Why do people jump to the conclusion of UFOs so often? (phenomenon, light)

[North Beach Person]

[squirrels]

Originally Posted by Happy in Wyoming

That's better than swamp gas or balloons.

Many, perhaps most, sightings have been erroneous. But to deny the compelling evidence of the Roswell crash is just plain silly.

I'm not saying that that's what they are, I'm just pointing out that there are a lot of incredibly unlikely explanations for sightings and experiences that are still more likely than extraterrestrial involvement.

[JaxRhapsody]

Originally Posted by amylewis

Oh I don't think you are jumping to conclusions here, but are calling it what it was. It was a flying object you could not identify. That's a UFO. Now if you added to that description aliens from another world or that it was an interplanetary spaceship that would be jumping to conclusions, but you have not said that. You have only related your experience and described the object.

But, I'd believe aliens before I'd believe it was the SHIELD Hellacarrier. We don't have the tech to makes something not aerodynamic to fly, even if it did it with shear power, we can't even make a large ship cruise over the equivilent of what, 50mph with large 20cyclinder diesel engines. Lets start with that before we start planning Carnivals cross country flight.

[amylewis]

Originally Posted by JaxRhapsody

But, I'd believe aliens before I'd believe it was the SHIELD Hellacarrier. We don't have the tech to makes something not aerodynamic to fly, even if it did it with shear power, we can't even make a large ship cruise over the equivilent of what, 50mph with large 20cyclinder diesel engines. Lets start with that before we start planning Carnivals cross country flight.

I'm not sure what the SHIELD Hellacarrier is but I think you miss my point. My sighting was in June of 1967 in rural Michigan at a time when I had never heard of UFO's and had no inkling of such things. Whoever was piloting that craft didn't stop to say hi, they just flew on by, so I cannot say anything about them. All I saw was the craft flying by. I've not ruled out anything, but then I've not added in anything I didn't see either.

I'm quite sure that was I saw that morning was far beyond our earthly technology at the time and we can certainly speculate a great deal about it, but I cannot say for certain anything I didn't actually see. I've had other sightings as well, one of which was quite spectacular, but again I can't assign it to aliens I didn't see, all I can do is describe what I actually saw.

My point is the importance of keeping speculation separate from observed fact.

[Icy Tea]

I was out stargazing and checking to see some fireworks last night at about 11 PM. I caught sight of a yellow orange globe rapidly rising into the sky. No, not a UFO. It was a Chinese lantern although its ascent was faster than I thought was possible, not plane speed, but not a slow float either. But it was a cooler evening with temps about 70 degrees or under so that may have explained it. It burned out as it got closer overhead, it didn't suddenly zoom off or change direction. It just blinked out.
Some things are easily explained, some things are explained with careful study. Other things defy explanation. And putting a lame explanation that doesn't make much sense to something otherwise unexplainable is as bad as jumping to conclusions in the first place.

[amylewis]

Originally Posted by Icy Tea

Some things are easily explained, some things are explained with careful study. Other things defy explanation. And putting a lame explanation that doesn't make much sense to something otherwise unexplainable is as bad as jumping to conclusions in the first place.

Agreed. Remember the swamp gas explanation in the 60's in Michigan? J. Allen Hynek had to recant that one, and people knew full well what they had seen was not swamp gas. When it comes to UFO's the debunkers come out in droves, as recommended by the Robertson Panel. It became politically vital to ridicule anyone reporting a UFO sighting, giving birth to the giggle factor that comes into play any time the subject comes up. It's why most people keep shut up about what they see. I didn't tell anyone what I saw for over 40 years.

[K-Luv]

Originally Posted by squirrels

This is just something that bugs me and I wondered if there was a particular reason. Take, for example, three lights appearing in the sky suddenly, doing some complicated maneuvering, and then disappearing. A fairly typical UFO encounter, right?

Because they are unidentified, flying, and usually an object of some sort.

I think the question should be Why are they automatically assumed to be extraterrestrial?

[Fletchman]

There's a lot of people seeing some very weird things in the sky. That's a fact. Just check out ufocenter.com. Are some of them hoaxes or explainable events? Definitely. But there are many truly bizarre sightings with no explanation.

I myself had a UFO sighting in Ohio about ten years ago. It was something I will never forget.

Could it have been military? Sure. But why would a military craft be slowly drifting, silently, over a rural area at 4:30 A.M.?

[Tourian]

Most everyone has experience with what man made craft can do. We've all seen most fighter jets, commercial planes, stunt planes, helicopters, jump jets etc.

There's only so many g's people can pull. Manmade craft general have a front and a back and markings and windows. If people see something that doesn't fit the profile of man made aircraft they are going to call it an alien craft. Especially if it disappears, goes to warp or into hyperspace right in front of them.

I have never seen a UFO. And quite frankly, don't want to. Seems like your life gets screwed up if you come in close contact with one.

[303Guy]

But to deny the compelling evidence of the Roswell crash is just plain silly.

Might I enquire what that compelling evidence is?