{"id":289648,"date":"2021-07-02T10:22:35","date_gmt":"2021-07-02T07:22:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/the-pentagon-report-could-be-a-stepping-stone-to-proper-ufo-science\/"},"modified":"2021-07-02T10:22:35","modified_gmt":"2021-07-02T07:22:35","slug":"the-pentagon-report-could-be-a-stepping-stone-to-proper-ufo-science","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-pentagon-report-could-be-a-stepping-stone-to-proper-ufo-science\/","title":{"rendered":"#The Pentagon Report could be a stepping stone to proper UFO science"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3ab6dcf02de\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3ab6dcf02de\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-pentagon-report-could-be-a-stepping-stone-to-proper-ufo-science\/#Whats_in_the_UFO_report\" >What\u2019s in the UFO report?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-pentagon-report-could-be-a-stepping-stone-to-proper-ufo-science\/#UFOs_are_taboo_among_scientists\" >UFOs are taboo among scientists<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-pentagon-report-could-be-a-stepping-stone-to-proper-ufo-science\/#A_decadeslong_search_for_aliens\" >A decadeslong search for aliens<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p>&#8220;<strong>#The Pentagon Report could be a stepping stone to proper UFO <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/sciencee\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"5\" title=\"Science\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">science<\/a><\/strong>&#8221;<\/p>\n<div>On June 25, 2021, the Pentagon released a much-anticipated <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dni.gov\/files\/ODNI\/documents\/assessments\/Prelimary-Assessment-UAP-20210625.pdf\">report on UFOs to Congress<\/a>. The military has rebranded unidentified flying objects as unidentified aerial phenomena \u2013UAPs \u2013 in part to avoid the stigma that has been attached to claims of aliens visiting the Earth since the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.livescience.com\/roswell-ufo-crash-what-really-happened.html\">Roswell incident in 1947<\/a>. The report presents no convincing evidence that alien spacecraft have been spotted, but some of the data defy easy interpretation.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m a <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.as.arizona.edu\/people\/faculty\/chris-impey\">professor of astronomy<\/a> who has written extensively on the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cambridge.org\/core\/books\/talking-about-life\/696F47F802931AE9021CA72083313579\">search for life<\/a> in the universe. I also teach a <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.coursera.org\/learn\/astrobiology-exploring-other-worlds\">free online class on astrobiology<\/a>. I do not believe that the new Pentagon report or any other sightings of UFOs in the past are proof of aliens visiting Earth. But the report is important because it opens the door for a serious look at UFOs. Specifically, it encourages the U.S. government to collect better data on UFOs, and I think the release of the report increases the chances that scientists will try to interpret that data. Historically, UFOs have felt off-limits to mainstream science, but perhaps no more.<\/p>\n<figure><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Watch the Pentagon&#039;s three declassified UFO videos taken by U.S. Navy pilots\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/rO_M0hLlJ-Q?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span><\/iframe><figcaption\/><\/figure>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Whats_in_the_UFO_report\"><\/span>What\u2019s in the UFO report?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The No. 1 thing the report focuses on is the lack of high-quality data. Here are the highlights from the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dni.gov\/files\/ODNI\/documents\/assessments\/Prelimary-Assessment-UAP-20210625.pdf\">slender nine-page report<\/a>, covering a total of 144 UAP sightings from U.S. government sources between 2004 and 2021:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\u201cLimited data and inconsistent reporting are key challenges to evaluating UAP.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>Some observations \u201ccould be the result of sensor errors, spoofing, or observer misperception.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cUAP clearly pose a safety of flight issue and may pose a challenge to U.S. national security.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>Of the 144 sightings, the task force was \u201cable to identify one reported UAP with high confidence. In that case, we identified the object as a large, deflating balloon. The others remain unexplained.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cSome UAP many be technologies deployed by China, Russia, another nation, or non-governmental entity.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure class=\"align-center zoomable\">\n<p><figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/408950\/original\/file-20210629-11592-6d5ji7.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\" alt=\"The front page of the report with a U.S. government logo and 'unclassified' listed at the top.\" width=\"600\" height=\"522\" class=\"js-lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/408950\/original\/file-20210629-11592-6d5ji7.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/408950\/original\/file-20210629-11592-6d5ji7.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=522&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/408950\/original\/file-20210629-11592-6d5ji7.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=522&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/408950\/original\/file-20210629-11592-6d5ji7.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=522&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/408950\/original\/file-20210629-11592-6d5ji7.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=656&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/408950\/original\/file-20210629-11592-6d5ji7.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=656&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/408950\/original\/file-20210629-11592-6d5ji7.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=656&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w\"\/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/408950\/original\/file-20210629-11592-6d5ji7.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip\" alt=\"The front page of the report with a U.S. government logo and 'unclassified' listed at the top.\" width=\"600\" height=\"522\" class=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/408950\/original\/file-20210629-11592-6d5ji7.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=522&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/408950\/original\/file-20210629-11592-6d5ji7.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=522&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/408950\/original\/file-20210629-11592-6d5ji7.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=522&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/408950\/original\/file-20210629-11592-6d5ji7.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=656&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/408950\/original\/file-20210629-11592-6d5ji7.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=656&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/408950\/original\/file-20210629-11592-6d5ji7.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=656&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w\"\/><\/noscript><\/a><figcaption><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/news\/#\" data-url=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Feditorial.thenextweb.com%2Fspace%2F2021%2F07%2F02%2Fpentagon-report-stepping-stone-ufo-science%2F&amp;via=thenextweb&amp;related=thenextweb&amp;text=Check out this picture on: The Pentagon delivered the UFO report to Congress on June 25, 2021. Office of the Director of National Intelligence\" data-title=\"Share The Pentagon delivered the UFO report to Congress on June 25, 2021. Office of the Director of National Intelligence on Twitter\" data-width=\"685\" data-height=\"500\" class=\"post-image-share popitup\" title=\"Share The Pentagon delivered the UFO report to Congress on June 25, 2021. Office of the Director of National Intelligence on Twitter\"><i class=\"icon icon--inline icon--twitter--dark\"\/><\/a>The Pentagon delivered the UFO report to Congress on June 25, 2021. Office of the Director of National Intelligence<\/figcaption><\/figure><figcaption\/><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"UFOs_are_taboo_among_scientists\"><\/span>UFOs are taboo among scientists<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>UFO means unidentified flying object. Nothing more, nothing less. You\u2019d think scientists would enjoy the challenge of solving this puzzle. Instead, UFOs have been taboo for academic scientists to investigate, and so unexplained reports have not received the scrutiny they deserve.<\/p>\n<p>One reason is that most scientists think there is <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/www.fraknoi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Responding-to-Claims-about-Alien-UFOs-2.pdf\">less to most reports than meets the eye<\/a>, and the few who have dug deeply have mostly <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.2307\/j.ctt2005r2h\">debunked the phenomenon<\/a>. <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/www.ianridpath.com\/ufo\/astroufo1.htm\">Over half of sightings can be attributed<\/a> to meteors, fireballs, and the planet Venus.<\/p>\n<p>Another reason for the scientific hesitance is that UFOs have been co-opted by popular culture. They are part of a landscape of conspiracy theories that includes accounts of <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080\/01463370600878545\">abduction by aliens<\/a> and <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.smithsonianmag.com\/arts-culture\/crop-circles-the-art-of-the-hoax-2524283\/\">crop circles<\/a>. Scientists worry about their professional reputations, and the association of UFOs with these supernatural stories causes most researchers to avoid the topic.<\/p>\n<p>But some scientists have looked. In 1968, Edward U. Condon at the University of Colorado published the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/files.ncas.org\/condon\/\">first major academic study of UFO sightings<\/a>. The Condon Report put a damper on further research when it found that \u201c<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.jstor.org\/stable\/1725090\">nothing has come from the study of UFOs in the past 21 years<\/a> that has added to scientific knowledge.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>However, a <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/news.stanford.edu\/pr\/98\/980629ufostudy.html\">review in 1998<\/a> by a panel led by Peter Sturrock, a professor of <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>lied physics at Stanford University, concluded that some sightings are accompanied by physical evidence that deserves scientific study. Sturrock also <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.scientificexploration.org\/docs\/8\/jse_08_2_sturrock.pdf\">surveyed professional astronomers<\/a> and found that nearly half thought UFOs were worthy of scientific study, with higher interest among younger and more well-informed astronomers.<\/p>\n<p>If astronomers are intrigued by UFOs \u2013 and believe some cases deserve study with academic rigor \u2013 what\u2019s holding them back? A <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/0963662515617706\">history of mistrust<\/a> between ufologists and scientists hasn\u2019t helped. And while UFO research has employed <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1023\/B:QUAS.0000015542.28438.41\">some of the tools of the scientific method<\/a>, it has not had the core of skeptical, evidence-based reasoning that demarcates science from <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.scientificamerican.com\/article\/what-is-pseudoscience\/\">pseudoscience<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>A search of 90,000 recent and current <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nsf.gov\/awardsearch\/\">grants awarded<\/a> by the National Science Foundation finds none addressing UFOs or related phenomena. I\u2019ve served on review panels for 35 years, and can imagine the reaction if such a proposal came up for peer review: raised eyebrows and a quick vote not to fund.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"align-center zoomable\">\n<p><figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/408955\/original\/file-20210629-28-ro64v4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\" alt=\"A group of satellite dishes pointing in various directions.\" width=\"600\" height=\"267\" class=\"js-lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/408955\/original\/file-20210629-28-ro64v4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/408955\/original\/file-20210629-28-ro64v4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=267&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/408955\/original\/file-20210629-28-ro64v4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=267&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/408955\/original\/file-20210629-28-ro64v4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=267&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/408955\/original\/file-20210629-28-ro64v4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=336&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/408955\/original\/file-20210629-28-ro64v4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=336&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/408955\/original\/file-20210629-28-ro64v4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=336&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w\"\/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/408955\/original\/file-20210629-28-ro64v4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip\" alt=\"A group of satellite dishes pointing in various directions.\" width=\"600\" height=\"267\" class=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/408955\/original\/file-20210629-28-ro64v4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=267&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/408955\/original\/file-20210629-28-ro64v4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=267&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/408955\/original\/file-20210629-28-ro64v4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=267&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/408955\/original\/file-20210629-28-ro64v4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=336&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/408955\/original\/file-20210629-28-ro64v4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=336&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/408955\/original\/file-20210629-28-ro64v4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=336&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w\"\/><\/noscript><\/a><figcaption><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/news\/#\" data-url=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Feditorial.thenextweb.com%2Fspace%2F2021%2F07%2F02%2Fpentagon-report-stepping-stone-ufo-science%2F&amp;via=thenextweb&amp;related=thenextweb&amp;text=Check out this picture on: Radio telescopes like the Allen Telescope Array seen here scan the sky looking for signs of intelligent life in the universe. Credit: Brewbooks\/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA\" data-title=\"Share Radio telescopes like the Allen Telescope Array seen here scan the sky looking for signs of intelligent life in the universe. Credit: Brewbooks\/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA on Twitter\" data-width=\"685\" data-height=\"500\" class=\"post-image-share popitup\" title=\"Share Radio telescopes like the Allen Telescope Array seen here scan the sky looking for signs of intelligent life in the universe. Credit: Brewbooks\/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA on Twitter\"><i class=\"icon icon--inline icon--twitter--dark\"\/><\/a>Radio telescopes like the Allen Telescope Array seen here scan the sky looking for signs of intelligent life in the universe. Credit: Brewbooks\/Wiki<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">media<\/a> Commons, CC BY-SA<\/figcaption><\/figure><figcaption\/><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_decadeslong_search_for_aliens\"><\/span>A decadeslong search for aliens<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>While the scientific community has almost entirely avoided engaging with UFOs, a much more mainstream search for intelligent aliens and their <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/technology\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"4\" title=\"Technology\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">technology<\/a> has been going on for decades.<\/p>\n<p>The search is motivated by the fact that astronomers have, to date, discovered <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/exoplanetarchive.ipac.caltech.edu\/\">over 4,400 planets orbiting other stars<\/a>. Called exoplanets, some are close to the Earth\u2019s mass and at just the right distance from their stars to potentially have water on their surfaces \u2013 meaning they might be habitable.<\/p>\n<p>Astronomers estimate that there are <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2020\/11\/05\/world\/nasa-300-million-habitable-planets-intl-hnk-scli-scn\/index.html\">300 million habitable worlds<\/a> in the Milky Way galaxy alone, and each one is a <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.seti.org\/drake-equation-index\">potential opportunity<\/a> for life to develop and for intelligence and technology to emerge. Indeed, most astronomers think it very unlikely that <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/exoplanets.nasa.gov\/news\/1350\/are-we-alone-in-the-universe-revisiting-the-drake-equation\/\">humans are the only or the first advanced civilization<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>This confidence has fueled an active <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.seti.org\/\">search for extraterrestrial intelligence<\/a>, known as SETI. It has been unsuccessful so far. As a result, researchers have recast the question \u201cAre we alone?\u201d to \u201cWhere are the aliens?\u201d The absence of evidence for intelligent aliens is called the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.seti.org\/fermi-paradox-0\">Fermi paradox<\/a>. First articulated by the physicist Enrico Fermi, it\u2019s a paradox because advanced civilizations should be spread throughout the galaxy, yet we see no sign of their existence.<\/p>\n<p>The SETI activity has not been immune from scientists\u2019 <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/461316a\">criticism<\/a>. It was starved of federal funding for decades and recently has gotten most of its support from <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencemag.org\/news\/2020\/09\/how-big-money-powering-massive-hunt-alien-intelligence\">private sources<\/a>. However, in 2020, NASA <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/news\/nation\/2020\/06\/20\/nasa-funds-research-alien-technological-civilizations\/3224063001\/\">resumed funding for SETI<\/a>, and the new NASA administrator wants researchers to <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2021\/06\/04\/tech\/ufos-nasa-study-scn\/index.html\">pursue the topic of UFOs<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>In this context, the Pentagon report is welcome. The report draws <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/technology-government-and-politics-f5f24502d97072fd4bef34b6fe36c81d\">few concrete conclusions<\/a> about UFOs and avoids any reference to aliens or extraterrestrial spacecraft. However, it notes the importance of destigmatizing UFOs so that more pilots report what they see. It also sets a goal of moving from anecdotal observations to standardized and scientific data collection. Time will tell if this is enough to draw scientists into the effort, but the transparency to publish the report at all reverses a long history of <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2017\/12\/16\/us\/politics\/pentagon-program-ufo-harry-reid.html\">secrecy surrounding U.S. government reports on UFOs<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>I don\u2019t see any convincing evidence of alien spacecraft, but as a curious scientist, I hope the subset of UFO sightings that are truly unexplained gets closer study. Scientists are unlikely to weigh in if their skepticism generates attacks from \u201ctrue believers\u201d or they get ostracized by their colleagues. Meanwhile, the truth is still out there.<!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https:\/\/theconversation.com\/republishing-guidelines --><\/p>\n<p><em>This article by <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/chris-impey-536311\">Chris<\/a>\u00a0Impey, University Distinguished Professor of Astronomy, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/university-of-arizona-959\">University of <\/a>Arizona is\u00a0republished from <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\">The Conversation<\/a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/pentagon-ufo-report-no-aliens-but-government-transparency-and-desire-for-better-data-might-bring-science-to-the-ufo-world-163059\">original article<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Technology category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/news\/pentagon-report-stepping-stone-ufo-science\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;#The Pentagon Report could be a stepping stone to proper UFO science&#8221; On June 25, 2021, the Pentagon released a much-anticipated report on UFOs to Congress. The military has rebranded unidentified flying objects as unidentified aerial phenomena \u2013UAPs \u2013 in part to avoid the stigma that has been attached to claims of aliens visiting the&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":289649,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/img-cdn.tnwcdn.com\/image\/tnw?filter_last=1&fit=1280,640&url=https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/07\/ufoday1.png&signature=ebfa868224d21f1b3720d2004c597f73","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-289648","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/289648","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=289648"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/289648\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/289649"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=289648"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=289648"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=289648"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}