{"id":7343,"date":"2023-09-23T00:01:00","date_gmt":"2023-09-23T00:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/?p=7343"},"modified":"2024-12-13T18:46:41","modified_gmt":"2024-12-13T18:46:41","slug":"uaps-ufos-collect-data-then-draw-conclusions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/uaps-ufos-collect-data-then-draw-conclusions\/","title":{"rendered":"UAPs\/UFOs: Collect Data, THEN Draw Conclusions"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/space-aliens-perceptions-assumptions\/#angels\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/brendans-island.com\/blogsource\/20210209ff\/20210329-SpaceAlienMovieCollage-2-658.jpg?resize=640%2C360&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Collage: space alien movie promotional art.\" style=\"width:658px;height:370px\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Space aliens in the movies: <strong><em>not<\/em><\/strong> what I&#8217;ll be talking about.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/nasa-uaps-ufos-and-a-bart-simpson-balloon\/#sofar\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" align=\"right\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/brendans-island.com\/blogsource\/20160719ff\/1950-scifi-collage-329.jpg?w=640&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Sci-fi movie poster collage; including 'Plan 9 from Outer Space,' 'Earth vs. the Flying Saucers,' 'The Thing.'\"><\/a>I&#8217;m about as sure as I can be, that space aliens have not:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Replaced my neighbors with pod people<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Been held in a secret laboratory<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Plotted to conquer our fair planet<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>I do, however, think that life might exist on other worlds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And even if it doesn&#8217;t, studying phenomena that we don&#8217;t quite understand strikes me as a good idea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At this point, having seen what I&#8217;d written and the first two pictures, my oldest daughter said &#8220;&#8216;Not a normal Catholic blog!'&#8221; More accurately, she wrote it. We&#8217;d been enjoying our daily online chat. And that&#8217;s another topic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Well, she&#8217;s right. This isn&#8217;t a normal Catholic blog \u2014 whatever <strong>that<\/strong> is \u2014 and this isn&#8217;t a normal Catholic blog post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It isn&#8217;t even all of what I had planned for this week. I&#8217;ll explain that, then talk about NASA&#8217;s new UAP report, attitudes, assumptions; and, finally, touch on the legacy of &#8220;Killers from Space&#8221;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/uaps-ufos-collect-data-then-draw-conclusions\/#what\"><strong>What I&#8217;d Planned, What&#8217;s Ready This Week<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/uaps-ufos-collect-data-then-draw-conclusions\/#unidentified\"><strong>Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP): Stigma and Sprites<\/strong><\/a>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/uaps-ufos-collect-data-then-draw-conclusions\/#accurate\">Accurate Reporting May End Your Career \u2014 or \u2014 Sprites and Assumptions<\/a>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/uaps-ufos-collect-data-then-draw-conclusions\/#continuous\">&#8220;Continuous Darts of Light&#8230;Resembling Rockets More Than Lightning&#8221;<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/uaps-ufos-collect-data-then-draw-conclusions\/#look\">Look! Up in the Sky! It&#8217;s a Bird! It&#8217;s a Plane! No! It&#8217;s a \u2014 Thing<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/uaps-ufos-collect-data-then-draw-conclusions\/#sprites\">Sprites and Flight Safety: What You Don&#8217;t Know Can Hurt You<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/uaps-ufos-collect-data-then-draw-conclusions\/#hate\">Hate Mail, Stigma and Speculation<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-black-color has-alpha-channel-opacity has-black-background-color has-background is-style-wide\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a name=\"what\"><\/a>What I&#8217;d Planned, What&#8217;s Ready This Week<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/nasa-uaps-ufos-and-a-bart-simpson-balloon\/#nasas\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" align=\"right\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/brendans-island.com\/blogsource\/20230509ff\/20230613-UAP-landingpage-NASA-329.jpg?w=640&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"NASA photo and text from UAP landing page: 'Members of the Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Independent Study Team gather for a public meeting in May 2023. Back row, left to right: Walter Scott, Warren Randolph, Reggie Brothers, Shelley Wright, Scott Kelly, Anamaria Berea, Mike Gold. Front row, left to right: Nadia Drake, Paula Bontempi, Federica Bianco, David Grinspoon, Karlin Toner, Josh Semeter, Jennifer Bus, David Spergel, Dan Evans.' (May 31, 2023, screenshot taken June 13, 2023\"><\/a>Back in June, I discussed UFOs, UAPs, NASA&#8217;s plans for studying stuff we don&#8217;t understand yet, and why I thought it&#8217;s a good idea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Last week, NASA released the &#8220;UAP Independent Study Team Report&#8221;.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/uaps-ufos-collect-data-then-draw-conclusions\/#1\">1<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, after a quick look, I talked about it. Wrote about it, actually; and said that taking a second look would probably be worth the effort: &#8220;this time actually reading it: not just skimming for something I can quote.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That was then, this is now. I&#8217;ve read through the thing. All 31 pages: 36 including the front and back sheets, which are worth looking at. NASA did a nice job with illustrations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Which reminds me. Here&#8217;s a link to the report. It&#8217;s an Acrobat\/pdf file on the nasa.gov site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/atoms\/files\/uap_independent_study_team_-_final_report_0.pdf\">UAP Independent Study Team Report<\/a>&#8220;<br>Final Report<br>NASA Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Independent Study Team (September 14, 2023)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>I&#8217;d planned on taking notes as I went along, then discussing the main points.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I&#8217;ve been running a fever, and feeling distinctly sub-par, so that&#8217;s not gonna happen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Instead, here&#8217;s what I see as a few important issues; along with why I still think studying phenomena we don&#8217;t understand is a good idea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-black-color has-alpha-channel-opacity has-black-background-color has-background is-style-wide\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a name=\"unidentified\"><\/a>Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP): Stigma and Sprites<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cartoonstock.com\/search?type=images&amp;keyword=ufo+crackpot&amp;page=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/brendans-island.com\/blogsource\/20230509ff\/20230919cartoonstock-ufo-crackpot-selection-658.jpg?w=640&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Screenshot of CartoonStock Ltd., selection from 27,593 results of 'ufo crackpot' search. (CartoonStock Ltd.)\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">UFO cartoons, a selection from CartoonStock Ltd.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>&#8220;&#8230;The study of Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) presents a unique scientific opportunity that demands a <strong>rigorous, evidence-based approach<\/strong>. Addressing this challenge will require new and robust data acquisition methods, advanced analysis techniques, a systematic reporting framework <strong>and reducing reporting stigma<\/strong>. NASA \u2013 with its <strong>extensive expertise in these domains and global reputation for scientific openness<\/strong> \u2013 is in an excellent position to contribute to UAP studies within the broader whole-of-government framework led by the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO)&#8230;.&#8221;<br>(&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/atoms\/files\/uap_independent_study_team_-_final_report_0.pdf\">UAP Independent Study Team Report<\/a>&#8220;, Final Report, <span style=\"font-size: small;\">NASA Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Independent Study Team<\/span> (September 14, 2023) p. 3)<br>[emphasis mine]<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>That goal, &#8220;reducing reporting stigma&#8221;, strikes me as a very good idea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>NASA&#8217;s &#8220;extensive expertise &#8230; and global reputation&#8221; \u2014 the statement&#8217;s probably accurate, but the tone felt a trifle overly-complimentary. Accurate, though, I hope; and I&#8217;ll leave it at that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One more excerpt, then moving along to the idea that folks shouldn&#8217;t be punished for making accurate reports:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>&#8220;&#8230;A particularly promising avenue for deeper integration within a systematic, evidenced-based framework for is the NASA&#8217;s Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS), which NASA administers for the FAA. <strong>This system is a confidential, voluntary, non-punitive reporting system that receives safety reports<\/strong> from pilots, air traffic controllers, dispatchers, cabin crew, ground operators, maintenance technicians&#8230;&#8221;<br>(&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/atoms\/files\/uap_independent_study_team_-_final_report_0.pdf\">UAP Independent Study Team Report<\/a>&#8220;, Final Report, <span style=\"font-size: small;\">NASA Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Independent Study Team<\/span> (September 14, 2023) p. 18)<br>[emphasis mine]<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Now, why all this fuss about &#8220;stigma&#8221; and &#8220;non-punitive&#8221;?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a name=\"accurate\"><\/a>Accurate Reporting May End Your Career \u2014 or \u2014 Sprites and Assumptions<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/atoms\/files\/uap_independent_study_team_-_final_report_0.pdf\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" align=\"right\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/brendans-island.com\/blogsource\/20230509ff\/20230920-StephaneVetterTWAN-sprites-UAP-report-329.jpg?w=640&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Stephane Vetter (TWAN)'s photo: red sprite, an uncommon sort of lightning an image with a remarkable level of detail. Most thunderstorms do not produce sprites. Via 'UAP Independent Study Team Report' (2023) used w\/o permission.\"><\/a>Thunderstorm sprites are real these days.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/uaps-ufos-collect-data-then-draw-conclusions\/#2\">2<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They&#8217;re a rare phenomenon, and didn&#8217;t exist during my youth. Not officially.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I remember reading an article about the things, back when scientists were confirming that strange lights really do shoot up from the tops of thunderstorms. Rarely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The article discussed what had happened to a few folks who had seen sprites, hadn&#8217;t taken pictures, but had reported what they saw anyway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One of them was an American soldier who&#8217;d been standing guard at night. As I recall, he&#8217;d been told to report anything unusual. So, when he saw lights shoot up from the top of a distant thunderstorm, he told his superior what he&#8217;d seen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This was back in the Sixties, give or take. So &#8220;obviously&#8221; he&#8217;d been on drugs. Or maybe he was one of those crazy guys who sees things that aren&#8217;t there. Either way, any plans he might have had for a military career went phut.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Maybe that was an isolated incident. I&#8217;ve looked for that article, or another piece discussing the inappropriately-diligent soldier and related situations. So far, I&#8217;ve found nothing. Not surprising, since it was around a half-century back now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What impresses me is how much <strong>has<\/strong> been transferred to humanity&#8217;s digitized archives, and that&#8217;s yet another topic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a name=\"continuous\"><\/a>&#8220;Continuous Darts of Light&#8230;Resembling Rockets More Than Lightning&#8221;<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/ghrc.nsstc.nasa.gov\/lightning\/assets\/lightning_primer_pdf.pdf\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" align=\"right\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/brendans-island.com\/blogsource\/20230509ff\/20230922-SpriteOverThunderstormAndCityLightsNASAphoto-329.jpg?w=640&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"STS-32 Shuttle mission payload bay TV camera's video image: a single stratospheric luminous discharge appearing to move upward into clear night air. (April 28, 1990)\"><\/a>In 20\/20 hindsight, we&#8217;ve found examples of folks (probably) seeing sprites, jets, ELVES, and other rare phenomena, going back at least to 1886.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>&#8220;&#8230;Throughout the historical scientific literature, there are <strong>sprinklings of eyewitness accounts of unusual &#8216;lightning&#8217;<\/strong> observed in the clear air above nighttime thunderstorms. The <strong>descriptions use phases such as<\/strong> &#8216;continuous darts of light&#8230; ascended to a considerable altitude, resembling rockets more than lightning.&#8217;<strong> (<em>MacKenzie and Toynbee<\/em>, 1886)<\/strong>, &#8216;a luminous trail shot up to 15 degrees or so, about as fast as, or faster than, a rocket&#8217; <strong>(<em>Everett<\/em>, 1903)<\/strong>, &#8216;a long weak streamer of a reddish hue&#8217; <strong>(<em>Malan<\/em>, 1937)<\/strong>, &#8216;flames appearing to rise from the top of the cloud&#8217; <strong>(<em>Ashmore<\/em>, 1950)<\/strong>, or &#8216;the discharge assumed a shape similar to roots of a tree in an inverted position&#8217; <strong>(<em>Wood<\/em>, 1951)<\/strong>. Partly because these eyewitness reports of unusual &#8216;lightning&#8217; appearing above thunderstorms were <strong>never captured on film<\/strong>, the lightning science community generally ignored them. The <strong>lack of an established vocabulary and the existence of several distinctive phenomena<\/strong> contributed to the variation in the verbal descriptions&#8230;.&#8221;<br>(&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/ghrc.nsstc.nasa.gov\/lightning\/sprites.html\">The Role of the Space Shuttle Videotapes in the Discovery of Sprites, Jets, and Elves<\/a>&#8220;;  William L. Boeck, Otha H. Vaughan, Jr., Richard J. Blakeslee, Bernard Vonnegut, Marx Brook (ca. 1996?) via NASA)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Ignoring isolated reports of rare phenomena may have made sense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Particularly after 1888, when George Eastman started marketing his Kodak camera.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After that, observers might be expected to have their Kodak #1 readily at hand when witnessing a once-in-a-lifetime event. Or maybe not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;The lack of an established vocabulary&#8221; didn&#8217;t help, and neither did the fact that observers were describing several different phenomena.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In any case, sprites and other high-altitude electrical phenomena left a trail of ignored observations and penalized witnesses. Until scientists in Minnesota and elsewhere started actively seeking the weird things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Taking video cameras into space didn&#8217;t hurt.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/uaps-ufos-collect-data-then-draw-conclusions\/#3\">3<\/a><\/sup> It would take a fervent disciple of ignorance to claim that camcorders can hallucinate. And that&#8217;s yet again another topic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a name=\"look\"><\/a>Look! Up in the Sky! It&#8217;s a Bird! It&#8217;s a Plane! No! It&#8217;s a \u2014 Thing<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/atoms\/files\/uap_independent_study_team_-_final_report_0.pdf\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/brendans-island.com\/blogsource\/20230509ff\/2023092-SouthAsianObject-Image-1-658.jpg?w=640&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"U. S. Department of Defense image: an unidentified object in South Asia with an apparent atmospheric wake or cavitation. From footage taken by an MQ-9. Tentatively identified as a commercial aircraft, with apparent cavitation produced by video compression. All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office, via NASA, used w\/o permission.\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Something odd in footage taken by a UAV. From &#8220;UAP Independent Study Team Report&#8221;. (2023)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The NASA UAP report talks about technology and information sharing systems that would have been science fiction in my youth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I&#8217;d planned on talking about that. As I said earlier, it&#8217;s been one of those weeks; so I won&#8217;t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Even with today&#8217;s tech, sometimes all we&#8217;ve got to work with is a grainy image: like that &#8220;South Asian Object&#8221;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I don&#8217;t know how the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) decided that it was probably a commercial aircraft, recorded in a compressed video image.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The apparent cavitation does strike me as being similar to what I&#8217;ve seen in over-compressed digital images. But that sort-of-bullet-shaped blob doesn&#8217;t look much like an aircraft to me: commercial or otherwise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On the other hand, I don&#8217;t have access to the original files; and I sure don&#8217;t know how the UAV&#8217;s system works.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/uaps-ufos-collect-data-then-draw-conclusions\/#4\">4<\/a><\/sup> So I&#8217;ll willingly assume that the &#8220;assessed as a likely commercial aircraft&#8221; label makes sense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And I sure wouldn&#8217;t assume that a fuzzy blob is proof that space aliens are in our skies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a name=\"sprites\"><\/a>Sprites and Flight Safety: What You Don&#8217;t Know Can Hurt You<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Sprite_(lightning)\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/brendans-island.com\/blogsource\/20230509ff\/20230921-BigRed-Sprite-329.jpg?w=640&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Eastview's image: first color image of a sprite, obtained during a 1994 NASA\/University of Alaska aircraft campaign to study sprites. (1994) via Wikipedia, used w\/o permission\" align=\"right\"><\/a>So how come NASA and the Department of Defense have been studying UAPs?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A big reason mentioned in that NASA report is safety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Another excerpt. The way I&#8217;ve been feeling, this isn&#8217;t the time to try paraphrasing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>&#8220;&#8230;ODNI assess that the <strong>observed increase in the reporting rate<\/strong> is partially due to a better understanding of the <strong>possible threats that UAP may represent<\/strong>\u2014either as <strong>flight safety hazards<\/strong> or as potential adversary collection platforms. This is <strong>partially due to reduced stigma surrounding UAP reporting<\/strong>&#8230;.&#8221;<br>(&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/atoms\/files\/uap_independent_study_team_-_final_report_0.pdf\">UAP Independent Study Team Report<\/a>&#8220;, Final Report, <span style=\"font-size: small;\">NASA Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Independent Study Team<\/span> (September 14, 2023) p. 3)<br>[emphasis mine]<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Sorting out what &#8220;potential adversary collection platforms&#8221; means in governmentalese is beyond me at the moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Flight safety hazards&#8221;, however, is pretty straightforward. I haven&#8217;t found much about what happens when a vehicle interacts with, say, a sprite. But I figure getting up close and personal with any sort of massive electrical discharge is not good news.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 1989, for example, a NASA high-altitude balloon dropped its payload while drifting over a thunderstorm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Odds are, it tangled with a sprite: although that term wasn&#8217;t used as a label for the cold plasma phenomenon until 1993.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/uaps-ufos-collect-data-then-draw-conclusions\/#5\">5<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a name=\"hate\"><\/a>Hate Mail, Stigma and Speculation<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/mubi.com\/films\/killers-from-space\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" align=\"right\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/brendans-island.com\/blogsource\/20230509ff\/20230715-KillersFromSpaceStill-image-w1280-329.jpg?w=640&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Frame from W. Lee Wilder's 'Killers From Space': Peter Graves surrounded by B movie space aliens. (1954)\"><\/a>Ignoring an apparently one-off report with no supporting evidence is one thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Punishing someone for making such a report, or sending  hate mail to folks who might study such reports?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That&#8217;s something else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One more excerpt (it&#8217;s the last one this week, honest!).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>&#8220;&#8230;NASA&#8217;s public announcement of its UAP Independent Study Team membership was met with interest and spurred both positive and negative feedback. <strong>At least one scientist<\/strong> serving on the study team <strong>reported receiving negative (hate) mail from colleagues due to their membership.<\/strong> Others were ridiculed and criticized on social media. Study Team members <strong>also noted firsthand knowledge of colleagues who were warned to stay away from research in areas like extraterrestrial technosignatures, which could damage their scientific credibility and promotion potential.<\/strong> These experiences further <strong>confirm the negative stigma<\/strong> associated with studying unusual or unexplained phenomena&#8230;.&#8221;<br>(&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/atoms\/files\/uap_independent_study_team_-_final_report_0.pdf\">UAP Independent Study Team Report<\/a>&#8220;, Final Report, <span style=\"font-size: small;\">NASA Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Independent Study Team<\/span> (September 14, 2023) pp. 26-27)<br>[emphasis mine]<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Warning someone to stay away from studying extraterrestrial technosignatures, lightning, smallpox, or phlogiston \u2014 could be reasonable. I can see how a thoughtful colleague might try steering a friend away from career suicide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But spitting the sort of venom I imagine in the ridicule and hate mail mentioned in NASA&#8217;s &#8220;UAP Independent Study Team Report&#8221;? That doesn&#8217;t seem so friendly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I don&#8217;t know what&#8217;s going on inside the heads of cyberbullies, academic vigilantes, and folks who embrace the <strong>&#8216;my mind is made up, don&#8217;t confuse me with facts&#8217;<\/strong> philosophy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But that won&#8217;t keep me from speculating. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Part of what&#8217;s in play may be rooted in cinematic presentations like &#8220;Invaders from Mars&#8221;, &#8220;Killers from Space&#8221;, and &#8220;Plan 9 from Outer Space&#8221;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Consciously or not, a person might file &#8220;extraterrestrial intelligence&#8221; under &#8220;schlock movies&#8221;, cross-indexed with &#8220;stupid kid stuff&#8221; and &#8220;crackpot notions&#8221;. It might even make sense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To someone who hadn&#8217;t fully embraced the possibility that serious ideas can be presented in monumentally tacky formats, at any rate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/curiosity-and-science-intent-and-wisdom-1122\/#lovecrafts\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" align=\"right\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/brendans-island.com\/blogsource\/20170306ff\/20170328-shoggoth_by_nottsuo-d9tt2vn-329.jpg?w=640&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Nottsuo's 'Shoggoth.' (2016)\"><\/a>Then there&#8217;s Lovecraft&#8217;s &#8220;terrifying vistas of reality, and of our frightful position therein&#8221;, and perceived existential threats \u2014 which I&#8217;ll leave for next week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The perceived existential threats, anyway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Finally, I think learning more about this vast, ancient and wonder-packed universe is a good idea.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/uaps-ufos-collect-data-then-draw-conclusions\/#6\">6<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Starting with a conclusion, and then picking data that supports that conclusion \u2014 is anything but. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Haven&#8217;t had enough of my writing? There&#8217;s more:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/silly-headlines-and-space-aliens-serious-science-and-uaps\/\">Silly Headlines and Space Aliens, Serious Science and UAPs<\/a>&#8220;<br>(September 16, 2023)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/fusion-rocket-engines-seti-and-science-seriously\/\">Fusion Rocket Engines, SETI and Science: Seriously<\/a>&#8220;<br>(July 29, 2023)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/nasa-uaps-ufos-and-a-bart-simpson-balloon\/\">NASA, UAPs, UFOs and a Bart Simpson Balloon<\/a>&#8220;<br>(June 17, 2023)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/trace-signals-from-an-alien-civilization-not-so-fast\/\">Trace Signals From an Alien Civilization: Not So FAST?<\/a>&#8220;<br>(June 25, 2022)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/space-aliens-perceptions-assumptions\/\">Space Aliens: Perceptions, Assumptions<\/a>&#8220;<br>(April 10, 2021)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-black-color has-alpha-channel-opacity has-black-background-color has-background is-style-wide\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><sup><a name=\"1\"><\/a>1<\/sup> That NASA UAP\/UFO report:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/atoms\/files\/uap_independent_study_team_-_final_report_0.pdf\">UAP Independent Study Team Report<\/a>&#8220;<br>Final Report<br>NASA Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Independent Study Team (September 14, 2023)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><sup><a name=\"2\"><\/a>2<\/sup> Electrical phenomena \u2014 or \u2014 static cling on a cosmic scale:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Wikipedia\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Lightning\">Lightning<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Sprite_(lightning)\">Sprite (lightning)<\/a> (except it&#8217;s not actually lightning)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Thunderstorm\">Thunderstorm<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><sup><a name=\"3\"><\/a>3<\/sup> A little science, a little history:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Wikipedia\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/History_of_photography\">History of photography<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Sprite_(lightning)\">Sprite (lightning)<\/a> (except it&#8217;s not actually lightning)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Upper-atmospheric_lightning\">Upper-atmospheric lightning<\/a>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Upper-atmospheric_lightning#Jets\">Jets<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Upper-atmospheric_lightning#Elves\">Elves<\/a> (<strong>E<\/strong>missions of <strong>L<\/strong>ight and <strong>V<\/strong>ery Low Frequency Perturbations due to <strong>E<\/strong>lectromagnetic Pulse <strong>S<\/strong>ources)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.metmuseum.org\/toah\/hd\/kodk\/hd_kodk.htm\">Kodak and the Rise of Amateur Photography<\/a>&#8220;<br>Mia Fineman, Essays, Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History, The Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met) (October 2004)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>NASA\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/ghrc.nsstc.nasa.gov\/lightning\/assets\/lightning_primer_pdf.pdf\">Lightning Primer<\/a>&#8220;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/ghrc.nsstc.nasa.gov\/lightning\/sprites.html\">The Role of the Space Shuttle Videotapes in the Discovery of Sprites, Jets, and Elves<\/a>&#8220;; William L. Boeck, Otha H. Vaughan, Jr., Richard J. Blakeslee, Bernard Vonnegut, Marx Brook (ca. 1996?)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><sup><a name=\"4\"><\/a>4<\/sup> This is not the world I grew up on:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Wikipedia\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/General_Atomics_Aeronautical_Systems\">General Atomics Aeronautical Systems<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/General_Atomics_MQ-9_Reaper\">General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Unmanned_aerial_vehicle\">Unmanned aerial vehicle<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>U. S. Department of Defense\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aaro.mil\/\">All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO)<\/a> (aaro.mil)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Department of Defense press releases\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.defense.gov\/News\/Releases\/Release\/Article\/3100053\/dod-announces-the-establishment-of-the-all-domain-anomaly-resolution-office\/\">DoD Announces the Establishment of the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office<\/a>&#8221; (July 20, 2022)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.defense.gov\/News\/Releases\/Release\/Article\/3513171\/the-department-of-defense-launches-the-all-domain-anomaly-resolution-office-web\/\">The Department of Defense Launches the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office Website<\/a>&#8221; (August 31, 2023)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><sup><a name=\"5\"><\/a>5<\/sup> Close encounters of the sparky kind:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Wikipedia\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Sprite_(lightning)\">Sprite (lightning)<\/a> (except it&#8217;s not actually lightning)\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Sprite_(lightning)#Related_aircraft_damage\">Related aircraft damage<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Upper-atmospheric_lightning\">Upper-atmospheric lightning<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/stratocat.com.ar\/fichas-e\/1989\/PAL-19890605.htm\">BALLOON-BORNE LIDAR &#8211; 6\/5\/1989<\/a><br>StratoCat<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><sup><a name=\"6\"><\/a>6<\/sup> Schlock, silliness, science and me:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Wikipedia\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Invaders_from_Mars_(1953_film)\">Invaders from Mars (1953 film)<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Killers_from_Space\">Killers from Space<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Phlogiston_theory\">Phlogiston theory<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Plan_9_from_Outer_Space\">Plan 9 from Outer Space<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A physician\u2019s reaction to Dr. Edward Jenner&#8217;s experiments in developing a vaccine for smallpox, (1796) via <a href=\"http:\/\/www.psy.vanderbilt.edu\/courses\/hon182\/what_they_used_to_think.htm\">Psychological Sciences<\/a>, Vanderbilt University<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Letter, To Benjamin Franklin from John Winthrop, 6 January 1768, via founders.archives.gov<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Sound familiar? I&#8217;ve talked about it before\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/science-and-religion\/\">Science AND Religion<\/a>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/science-and-religion\/#seeking\">Seeking Truth<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/science-and-religion\/#finding\">Finding Truth, Using Our Brains<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/international-space-station-seven-more-years\/\">International Space Station: Seven More Years<\/a>&#8221; (May 6, 2023)\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/international-space-station-seven-more-years\/#concerns\">Concerns, Reasonable and Otherwise<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/curiosity-and-science-intent-and-wisdom-1122\/\">Curiosity and Science, Intent and Wisdom 11:22<\/a>&#8221; (June 4, 2022)\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/curiosity-and-science-intent-and-wisdom-1122\/#lovecrafts\">Lovecraft&#8217;s &#8220;Placid Island of Ignorance&#8221;<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/a-winter-weather-advisory-forecasts-and-making-sense\/\">A Winter Weather Advisory, Forecasts and Making Sense<\/a>&#8221; (January 13, 2021)\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/a-winter-weather-advisory-forecasts-and-making-sense\/#presumptuous\">&#8220;Presumptuous Man,&#8221; &#8220;a Daring Violation of our Holy Religion,&#8221; and Lightning Rods<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/baryons-gravity-waves\/\">Baryons, Gravity Waves<\/a>&#8221; (March 24, 2017)\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/baryons-gravity-waves\/#remembering\">Remembering Phlogiston<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8230;NASA&#8217;s new UAP report, attitudes, assumptions; and, finally, &#8230; the legacy of &#8220;Killers from Space&#8221;&#8230;. <a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/uaps-ufos-collect-data-then-draw-conclusions\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"Studying Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena seems like a good idea. So does not punishing folks who report odd events. My take on science. And schlock movies.","jetpack_seo_html_title":"UAPs\/UFOs: Collect Data, THEN Draw Conclusions","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[216,4,209],"tags":[107,27,114,22,132],"class_list":["post-7343","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-exoplanets-and-aliens","category-science-news","category-series","tag-extraterrestrial-intelligence","tag-history","tag-physics","tag-science","tag-weather"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7Dwtw-1Ur","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7343","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7343"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7343\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8691,"href":"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7343\/revisions\/8691"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7343"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7343"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7343"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}