What is your thinking RE UFO's

[Gringo]

This may not seem political on the surface, but I believe it is. The media likes stories about UFO's, ghosts and the like (ever heard Art Bell's Coast to Coast?) - in my opinion because they deflect the attention of more curious types AWAY from the conspiracies that really matter (and threaten those in powere), whether it be Kennedy/MLK/Kennedy conspiracies or the 9-11 conspiracy.

It boggles my mind how much time Art Bell & Nouri speculate about whehter there are ETs in Area 51, but NEVER approach the subjects of Bush's involvement with 9-11 financiers, or ulterior motives behind the wars.

That being said, I'm curious what other DUers think of this.

[Zynx]

1. I personally don't believe they exist.

Just my opinion.

[Terwilliger]

2. I know there is life elsewhere in our universe

I don't think much about UFO's and think even less of X-Files like alien conspiracy (although the former is more likely than the latter)

[Ecotopian]

22. I think the X-files conspiracy makes the most sense

I think that the distances between stars are too great for aliens to visit us. Not only would aliens have to travel the distances, they would have to find us among billions of other stars, while we're still in a relatively advanced state. At this point, our signs of civilization, mainly our radio broadcasts starting from the early 1900's are only about a hundred light years away. For aliens to visit us, there would have to be an equally, if not more advanced civilization, within that broadcast range, and in addition, they would have to travel the great distances of space to reach us.

There could have been thousands of other species before us in Earth's geological history that could have developed the same advanced level of reasoning that we have. So the margin of possible civilization development is extremely large, on the order of several hundred millions of years. If we consider that on exo-solar planets, life could have evolved in a different time frame; in other words, before the 4.5 billion years of Earth's history (which astronomers believe is a planet from a 2nd generation star in a 15 billion year old universe). So altogether, the margin of development is even larger, on the order of tens of billions of years.

So why all of this analysis? Since the probabilities of all of an alien civilization developing along a similar rate of development with us, remaining viable, existing within 100 light years, and visiting us enough that people claim they've seen UFO's (without directly contacting us) is extremely unlikely. The most probable answer to what are UFO's are military experimental aircraft. This is why I think that the X-Files Theory that UFO's are military is probably the best and most accurate one.

[Octafish]

3. J. Allen Hynek said: "UFO Reports Exist"

As to what UFOs themselves are, the man who coined the phrase "Close Encounters" believed these reports represent a phenomenon much more complex than mere spacecraft.

http://www.cufos.org/

EDIT: Allen typo

[jsw_81]

4. Other

I'd be shocked if we were the only life in the universe, but I haven't seen any credible evidence that "aliens" have visited our planet. Maybe they're billions of years more advanced and ignore us because we're like bacteria when compared with them. Or maybe they're here but we don't notice them. Who knows?

[Birthmark]

5. My thinking is that UFOs

are almost exclusively in the mind of the beholder. It is *incredibly* unlikely that any ETs are visiting Earth (assuming they exist -- and that's a BIG assumption.)

[Gringo]

6. My take is this

They may or may not be around, and the government may or may not be hiding them, but who cares?

When JFK was killed, that changed this country so profoundly it can't possibly be overstated. What difference would the existence or nonexistance of some UFOs at Area 51 make to us? The only think I can possibly think of is that the gov't would be "hoarding" the ETs technology, giving it peiodically to our corporations to boost progress. That would be inherently unfair to regular entrepreneurs out there... But it all just seems so unlikely...

I think Art Bell is a sideshow circus to distract people. That's why RIGHTWING ClearChannel runs him.

[BigMcLargehuge]

9. Sasquach on the Grassy Knoll... er... with the candlestick

I don't know, I think it's probably short sighted to think we are "alone" in the Universe. I tend to think that the vast distances between planets outside this system make contact all but an impossibility. We are, afterall, moving away from each other at hundreds of thousands of miles per second.

I like UFO stories though.

[psychopomp]

16. Interstellar travel

A straight line from point A to point B will never be practical. The only way to do interstellar travel is by taking both ends of that line and bringing them together, much as one would with two ends of a string. This means generating a fold in spacetime. An astrophysicist may be able to tell you more about the possiblilty of applying this theoretical means of travel.

If any E.T.'s make it out here that, or something else, will be how they did it.

[abelenkpe]

7. uh, no way

It would be completely arrogant to suppose that this planet is the only one with life on it. However, I sincerely doubt that there are aliens visiting this planet or even remotely interested in us. Stories about aliens are right up there with fairies and leprechans and such.

[Redneck Socialist]

8. It is likely that there is other life out there, but...

...I doubt we are much of a tourist destination.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

10. Other -- there have definitely been

objects, that were flying, that weren't identified.

Unidentified Flying Objects.



duh.

[Gin]

11. There is life on other planets...but it is not "life as we know it"

they surely have the means to visit. I wonder what their opinion of planet earth and it's crazy inhabitants is?

Life is a stage. We have an audiance somewhere out there laughing in the aisles at our stupidity.

[Lisa0825]

12. I once read a theory....

that said that life most certainly existed elsewhere in the universe, but the amount of energy it would take to travel so far would be so exhorbitant, that it is unlikely they have ever travelled here. What would be more likely would be that they could find some way to check us out from a distance... sort of long-distance evesdropping.

[Yupster]

13. I love the Art Bell show

Where else can I get Bigfoot updates.

Don't expect his show to do a whole lot on political matters. That's just not his show. He's found a niche, and it's a good niche. I enjoy it although last night's topic of holding a line open for Bogey Man stories was a bit much.

Anyway, not everything has to be about politics. If it was, Bigfoot would be ignored and who would want that?

[tritsofme]

14. Is Art Bell back?

I havent listened to that show since he left a few years back.

[Yupster]

15. Only once in a while

Art will do a special topic a few times a month.

George Noorey (sp) is the host now, but it will always be the Art Bell show too me.

[psychopomp]

17. Jung said UFO's are essentially fitting the same need that angels did

before modern science relegated them to the confines of dusty cathedrals.

[TheBlob]

21. Jung also said...

"A purely psychological explanation is ruled out.
The discs show signs of intelligent guidance, by
quasi-human pilots. The authorities in possession
of important information should not hesitate to
enlighten the public as soon and as completely
as possible."

[Padraig18]

18. I believe they *may* exist.

I think it unscientific to believe that we are the only sentient species anywhere in the universe, and further believe that other species may well be more advanced than our own, vis a vis intergallactic travel. That said, i don't believe that there is any concrete evidence that we have been 'visited' by said species--- yet.

[NNN0LHI]

19. Invisible to 100's of high resolution spy and weather satellites?

Yea, sure. Quite sneaky them aliens if they can make their space vehicles invisible. :crazy:

Don

[PatrickS]

20. I saw one!

So I believe in them.

[LeahMira]

23. Thanks!

I saw one!

Thank you, PatrickS. You are a brave soul. I saw one too, years ago and only for a second but I saw it.

I do think that there are so many things that we still don't understand about natural happenings on earth that we really don't need to look into space for our UFOs. But it is fun!

[PatrickS]

26. Well...

I know skeptics always deride people who say they saw UFOs or talk about aliens so I don't know if I'm a brave soul or not but my experience was so memorable that there's nothing anyone can say here to make me regret about admiting to it.

Always keep an open mind.

:)

[Gringo]

35. I'm not skeptical or closed-minded

I fully concede that it is possible that many of the UFO reports are real.

MyPOINT is that it doesn't really matter much in terms of impact to our lives, where as Bush's policies, JFL assassination, etc. do.

I really don't care whether the gov't is hiding ETs, and nobody has every explained to my why I SHOULD care.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

38. It could be possible that we've gotten so much more technically...

...advanced than any other country because of technology we've salvaged from downed UFOs.

See if you can find this book and read it sometime...you might find out that you do have a reason to care:

The Day After Roswell
By Col. Philip J. Corso (Ret.)
<http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/067101756X/103-1125887-2623862?v=glance>

I included the Amazon link not to cause you to buy the book, but to allow you to scroll down and read the reviews.

Corso, Philip J. (with William J. Birnes).
The Day After Roswell. New York: Pocket Books, 1997. 341 pages.
<http://www.namebase.org/sources/cG.html>

I included this link to give you more details and to give you an idea of the names with whom Corso is linked.

[Guaranteed]

24. Me too. nt

[DiverDave]

25. I saw *Something*

And, If we where the only ones, it would be an awful waste of space.

[Birthmark]

28. I believe you.

I have no doubt that you saw something in the sky that you can't explain. I would bet everything that I own that it had nothing to do with extraterrestrial intelligence.

Perhaps I'll share my UFO story when I feel like typing that much.

[creativelcro]

31. THIS SHOULD BE IN THE LOBBY!

[Media_Lies_Daily]

39. Why? It's a "general discussion" isn't it?

[Media_Lies_Daily]

37. Same here...

...it was in late 1964, very soon after the opening of the Beltway around Washington, DC. I was 13 at the time, and my Dad was driving the family home to Alexandria, Virginia at about 8:30pm. I happened to look out the back window just in time to see a pulsating ball that was hovering about 500 feet above and just to the south of the Beltway. It was changing colors in a regular pattern from orange to red. I told Dad what I was seeing and he glanced out his side window and also managed to see it.

I kept watching it for what seemed like forever, but it was really only about two minutes. At that point, the pulsating began to happen far more rapidly until it simply disappeared from the sky. I was impressed as a 13 year old, and I would be impressed now as a 52 year old.

The next day I read in the Washington Post that National Airport had spotted the thing on radar and quie a few people actually saw it. But nobody ever had a clue what it was.

Dad told me it was similar to an object he and his crew had seen while flying a B24 bombing mission. Dad had a great view...he was the nosegunner. When he was debriefed after the flight, he told the officer what he had seen and the officer told him they were German V-1 buzz-bombs. The only problem with that story is that the German V-1 and V-2 programs were used against targets in England, not against targets over southern Europe where Dad was based.

[MrPrax]

27. UFOs exist!!

There are tons of unidentified 'flying' objects...
Assumptions galore?

Objects that don't have an explanation--does not imply they are from OUTER SPACE...

Are we alone in the Universe? Probably NOT...there is not doubt some amino-acids bubbling awawy somewhere...might even be a 'alien'hamster running about...

Now the question really is...Sentient beings travelling through space?
Of course not...not possible unless they repeal the laws of physics and everything else...

Is the government up to something secret? Yup...
Has the government been aware of all the UFO speculation? You bet... ;-)

[Fescue4u]

29. They hit the WTC and the Pentagon

But used a hologram to fool everyone into believe it was a jumbo jet.

Oh, and the jet that went down in Penn? That was a real jet, but it just collided with a UFO who was observing the events.

Just kidding.

Personally, I believe that Alien life is out there, but very undecided as to whether they have visted us. Given the distances involved, they would have to be VERY VERY advanced to bridge the distances involved.

So advanced in fact, that they would proably have about as much interest in us, as we do cattle or other wildlife.

[Zorra]

30. "I Come In Peace"

[grannylib]

32. I believe I have seen them on at least one occasion

and I have a hard time believing that we are alone in the universe...just my opinion...

[Beaker]

33. If UFO's DON'T exist-

Then who was it that gave me that anal probe?

[AG78]

34. Probably

And I hope there is. In an already random universe, we don't need it to be completely lonely either. The odds have to be in favor of other life being out there. What kind of life, who knows. Whether or not they visit us, who knows. I would hope that they wouldn't have the same human characteristics that we've put on the majority of aliens, such as domination, enslavement, etc, etc, etc. It would be better if they were like E.T. or the little guys from close encounters. If you travel that far, advance to such a degree, and realize how huge the universe is(at least in terms of human measurement...which can bring up a different topic all together), would the killing be worth it?

[beevul]

36. Got to be

I can NOT believe, when I look in the sky and see all points of light, that none of them have planets that support life obiting them.

I can't believe a race advanced enough to get to this planet from WAY out there would possibly want anything from "those self destructive humans" though. Then again, who knows.