Following the
MUFON Report of the Stephenville incident of January 8, 2008,
there's been much discussion on the possible origin of the unknown object tracked on radar and addressed by the report.
In an attempt to promote civil and rational discussion I suggest that we debate the possible origins, not of that object in particular – since that
is ongoing in
its own thread - but of UFOs in general.
As I'm sure all of you are aware, there are many theories on the origins of Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs). I will list the main ones:
- Military Black Projects
- Humans from the future
- Inter-dimensional, and
- Extra-terrestrial origin
Some people consider the Inter-dimensional possibility part of the Extra-terrestrial hypothesis (ETH), since, in effect, an inter-dimensional being
would not be of this Earth. However, I would suggest that you take these possibilities as two distinct hypotheses.
So, when speaking of extra-terrestrial beings, it would mean beings that originate from somewhere in our (physical) Universe, while inter-dimensional
beings would originate from some other dimension(s), somewhere not accessible to us, even if we had the means to explore all of our physical Universe
in a spaceship.
In the attempt to critically think about our own ideas and theories, I suggest that people post a list of pros and cons of their favorite theory
first, and then address other people's posts and points, if they wish to do so.
While I don't reject the other theories, the one I like the most is the Extra-terrestrial hypothesis. As an example I will list some pros and cons,
which I see, for the ETH:
Extra-terrestrial beings
Pros
- the Universe is a big place; the chances of us being the only intelligent beings are small
- since the beginning of recorded history (be it written or through paintings) there are descriptions of beings and 'gods' that came from the
heavens, long before man was able to fly.
- as humans study other animals here on Earth, it makes sense to me that extra-terrestrials would see an interest in studying us and our planet –
which could be an explanation for many abduction accounts.
- the capabilities described and demonstrated by most UFOs defy our current (public) knowledge of physics and are beyond what, in my opinion, we can
do.
Cons
- there has been no confirmation or evidence that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the Universe.
- the distances required to travel in space from other places are astronomical, that would either take too much time or require technology unknown
to us.
- if aliens are visiting our planet why don't they present themselves to us?
- assuming there is a cover up of their presence, why would all the other countries and Governments participate in that cover up?
I will briefly address the other theories with a couple of points for each.
Military Black Projects
Pros
- would eliminate the need for extra-terrestrials, and all the complex issues associated with that possibility, to explain UFOs.
Cons
- the technology apparently employed in UFOs is in great orders of magnitude more advanced than what we currently and publicly have in latest and
most state-of-the-art aircraft, and defy our current knowledge of physics.
Humans from the future
Pros
- could explain the likeness of the alleged beings in some abduction accounts.
Cons
- time travel is just a theory and it would create numerous and complex paradoxes.
Inter-dimensional beings
Pros
- could account for some of the high strangeness associated with UFOs and abductions; ships disappearing, beings walking through walls, etc.
Cons
- there has been no confirmation that more than 3 spatial dimensions exist; other dimensions are only theoretical.
I realize these theories are not mutually exclusive. In fact, the reality of UFOs and related phenomena could very well be a combination of all of
them, and much more.
I, for one, have no doubt that we have incredible craft built in secret with technologies unknown to the public (Military Black Projects), but I do
not believe it explains all UFOs, especially in earlier years.
Anyway, I hope that you find this thread interesting and that it motivates you to participate in a civilized and constructive manner, in order to get
some rational and serious conversation going.
Thank you.