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Karin Austin leads both the Center for the Impossible at Rice University and the John Mack Institute.

In the 1990's, Karin worked with the late Harvard psychiatrist, John E. Mack, M.D., contributing her own experiences to his research into the abduction phenomenon, and eventually transitioning into the role of his personal assistant. 

After Dr. Mack's death in 2004, Karin was pivotal in helping Dr. Mack's family close his estate, an effort that eventually led to collaborating with Wilson Research Center's Head of Special Collections, Amanda Focke, and Rice University's Dr. Jeff Kripal, to transfer and digitize a major donation of Dr. Mack's phenomenon-related materials. 

The archives of the Center for the Impossible have grown to include collections from more than a dozen UFO researchers. Karin is leading the effort to digitize these materials, preserving them for future investigation and making them increasingly accessible for scientifically rigorous data analysis. 

The specific nature of this work makes up the bulk of our conversation. We also discuss Karin's views of the phenomenon and her perspective on how humanity should proceed as we steadily learn more about it. 

Show Links: 

Music by John Hubbell: https://mathoftrees.bandcamp.com/album/math-of-trees 

Spacefare Shop: https://spacefare.etsy.com/ 

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Center for the Impossible Records Collection: https://archives.library.rice.edu/repositories/2/classifications/25?&page=1 

Archives of the Impossible Home: https://impossiblearchives.rice.edu/ 

John Mack Institute Home: http://johnemackinstitute.org/ 

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