back to article NASA to commission independent UFO study

Over recent years, Uncle Sam has loosened its tight-lipped if not dismissive stance on UFOs, or "unidentified aerial phenomena", lest anyone think we're talking about aliens. Now, NASA is the latest body to get in on the act. In a statement released June 9, the space agency announced it would be commissioning a study team, …

  1. Dev_Fit

    Ronald Moultrie, Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security, sounds like a fun guy, "Yes, I have followed science fiction. I have gone to conventions, even, I'll say it on the record.

    "I don't necessarily dress up." C'mon Ronald... let your nerd flag fly!

    1. usbac Silver badge

      Agreed, he does seem like an interesting bloke. You notice he included "necessarily" in his comment...

      I read somewhere that the Airforce has a set of doors labeled "Stargate Command", complete with the logo and all, in the Cheyenne Mountain Complex. They lead to a storage area (allegedly).

      1. NoneSuch Silver badge
        Coat

        Stargate

        The Stargate Movie and TV shows did more for Air Force recruitment than Top Gun by a long shot.

        1. Fruit and Nutcase Silver badge
          Coat

          Re: Stargate

          Amanda Tapping in SG-1?

  2. Mark 85

    We're not advanced enough to understand "aliens".

    I believe that our tech isn't sufficiently advanced to understand any of this tech even if it's proved. We're just not that advanced at this point much like if someone had a time machine and could take an aircraft back say 100 to 200 years ago. They could say saw someth9ing but not really describe it other than "something flew like a bired only bigger and faster.

    If "they" are out there, they might be amused at our efforts to understand/describe in a rational and scientific way to explain "the aliens" flying/travel.

    The "we don't know" category is larger than the "we know" category at this point.

    I remind myself of "one man's tech is another man's magic".

    1. Tom 7

      Re: We're not advanced enough to understand "aliens".

      Amazing we have pictures of peoples meals, minor activities and genitalia in full focus and well lit and yet any UFO sightings seem to be hearsay or recorded by drunks totally unfamiliar with how their phones work.

      There is intelligent life but I dont think it is involved in the UFO crowd.

      1. John Brown (no body) Silver badge

        Re: We're not advanced enough to understand "aliens".

        "and yet any UFO sightings seem to be hearsay or recorded by drunks totally unfamiliar with how their phones work."

        Yes, it's weird. There are billions of cameras out there nowadays and almost NO ONE seems capable of finding somewhere to steady or rest their phone or camera in such a way that they can get a steady and unblurred still or video of a "sighting". I don't think I've seen a single video of a purported UFO or other UAP that's actually capable of being properly checked or analysed, even so-called "mass sightings" that are claimed to carry on for a significant time. All the video is shaky. Lets not even bother going near the landscape/portrait argument or overuse of digital zoom :-)

      2. I am David Jones
        Alien

        Re: We're not advanced enough to understand "aliens".

        Not really. Most alleged sightings seem to boil down to “small thing moving fast in the sky”. No smartphone will be able to capture that well, even if you had advance warning and could set up a tripod.

        So for once I won’t fully agree with Randall https://xkcd.com/1235/

    2. ravenviz Silver badge

      Re: We're not advanced enough to understand "aliens".

      “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic”

      - Arthur C. Clarke

      1. NoneSuch Silver badge

        Re: We're not advanced enough to understand "aliens".

        “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic”

        Any sufficiently advanced technology is locked up in the SW corner of Area 51 at a place called S-4. Or underneath Wright Patterson AFB or Site-D, if you believe in that sort of thing.

        Bob Lazar was on YouTube recently showing how he powers his hydrogen fueled car by using the particle accelerator he built himself. Worth a watch.

      2. Richard 12 Silver badge
        Alien

        Re: We're not advanced enough to understand "aliens".

        "Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced."

        - Barry Gehm

      3. Paul Stockwell

        Re: We're not advanced enough to understand "aliens".

        Arthur also said that UFOs do not prove there is intelligence elsewhere in the cosmos but do demonstrate how rare it is on Earth. Anyone heard of the condon report?

    3. NoneSuch Silver badge
      Coat

      Re: We're not advanced enough to understand "aliens".

      C'mon, just because we don't understand the technology does not stop the US military from wanting to put guns and a 'Merican flag on it.

      Perfect example: we, as a species, are not mature enough to populate other planets even though we have the technology in hand today.

      1. Swarthy
        Alien

        Re: We're not advanced enough to understand "aliens".

        " Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from a big gun."

        -Maxim 24

  3. Version 1.0 Silver badge
    Thumb Up

    Intelligent Life exists

    I believe that NASA is the sole evidence for the existence of intelligent life in the solar system, or even on this planet. Certainly there is some suspicion of "alien spacecraft" but mostly it's on social media these days and is only seen as visualization errors in the past. The only solid evidence for intelligent life on this planet, beyond NASA, is revealed by listening to Brian Eno everyday.

    1. usbac Silver badge

      Re: Intelligent Life exists

      I think the awarding of so many Cost Plus contracts might put a few holes in your theory.

      1. Tom 7

        Re: Intelligent Life exists

        There's no mention of Eno in their contracts!

  4. karlkarl Silver badge

    I saw an alien once but all I have is a blurry photo I took on my gameboy camera as proof. Sending it to NASA now to help their scientific efforts.

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    NASA really. Pass.

    I feel more comfortable with Elon Musk performing a UFO study.

  6. Dave 126 Silver badge

    One hurdle to the DoD debunking an ET origin to these UFOs is that the data comes from equipment that is covered by confidentiality agreements with the manufacturers.

  7. Sixtiesplastictrektableware

    Pardon me, but...

    Isn't this in the Space Force bailiwick?

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    UFOs

    Insects, clouds, lens effects, dust motes, hoaxes and other airborne detritus.

    Done!

    Bigfoot next:

  9. John70
    Joke

    The only thing out of this world is Giorgio Tsoukalos's hair style

    For those that don't know who he is, see Ancient Aliens

    1. Kane
      Alien

      "The only thing out of this world is Giorgio Tsoukalos's hair style"

      I'm not saying it was Aliens...

      ...but it was Aliens.

    2. Roj Blake Silver badge

      I'm pretty sure he's a Centauri from Babylon 5

      1. Kane
        Alien

        "These Earthers! I try to find out as much as I can about them to try to make some sense of them, but it never seems to come together."

        "They do seem to be a mass of contradictions."

        "Exactly my point! Here–six thousand years of recorded history, a history that includes remarkable composers, astonishing symphonies! But what is the one song that half of them sing to their children generation after generation?

        You put your right hand in,

        You put your right hand out.

        You put your whole self in,

        And you turn yourself about.

        You do the hokey-pokey,

        You give a little shout.

        That's what it's all about!

        It doesn't mean anything! I have been studying it for seven days! I had the computer analyze it! I swear to you, it does not mean a thing!"

        "We've come at a bad time, haven't we?"

  10. Intractable Potsherd

    I'm glad to hear this...

    ... I just wonder why it took so long to do this very sensible thing.

  11. TRT Silver badge

    Our planet is dying. Our natural resources are exhausted. We must come to Earth – we must come to Earth to survive!

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