More Kaku . . .
The Physics of Interstellar Travel
"Similarly, investigations into UFO's that may originate from another planet are sometimes the 'third rail' of someone's scientific career. There is no funding for anyone seriously looking at unidentified objects in space, and one's reputation may suffer if one pursues an interest in these unorthodox matters. In addition, perhaps 99% of all sightings of UFO's can be dismissed as being caused by familiar phenomena, such as the planet Venus, swamp gas (which can glow in the dark under certain conditions), meteors, satellites, weather balloons, even radar echoes that bounce off mountains. (What is disturbing, to a physicist however, is the remaining 1% of these sightings, which are multiple sightings made by multiple methods of observations. Some of the most intriguing sightings have been made by seasoned pilots and passengers aboard air line flights which have also been tracked by radar and have been videotaped. Sightings like this are harder to dismiss.)"
Paul Kimball correctly notes that Kaku's 1% is mistaken; in reality, a higher percentage of UFO sightings remains unexplained. Moreover, as discovered by the Air Force's defunct Project Blue Book, the most vexing cases involve reliable observers -- the opposite of what pseudoskeptics would have us believe.
1 comment:
Kaku's essays aren't blazingly original (although he's an articulate guide to physics). I'm most impressed with his healthy attitude towards UFOs. Here's a guy that ufology should enlist, as Paul Kimball suggests on his blog.
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