Ten Alien Encounters Debunked - Space.com

[Miah]

http://www.space.com/top10_alienencounters_debunked.html

"As a longtime investigator of unusual phenomena, I have no doubt that UFOs exist. UFOs, are, of course, Unidentified Flying Objects, and "unidentified" simply means that what the eyewitness saw was not immediately recognized by that person, at that time, under those circumstances. There are many things in the skies that the average person may not be able to identify from a quick look but that a pilot, a meteorologist, or an astronomer might instantly recognize. There are also seemingly unusual experiences that most people may not understand but that a psychologist can explain.

With alien encounters, we find that often an explanation lies not necessarily in the skies but in our minds. Humans are pattern-seeking creatures, and our brains try desperately to make sense of things we don’t immediately recognize. Often we are correct in our assessments of what we see and experience, but many times we simply misperceive, misunderstand, or misremember. Uhh, minus 5 & 6 of course.

Those who claim to encounter aliens and see UFOs are sometimes ridiculed as crazy, but in fact we are all hardwired with the same fallible brains. While some people seek out the skeptical or scientific explanations, others decide that since they can’t explain something, no one else can either, and therefore that experience is mysterious or inexplicable.

So with that, here are 10 alleged alien encounters—those brushes with aliens (or supposed aliens) that have been definitively debunked over the years.

-- Benjamin Radford "

I say The Paracast or someone else in the UFO field should do a retaliatory response called "Ten Alien Encounters Un-Debunked" with counter information!

[paulkimball]

Originally Posted by Miah

http://www.space.com/top10_alienencounters_debunked.html

"As a longtime investigator of unusual phenomena, I have no doubt that UFOs exist. UFOs, are, of course, Unidentified Flying Objects, and "unidentified" simply means that what the eyewitness saw was not immediately recognized by that person, at that time, under those circumstances. There are many things in the skies that the average person may not be able to identify from a quick look but that a pilot, a meteorologist, or an astronomer might instantly recognize. There are also seemingly unusual experiences that most people may not understand but that a psychologist can explain.

With alien encounters, we find that often an explanation lies not necessarily in the skies but in our minds. Humans are pattern-seeking creatures, and our brains try desperately to make sense of things we don’t immediately recognize. Often we are correct in our assessments of what we see and experience, but many times we simply misperceive, misunderstand, or misremember. Uhh, minus 5 & 6 of course.

Those who claim to encounter aliens and see UFOs are sometimes ridiculed as crazy, but in fact we are all hardwired with the same fallible brains. While some people seek out the skeptical or scientific explanations, others decide that since they can’t explain something, no one else can either, and therefore that experience is mysterious or inexplicable.

So with that, here are 10 alleged alien encounters—those brushes with aliens (or supposed aliens) that have been definitively debunked over the years.

-- Benjamin Radford "

I say The Paracast or someone else in the UFO field should do a retaliatory response called "Ten Alien Encounters Un-Debunked" with counter information!

I did - it's a little film called Best Evidence... and I guarantee you that Radford doesn't want to talk about most of those cases!

[Siani]

I hate the laziness with which so many debunkers approach the whole UFO phenomenon. Has Mr. Radford not heard of cases like the 1976 Tehran incident, or the Belgian triangle sightings of 1989-90? Not to mention countless other cases that defy explanation in conventional terms? I notice he's stayed well away from such cases, and focused on nonsense such as the infamous alien autopsy film.

[RonCollins]

Originally Posted by Siani

I hate the laziness with which so many debunkers approach the whole UFO phenomenon. Has Mr. Radford not heard of cases like the 1976 Tehran incident, or the Belgian triangle sightings of 1989-90? Not to mention countless other cases that defy explanation in conventional terms? I notice he's stayed well away from such cases, and focused on nonsense such as the infamous alien autopsy film.

Just like in nature or war. Identify the weakest and attack. Taking on the 800lb gorilla is never a good idea. Hell, even the 300lb'er is sure to cause you some damage.

[CapnG]

Typical flippant crap. I like how he mixes in things we know to be fake (like hoaxed crop circles and the alien autopsy film) with things we can never prove (like how the pyramids were built and exactly what the hell goes on at area 51) tarring with the same broad brush. Debunking indeed!

[Astroboy]

Yes, these arguments are are pathetically weak and demonstrated a serious lack of desire to seek knowledge as it is to maintain established "truths".

There exists among most scientists these days the acceptance that there is probably life besides our own in the universe. But this alone should make people realize that if you accept this notion then a whole range of possibilities also exist and cannot be so easily discounted.

There seems to be a mental block somewhere that makes typical skeptics start to use excuses why the UFO phenomenon isn't real such as the assumption that one cannot travel faster than light and therefore visitation of Earth is nearly impossible. I don't buy these explanations. The flaw is almost always an immovable mindset base on assumptions that are also flawed.

[CapnG]

Originally Posted by Astroboy

There seems to be a mental block somewhere that makes typical skeptics start to use excuses why the UFO phenomenon isn't real such as the assumption that one cannot travel faster than light and therefore visitation of Earth is nearly impossible.

Yep. The other one I love is that if there are alien civilizations out there we'd have heard their radio transmissions by now. Does it ever occur to these people that any significantly advanced civilization would have figured out that using radio to communicate over large distances is impractical and may have figured out a means of comminucation more efficient than strapping a microphone in front of an oversized wok?

[RonCollins]

Originally Posted by CapnG

Yep. The other one I love is that if there are alien civilizations out there we'd have heard their radio transmissions by now. Does it ever occur to these people that any significantly advanced civilization would have figured out that using radio to communicate over large distances is impractical and may have figured out a means of comminucation more efficient than strapping a microphone in front of an oversized wok?

I think they know, but I also think that this is the best thing they can come up with to help them search. That doesn't bother me. It's the attitude that bothers me. It is the arrogence that bothers me.

[Astroboy]

Originally Posted by CapnG

Does it ever occur to these people that any significantly advanced civilization would have figured out that using radio to communicate over large distances is impractical and may have figured out a means of comminucation more efficient than strapping a microphone in front of an oversized wok?

If SETI could harness the listening power of all the woks in China they might actually hear something.

[Aaron LeClair]

Originally Posted by Astroboy

If SETI could harness the listening power of all the woks in China they might actually hear something.

Too dangerous. If Rosie Odonel farts, their heads will blow. So will the computers.

I would like someone to hook Seth Poostack up to Rosie's butt. They deserve to be with one another.