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Speculative Paper By N Kardashev and A Sakharov on Charged Mass in Space at Conference on Origins Of Life, Armenia, 6-8 September 1971/Low Scientific Level Of Other Soviet Papers

File

CIA-UAP-008

Type

Document, 2 pages

Agency

CIA

Date

1972

Released

Release 3, June 12, 2026

Open the original on war.gov

The government's description

This 1972 CIA Intelligence Information Report summarizes a US attendee's observations of a speculative paper regarding charged mass behavior in space presented by Soviet scientists N.S. Kardashev and A. Sakharov at a conference in Armenia. A more redacted version of this report has been available on CIA's public website.

App r oved f o r Re l ease 202 6
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Intelligence Information Report
DIIECTOIATI Of
INTWIOOICI
COUNTRY
USSH
REPOP.TNO.
SUBJECT
Specw.ative Paper by li KardubeY and
/\ Sakharov on Charged Hus in Cpa.;.,e
nt Cont'erenee on Orici,'13 or Lite,
Armenia, 6-6 September 1971/IAw
Scientific Level ot' Other S~v:let
Pnpers
DATE OISTlt.
DATE Of INFO.
NO. PAGH
00-B-'321/0770')-72 ·
10Apr72
2
DCS Cue ST,026
6-8 September 1911
PLACE & DATE ACQ. BY SOURCE
Yerevan/6-6 September 1971
THr4i IS UNEVAWATEO INFORMATION
------------------
..
US cithen!
fni1a report consists
or edited abstracts trom a 1 etter recel ved from a reliable colleague
who attended the Yerevan Conference,
SOURCE
'
i
l,
I
At the Conference on the Origins of Lite in Yerevo.n, Armenia, $SR,
6-8 Septemher 1971, NS ~.ardashev, Ins titute for Sp~c~ Research, Moscov,
l
r e ad an interesting but highly Dpeculative paper he had prepared on
r.enera.l relativity and the possibility of a bod;f collap3inc into a
black hole in apace. His co-author vas tbe internationally f81110us
theoretica.l. physicist, Andrei D Su.harov. Y..o.rda.ohev iD very much like
hi s superior and former teacher at the Institute, IS Shklovskiy, in
his cq>proaeh to acientific problems. Ile is not at'raid to speculate in
his effort to find a solution,
2.
3.
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I
I
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The Kardnshev-Sakharov paper concerned the authors' study of vhat hnppene
when a charged mass or bod,v collapses in space. Knrdn.:.hcv stnteci that,
if it \·~re not cha.ri;ed, the mass would Just co llnpse pas t the point of
~ravitational singularity and be gone forever. In other words, the mass
vould close in on itself and have no more contact with t he outside
world. 'l'he Soviets speculated on what vould happen 1 f the mass were
charged. '!'hey stated that t hen the mnse vould be o.ble to boW1ce. It
would collapse but boW1ce back out. Hovcver, the mass will come back
into n different part of space time.
I
I
I
After his presentation, Kardashev told a US attendee that Sakharov vo.s
mo~tly interested in this charced mass phenomenon study becaus e i t in­
d.i.catcs that the structure of space may be much more complicated than
i s preaently thought. Kardashev vas interested i n the s t udy from t he
vi evpoint or what implications it has for o.strophysi c~ , provided the
basic pnysics of the phenomenon 1s correct, 'l'he US attendee f elt the
a uthors • speculation vas a little fantastic and they had tllkcn off in
Ii rather vild vo.y.
lfovcver, he believed their paper vas grounded in
e ood and sound physica,
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‘The US attendee considers Kardashev to be very competent technically
and further to be very self-possessed. He recalled an incident in the
spring of 1971 when Kardashev, L I Matveyenko ond he visited Academician
Lev Artsimovicn, secretary of the Academy's Department of General .
Physics and Astronomy. Matveyenko, Institute for Cosmic Research, is

a Communist Party member and very expert in political matters. He was
almost cringing in Artsimovich's presence whereas Kardashev was cool
and confident in his businesselike discussions with the senior Academi-
cian.

In yeneral, the scientific level of most of the Soviet papers at this
Conference was not very high. One little known Soviet [source could not
recall his name} gave a very naive paper on the detectability of planets.
Another Soviet, who was a member of a committee the USSR has established
to investigate unusual phenomena, in other words, flying saucers, gave

a serious talk which was actually very humorous. His approach was,
"Well, of course, we know there isn't anything to this alleged phenome-
non (flying saucers), but on the other hand---." During this talk
Shklovskiy and other Soviets joked and laughed and obviously did net.
take the speaker's remarks seriously. Shklovskiy remarked later te a
US attendee that the "flying saucer committee" consists of many poli-
ticians, theorists, historians and similar type people. It has little
if any scientific talent.

Shklovskiy gave a general, entertaining talk on wome interesting but
uaimportent subject. Vitaliy L Ginzburg, one of the leading astronomers
in the USSR, also gave a talk on the basis of physic:1 theory, that is,
the identification and comparison of fundamental assunotions in physics.
Ginzburg has 8 first rate mind and is sounder in his physics knowled¢
than GhkJovskiy. Ginzburg thinks realistically, which wa: shower in 2
answer to a US attendee's question about the Conference. “he Soviet
was asked whether the Conference was worthwhile in that 1t .as mostly
devoted to theoretical subjects, very remote from tangible goals.
Ginzburg said, “Well, if it helps to build up support for the Soviet
reseorchers to get new astronomical equipment, then certainly the Con-
ference maxes sense."

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