2007-12-11 20:53:27 · 12 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
The most likely explanation of UFO reports is that they are not reports of visitations by extraterrestrials, but are ideas generated by the people making the claims.
You do not have to be a psychologist to realize that humans have immense capacities for error, dishonesty, and lunacy. All of these things come into play with UFO reports, and any given report may arise through any combination of these human tendencies. Some people erroneously think that they have seen spaceships, some intentionally lie in order to get money or fame, and some are flat out crazy and believe things that the rest of us know are not realistic. Perhaps it is disappointing, but that's life with human beings.
2007-12-11 22:31:48 · answer #1 · answered by 62,040,610 Idiots 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Last time I checked, J Allen Hynek was a pretty respectable Astronomer and professor. He started out a skeptic and debunker but eventually some cases he studied helped change his mind.
Most respectable UFO researchers readily admit that 90% or more of alleged sightings have a prosaic explanation. We're not interested in those, it's the -10% of cases that defy a conventional explanation. It's pretty hard to attribute a sighting to ball lightning or Venus when it manages to disable a nuclear missile silo, drags a helicopter above its normal crusing height or tracks a jetliner for several hours.
2007-12-13 06:20:39 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
What is really interesting about UFO sightings is that they are nearly never made by Astronomers. This is very interesting if you bear in mind that astronomers spend more time than nearly anyone looking into the night sky. I guess they don't make reports because they tend to know what they are looking at. That bright light is not a UFO but Venus or a flare from a satellite. Astronomers have nothing to gain by keeping silent they are always trying to prove life on other planets but they just know what they are looking!
2007-12-12 22:26:24 · answer #3 · answered by montpelier42 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Quite a few. The first thing you must remember is that msot people see strange lights, not flying suacers.
1. A surprising number of airshipsa re mistaken for UFOs.
2. Some are probably fake.
3. A lot of things I can't remember. Some involve the moon being obscured by clouds. This might be mistaken.
4. Hallucinations, drug trips, etc.
There are also the funny ones: one owl ate biolumiescent fungus adn glowed. This got mistaken for a UFO (this one actually happened).
2007-12-12 04:59:00 · answer #4 · answered by Bob B 7 · 4⤊ 1⤋
UFO reports can be just about anything. From aircraft, to space debris, to flocks of birds or maybe even alien spacecraft.
A lot of people make the mistake that the term UFO means "Alien spacecraft". No, UFO means exactly what it says "UNIDENTIFIED" flying object. That means that they quite simply don't know what it is. It could be anything, Human, natural or extra-terrestrial.
2007-12-12 05:01:04 · answer #5 · answered by Vivi 5 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Reflections.
2007-12-12 05:01:45 · answer #6 · answered by Chris 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm not sure exactly and i just watched this yesterday afternoon, I guess I should have paid attention,,,I first and foremost need someone to explain these "crop circles" to me seriously, what the heck are they????
2007-12-12 09:06:05 · answer #7 · answered by Elizabeth (the jewish princess) 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You could always see what these people have to say about ufos,, enjoy;)
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5305085298884471236&q=ufo&pr=goog-sl&hl=en
2007-12-12 07:02:21 · answer #8 · answered by SPACEGUY 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Kevin - don't forget the frisbee tied to a piece of string..
2007-12-12 04:56:26 · answer #9 · answered by livinfortheweekend2 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
A mixture of delusions, attention seeking, hallucinations, and simple mistakes.
2007-12-12 04:55:35 · answer #10 · answered by Kevin M 3 · 3⤊ 1⤋