UFOs: Sifting Through The Evidence

[polymath]

There seems to be some interest in UFOs on the forum so this thread will examine the evidence (or lack of it) for their existence.

The major problem with Ufology is the sheer amount of information on the subject, with varying amounts of credibility. I consider an excellent starting place for reading to be 'Beyond Top Secret' by Timothy Good (the follow-up to 'Above Top Secret' with amendments and extra subject matter.) The book's credentials seem to be impeccable. The foreword is by Lord Hill-Norton, former U.K. Chief of Defence Staff, who is convinced by the evidence contained in it.

Some comments:

"...Bible for UFO Watchers" - Wall Street Journal

"one of the best documented UFO books ever written" - Booklist

"I do not know how many trees were cut down to produce this 590-page diatribe, but I wish they had been left standing. Above Top Secret is an evil book....Mr. Good's ideas are those of a maniac." - The Spectator (to show my lack of bias)

"Overall, Beyond Top Secret is a fascinating and well-documented book that makes a convincing case. The evidence that Good has amassed is too overwhelming to ignore, and it is clear that a more open debate is long overdue." - The Sunday Times

Anyway, that is a good place to start...if I had to recommend one book on the subject, that would be it.

I will start gathering some info together over the weekend...in the meantime, I hope others will pitch in with what they see as essential reading.

In the meantime, do you believe? Or do you think it is BS?

 

[betazed]

As I said earlier in this forum, I love conspiracy theories. And I would love to think UFO's are true (just to prove that interstellar travel is possible).

But I am afraid most of the stuff that we read about it is BS.

I will definitely get my hands on the books you have recommended.

<edit>: The books seems to be out of print in Amazon.

 

[Bozo Erectus]

A few years ago, I saw a 'UFO'. It was at night and I happened to be looking at a point in the sky when suddenly there was a green fiery thing that was burning up as it fell through the atmosphere. Apparently whatever was burning up and producing the greenish fire ran out, and what was left was a small red point until it vanished from sight. I immediately knew it was a meteor of some sort and not the start of an alien invasion. But probably lots of people would see the same exact thing and conclude that they had just seen a UFO. Theyd be utterly convinced and you wouldnt be able to shake them of this belief.

 

[betazed]

I have seen that a lot DP.

Where I grew up there weren't many electric lights during the night and I have spent many a clear night lying on a grassy field staring at the sky. You would have to stare at the sky only for a few minutes before you would see one of those shooting stars.

In fact I used to count them!

<edit>:
Sorry for the OT but it just reminded how much I enjoyed that.

 

[Bozo Erectus]

betazed, you were lucky to see them so often when you were a kid. Here in the Northeast its very rare because of all glare from the cities. It blew me away when I saw it and I didnt give a damn that it wasnt an alien ship. I was thrilled to have laid eyes on something that might have been floating around in the solar system for 4billion years!

 

[stormbind]

I have seen a shooting star with the naked eye! Yay!

But other than that, I have seen nothing in the skies. I beleive that many of the UFO's are military tests, many are natural phenomenum but that most are wishful thinking (lucid dreaming or something).

What I do find interesting though is the USAF where pilots are known to report things, then be unable to keep track of it, and then when the controllers ask "Do you want to report a UFO" it's an emmediate "No way!" even though that's exactly what it remains - unknown

What do the authorities do to poor pilots that makes them so scared to report a UFO?

 

[Bozo Erectus]

Aw come on man,its the only shooting star I ever saw Anyway it was more than a shooting star, it was a big burning hunk of stuff

Pilots train long and hard to qualify to fly those babies, the last thing theyd want to do is lose their wings becaue theyre seeing alien spaceships

 

[the mormegil]

I've been wondering when this thread would pop up.

I have had no experience with things from space, be they aliens, meteors, pandas or giant radioactive monkeys, but I do love a good conspiracy theory.

I think most of what we hear is either totally false or highly exaggerated. You can see how easy it is to do a UFO hoax from a program that was on British television recently. Their task was to successfully pull off a hoax and make people believe they had seem an alien spaceship and they did it, it was even on national news.

 

[cgannon64]

Originally posted by Dumb pothead
A few years ago, I saw a 'UFO'. It was at night and I happened to be looking at a point in the sky when suddenly there was a green fiery thing that was burning up as it fell through the atmosphere. Apparently whatever was burning up and producing the greenish fire ran out, and what was left was a small red point until it vanished from sight. I immediately knew it was a meteor of some sort and not the start of an alien invasion. But probably lots of people would see the same exact thing and conclude that they had just seen a UFO. Theyd be utterly convinced and you wouldnt be able to shake them of this belief.

*Looks at name of poster*
*Looks at content of post*



BTW I've never seen anything UFO-ish, but apparently I slept through some ball lightning. And my parents said it was loud too, like a very loud buzzing!

Too bad.

 

[WillJ]

If occasional TV specials about strange sightings are any indication, I think most UFO reportings are BS (and worth watching/reading due to their humorous BSness). But that's not to say that ALL UFO reportings are BS, nor that it's impossible for such things to occur. I've just never seen or heard anything yet to make me "believe."

I might check that book out, polymath. How long/easily-readable is it? (I don't care about the subject enough to sift through a 750 page list of UFO evidence.)

 

[Smidlee]

Originally posted by Dumb pothead
betazed, you were lucky to see them so often when you were a kid. Here in the Northeast its very rare because of all glare from the cities. It blew me away when I saw it and I didnt give a damn that it wasnt an alien ship. I was thrilled to have laid eyes on something that might have been floating around in the solar system for 4billion years!

wow . how did you know it was 4 billion years old? also how do you know it was a meteorite? It could as easily been a drunk- flying alien. I always wonder if UFO's are trying to sneak at night why are they stupid enough to all their headlights turn on.

 

[Knight-Dragon]

Yeah, if there're very technologically advanced aliens out there who could make interstellar crossings at will, how could they be so foolish as to allow themselves to be detected by us mere Earthlings at all?

Though I do think that perhaps a tiny fraction of cases, which can't be explained away, does need investigating. Might lead to something...

 

[Esckey]

If I still had my coppy of Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy I would quote Perfect's explanation of UFO's and Alien Abductions.

 

[CenturionV]

I don't know about aliens, until I see good clear evidence I won't believe, and nothing short of a spaceship landing in a major city and making official contact will change my mind. I think most of the sightings are of good old super-ultra high tech military aircraft. Things like cloaking devices, anti-gravity, particle weapons, and stuff like that might SEEM sci-fi-ish but its probably about 40-50 years off (and being tested by the military right now)

 

[the mormegil]

Originally posted by Smidlee

wow . how did you know it was 4 billion years old? also how do you know it was a meteorite? It could as easily been a drunk- flying alien. I always wonder if UFO's are trying to sneak at night why are they stupid enough to all their headlights turn on.

They might not know that we can detect light waves. Let's say these aliens use ultrasound to 'see'. They assume that we do also so they have developed this way to send and interpret light waves. This way they think they can arrive undetected and still see where they are going.

 

[Bozo Erectus]

Originally posted by cgannon64
*Looks at name of poster*
*Looks at content of post*

Since when is reporting seeing a meteor an outlandish claim? I didnt say the meteor landed in front of me, cracked open and out popped an alien that implanted a device in my skull that zaps the pain center of my brain whenever I discu----

----THE PAIN! MAKE IT STOP!!AAAHHHH!!!

But anyway, the entire point of the post was that I knew it was a meteor of some kind, while many other people would have reported to have seen a UFO, so UFO reports have to be taken with a large pinch of salt.

 

[Bozo Erectus]

Originally posted by Smidlee

wow . how did you know it was 4 billion years old? also how do you know it was a meteorite? It could as easily been a drunk- flying alien. I always wonder if UFO's are trying to sneak at night why are they stupid enough to all their headlights turn on.

Smidlee, forgive me, allow me to Smidlefy what I said:
I was thrilled to have laid eyes on something that had been floating around the solar system for 6000 years!

About the headlights, they probably dont want to accidentally crash into tall potheads

 

[carlosMM]

why does nobody manage the producer of UFQs?
Burger King and McDonalds! They make most of the Unidentifiable Fried Objects!

 

[carlosMM]

Originally posted by Dumb pothead
But anyway, the entire point of the post was that I knew it was a meteor of some kind, while many other people would have reported to have seen a UFO, so UFO reports have to be taken with a large pinch of salt.

Reminds me of the local newspaper in Kileen, Tx, that titled:

UFO sightings will go up Tuesday morning

how did they know?

Well, neighbouring Fort Hood, TX, based Army units would conduct a nighttime artillery fire exercise including flares to light up the shooting range.....

 

[Bozo Erectus]

Originally posted by carlosMM


Reminds me of the local newspaper in Kileen, Tx, that titled:

UFO sightings will go up Tuesday morning

how did they know?

Well, neighbouring Fort Hood, TX, based Army units would conduct a nighttime artillery fire exercise including flares to light up the shooting range.....

People have a tendency to see what they want or expect to see. Five hundred years ago they saw angels and the Virgin Mary. Today they see UFOs and little Gray Aliens. Like the 'slotted rocks' and the 'face' on Mars.