June 12, 2009
SV Podcast 017: The Bob White Object
Bob White says that he found a piece of an alien spacecraft in the desert in 1984. Did he? What did he find? Logisti and Stephen do their best to figure it out.
Get Flash to see this player.
Direct download link here.
![]() |
| ^ Please Support our Sponsor |
Leave a Comment
Special thanks to our friends at Red 3 Enterprises, be sure to check out their terrific e-stores.


Comments on SV Podcast 017: The Bob White Object »
CrowTRobot @ 12:40 pm
I recently watched a show about UFOs….aliens….something. They interviewed this guy that looked and sounded incredibly familiar. For the life of me, I couldn't place him. At one point in the show, I was out of the room but still listening when they cut back to him and it hit me: it was a younger Bill withOUT sunglasses.
Thanks for the podcast.
(Report comment)
Revenant @ 4:22 am
Saying the Bill Birnes is simply a "believer" is like saying the sun is luke warm.
As for The Bob White Object, I saw that episode of UFO Hunters. I pretty much came away with the same conclusions that you guys did. Especially when the one gentleman sent the object to be tested and they did the wrong type of testing on it. Conspiracy? Yeah, maybe. Yet, people go into hospitals and have the wrong surgery performed as well. Not everything is a conspiracy. Mistakes are made every day.
(Report comment)
Oubliette @ 2:29 pm
The safe wouldn't open? Must be paranormal…
Lab techs NEVER make mistakes; it's a known fact. And doctors never make mistakes; that's why they don't have insurance for doctors.
I have to thank you two for bringing my attention to this object, which I have never heard of before. From my search on the internet:
Dr. Robert Gibbons, is a physicist, historian, former Nasa Scientist, and former Nuclear Medical Science Officer in the US Army. Dr Gibbons has worked for the Atomic Energy Commission, Hughes Aircraft Company, Lear-Siegler, Inc., and Northrop-Grumman Co.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v488/EBathory/BobWhite.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v488/EBathory/BobWhite1.jpg
The first impression one gets when looking at the object is that it is a fossil of some kind, but of course its composition proves that it isn't.
Seriously, I think that you guys have given very concise and believable theories as to what this strange looking object might be. I think Logisti made a very salient point when he stated that it looks like something that bears a resemblance to what may happen as a metallic object plummets towards earth. Those overlapping, scalelike pieces might have formed during this time, indicating melting was at work. Whatever Bob White saw, IMO, had more in common with the breaking up of perhaps a satellite or some similar object.
This podcast has all the earmarks of an excellent skeptical analysis. Of course, UFO fanatics would not be convinced. Neither will they accept the fact that our government, as well as other countries, conducts research into experimental aircraft which by its very nature must remain classified. Some people simply refuse to accept that the freedom of information act doesn't mean that our government must reveal all. I believe UFOs fall into this category. To me, they are very much man-made. The only conspiracy involved is to prevent ordinary people, especially of the fanatical variety, from obtaining knowledge that they have no right to.
I have always found UFO Hunters to be a very hard show to watch. These guys will believe anything. Someone is half-human, half-alien? Um, sure, if you say so….Wait! That pretty much describes my brother-in-law.
You guys were kind. Tell the truth: Bill is over the edge. He scares me.
(Report comment)
Revenant @ 4:16 pm
The latest rumors report that Meatloaf will be making a special guest appearance on Ghost Hunters. If UFO Hunters does come back for season 5, I have the perfect special guest for the show; Stephen Baldwin. Unforunately, I caught of bit of "I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here!" last week. The combination of Stephen Baldwin and Bill Birnes would literally be awe-inspiring. If that was a pay-for-view episode, I would actually pay the money to see it. Two gigantic forces of craziness colliding to form one brilliant explosion of craziness. Yeah, I'd definitely pay to see that.
(Report comment)
Logisti @ 10:41 am
Quick update on the "Superconductor Fact Check" — I sort of transitioned from talking about "Magnetic Fields" to talking about "Gravity", in fact I still think the scientist in question is not the brightest bulb in the box. To my knowledge the biggest danger in approaching Jupiter is the radiation, followed by the gravity.
Now, the gravity you can deal with by expending more fuel or perhaps using a hypothetical device to negate gravity, but to my knowledge the only way to avoid the radiation is to CREATE a magnetic field similar to the Earth's which encircles the craft and deflects the radiation. I was not aware of the Meissner effect when we recorded this episode, but from what I have learned it essentially means an existing magnetic field will basically go AROUND a superconductor (instead of THROUGH it) providing the strength of the magnetic field is weak enough — which would seem to imply dealing with a strong magnetic field would simply necessitate bigger/more superconductors.
But is deflecting a magnetic field the same thing as having your own magnetic field that deflect high energy particles traveling at incredible velocity? I could be wrong (again) but I don't believe it is.
(Report comment)
Stephen @ 9:24 pm
Yes, a point I should have included– the Meissner Effect doesn't actually make what the scientist said correct. Plus, they've given no evidence at all that this alloy is a superconductor, so the whole discussion is kinda whacky.
There was also a long discussion about quasi-crystals that I cut from the podcast because I was talking nonsense and sounding like an idiot. I should have left that in, with a brief fact check of "Stephen's gone off the rails. Ignore him." It would have added to the amusement value.
I continue to try to get Bigfoot on the show.
(Report comment)
Yug_Zohoth @ 10:27 pm
>>I believe UFOs fall into this category. To me, they are very much man-made. The only conspiracy involved is to prevent ordinary people, especially of the fanatical variety, from obtaining knowledge that they have no right to.<<
So you believe that ALL UFOs fall under the category of being man-made? I happen to disagree and know of 2 particular cases which are most certainly NOT anthropogenic.
This may very well be a piece of satellite but then again a similar object was found in the 1940s before there were artificial satellites.
(Report comment)