleading statements in press reports are all-too-common in relation to ufology.

It seems that because the subject is generally not taken seriously, gross factual errors and misleading statements are not a cause for concern...

I realise that this post may be seem as a bit pedantic, but I sometimes get a bit frustrated with such inaccurate and misleading reporting.

All the best,

Isaac

[edit on 28-9-2009 by IsaacKoi]

reply posted on 28-9-2009 @ 10:40 AM by spikey

reply to post by IsaacKoi

I'd imagine they have missed a couple of zero's from the figures.

UFO sightings 109? That many can be reported in a few weeks, let alone in 25 years!

reply posted on 28-9-2009 @ 10:59 AM by Daisy-Lola

21 Werewolves? Goddammit! I thought I wiped out the last of those halfbreeds!

I suppose we have to be thankful that only 5 crop circles were reported. Who compiled this report? It was almost one a day over the summer

reply posted on 28-9-2009 @ 11:02 AM by asIam

Wow.
Werewolfs ahead of crop circles?
Stranger than fiction!

reply posted on 28-9-2009 @ 11:27 AM by lucentenigma

reply to post by IsaacKoi

17 Road Phantoms? Gotta watch out for those ghost cars! Scary stuff...

reply posted on 28-9-2009 @ 12:45 PM by zaiger

Very interesting, why is the UK even wasting time counting and taking all of these reports. With the information gathered it is quite obvious that london really needs to address it's wherewolf and road phantom problems.

reply posted on 28-9-2009 @ 02:34 PM by ontariocanada

how come all the weird stuff always happens over in the UK.
Nothing interesting ever happens in Canada.
Just friends having some Paranormal experiences in their homes.

reply posted on 29-9-2009 @ 04:53 AM by IsaacKoi

Originally posted by IsaacKoi
Several websites (including Fox 8 news and Unreality Primetime) have reported (or, rather, misreported) a "study" commissioned to mark the release of Season 1 of "Fringe" on DVD.

The website of one of Britain's newspapers, The Daily Mail, has run this story with various photos and maps of "spooky hotspots".

Again, the supposed numbers of UFO reports and crop circles are mentioned, e.g. there is a photo of a crop circle with the caption "There have been five official reports of crop circles".

Perhaps someone should point out that the numbers are nonsense - even if you only take into consideration the numbers of UFO sightings reported to the Ministry of Defence (the closest I can imagine to "official reports") the numbers given in this study massively understate the true position.

Another article, this time on the website of the Daily record, appears to imply (as I suggested in the first post in this thread and contrary to the impression given in most on-line reports of the "study") that the numbers in the "study" are merely based on reports investigated by one ufologist / fortean investigator - Lionel Fanthorpe:

A PARANORMAL investigator yesterday revealed tales of aliens, ghosts and big cats.

Lionel Fanthorpe has spent 25 years on his own X Files probe, dealing with hundreds of cases.

He revealed alien sightings were the most common and he has probed 109 separate reports.

Kind Regards,

Isaac

[edit on 29-9-2009 by IsaacKoi]

reply posted on 29-9-2009 @ 05:03 AM by KingAmongstMen

Originally posted by IsaacKoi

Originally posted by IsaacKoi
Several websites (including Fox 8 news and Unreality Primetime) have reported (or, rather, misreported) a "study" commissioned to mark the release of Season 1 of "Fringe" on DVD.

The website of one of Britain's newspapers, The Daily Mail, has run this story with various photos and maps of "spooky hotspots".

Again, the supposed numbers of UFO reports and crop circles are mentioned, e.g. there is a photo of a crop circle with the caption "There have been five official reports of crop circles".

Perhaps someone should point out that the numbers are nonsense - even if the numbers of UFO sightings reported to the Ministry of Defence (the closest I can imagine to "official reports") the numbers given in this study massively understate the true position.

Kind Regards,

Isaac

[edit on 29-9-2009 by IsaacKoi]

I've emailed the Mail upon seeing this ridiculous error you've picked up on.

I'd suggest most do the same. Just what's needed these days to merit a career in journalism? Just I'm looking for work right now and could do a better job than most these inept morons who pass themselves off as journalists.

reply posted on 29-9-2009 @ 06:21 AM by ROBL240

reply to post by ontariocanada

Because the UK is largely populated in small area's (aside from areas in Scotland/Wales.) Whereas Canada is 10x the size of the UK and is mostly vast wilderness, however Canada does have HAARP, secret bases, UFO sightings and the occasional Meteorite impact just like anywhere else.

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