UFOS Flying Emotions

**Carol Nistri** · Joined: 16 Jun 2007 Posts: 3350

Seth Shostak
Senior Astronomer, SETI
SPACE.com
Thu Aug 7, 7:03 AM ET

Reader warning: I'm taking off the kid gloves. If I seem angry here — a state of emotional discombobulation that seldom seems to be my wont — it's because people whom I barely know, or in some cases haven't even heard of, insist on propelling me over the precipice.

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Ostensibly, the issue is extraterrestrial intelligence. Not whether it exists, but whether the aliens have come to Earth. This idea, often monikered as "the UFO hypothesis," is a belief that's neither fringe nor uncommon. A 2002 Roper poll found that nearly half of all Americans believe that alien craft have visited Earth, and an even larger percentage feel in their heart of hearts that the government is playing dumb about these cosmic callers.

But that's not what's causing the bile to marinate my gallbladder. Personally (and as regular readers know), I'm not convinced by the evidence presented so far that aliens are sharing our airspace. But the evidence for the UFO hypothesis isn't the point here. Rather, it's the lack of civilized discourse.

For years, anytime I would write an article on these digital pages about the UFO question, I could be sure of quickly accumulating a dozen or so e-mails from offended readers. What struck me was that these respondents were less interested in trying to provide good evidence for landed aliens than they were in making brutal, ad hominem attacks on me. Somehow, the fact that I didn't share their convictions must mean that I'm an "evil, terrible person." This sort of automatic excoriation seemed to come with the territory. Talking about UFOs was like moonlighting as a metal duck in a shooting gallery.

But some recent appearances on CNN's "Larry King Live" made clear to me that sheet-steel quackers are an abundant breed. Anyone who publicly doubts that alien spacecraft are sailing our skies risks being a target. On the last of these programs, I watched as folks who were there to describe their evidence for extraterrestrial visitation laid into the guests who were skeptical: Bill Nye (the Science Guy) and me. Several of the UFO proponents made puerile jokes about Nye's TV career, much of which has been devoted to teaching science to kids (it's hard to think of a more worthwhile endeavor, incidentally). Nye's responses were impressively dignified, although that didn't seem to faze those who found endless amusement in berating him.

I, too, was attacked, generally along the lines that, since I don't investigate UFO reports, I'm not qualified to opine on whether I find them convincing or not. Well, that's bunk. And it's certainly not how science works. I don't need to be an astronomer specializing in black hole research, nor do it myself, to gauge whether someone's claim that they've found one of these collapsed objects in the center of some galaxy or other is credible. I can do that based on the methodology, the reported data, and (to be brutally frank) the reputation of the investigator and their professional affiliation. The burden of proof in science is on the person making the claim. And if the only way the investigator can convince others is by insisting that their audience shift careers and start doing their work, then something's gravely amiss. Carl Sagan was asked his opinion about many matters in which he had no research background. His thoughts on same were valuable and worth hearing.

Needless to say, there were a number of vituperative e-mails awaiting my delectation after the "King" shows (and, to be fair, some nice ones, too). One of the loveliest, from the executive director of an advocacy group that hopes to wrest loose UFO secrets supposedly held by the government, included these well-wishes:

"While we don't expect you to go away anytime soon, there is one consolation. Everything you have said and written on the subject of UFO/ET phenomena is archived - audio, video, email, paper. You can be assured that when this issue is finally resolved, post Disclosure, every time you open that ill informed mouth of yours, that archive will be brought to bear and you will be eviscerated. You deserve nothing less."

Although I disagreed with this gentleman's conviction that a massive cover-up has kept alien visitation from our clear notice, I told him that I would not want him "to be eviscerated, now or in the future." His rejoinder was massively unfriendly and threatening.

So what's wrong here? Why is it that so many members of the UFO community feel that they need to be bullies? Yes, I'll freely admit that many scientists are dismissive of the UFO hypothesis — often to the point of ridicule. I can understand the frustration occasioned by that. "I don't get no respect" can be a legitimate plaint, and I'm sure that some UFO proponents feel that pain.

Nonetheless, if after 60 years of claims, the only way that those who believe we're hosting extraterrestrials can make their point is by wielding the blunt weapon of personal attack, then the whole issue has gone off the rails. I'm willing to listen, and — believe it or not — you could convince me with decent evidence. After all, I happen to think that extraterrestrial intelligence is a frequent occurrence in a universe of ten thousand million million million stars.

But when you resort to threats, vitriol and scorn, I think you've lost more than the argument. You've lost your cred.

**Carol Nistri** · Joined: 16 Jun 2007 Posts: 3350

boy what mixed emotions this conjures up. Dear Mr.Shostak,were not your enemy but I think I see the problem. We think your in a postion to 'know',thats our first mistake you dont know anymore than we do. I think when your presented on a show like Larry King your seen both as the opposition and our hope. The hope part is what stirs the anger.That grin doesnt help either. Both you and Nye have the infuriating way of tossing this back in the lap of the common man,when weve been thinking that highly educated science guys are the way to go,your not.If anything science is the very last place anyone who hopes to solve this should be looking.Science is never ever going to solve this enigma.So ,your finally feeling the wrath of the frusted believers well,Im surprised this hasnt dawned on you long before your latest appearance on Larry King.
Id love to see a scientist come forward and say simply that they dont know,thats it,just they dont know,that its beyond anything modern science has at its disposal to prove one way or another,just that honest statement and the hate mail would stop. Please stop tossing it back in our laps.that we should be providing the 'proof',you know before those words leave your mouth that thats not possible.So if the ufo community has finally gotten to you its just there frustration that this seems to be largely ignored by those we were hoping could solve this once and forall.
Funny isnt it,SETI keeps lumbering away searching the skies for signs of life,I wonder if you bristle at those that know this is a waste of time.You point to the law of large numbers and the possiblility that life MUST exist somewhere in our endless universe.Thers not one speck of actual evidence to support such an expensive venture yet your free to swing those enormous telescopes in any direction you please night after night year after year with your hope as fresh as ever.Actually you Mr.Shostak and believer are identical in nature.

**dr wu23** · Joined: 24 Jun 2007 Posts: 2294 Location: Indiana

I agree with his general position. There is indeed much hostility within the ufo community to each other and to those (skeptics) who disagree with ufo believers. Dr Vallee and others have said this for years which is one of the reasons he remains in the background. He has said there are too many loose canons making assertions about a phenom that no one knows the answer to.

For some reason there is a great deal of anger and argumentative attitudes in this area publicly and it's also evident on almost any ufo forum one goes to. As soon as someone questions the evidence or facts around the ufo engima the believers ususally go ballistic and claim that you are just a debunker and have a closed mind. IMO this is more of a problem with the ufo believers responses and not as much with the skeptics, though I have seen some skeptics online that also get too hostile.
_________________
"Some say the valley has always been haunted ever since River ran.
The rippling waters fast as the colors conceal the Green Man."
Roy Harpur from The Green Man

**Carol Nistri** · Joined: 16 Jun 2007 Posts: 3350

actually some of the very best conversations Ive had over the years have been with skeptics,calm and respectful skeptics. When they get nasty then the fun quickly goes out of it but by and large I dont mind skeptics one bit.