NASA's Shift in Approach to UFOs: From Sensationalism to Science
Introduction
NASA has recently changed its stance on the topic of Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs), now labelled as Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) by the U.S. government. This article analyzes NASA’s new initiative to systematically scrutinize UAP sightings as a significant shift from sensationalism to a sciencebased approach.
Background
In an event disconnected from the sensational claims made in the Mexican Congress regarding the existence of extraterrestrials, NASA released a report emphasizing the need to approach UAP sightings with scientific rigor. The report, a product of yearlong research, calls for more robust data collection and a larger role for NASA in aiding the Pentagon in spotting these phenomena.
Example:
The session in the Mexican Congress was in stark contrast to NASA's scientific approach. In the Mexican Congress, claims were made about "nonhuman beings," backed by objects like mummified remains from Peru. Such sensational claims have been debunked by scientists as likely fraudulent or misinterpreted.
Key Findings of the NASA Report
No Evidence of Extraterrestrial Origin
The report explicitly mentions that there is no evidence to suggest that past UAP sightings are of extraterrestrial origin.
Data Collection
The study points out that UAP data are rarely collected with the aim of understanding the phenomena and are usually coincidental observations.
Prevalence in the U.S.
Close to 90% of the UAP sightings recorded in ‘The National UFO Reporting Center Online Database’ (NUFORC) are from the U.S.
Example:
A famous case is the ‘GoFast’ video, recorded by navy aviators, which shows an object flying above the ocean. NASA's scientific approach debunked this claim by using trigonometry to show that the object was probably drifting with the wind.
Related Developments
Role of Alldomain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO)
AARO, under the U.S. Department of Defence, has been actively investigating and debunking UAP sightings since 2022.
Classification
AARO has streamlined UAP sightings by classifying them based on altitude and morphology. Out of more than 800 unclassified sightings, only a "small handful" couldn't be identified as known humanmade or natural phenomena.
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NASA also appointed a new director of research into UAPs, Mark McInerney, signaling a formalized approach to studying the phenomena.
Conclusion
NASA's latest initiative represents a significant shift in the way UAP sightings are approached, focusing on scientific investigation over sensational claims. With more rigorous data collection and analysis, the hope is to demystify these phenomena and bring a higher level of scrutiny to the topic.
