Types of UFOs CH 02

Commentary: This posting is in a series of posts summarizing the book, "Lights In The Sky and Little Green Men" by Hugh Ross, Kenneth Samples, and Mark Clark. Hugh Ross is a scientist in physics and Clark has a PHd in political science. The other authors specialize in social sciences, philosophies, and international relations.  The full series can be reviewed at UFOs an Alternative Look.

Types of UFOs 

Scientific dogma demands that legitimate researchers must approach the data in an organized manner with possible categories and hypotheses in mind. Respected scientist who are ufologists go about their investigation in a professional manner and are confronted with an enormous amount of data. Surveys are indicating that between 12 to 14% of the people polled have witnessed a UFO and about 50% believe that UFOs are more than people's imagination. One estimate during the 1970's placed UFO sightings globally at 100 a night. Another estimate based on a ratio of 1 report to every 10 sightings indicates that sightings are in the millions since 1947. The US Airforce under several projects investigated about 15,000 reports between 1948 and 1969. The scope of the phenomenon is global and spans all of history eventhough a large number of the reports have occurred since 1947.

The systems of classication vary due to the complexity, unusualness, and mystery that surround a individuals claim. At times the phenomena is so bizarre as to defy rational inquiry. Four specific difficulties persist in making a study of UFO phenomena from a ordinary scientific inquiry.

1. UFOs cannot be directly and thoroughly analyzed due to the elusive and distant nature of UFOs
2. UFOs are difficult to caterorize with no undisputed experts to verify the phenomenon
3. The evidence is comingled with religious and psychological experiences making it difficult to parse empircal data out
4. UFO phenomenon is sufficiently mysterious to invite a variety of interpretations

While there remains real difficulties investigating UFO phenomenon a standard has been set for responsible UFO research. There are useful classification systems in regular use today. The 1972 classification system follows:

Distant Sightings

1. Nocturnal Lights (NL)
2. Daylight Disks (DD)
3. Radar visuals (RV)

Close Encounters

1. Close Encounters of the First Kind (CE-1):  Sighting within 500 ft or less. Does not effect or interact with observer
2. Close Encounters of the Second Kind (CE-2): UFO causes physical effects on the environment
3. Close Encounters of the Third Kind (CE-3): UFO occupants are witnessed without communication or contact at night by one or two people.
4. Close Encounters of the Fourth Kind (CE-4):  Direct contact occurs with UFO occupants involving abduction.
5. Close Encounters of the Fifth Kind (CE-5): Witnesses experience death or permanent physical injury.

While this system for evaluation is excellent an improvement was made which included the paranormal, other abnormal, and physical qualities of the UFO.

1. Anomaly AN(1-5): UFO Observance with accompanying abnormal phenomenon. ie poltergeists
2. Flyby FB(1-5): UFO observance flying in the sky
3. Maneuver MA(1-5): UFO observance that is discontinuous in the sky
4. Close Encounter CE(1-5): Same as the other scale

Given these scales UFOlogists can now begin to organize the data. Most UFO become identified with satisfactorily explanations except for extraterrestrial and supernatural events. The explanations fall into 8 categories.

1. Misidentified natural phenomenon
2. Misidentified Man-made Phenomenon
3. False Images in high-quality equipment
4. False images in faulty equipment
5. False images resulting from faulty human perception
6. Hoaxes, pranks, or fraud
7. Subjective causes
8. Combination of natural and human factors

With most of the reports explaned sufficiently well, there is a residual percentage, about 1%, that remains unexplained. These Residual UFOs, RUFOs, number in the tens of thousands. UFOlogist also also identify other world hypotheses; extraterrestrial and interdimensional. The RUFOs are the focus of most of the investigation into UFOs given the various categorizations.

The burden of proof for debunking RUFOs is not on the skeptics who advocate naturalistic causes but instead on those advocates of the supernormal or the extraordinary to prove their claims. Many other skeptics claim UFOs are a 'pathological science' not objective reality. There are some summarized objections that are necessary to review:

1. The presumption that all UFOs have naturalistic explanations is a prejudice gainst an honest attempt at the facts
2. Arguing extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence may be an unproven assumption
3. Many RUFOs resist a natural explanation after competent review
4. Assessing all UFO reports as misidentified natural phenomenon may be simple but may not fully acount for the facts

Honest inquiry raises two fundamental questions:

1. Has an objective, logical, and scientific analysis been made of the best evidence?
2. What kind of evidence is require to substantiate the reality of a UFO or what are the evidentiary demands?

Further explanation and investigation is necessary in order to determine the validity of claims and hypothesis made.

Commentary:  Evidence seems to indicate that since the age of mass and personal communications became possible the number of reports dramatically increased. Additionally, as radio and film matured in their imaginations and storytelling the UFO phenomenon dynamically increased in complexity and seemed to parallel the fictional depictions of UFOs and aliens.  Another thought may be that in the fog of the Cold War, the UFO phenomenon may have been exploited by both sides at the expense of societal sanity in efforts to leverage a warfighting advantage. For example, one side or the other obtained access to alien technology, ie area 51. Whether true or not the point is that UFOs may be the result of ourselves rather than the outcome of external circumstances, episodes, or phenomenon. A logical and rational approach is necessary as the universe is founded upon sound principles that are consistent and uniform.  The investigation into these matters was strengthened with the establishment of the classification categories.

This completes the second chapter. I'll summarize chapter three in the next posting. From time-to-time, I may post a commentary section highlighting a specific point.

References:

Ross, H., Samples, K., and Clark, M. (2002). Lights in the sky and little green men: a rational christian look at UFOs and extraterrestrials. Navpress. Colorado.