UFOs and Exogenous Intelligence Encounters

ESPI 43
PERSPECTIVES

UFOs and Exogenous Intelligence Encounters

Philippe AILLERIS, Founder of the UAP Observations Reporting Scheme

The search for extraterrestrial life has fascinated scientists and the public alike for over half a century. In
recent years, astronomers and planetary scientists have multiplied their efforts to discover life forms by
probing planets suitable for supporting its development with telescopes and robotic exploration missions.
Although the probability of discovering micro-organisms on other planets is increasing, the prospect of
making contact with developed, intelligent extraterrestrial beings remains distant. However, such an event
can not be excluded; it may happen unexpectedly and under as yet unforeseen circumstances, but it remains
in the realm of possibility. In fact, recent opinion polls have shown that a large part of the public considers
such an event as very probable, or that it has even taken place already. Although the popularised perception
of such “close encounters of the third kind” in the form of UFO sightings is scientifically unfounded, it helps to
build public support for space exploration missions, advance scientific knowledge on atmospheric
phenomena and psychologically prepare the public for encountering extraterrestrial life. Furthermore, one
should not necessarily assume that such a contact would be initiated by humans, or that we would be able to
realise and comprehend it based on our own experience and intellect. After all, it would be the greatest
discovery in the history of mankind.

“…The idea of benign or hostile super beings from form in the universe, and the quest will keep
other planets visiting the earth clearly belongs in haunting us as long as we have not found it,
such a list of emotion-rich ideas. There are two travelling along each of our future space
sorts of possible self-deceptions here: Either endeavours. No one can be certain when this
accepting the idea of extraterrestrial visitation in extraordinary event will take place, but we are
the face of very meagre evidence because we now living a unique moment in human history.
want it to be true; or rejecting such an idea out of Half a century after Copernicus displaced the
hand, in the absence of sufficient evidence, Earth from the centre of the universe, Galileo
because we don’t want it to be true. Each of these
pointed a telescope toward the sky and its
extremes is a serious impediment to the study of
mysteries. Together, they changed the way we
UFO; they affect different categories of people.”1
Dr. Carl Sagan, 1969
observe, conceptualise, and dream about
ourselves and outer space. Today we are
1. Introduction progressing toward another major change of
paradigm of comparable magnitude. We could
Gazing up at the night sky has been a source of be the first generation to discover extraterrestrial
wonder, a subtle mix of fear and an unstoppable life, and potentially answer one of the most
need to question our origin and destiny since the important philosophical questions of humankind:
beginning of time. We question what might lie in Is anybody out there? Oddly enough, a large
the star-lit sky beyond the range of humankind’s part of the worldwide population already thinks
limited view, and if we are indeed alone in the that the question has been answered, believing
universe. Few other scientific discoveries could not only that other intelligent beings exist in the
be more profound than discovering another life universe, but that they have already traversed
space to our solar system.

1
Carl, Sagan and Page, Thorton. UFO’s: A Scientific Debate.
New York: Cornell University, 1972: 265.

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 UFOs and Exogenous Intelligence Encounters

2. Cosmic Neighbours sensational news for the scientific community,

the public excitement is likely to remain
Since the discovery in 1995 of the first exoplanet constrained2. After all, primitive bugs won’t have
around a sun starlike, 51 Pegasi b, astronomers too much to say. What everybody wants to know
have detected more than four-hundred others is not only whether or not there is life outside
circling distant stars. With at least two-hundred Earth, but whether the universe has produced
billion stars in our galaxy and expectations that other minds equal to or greater than our own: in
twenty to seventy-five per cent of the stars others words intelligent life and other
include planets like Mercury, Venus, Earth, or civilizations. Sadly, the first fifty years of space
Mars, astronomers today are confident that our exploration has reduced our initial dreams of an
galaxy alone hosts a dizzying number of Earth- “encounter of a third kind” to nothing. The
like planets. Launched in March 2009, NASA’s present undertaking focuses on alien micro-
planet-hunting Kepler spacecraft will provide us organisms, carbon-rich molecules or gaseous
with the first direct empirical evidence of Earth- signatures of life (probably inactive for millions of
like planets. It will spend three years staring at years and hidden in inhospitable locations). Our
more than 100,000 stars for telltale signs of inner speculations, hopes and fears of
planets as small as Earth, orbiting sun-like stars discovering advanced extraterrestrial life with
in the “habitable zone” at distances where whom to communicate have simply been
temperatures are right for liquid water. By 2013, substituted by a seemingly less ambitious
we shall have a reliable estimate of the number search.
of Earth-like planets in our galaxy. The existence
of these “terrae incognita” in great quantity, if
confirmed, will significantly increase the
probability of life existing out there, perhaps
even intelligent life. Based on the data from the
Kepler spacecraft, the next logical step will be to
design new ground and space-based
instruments to obtain spectra of these
exoplanets’ atmospheres, in order to find
evidence of signatures of life such as oxygen,
which could be produced by biological
processes. The ultimate step would be to send
interstellar spacecrafts toward these potentially
habitable worlds. Regrettably, it could take
centuries before humanity gets to see what alien
life looks like.

3. Micro Signs of Life

On Earth, another space race has started. It is a

race between the planetary scientists and the
astronomers to be the first to find extraterrestrial
life, either in our solar system or further away.
During the past decade, an enormous increase Fig. 1: Artistic view of the future European Rover and drill on
the surface of Mars (source: ESA).
in interest among planetary scientists in the
search for life or evidence of past life has 4. Extraterrestrial Detection
energised the unmanned exploration of our solar
system. The most promising targets include It is widely assumed that astronomers and
Mars, which has methane in its atmosphere, space scientists will be the first to discover
Jupiter and Saturn’s moons Europa and extraterrestrial life. Today’s scientific quest for
Enceladus (in the light of evidence that oceans space life follows a roadmap characterised by
lie beneath their surfaces), Titan (because of its four assumptions. First, discovery is a process
thick atmosphere and rich organic chemistry), under our control. Second, the search will be
and finally comets that are thought to be rich in gradually implemented, keeping pace with our
organic materials.
2
For an account on the ethics in encountering microscopic
What kind of life do scientists expect to find on extraterrestrial life consider Cockell, Charles. “Ethics and
our doorstep? Unfortunately to some, only Microscopic Extraterrestrial Life.” Humans in Outer Space:
primitive microbes or their remains are Interdisciplinary Perspectives. Eds. Ulrike Landfester, Nina-
Louisa Remuss, Kai-Uwe Schrogl, Jean-Claude Worms.
expected. Although this will constitute Vienna: SpringerWienNewYork, 2011: 80.

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 UFOs and Exogenous Intelligence Encounters

technological developments. Third, the focus will and social implications. And we might be the
be on searching for extraterrestrial life’s “discovered” rather than the “discoverers”. As
precursors and simple life forms. Finally, the political scientist and sociologist M. Schetsche
location of intelligent alien life forms will be at has explained, one possible reason why we tend
immense distances from Earth. However, a to locate the sentient extraterrestrials at
completely different situation could also unfold. immense distances from Earth and concentrate
At a NASA-Ames research centre workshop on on contacts through radio waves could be that
the societal implications of astrobiology, Albert A. such an eventuality would have fewer
Harrison presented a matrix (Fig. 2) of four consequences for mankind than a close contact.
detection scenarios arranged along two In his words, “…the further away we know the
dimensions. The vertical dimension reflects the aliens to be, the less threatening their existence
level of life form encountered: either simple appears to be5.”
(cells, plants) or complex (civilisations). The
horizontal axis expresses its degree of proximity The discovery of alien life forms is not
to Earth; either proximal (in our solar system) or necessarily a process under our control
distal (outside the solar system). When the two and could take a totally unexpected form
axes of complexity and proximity are crossed, and turn.
four scenarios of detection occur: “Distant Dust”,
“Microbes”, “ET Calling” and “Space Visitors”.3
The potentially dangerous consequence of such
an unprecedented event has already been
emphasized in a report commissioned by NASA
and written by the Brookings Institution.
Published in 1960, the “Proposed Studies on the
Implications of Peaceful Space Activities for
Human Affairs”6 states that “anthropological files
contain many examples of societies, sure of
their place in the universe, which have
disintegrated when they had to associate with
previously unfamiliar societies espousing
different ideas and different life ways; others that
survived such an experience usually did so by
paying the price of changes in values and
Fig. 2: Illustration of detections scenarios based on the work of attitudes and behaviour”. Recommending further
American psychologist Albert A. Harrison. research areas in order to meet and adjust to
the implication of such a discovery, the report
The first two scenarios are associated with the suggested some factors that leaders would want
field of astrobiology and our current exploration to consider if faced with a decision about
roadmap. The other two refer to advanced whether to release such information to the
extraterrestrial civilizations. "ET calling" deals public: “How might such information, under what
with the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence circumstances, be presented to or withheld from
(SETI). SETI represents an exploratory science the public for what ends? What might be the role
programme that searches for electromagnetic or of the discovering scientists and other decision
optical transmissions from civilizations on distant makers regarding release of the fact of
planets4. The “Space Visitors” scenario seeks discovery? “. Nowadays such considerations
evidence of extraterrestrial intelligence within appear from a totally different perspective, in
our solar system, including the discovery of alien light of the phenomenal development of
artefacts, detection or sighting of extraterrestrial communication technologies and the advent of
probes and the stereotypical science fiction
encounter with aliens. This last scenario has 5
Schetsche, Michael T. “SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial
fascinated the general public, but it is subject to Intelligence) and the Consequences: Futurological
Reflections on the Confrontation of Mankind with an
wild claims, speculation and controversy. Extraterrestrial Civilization.” 1 July 2005. Astrosociology.com.
Nevertheless, there is no denying that direct on- 21 Jun. 2010.
or near-Earth contact with an extraterrestrial http://www.astrosociology.com/Library/PDF/Contributions/SE
intelligence would have enormous psychological TIandConsequences_ENG.pdf
Schetsche, Michael T. “Encounters among the Stars –
Exosociological Considerations.” Humans in Outer Space:
Interdisciplinary…: 102.
3 6
Albert A. Harrison. “Planning for contact: Fantasy documents NASA Technical report. December 1960. Proposed studies
or guideline for action”. IAC-08-A4.2.6 on the implications of peaceful space activities for human
4
“SETI’s Declaration of Principles Concerning Activities affairs. 242.
Following the Detection of Extraterrestrial Intelligence.” http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/
Humans in Outer Space: Interdisciplinary…: 291. 1964053196.pdf

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 UFOs and Exogenous Intelligence Encounters

the internet revolution. In the case of SETI and if reported that one in five respondents said they
a signal from an extraterrestrial civilization is either “strongly” or “somewhat” agreed with the
detected, we can be assured that the news of notion that extraterrestrials are already living
the discovery will reach the public almost within their communities, disguised as humans.
immediately. A conspiracy to withhold or conceal
the evidence of an extraterrestrial signal would Statistically, the public opinion’s interest
be all but impossible. However, and in the and belief in UFO phenomena is high.
eventuality of the last detection scenario
depicted by A.A. Harrison, one could think that
the decision to announce such news to the This public fascination for Ufology (the study of
population would represent a totally different unidentified flying object (UFO) reports,
situation, and might not be easily taken. sightings, alleged physical evidence, and other
related phenomena) was revealed further when
Fear associated with any direct extraterrestrial two governments announced the publication of
contact has recently resurfaced in the media. their official files. France was the first, when in
Notably, the famous British theoretical physicist March 2007 its space agency “Centre National
Stephen Hawking suggested that aliens were d’Etudes Spatiales” (CNES) created a website
almost certain to exist, but instead of seeking documenting 100,000 pages of testimonies,
them out, humanity should be doing all that it photographs and statistics on UFOs. Within two
can to avoid contact7. His view is consistent with hours of allowing access to the site, the CNES
the general military principle of never giving web server crashed, overwhelmed by the flood
away one's own defensive position until a of viewers around the world attempting to
potential adversary's capabilities have been access the information10.
adequately assessed and are sure to be readily
met. Despite the underlying fear and the fact One year later, starting from May 2008, the
that astronomers do not expect aliens to be United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defence (MoD)
visiting Earth given the timescales and the initiated the declassification and release of
fantastic amount of energy required for thousands of documents related to UFO
interstellar travel, much of the public thinking sightings through the country’s National Archives
about extraterrestrial intelligence assumes web site11. Although this decision was
aliens have travelled to our solar system. guaranteed to generate intense international
interest, no one had foreseen the actual record
5. The Lure of Local Encounters internet traffic. In the first four days there were
1.3 million downloads of information from the
Public surveys regularly indicate not only a site. However, these public reactions and poll
widespread belief in the existence of intelligent results are nothing new. It is merely the result of
extraterrestrial life, but also and more intriguingly a controversy and phenomenon which started
an acceptance that it is already visiting us in the more than 60 years ago, a decade before the
form of what is popularly called Unidentified launch of Sputnik and as stated by NASA Chief
Flying Objects (UFOs). A national media poll Historian Steven J. Dick:12 “In which lies an
commissioned in August 2002 by the SCI FI important chapter in the history of the
channel and conducted by RoperASW via extraterrestrial life debate, between public
OmniTel sampled 1,021 American adults and gullibility and scientific close-mindedness,
revealed two particularly interesting details8. between perception and reality and a story of
First, more than half (56 %) of the sample the limits of science under the most trying
thought that UFOs were real and not just the circumstances”.
product of people’s imagination. Second, one in
seven Americans said they or someone they 6. The UFO Phenomenon
knew had had an experience involving a UFO.
More recently, in April 2010, a Reuters Ipsos The last century has seen the emergence of a
poll9 of 23,000 adults in twenty-two countries phenomenon that has generated intense interest
and invaded the modern consciousness on a
worldwide scale. Although embedded in
7
Leake, Jonathan. “Don’t talk to aliens, warns Stephen
Hawking.” The Sunday Times 25 Apr. 2010.
8 10
“The 2002 Roper poll.” Sep. 2005. Coalition for freedom of “Le groupe d'études et d'informations sur les phénomènes
information. aérospatiaux non identifiés (CNES/GEIPAN) “.
http://www.freedomofinfo.org/national.html http://www.cnes-geipan.fr
9 11
“One In Five (20%) Global Citizens Believe That Alien Beings “Newly Released UFO Files from the UK Government”. The
Have Come Down To Earth And Walk Amongst Us In Our National Archives. August 2010.
Communities Disguised As Humans.“ The Reuters Ipsos Poll http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ufos/
12
8 Apr. 2010. Ipsos http://www.ipsos-na.com/news- Dick, Steven J. The Biological Universe. Cambridge:
polls/pressrelease.aspx?id=4742 Cambridge University Press, 1996.

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 UFOs and Exogenous Intelligence Encounters

everyone’s psychology and having gained the science had nothing to gain by studying UFOs
status of a modern myth, it is still necessary to was in total contradiction with the committee’s
give a definition of the term: “a UFO is the investigations. Indeed, one third of all the cases
reported sighting of an object or light seen in the that it had studied had remained after all
sky or on land, whose appearance, trajectory, unexplained after analysis. The number of
actions, motions, lights, and colours do not have reported UFO experiences logged in three
a logical, conventional, or natural explanation, governmental databases reflects a steady and
and which cannot be explained, not only by the sometimes impressive number of yearly events
original witness, but by scientists or technical (Fig.3). Even so, such statistics likely
experts who try to make common sense underestimate the extent of UFO observations
identification after examining the evidence”13. as some witnesses decide not to make public
their sightings due to the reticence and fear of
The modern belief that extraterrestrials visit ridicule.
Earth has been growing since the late 1940s.
More precisely, the modern UFO era started on USAF Project Blue Book cases (1947-1969)

June 24, 1947 when American businessman

1600 1501

1400

Kenneth Arnold14, while flying his private plane 1200 1112

Number of sightings
1006
1000 937
887

near Mount Rainier, Washington, reported 800

600 509 487

545
670
627
557 591
474
562

seeing nine brilliantly lit disc-shaped objects 400

200 122 156 186 210 169

390 399 375

146

travelling at tremendous speed. It was his 0

1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969

description of the objects as flying “like a saucer Year

would if you skipped it across the water” which GEIPAN (France)

Number of reports (1979-2009)
MOD (UK)
Number of reports (1979-2009)

gave rise to the term “Flying Saucer”. Arnold’s 2009

2008
2007
36

38
57
2009
2008
2007 135
285
657

sighting was followed in the next weeks, months 2006

2005
2004
9
14
19
2006
2005
2004
97

91
158

and years by hundreds of other reports, mostly 2003

2002
2001
12
21
21
2003
2002
2001
96
104
200
2000 22

in the U.S. but also in other countries. This led to 1999

1998
1997
15
26
40
2000
1999
1998
194
245
245
431

an extensive twenty-two year long official U.S.

1997
1996 20
1996 595
1995 27
1995 284
1994 43
1994 250

Air Force UFO investigation, the Project Blue 1993

1992
1991
18
17
61
1993
1992
1991
147
117
258

Book, which ended in 1969 following the

1990 32
1990 209
1989 25
1989 258
1988 29
1988 397
1987 14

publication of the Condon committee’s final 1986

1985
1984
10

16
35
1987
1986
1985
150
120
177

report. This document, formally titled “Scientific 1983

1982
1981
35
35
57
1984
1983
1982
214

250
390

Study of Unidentified Flying Objects”, stated the 1980 106 1981 600
1979 108 1980 350
1978 42 1979 550

following in his introductory chapter 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700

“Conclusions & Recommendations”: “our

general conclusion is that nothing has come Fig. 3: Official number of UFO reports transmitted to the
from the study of UFOs in the past 21 years that Authorities. (Sources: USA: Blue Book’ statistics, France: CNES
website, United Kingdom: Ministry of Defence website)
has added to scientific knowledge. Careful
consideration of the record as it is available to Project Blue Book found that only thirteen
us leads us to conclude that further extensive percent of the persons who stated that they had
study of UFOs probably cannot be justified in the had a UFO experience had reported it in a public
expectation that science will be advanced way16. Even if underestimated numerically, the
thereby”15. vast majority of events reported as UFO
sightings can be easily explained in conventional
Despite this negative conclusion, the topic terms such as the misidentification of natural
refused to disappear. Over more than sixty (e.g. meteors, planets, clouds) or man-made
years, many thousands of people from all walks phenomena (e.g. rocket launches, satellite re-
of life, including numerous credible civilian, entries, Chinese lanterns). Nevertheless, the
governmental and military witnesses, have existence of a small number of cases that
reported UFO sightings practically all over the remains unexplained despite their analysis gives
world. This in itself was not totally unexpected, to the subject a strong aura of mystery and
as the Condon committee’s conclusion that fascination.

13
Hynek, Allen J. The UFO Experience: A Scientific Inquiry. The UFO literature does contain more than
Chicago: Henry Regnery Co., 1972. simple sightings of lights in the sky. It also
14
It is to be noted that the UFO phenomenon is not a recent includes testimonies made by police officers,
historical occurrence and has not started appearing after
World War II. Many ancient documents reveal reports of airplane pilots, and armed forces personnel that
mysterious aerial phenomena. A useful reference is: Vallee, prove intriguing and sometimes alarming (e.g.
Aubeck. “Wonders in the sky”. Tarcher/Penguin, 2010. unexplained radar images of air traffic control,
15
Condon, Edward U. Scientific study of Unidentified Flying
Objects. Colorado: The University of Colorado and United
16
States Air Force, 1968. Ibid: 315-364.

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 UFOs and Exogenous Intelligence Encounters

near-missed collisions with passenger airplanes, extraterrestrial life.

electronic equipment malfunctions, physical
traces on the ground, physiological effects on In a recent American cable news channel
witnesses, or U.S.A.F. fighter jets scrambling to MSNBC poll for selecting the top space story of
shoot down UFOs). Even more controversially, the year 2010, Unidentified Flying Objects
official files include UFO sightings at very close received the most votes. The topic accounted for
distances (e.g. close to or on the ground), an outstanding 52% of the choices, far ahead of
alleged observations of animate beings close to the others proposed scientific space headlines
the UFOs (popularly called “encounters of the (Sunrise for private rockets 17%, Earth-sized
third kind”17), and even claims of alien worlds on the horizon 15%, Arsenic alien life or
abduction. The extraterrestrial hypothesis, i.e. false dawn 8%, NASA’ s shifting course 7%).
the idea that some UFOs may be spacecraft
sent to Earth from another civilization or space Although the great majority of UFO
other than earth, or on a planet associated with phenomena can be explained, we need to
a more distant star, was bolstered by such remain open-minded in their study.
claims and represents the most widely debated
hypotheses. Though these outstanding UFO
reports are immediately prone to ridicule and Aside from reflecting once again the enormous
dismissal, some have been found neither to interest that the UFO phenomenon continues to
have a common explanation nor to be hoaxes. elicit among the public, such poll results can
These unexplainable cases form the hard core also tell us something else. They highlight the
of the UFO controversy. Although some perceived likelihood that in the course of our
controversial reports cannot be conclusively future interplanetary explorations we may
refuted, there is no scientifically acceptable encounter intelligent beings of other species.
evidence supporting the idea that some UFOs Although considered highly improbable today,
may be spacecraft from another civilisation. humans should at least be open to this
Absence of evidence however should not be eventuality. Back from a 16-day Endeavour
taken as evidence of absence. There is a need mission, space shuttle’s astronaut Gregory
to keep an attitude of humility and scientific Johnson said at a news conference in 2008: “I
open-mindedness, especially since some UFO personally believe that we are going to find
reports might represent events worthy of something that we can’t explain…there is
research. Rare atmospheric events, near-earth probably something out there but I have never
space phenomena, unexpected consequences seen it…” This is not in itself an irrational
of human activity (space debris, electromagnetic thought. Given the vast number of stars in the
signals and pollution), social, cultural, and Milky Way and the fact that the majority of them
psychological phenomena, or interactions are much older than our Sun, there has been
among all of the above could be revealed by plenty of time for life to develop on other planets
further study of UFO cases. and for intelligent, technological civilisations to
develop advanced interstellar transportation
7. Psychological and Cultural Influences: systems, if such development is physically
Learning About Ourselves possible. After all, ours is only a one hundred
year-old space technology in a twelve billion
The purpose of this section is not to analyse year old galaxy, and we have already sent some
whether the extraterrestrial hypothesis in of our own spacecraft (Voyager and Pioneer)
support of the UFO phenomenon can be into the cosmos. As a matter of fact, scientists
considered as a legitimate hypothesis. Rather have already reflected this eventuality into the
than entering the speculative arena, we can turn design of our unmanned interplanetary probes,
our attention to the influences that the UFO by equipping them with the ability to
controversy has exerted in broad terms on our communicate with extraterrestrials. For the
space exploration activity and on the search for benefit of other space-faring civilizations, the
Pioneers 10-11 and Voyagers 1-2 spacecrafts
(Fig. 4) are travelling through the cosmos with
17
Term coined by A. Hynek (United States astronomer, golden plaques and phonograph records,
professor, and scientific adviser of the Project Blue Book) in featuring pictorial messages and information on
his book: The UFO Experience: A Scientific Inquiry. Hynek the nature of our species, our location and some
introduced a system of classification for grouping UFO
events. Sightings more than five-hundred feet (160 m) from humankind greetings. One of our recent robotic
the witness are classified as "Daylight Discs," "Nocturnal rovers, the Phoenix Mars Lander, was also
Lights," or "Radar/Visual Reports". Sightings within about equipped with a Digital Video Disk that contains
five-hundred feet are sub-classified as various types of "close
encounters”. Directed by Steven Spielberg, the 1977 movie a multimedia collection of literature and art about
“Close Encounters of the Third Kind” took its name from this the Red Planet and also messages addressed to
categorisation.

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 UFOs and Exogenous Intelligence Encounters

future Martian visitors, including songs, pictures travellers will also ponder over the question of
and poems. the existence of extraterrestrial life. Having been
exposed to the UFO/Alien controversy for
decades and being aware of the topic’s high
appeal, the new space entrepreneurs will surely
be interested in building upon public fascination
to propose some innovative concepts.

Commercial space enterprises might be

inclined to exploit the UFO controversy in
the future.

In fact such a situation already exists. Bigelow

Aerospace, the Nevada-based company that
has launched two subscale pathfinders of an
orbital inflatable space station (Genesis I and II)
into low Earth orbit represents the first private
Fig. 4: The 1977 Voyager gold Record (source: NASA). spaceflight company to link the space business
with the UFO topic. Its founder, the real estate
Sixty years of Ufology debate and wild claims millionaire Robert Bigelow, has been a
have gradually accustomed us to this researcher and student of UFOs for decades.
eventuality. Scientists and astronauts are Before he started designing the inflatable space
themselves not immune to an interest in UFOs. station (for which a launch date of 2015 has
Former NASA Astronaut Edgar Mitchell, a been stated), he founded and financed the
member of the Apollo 14 mission that landed on “National Institute for Discovery Science”, which
the Moon, asserted in 2008 that “I happen to be aimed at researching and advancing serious
privileged enough to be in on the fact that we study of various fringe science and paranormal
have been visited on this planet and the UFO topics, most notably Ufology. His organisation
phenomenon is real…” Public fascination with was even listed in the Federation Aviation
the idea of extraterrestrials and the claims of Administration (FAA) manuals as the first point
close encounters creates social and of contact in the United States to which the FAA
psychological momentum from which space shall report UFOs. Whether motivated by the
agencies may benefit and build upon. This possibility that his engineers might reap the
interest facilitates the funding of projects benefits of any UFO breakthrough, allowing
focusing on exobiology and the search of them to generate re-engineering spin-offs, or
exoplanets. No other theme is likely to engage that his orbital space station might provide a first
the public as much as that of intelligent step in making contact with an extraterrestrial
extraterrestrial life and this is particularly obvious intelligence, Mr. Bigelow keeps a close interest
when looking at the current portfolio of planned in the topic in parallel with his commercial space
missions (Mars rovers, orbiters for Europa and activities. As recently as June 2010, he
Ganymede, exoplanets’ telescopes). The UFO emphasized his views: “…Anybody that does
controversy has helped and still helps to raise research, if people bother to do quality research,
the general public interest in this kind of space comes away absolutely convinced. You don’t
activities, and therefore enables their financing. have to have personal encounters…People
have been killed. People have been hurt. It’s
This social and psychological momentum isn’t more than observational kind of data”18. In 2008,
likely to remain limited to the long established space business got even closer to UFO
governmental space agencies. The new research. Bigelow Aerospace published a small
commercial space enterprises which began video clip taken from one of Genesis I external
appearing over the last few years are likely to cameras on its website, which depicted an
reflect upon the ways in which they can exploit unidentified moving bright spot. The public was
this situation. Indeed, the emergent area of invited to analyse the film and submit on-line
space tourism promises to offer not only some “educated guesses” about its origin.
professional astronauts but also private
individuals a radically new human perspective in A second influence relates to communication
the near future: the opportunity to contemplate policies within space agencies. Because the
Earth from orbit, to experience the sensation of UFO discourse is partially constructed around
weightlessness and a deeper viewing of the
cosmos. Undoubtedly these new space 18
International Herald Tribune “U.S. entrepreneur reaches for
outer space”. 09 June 2010.

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 UFOs and Exogenous Intelligence Encounters

suspicion that governments hide the truth from intelligences. The current wealth of new
the public, conspiracy theories and sensational information arriving from surface and orbital
claims in this field abound. Undoubtedly, space space missions, associated with an ever-
agencies have to be prudent with their outreach increasing release of spacecraft images, will
and take into account the public zeal and the certainly continue generating new advocates for
media’s greed for sensational headlines. They UFOs and aliens in space.`
also need to be judiciously responsive to public
demands, perhaps even the controversial ones. The UFO phenomenon, like space exploration
The examples of the “Face on Mars” and the itself, may play a role in preserving our hopes
“Discovery space shuttle’s video footage” are and expanding our dreams. It may help address
illustrative of this point. A 1976 picture from the a philosophic, existential, or even religious need
Mars Viking orbiter attracted attention, because for us to find a deeper meaning and importance
one of the hills it pictured appeared to resemble in our lives. Confined as we are today to our
a human face. Some individuals used the solar system and residing in an inhospitable
information to create widespread speculation universe “of unfathomable dimensions, criss-
about a possible artefact of extraterrestrial crossed by all kinds of lethal radiation and
origin. Pushed by the public belief that the red particles, populated with diabolical objects such
planet might have once been home to intelligent as quasars, black holes, pulsars19”, (to which we
beings, NASA and ESA decided to collect new might now add dark matter and dark energy),
data. More than 20 years after the first images the future possibility of detecting or encountering
were taken; some other spacecrafts arrived over extraterrestrial intelligence offers us reassurance
Mars and targeted the area. The new pictures that we are not alone. We want to know that we
showed that the alleged artefact was simply the are not the only intelligent being in the vastness
Martian equivalent of a butte or mesa. There of space, and we are, at times, desperate to find
was no alien monument after all. an answer to our existential questions. We feel a
need to be reassured, to believe that there is
somebody out there, somebody who could
protect or help us, and perhaps more importantly
demonstrate by their own existence that
technological civilisations can be sustainable
over long periods of time. Space exploration and
Ufology both answer to this innate need.

Studying UFO phenomena could increase

public support for space exploration and
improve the space agencies’ outreach.

A decade before the launch of the world's first

artificial satellite, the UFO controversy had
already impregnated human consciousness with
the idea that not only was life “out there,” but
that it was “intelligent” Sixty years later and
Fig. 5: The 1976 Viking 1 photograph of the Face on Mars despite the precedent of acceptance of the
(source: NASA). search for alien intelligence, it is today more
politically acceptable to search for non-intelligent
Another controversy surfaced in 1991 regarding alien life. There is often a “giggle factor”
a video footage taken by the cameras of the surrounding the idea of extra-terrestrial
STS-48 space shuttle. The film showed what intelligent life, coloured by pejorative references
appeared to be several small bright objects to “little green men”. Despite this, one should
manoeuvring and interacting with one another. recognise that the primary influence exerted by
Since the material had been shown in news the subject of UFOs on our search for
broadcasts, NASA had to enter the public extraterrestrial life may have been to open our
debate and provide convincing proof that the minds to the eventuality of direct contact with a
dots were only small sunlit debris hit by the non-human intelligence, regardless of its
expanding exhaust of the shuttle steering rocket, proximity. Since the UFO debate regularly
and not alien probes. These stories reveal that surfaces in the media, it would seem that the
photos and footages taken by spacecraft are UFO phenomenon has accustomed the general
studied by the public for evidence of alien
probes or the presence of extraterrestrial 19
Davoust, Emmanuel. The Cosmic Water Hole.
Massachusetts: MIT Press, 1991.

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 UFOs and Exogenous Intelligence Encounters

public to the idea of discovering extraterrestrial attempts raised questions of a technological and
life. It has prepared us psychologically for such methodological nature on our ability to observe
extraordinary news. If the time ever comes, and recognize UFOs. If indeed some of these
perhaps the discussion would have warmed its phenomena represent advanced alien probes, it
receipt and acceptance to the point where it may is far from obvious that our current technological
not be the world-changing shock expected by means would allow us to detect their presence.
some researchers anymore. In that respect, the repeated argument that: “if
there would be a UFO evolving in the Earth
Research on UFOs has familiarised public vicinity, we would know it thanks to our radars,
opinion with the likelihood of discovering telescopes or satellite capabilities”, clearly
extraterrestrial life, easing its sociological constitutes an anthropocentric assumption.
consequences. Advanced extra-terrestrial civilizations potentially
million of years older than us could display
technologies that would be indistinguishable
We do not have the slightest idea what an from our environment, appear to us like magic
extraterrestrial advanced civilization might turn and limit our knowledge of their presence.
out to be. If it could reach us, it would have to be
advanced to a level of scientific knowledge and
technology far surpassing our own. Perhaps
what we will encounter is its post-biological
(robotic) technology. Because we are limited in
our ability to imagine technologies well beyond
our own, we should be ready to investigate all
potentially promising possibilities. Still, a delicate
equilibrium needs to be maintained. Being open-
minded risks opening the door to pseudo-
science. Yet judicious scepticism can encourage
the premature dismissal of reports of anomalous
phenomena that could one day manifest a
genuine extraterrestrial visit. UFO research has
taught us some lessons that constitute a useful
reference regarding the broader search for
extraterrestrial life.

Furthermore, the UFO phenomenon has opened

up a completely new dimension in the searching
methods for extraterrestrial life. Confronted with
the emergence of the UFO phenomenon and a
sudden burst of unexplained sightings around a
well-defined geographic area, some field
experiment initiatives have been launched in
order to supplement visual observations with
scientific measurements. Both governments and
NGOs in the U.S., Canada and Europe Fig. 6: Shirley Bay Sudbury, Ontario. “Flying Saucer”
undertook various instrumented field studies Ionospheric observatory of the Canadian Transport Department
during the period 1950-1990 to explore the (Source: Daily Star, 21/11/1953). Described in 20
physical reality of the UFO phenomena and to
reveal the potential presence on Earth of probes In general, UFOs teach us that we need to be
of extraterrestrial origin20. Despite the lack of open minded in our research, as our
clear conclusive results, these initiatives have anthropocentric biases and observational
demonstrated the feasibility of applying the capabilities could limit our ability to detect and
scientific method to gathering evidence on and identify extraterrestrial life and intelligence.
studying anomalous aerospace phenomena,
and confirmed their potentially important and An additional influence of the UFO phenomenon
proactive roles in resolving the UFO enigma. is found in the alleged encounters of the third
This is in contrast to the simple cataloguing of kind. Claims of direct observations of animate
testimonies of events that have already beings at close proximity to UFOs and abduction
occurred. Perhaps even more importantly, these reports have created an image of what an alien
should look like in the public mind. Popularised
20
Ailleris, Philippe. The lure of local SETI: Fifty years of field by the movie industry and commercial media,
experiments. Acta Astronautica 67, 2010. every one of us has been exposed to the “alien

ESPI Perspectives No.43, January 2011 9

 UFOs and Exogenous Intelligence Encounters

icon”: a little grey creature with a big head, conference on the detection of extra-terrestrial
elongated eyes, and long arms. This is now the life and the consequences for science and
kind of extraterrestrial that we expect to society), the leading evolutionary paleobiologist
encounter. Simon Conway Morris offered a radically
different perspective “…In the end the number of
It should not be taken for granted that options is remarkably restrictive. I don’t think
intelligent forms of extraterrestrial life that an alien will be a blob. If aliens are out there
would be readily identified by humans. they should have evolved like us. They should
have eyes and be walking on two legs. In short if
there is any life out there then it is likely to be
Related to this context of alleged sentient very similar to us”. Clearly it is important to
extraterrestrials, a different sort of influence is remain open-minded and explore beyond the
equally worth emphasizing. It relates to the boundaries of what is currently believed. British
specific biological issue of convergent evolution. biologist J.B.S. Haldane is often quoted for
Assuming that the origin of life is not a complete saying: “My own suspicion is that the universe is
fluke and that the evolutionary pathways leading not only queerer than we suppose, but queerer
from one-celled organism to intelligent beings than we can suppose”.
are numerous, an interesting exobiological
question is whether an humanoid form is a
potentially common evolutionary product or not.
In other words, can the alien physiologies be
conformed or a close approximation of our own?
The UFO phenomenon fuels also this debate
through its alleged sightings of UFOs at close
distance (some famous examples of “close
encounters of the third kind” would be: Boianai,
New Guinea, 1959; White mountains, USA,
1961; Valensole, France, 1965; Allagash, USA,
1976; Emilcin, Poland, 1978; Ruwa, Zimbabwe,
1994). Such controversial cases are considered
a priori false and immediately prone to ridicule
due to the fact that the observed
anthropomorphic similarities of the “UFOnauts”
are considered impossible and pure
anthropocentric presuppositions. The described
alien body structures are not alien enough. As Fig. 7: Anomalous events: The alleged “Encounters of the Third
argued by Jacques F. Vallee21, if the alleged kind”.
entities were the product of independent
Last but not least, the UFO discourse invites us
evolution on a different planetary environment,
to broaden our horizons, raises the question of
how could be explained the following observed
otherness, forces us to consider the degree of
similarities: “…A humanoid shape characterized
uniqueness and intelligence we are willing to
by two legs, two arms and a head supporting the
attribute to aliens, and also highlights our
same organs of perception we have, in the same
anthropocentric biases. The UFO research
number and general appearance…Their speech
represents a natural experiment pertaining to
using the same frequency range as ours and
what we could expect if we come into contact
their eyes adapted to the same general segment
with an extraterrestrial intelligence. In every
of the electromagnetic spectrum. And also the
respect this will certainly be an ambiguous and
fact that they can walk normally on Earth,
controversial situation, raising some challenging
breathe our air and exhibit some recognizable
questions. For example, since extraterrestrial
emotions…” Therefore scientists disqualify those
intelligence could turn out to be completely
UFO reports as pure fantasy, and regularly scorn
different from what we have learned to expect
the movie industry’s simplistic notion of the
from life on Earth, would we be even able to see
extraterrestrial, whose anatomy is invariably
and recognise it? Moreover, if these civilisations
inspired by the body plan of Homo sapiens.
are million of years older than us, their
technologies could be indistinguishable from our
However, it appears that the debate is still open.
environment or they could appear like magic.
In a recent interview (for a Royal Society
From a cognitive point of view, do we know how
21
Jacques F. Vallee. Five arguments against the Extraterrestrial to study something that knows it is being
origin of unidentified Flying Objects. Journal of Scientific
Exploration Vol. 4, 1990. studied, might not want to be studied, or might

ESPI Perspectives No.43, January 2011 10

 UFOs and Exogenous Intelligence Encounters

even be studying us in return? We have made could perhaps represent visits of extraterrestrial
the unconscious assumption that alien life will be spacecrafts has generated intense interest and
similar to familiar biological life forms, with invaded the modern consciousness on a
human-like shapes, interests, and motives. Yet worldwide scale, and will certainly continue to do
such a similarity is far from certain as some so for the foreseeable future.
post-biological alien beings could exist. This
reflection around the notion of contact and Regardless of the final explanation(s) regarding
communication with other sorts of intelligence the nature of the UFO phenomenon, its
certainly compels us to question our own influence on the pursuit of space exploration and
identity. Perhaps, as Russian cosmonaut Fiodor on the greater search for extraterrestrial life is
Yurchikhin stated last July 2010 while being on not negligible. Although at present there is no
board the International Space Station, we should scientific proof of an extraterrestrial origin of the
simply acknowledge that at this stage UFO phenomenon, for various reasons it
humankind is not ready to meet aliens: “…For remains important for us to keep track and
me, a ‘contact’ means is shall not be harmful... continue studying all reports of anomalous
While the civilization was developing, many events. First, the presence on Earth of devices
cities and nations vanished…We are only of exogenous origin could resemble anomalies
getting closer to the understanding of a united in our atmosphere. Second, the continuous
world. So, we are not ready to contact aliens. analysis of anomalous events may provide us
We still have to learn to contact with each other”. with new insights into the nature of physics.
In the end, aliens might not even be interested in Finally, any analysis of unexplained atmospheric
us, as we may seem too primitive to them events or unusual aerial perception could lead to
warrant their attention. a deeper understanding of our planet and safer
air travel22. In addition and above all, the UFO
8. Conclusion controversy provides us with invaluable
information on our society and its way of
Fifty years after the beginning of human space thinking, encouraging us to keep an attitude of
exploration, one of the main fascinating scientific humility and scientific open-mindedness, ever-
questions remains unanswered: whether or not cautious of our anthropocentric presumptions.
extraterrestrial life exists in the universe. In Undoubtedly, direct, convincing and unequivocal
striking contrast, the belief in the existence of evidence of the existence of extraterrestrial
exogenous intelligences and the presence of intelligence would be the most extraordinary
extraterrestrial beings in our environment has discovery in the history of mankind. However,
been a widespread cultural phenomenon since there is much to be learned on the way towards
the end of the 1940s. The hypothesis that this objective.
sightings of anomalous aerospace phenomena

22
The Argentine Air Force announced on 29/12/2010 that it will
set up a multidisciplinary commission to investigate UFO
sightings. The decision was made in response to reported
sightings by pilots and radar of unidentified flights, which are
a potential threat to national air security. Source: AFP.

ESPI Perspectives No.43, January 2011 11

 UFOs and Exogenous Intelligence Encounters

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ESPI Perspectives No.43, January 2011 12