UFO/Ufology

< UFO

Ufology is an interdisciplinary field studying what is generally termed the UFO phenomenon. A UFO is defined as an unidentified flying object in the most literal sense, i.e. anything in air or space that cannot currently be identified. In the field of ufology, UFOs are typically reported within Terra's (the Earth's) atmosphere, though some have been reported by astronauts in outer space. The vast majority of UFO reports are actually IFOs, identified flying objects, and can be identified as a variety of phenomena, including the planet Venus, lenticular clouds, luminescent swamp gas, various aircraft, etc. The goal of ufology is to scientifically study those UFO reports which do not fit into known explanations. Hypotheses regarding unexplained reports on UFOs cover a wide range, from actual extraterrestrial spaceships to mass hallucinations. The UFO phenomenon is hardly new, and reports of UFOs date back to Biblical times and earlier, with many potential sightings being incorporated into myths and legends.

hypotheses on the UFO phenomenon

extraterrestrial hypothesis

UFOs are extraterrestrial spacecraft. They may be automated or robotic probes, or actual piloted craft. A variant on this hypothesis is that the origins of UFOs may not be extraterrestrial (from outer space) but rather transtemporal (from another time) or interdimensional (from another dimension). If time travel is indeed possible, they may even be us from the future (i.e. terrestrial). The ancient astronauts hypothesis claims that historical UFOs are also extraterrestrial visitors to ancient civilizations.

Work in this hypothesis takes two approaches. First is the traditional ufological approach of attempting to secure physical evidence of an extraterrestrial origin. This can be done via the discovery of any materials not currently producible by either human civilization or naturally-occurring Terran chemistry, or by the discovery of non-Terran biochemistry (all life on Terra has a number of shared properties, any of which may be different in extraterrestrial life). The second approach is more theoretical, i.e. through traditional-science efforts such as astronomy and SETI to discover extraterrestrial life or conditions necessary to the formation of extraterrestrial life (exoplanets, extraterrestrial organic chemistry, etc.). Though these efforts are more accepted by the mainstream scientific community, even the discovery of extraterrestrial life lightyears away (e.g. oxygen or methane in a planet's atmosphere) does not necessarily explain the UFO phenomenon here on Terra, though it does give more weight to this particular hypothesis for the phenomenon (i.e. proof that extraterrestrial life is possible and potentially common, making visitors here more likely).

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