UFOs

Critical Thinking and the Subject of UFOs

The term UFO simply stands for Unidentified Flying Object. However, our culture almost immediately associates this word with extraterrestrials coming to visit our planet from distant galaxies. This idea has been perpetuated throughout many films ranging from the The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951 and remade in 2008) to such films as Mars Attacks (1996). Many sightings have been reported throughout the last fifty years, but according to The Skeptic's Dictionary "there has been no recurring identical UFO experience and there is no physical evidence in support of either a UFO flyby or landing." Despite this statement, UFO sightings are still reported and more common than most people would probably think. The earliest reported sightings go back to 1896 and 1897, but most of the sightings were reported post-World War II. Sightings usually include a smudge or blurred object in the distant background of a very poor quality photo. In America, most people think of the Roswell crash and Area 51 that occurred in New Mexico in 1947. UFOlogy or the study of UFOs not only includes the sightings of UFOs, but also the claims of abduction such as the case is with Betty and Barney Hill who claimed to have been abducted on September 19, 1961. Both reported some sort of physical interaction with the aliens with Mr. Hill even claiming according to The Skeptic's Dictionary "the aliens took a sample of his sperm." Last but certainly not least we have such objects as crop circles like the ones found in the popular movie Signs and other objects like the Nazca lines, Moai on Easter Island, and the claims of ancient astronauts. With the seemingly large amounts of proof of alien and UFO contact we must take time to look at both cases and carefully examine how to think about such things.