US Congress ponders setting up permanent UFO investigation office

Two intelligence funding appropriation bills currently awaiting approval from the US Congress contain within them sections for the creation of a new office to investigate UFO sightings. Interest in UFOs – known as UAPs or Unidentified Aerial Phenomena in current US defence parlance – has increased over recent months following …

[herman]

Spoofing and Artifacts

All instances of jamming, spoofing and signal processing artifacts need to be understood, since these problems can cause flight safety issues.

[Dave 126]

Re: Spoofing and Artifacts

Yes, these issues need to be understood - and the us Navy is no doubt working with their contractors to do so.

However, the US Navy isn't allowed to talk publicly about their radar and other sensor systems (and bugs and issues pertaining to them), since they are classified. The US Navy isn't allowed to publicly debunk these UFO theories

IT Angle: one of the better debunkers of these UFO videos is a retired video game programmer, Mick West. He often uses video game-like simulations to demonstrate that what looks to be far away (and thus impossibly fast) can actually be close and slow.

Okay Dougal, one more time...

[a_yank_lurker]

America's Native Criminal Class

So our native criminal class has found a new way to fleece the public till.

[Dr_N]

Re: America's Native Criminal Class

Just because they own/run casinos, it does not make them criminals.

[FlamingDeath]

Re: America's Native Criminal Class

My sentiments exactly.

They are lying, they cannot stop lying

Someone needs to slap them….HARD

[Disgusted Of Tunbridge Wells]

Re: America's Native Criminal Class

It warms the cockles to see that there are still at least six adults who read El Reg.

[Chubango]

Why not go all-in?

All those democracy-spreading ordinance systems sure are expensive to procure and maintain. Instead of spending money enlightening illiterate goatherds and replacing allies that happen to elect corporate-adverse leaders I'm sure that USAsians will find that they get better returns with finding out what those mysterious lights in the skies really are. Maybe they'll even find out that aliens (the space kind, not the kind that do all the agricultural and entry service jobs) are really just trying to warn them against all the chemtrails and other deep-spacetate shenanigans that are secretly turning their young into "soccer" fans and making them so thoroughly unamerican. Best to call the real president and his space force to make sure they don't take their eyes off the ball.

[amanfromMars 1]

Are artilects alien beings or human constructs ‽ . And are they friendlies or hostiles ‽ .

The appropriations appear to be dedicated mostly to Earthly intelligence matters, however, meaning a full Congressional investigation into the possibility of extraterrestrial visitors is unlikely.

Can you imagine the panic and/or interest generated in capitalising markets whenever that announcement is no longer able to be avoided and unconvincingly denied as unlikely and pimped and pumped and dumped as impossible.

What do you think simple folk will think of those who certainly would have had prior positive knowledge of the fact but thought it best to keep the news for themselves, to try to come to some sort of exclusive and inequitable and profitable arrangement to their advantage before the breaking of the news, whether mutually agreeable to both Earthly inhabitants and alien visitors alike, or not?

[bombastic bob]

Re: Are artilects alien beings or human constructs ‽ . And are they friendlies or hostiles ‽ .

you either believe or you do not

but, the fighter aircraft in those videos a few years ago tried to intercept SOMETHING, and this was only one of MANY similar incidents. If it were "ours", I think it would have remained highly classified...

and, that's the point.

Personally, as long as space aliens aren't trying to manipulate our society "for our own good", it really makes no difference to me one way or another.

I could say that I might have seen an actual 'UFO'. I might ALSO suggest that they are NOT acting in OUR best interest... but most likely their OWN. If/when they show up, I'd be like that one guy in the ID4 movie - "Like they say in MY generation.. UP! YOURS!!!"

[amanfromMars 1]

Re: Are artilects alien beings or human constructs and virtual machines ‽ And friendly or hostile ‽

Personally, as long as space aliens aren't trying to manipulate our society "for our own good", it really makes no difference to me one way or another. ..... bombastic bob

Hmmm? If they are not as stupid or retarded and as easily led up the garden path by the anonymous donors of empowering fiat wealth to convenient usefully expendable idiots masquerading as leaders on a media stage as be humans, bombastic bob, trying to manipulate our society "for our own good", would surely be right at the head of the queue of first priorities to make a great difference, given the current state of the planet for which they are responsible under their present command and control ....... but apparently they seems to think they can escape accountability for.

Now that is surely a crazy world ripe ready for a fundamental radical change? What say y'all?

You do realise your simple answer of either a positive Yes Please or a No Thank You reveals the current predominant sane or crazy state of your own mind ..... and that knowledge can be quite disconcerting and extremely disturbing, but such basic facts are essential to know to know how you may future react and suffer ... or prosper in a crazy world ripe ready for a fundamental radical change inhabited by alien visitors/timely space travellers considerably smarter than native Earthbound species.

[Dave 126]

Re: Are artilects alien beings or human constructs ‽ . And are they friendlies or hostiles ‽ .

No culture or civilization that doesn't act in its own good doesn't tend to last for very long.

However, that doesn't necessarily mean that what is good for ET is bad for us. We don't know what the game is, be it zero-sum or otherwise.

And the converse is true - if we're a nasty belligerent future threat to ET (when we develop bigger toys) then the sensible thing for ET to do is to glass the Earth from orbit or preferably from much further away. It could be the only way to be sure.

I'm not sure what ET could gain from a sight-seeing tour of Earth. He's not short of technology, and natural resources are easier to obtain if they're not sitting at the bottom of our gravity well.

[Disgusted Of Tunbridge Wells]

Re: Are artilects alien beings or human constructs ‽ . And are they friendlies or hostiles ‽ .

As impossible as it is to anthropomorphise amanfrommars and other alien life forms, it's not unreasonable to assume that a society that has managed to travel between stars is a curious one.

I wonder what we would do in this situation.

Colonialism as practiced in the 1800's went out of fashion in the west so I don't buy the kneejerk reaction that we would automatically be bad for whoever we discovered - that we would try to conquer the place.

Would we watch from afar? Would we try to say hello? Would we share non-military technology?

We certainly wouldn't ignore them.

[Chris G]

Re: Are artilects alien beings or human constructs ‽ . And are they friendlies or hostiles ‽ .

It should be remembered that the drive behind any lifeform moving into new unexplored territory is the search for new resources that can enable its continued survival, that is also the source of curiousity. That includes everything from slimemoulds up.

Always bear in mind the worst that can happen while looking for the best and most benign.

[ThatOne]

Re: Are artilects alien beings or human constructs ‽ . And are they friendlies or hostiles ‽ .

> Colonialism as practiced in the 1800's went out of fashion

It was replaced by "spheres of influence", which, while doing the same job, are much cheaper on gunships and occupation forces.

Now obviously there is the question if we can/should anthropomorphize the aliens, but as far as humans are concerned, everybody knows he's always right, so if you find a civilization which doesn't do things your way (and can't defend its particularities efficiently enough), you'll going to try to bash some sense into them. Not to mention all those people around you looking for a quick buck and seeing it: Selling their population wholesale or just siphoning off their resources is too tempting to resist. But I admit this is humans. Aliens are likely to be totally inhuman and thus altruistic and benevolent. Who knows.

[NerryTutkins]

Re: Are artilects alien beings or human constructs ‽ . And are they friendlies or hostiles ‽ .

I'm not sure what ET could gain from a sight-seeing tour of Earth. He's not short of technology, and natural resources are easier to obtain if they're not sitting at the bottom of our gravity well.

I am open minded about whether aliens exist in reasonable proximity to be able to visit earth. My gut feeling is that it's more plausible that the US military are trolling us or fabricating incidents to help nurture belief in UFOs, so that if/when their own exotic secret aircraft are observed, there is plausible cover that they might not be "ours".

But if such aliens did exist, I think it's perfectly reasonable that they would regard earth as an interesting place, with humans in particular being the most significant species of interest. I suspect that microscopic single cell life may turn out to be reasonably common in the galaxy (given that it appeared very soon in the life of the earth) but multi-cell organisms far less common (because it took a couple of billion more years for those to appear). And intelligent multi-cell life capable of reaching space, most likely extremely rare. In the hundreds of millions of years since multi-cell life arose, there have been all kinds of animals develop, and become extinct. But nothing has come anyway close to even basic features of human achievement like writing, or basic technology, let alone complex computers, vehicles capable of reaching space and so on.

Our present level of sophistication does not diminish our interest in ancient egyptians or the chinese and what they achieved in terms of science, navigation and so on, or our interest in animals. I would expect humans would be fascinating, even to advanced aliens. I doubt they would see us as a threat, though if our planet turned out to be capable of supporting them, they may well be a threat to us.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Are artilects alien beings or human constructs ‽ . And are they friendlies or hostiles ‽ .

My gut feeling is that it's more plausible that the US military are trolling us or fabricating incidents to help nurture belief in UFOs, so that if/when their own exotic secret aircraft are observed, there is plausible cover that they might not be "ours".

Look at the front and side views of a B2 and ponder the resemblance to a "flying saucer" at distance with dodgy lighting etc.

I'd imagine that a fair few reports are of classified military projects, but I suspect that there are a fair few genuinely unexplained reports be that because of high grade practical jokes (Richard Branson famously did a UFO prank in the 1980's (https://www.virgin.com/branson-family/richard-branson-blog/ufo-sighting)

This probably explain most of the others, along with a smattering of things that are genuinely unknown, be those alien spacecraft or interesting technical issues or somebody playing pranks with ECM.

[Jimmy2Cows]

Re: I'm not sure what ET could gain from a sight-seeing tour of Earth

It'd be like going to the zoo or a drive-through safari. Look at the animals!

[David Nash]

Re: Are artilects alien beings or human constructs ‽ . And are they friendlies or hostiles ‽ .

If humans ever develop the technology to go to other planets where there may be life, we'd definitely want to go and see what's there, wouldn't we?

That's why they would come.

Not that I think these are aliens but I wouldn't say they wouldn't want to come if they were.

[AnonEMusk Noel]

Re: Are artilects alien beings or human constructs ‽ . And are they friendlies or hostiles ‽ .

I wonder how confirmation of intelligent life elsewhere in the cosmos would effect people of a religious persuasion.

[Doctor Syntax]

Can gravy trains fly?

[FlamingDeath]

Fake

When I first saw this, I’ll admit I was intrigued.

But then I remembered, this information and video is coming from ‘Team America’ where honesty and truthfulness are virtually none existent.

Sorry if you’re American, but that how it is and how the world sees you, or at least I do, especially since 9/11

The fact this has led to funds forthcoming, probably means “mission accomplished”.

We have too many boys (or girls) crying wolf, but plenty of tards to believe them.

[Danny 2]

Re: Fake

To be fair to Americans, Nick Pope was hired by the MoD to investigate cases here.

I saw a UFO (UAP?!). Of course I did, it is always people like me with zero credibility. I tried to scam a famous UFO professor in the 70s. I don't think what I saw was extraterrestrial, but I think it was meant to seem ET.

Fargo Season Two was the best.

[W.S.Gosset]

Re: Fake

"Nick Pope" sounds like a final test for the UF00 service of British Intelligence.

"Ah, you're back, James. And you've got one! Well done, and welcome aboard."

"Thank you, M. Ahh...what do I do with..."

"Oh, put him with the others."

[TheProf]

Fake

Call those videos convincing? Real UFOs have flashing lights.

https://xkcd.com/2156

[Dave 126]

Teasers...

...are usually rich kids with nothing to do. They cruise around looking for planets that haven't made interstellar contact yet and buzz them, meaning that they find some isolated spot with very few people around, then land right by some poor unsuspecting soul nation state-level military organization whom no one's going to believe and then strut up and down in front of him wearing silly antennas on their head and making beep beep noises

- with apologies to DNA

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Teasers...

> ...are usually rich kids with nothing to do

Hey, I'll have you know that it's actually really hard work being a teaser and requires top-notch flying skills. I have to find some half-asleep US pilot, with plenty of fuel so he doesn't bail after a couple of minutes, de-cloak my ship in front of him and then anticipate his every move, flying fast and furious in front of him so that the radar blip of my ship appears absolutely static relative to him. And I can't even see his screen!

All those vids you've seen where the target 'UAP' stays exactly the same distance away no matter how much the pilot ducks and dives? Well, those aren't sensor malfunctions or software bugs, those are me trying to make you think you have a sensor malfunction.

[Cuddles]

It is boring

"It is extraordinary how governments manage to make even the cool stuff sound incredibly boring."

As much as some people love to go on about them, UFOs really are incredibly boring. That's pretty much the whole point of the "U" part. It means there isn't enough information to identify something. When the vast majority of reports come down to "I think I saw something", or at best "We recorded something odd on a sensor of some kind", there's almost never anything of interest to actually look into. Without the ability to take a bunch of useful tools and recording equipment back in time to investigate the event itself, all you're left with is a vague report that something might have been somewhere at some point. As fun as engaging in baseless speculation on the internet can be, any serious investigation will almost always just end with a bored shrug because there just isn't enough evidence to carry out any serious investigation. If there actually was enough evidence, it wouldn't have been reported as unidentified in the first place.

[WonkoTheSane]

I'm against it.

I don't believe this bill should pass, as it would legitimise the US Space Force as a valid branch of the US Military.

[Bartholomew]

UFO's are real!

I'll leave these links to Thunderf00t's videos explaining that with some basic analysis the Unknown Flying Objects can become Known Flying Objects.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfhAC2YiYHs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3viYcYPRdu4

The problem is that no matter what you can prove with pure logic some people will always believe that: If it quacks like a duck, flies like a duck and is the size of a duck... it’s probably a spaceship.

[David Nash]

Re: UFO's are real!

Motivated reasoning is a powerful thing.

[Bunker_MonkeyUK]

UAP? More like IAC.....

I find this whole thing a movement away from the fact that the term IAC was flying around in the 00's.

Its just another method of misinformation.......