Taylor Kaine

Over the years, people claimed to have seen UFOs in their backyard, up in the mountains and even on the moon. But what are these mysterious objects? This is the question that investigators have been trying to solve for a long time. There have been sightings proven false and others that still remain a mystery. The popular term UFO, has been causing controversy all over the world and as a result, this topic could very well turn from science fiction to science fact.

When a person thinks about UFOs they usually associate it with outer space and aliens, but this connection has a history. During the 1940’s and the 1950’s the atmosphere was feverish and it seemed as though people were always sighting UFOs, but with the technology of the time this concept seemed nearly impossible. Because UFOs appeared to do things that could not be done on Earth, investigators and witnesses assumed that these unidentified flying objects must come from another world. Now, anytime the term UFO comes up in a conversation, people immediately think of outer space.

After a person claims to have seen a UFO, the next step is for an investigator to figure out whether it is real or fake. For years, pictures and physical evidence have been sent to investigators and their job is to process the information and determine whether or not the sighting is a hoax; this process involves three distinct steps. First, they must examine the witnesses. Do all of the witnesses agree on the details? If there is only one witness, then they must research their history and make sure they have no reason for making up the sighting? In the past, many photos have been tampered with and because of this, the investigators next step is to check photographic evidence. In a photo analysis, they have to verify that the UFO is not different object, a more normal object, and that it’s not just being viewed from an odd angle or distance. The last and final step in the determination process, is physical evidence. Is there any physical evidence for there being a UFO? Investigators will inspect the ground for any effects on the landing site and examine people’s bodies for any unexplainable marks that may have been caused by the landing of the UFO.

When UFOs were a popular topic, many people used alleged photos to make money or get their name in a magazine but others changed the way we look at UFOs. Kenneth Arnold was one man who definitely altered the way we look at a UFO’s appearance. Arnold was a former football star who, at age 32, decided he wanted to devote his life to proving the existence of these mysterious objects. He came up with the term “flying saucer” when he sited a UFO and described the way it flew as a saucer. The expression stuck and changed from an appearance phrase to a term that explained its shape. On June 24th, 1947, Arnold claimed to have had nine UFO sightings. It turned out – after much investigation – that those nine flying saucers were actually White Pelicans. Arnold never admitted to the public that they were birds simply because he believed that birds could not fly that fast. Another important man in the history of UFOs, is William of Occam. William was an English philosopher who came up with the “Occam’s Razor” theory. This rule states that the simplest answer is most likely to be true. For example, if someone who lives by an airport says they saw a UFO, then the simplest answer would be that it they have actually observed an airplane.

Although UFOs are a fascinating concept to ponder, I do not believe that they actually exist. I do believe that it is possible for there to be life on other planets but this idea of having mysterious objects flying around the sky, is unrealistic. With today’s advanced technology, people have all the power in the world to modify images, therefore, any picture of a UFO has to be deeply examined. Another reason that I doubt the existence of UFOs is that ¾ of the time investigators find an alternate reason for there being a “bright object” in the sky. Like the pelicans, many objects can

cause people to get excited about a UFO, when most of the time the object is something less extraordinary and more normal.

For decades, UFO investigation has been causing controversy all over the world. Do they, or do they not exist? This question still remains unanswered but investigators are dedicating their lives to finding out whether these strange objects are real. While people continue to search for the answer, one good thing has come out of it all. Because of the conspiracy, we get to enjoy many movies, such as Race to Witch Mountain and Monsters vs. Aliens, which both involve UFOs and aliens. The popular term UFO, has been a questionable topic for a long time but it is almost at the point of changing from science fiction to science fact.

Works Cited:Mason, Paul. Investigating UFOs (Forensic Files). Chicago: Heinemann Library, 2004. Print. (Secondary

Source – book)