In spite of polls showing overwhelming belief that we are not alone in the universe, mainstream science contends there is no evidence that intelligent life exists anywhere in the universe except here on Earth. For those of us convinced that there must be other intelligent life somewhere and that UFOs are a mystery, not a joke, mainstream science seems strangely out of step. Many scientists remain firmly entrenched in the same sort of skepticism that led their predecessors to refuse to believe that rocks fell from the sky.
`Even though people had long seen ‘falling stars’ crash to the ground and collected meteorites, such stories and the stony evidence were relegated to folklore and mostly ignored during the early centuries of the Enlightenment. When scientist did address the matter, falling stars and meteorites were usually explained as atmospheric processes, such as showers of hail condensing in clouds, or terrestrial rocks that had been struck by lightning. In fact, that’s why they were called “thunderstones.”
Others scientists believed that meteorites were volcanic rocks, violently spewed out during major eruptions. Scientists didn’t even consider the idea that meteorites might be rocks from space, because such a concept didn’t fit in the prevalent concept of nature. Until the early 19th century, most scientists shared Isaac Newton’s view that no small objects could exist in the interplanetary space, an assumption that left no room for stones falling from the sky.
Likewise today, UFOs are largely ignored by mainstream scientists because the concept of alien life visiting Earth is not part of the current scientific paradigm. Paul Davies, author of The Eerie Silence: Renewing our Search for Alien Intelligence, seems to echo the earlier skeptics of falling rocks when he refers to atmospheric conditions as one explanation of UFO sightings. Noting that 40 million Americans say they have seen a UFO and thousands of sightings have been reported in recent years, Davies writes that “the vast majority of them get explained straightforwardly as weird atmospheric effects, aircraft seen under unusual conditions, bright planets, etc….So it’s tempting to conclude that if 95 percent of sightings can be explained without too much effort, then so could the remaining 5 per cent if we had enough information at our disposal, because there is nothing to elevate that residue from the rest, apart from being more puzzling.”
Davies takes an easily explained case, such as military flares sighted near a military base, and implies that the believers are silly people who refuse to believe the truth. But mainstream scientists tend to ignore the more difficult cases, such as multiple witnesses to other-worldly crafts. Their explanation is that there just isn’t enough information available, and if there was it would be explainable. That’s called reductionism, the process of explaining a complex phenomenon by analyzing the simplest aspects of it, the ones that are easiest to explain and understand. Besides, anecdotal evidence, whether it’s one story or a thousand like it, is not acceptable as evidence of anything.
Yet, there are a few scientists, such as John Mack of Harvard and David Jacobs of Temple University who have explored the realms of UFOs and alien abductions. Mack died in a traffic accident after publishing two controversial books and being subjected to a 14-month witch hunt at Harvard and Jacobs, a history prof, continues his work on the frontiers of science. Jacobs’ Phd thesis related to UFOs and remains one of only two such papers sympathetic to the subject that were published by a university press. Such researchers are rare, and UFOs continue to be a taboo research subject.
Essentially, mainstream science is telling us that if aliens are here, we don’t see them. They are not part of the accepted reality. It could be that the aliens like it that way.
I think there are people who know perfectly well that there are aliens among us and do whatever they can to squelch the truth. Until our scientists are free to study whatever they choose to study, without fear of losing funding, we will only know what the ‘powers that be’ want us to know.
I agree. So, gather your info from many sources.
The aspects of Science most aggravating to me is that they refuse to contemplate that the laws of physics applicable and necessary for life on planet Earth are NOT the laws of physics that would be applicable and necessary to life on other stars and planets. I’ve never understood why they have such a problom with this. Entities on Venus don’t necessarily need oxygen, water, gravity, etc etc etc. That goes for all other life-forms on other plabets, stars, in other galaxies far far away. They have their OWN laws of physics which support their systems of life. Wherever the aliens may be from, whether out there somewhere or somewhere within our own whatever, it’s quite obvious that they do NOT fall under our known laws of physics, and that OUR speed of Light isn’t All That. I want to scream DUH! every time I hear or read an earth scientist say, “there can’t be life on Neptune because there’s no air or water there”. DUH! again. We aren’t talking about Homo Sapiens, professors. So, what does this tell us? Entities, aliens, don’t require air and water. What is SOOOOOO difficult about this, that our scientists totally refuse to acknowledge that other laws of physics are beyond thistiny ball spinning in space? BLAH! Einstein knew…….
as lauren points out, mainstream science, like mainstream religion [ie catholics in particular] have been maintaining and perpetuating their own version of reality for the masses for as long as they’ve been in power – and if anyone believes “they” are not in power, they, too, are misguided – it is to their best interests – translated “financial gain” – to do so – governmental and scientific and religious power and control – there you have it –
amen.
A few years back I had a most interesting dream where I was holding a copy of Time magazine with a picture of space and portrait of a woman who had received the Nobel Prize for discovering that the same DNA found here on Earth existed throughout the universe. There was a constellation of stars in the shape of a human hand. Hmmmmm?
I woke up with that conviction. As for the concept that life does not exist anywhere else seems ridiculous to be so sure of when space is vast beyond comprehension to use mere tiny pin points of what ever we are here.
Fascinating dream, Adele!!
It’s sad that our western ideal of science, which arose as a reaction to the bigotry and power of the church, has become just as entrenched in many ways. I’m going to the Roswell UFO Conference at the UFO Museum at the end of the month………a fascinating gathering.
Speaking of falling stars, I always find it interesting that at the center of Mecca, among the most holy of holies, is a meteorite called the Kaaba. No one really knows a lot about its origins, but it is believed the black stone (Kaaba) was sacred to several Goddesses before the advent of Islam, and it was at the center of an ancient pilgrimage. Sorry if I offend anyone who is Muslim, but I find it such an amazing example of “mythic co-option”.
Lauren, mythic co-option is the history of religion.
And let us not forget that THE EARTH IS FLAT……………if one travels to its edge, one will fall off…….
Yeah, then there’s THAT one.
“.. the concept of alien life visiting Earth is not part of the current scientific paradigm” – I wonder who or whom actually decided this, and why?
Governments?? The illuminati??
I wonder what those guys think of NDEs then?
Not many of them seen reliably either,I guess?
They think the mind is the brain and NDEs are the result of neurological synapses while sleeping.