The question of “alien visits to Earth” is now considered valid and warrants further scientific study, according to Kevin Knuth, an associate professor of physics at the University at Albany, State University of New York. He recently published a June 28, 2018 article in The Conversation on this very topic.
This query about alien visitation stems from a larger question that asks if humans are alone in the universe.
An affirmative answer presents a sad and rather depressing thought, not to mention the utter loneliness of being the only life in this vast universe.
If the answer is that we are definitely not alone, and that we are only a small part of a vast intergalactic neighborhood teeming with life, then our reaction would range from utter glee to utter horror.
Let’s talk about alien visits…
Is it impossible for aliens to visit us here on Earth? We are relatively new to the game of space travel, so we tend to equate our current lack of ability with other potential alien civilizations… “if we can’t do it, then it’s impossible for them too.”
The possible alien response to that statement would likely be to roll their eyes, “Primitive Hobbyists!”
Since the dawn of civilization, people have reported seeing something strange in the sky at one time or another. From the Romans seeing a shield on fire, to Ezequiel’s observation of a ship that had the characteristics of a wheel, in the middle of a wheel, or the sighting of mysterious airships floating over San Francisco in the 19th century. All those early accounts of unknowns in the heavens could easily be explained away as a misunderstanding of the normal meteorological or celestial occurrence. But, possibly there is no logical explanation either.
In the years after World War II, there was a sudden technological boom in the aerospace industry and computers due to competition with our new enemy, the Soviets. Sightings of unknown objects in the sky were on the rise, and a businessman and pilot, Kenneth Arnold, coined a new term, “flying saucers,” because he reported seeing a group of unknown craft flying over Mount Rainer in Washington state that looked like saucers jumping across water.
In 1953, the United States Air Force (USAF) decided to coin the term UFO as a catchall for any report of unknown aerial objects performing any maneuver, including hovering in the sky.
When someone mentions the term UFO, most people automatically think of alien space pilots on tours, flying over our cities, and abducting Earthlings for study.
UFO stands for Unidentified Flying Object, which is far away from alien spacecraft.
During those early years, the USAF officially began investigating UFOs through various studies beginning with Project Sign in 1948 and ending with Project Blue Book, which ceased operations in December 1969, stating that UFOs were not a deal for national security and that there was no correlation to extraterrestrial intelligence.
Although there are governments in other nations that are officially investigating UFOs, such as France, Germany and the UK. Project Blue Book was the last official US government study to investigate UFOs. Since then, the investigation of the UFO phenomenon has been carried out by civil organizations such as NICAP, APRO and MUFON.
Was 1969 the last time our United States government officially investigated UFOs? Well, no.
In late 2017, it was reported in the New York Times that in 2007, the Department of Defense had revealed that $22 million of its $600 million budget was spent on the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program that was formed to study UFOs. It was run by a Pentagon official, Luis Elizondo, who eventually stepped down from his leading role in the program due to lack of funding and also to protest the extreme secrecy that was placed on the investigations.
Additionally, in late 2017, the Pentagon released three videos of UFO encounters captured with forward-facing infrared cameras mounted on F-18 Super Hornet fighter jets.
Such disclosures energize those of us who believe there should be more scrutiny to such claims, especially when it comes to aviation professionals. But is it enough to prove the existence of aliens?
The late Carl Sagan once said this about the possibility of aliens visiting Earth, “extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.”
What that statement means to me is that you, as an eyewitness, can claim to have seen a UFO, which ultimately turns out to be an actual alien spacecraft. In fact, you could meet an alien and brainstorm ideas and you completed them on Game of Thrones. Then, end the meeting with some selfies with your new alien BFFLs, it wouldn’t be enough to prove that aliens are visiting Earth.
If we can’t trust the government for answers or proof, then it’s time for a change. Who will tackle this problem? Who will find the answers to a topic that has perplexed us for generations?
Following his resignation from AATI, Luis Elizondo joined To the Stars Academy of Arts & Science, a UFO and space travel studio founded by former Blink-182 gang member Tom DeLonge, a group of scientists, aerospace engineers and others who will explore the outer edge of science and technology.
Hopefully, there will be some serious scientific study, soon.
