EVE General Discussion

I think the reason this annoys me instead of finding humour in it is the fact that there are many people out there, scientists and laypersons alike, that would love it, even want it, if alien life from another world light years away were to visit us. Not only would it give as an interesting study in sociological interaction (provided they weren't coming to blow us up, which I'll get to in a moment), it would show us with substantial conclusiveness, even if the aliens weren't willing to share their technology or they were using it against us, that such travel is possible, and that there are worlds out there ripe for human migration.

Unfortunately, there are people out there who will cash in on this desire, particularly that of the layperson, because the layperson is less interested in the educational possibilities than the science and more interested in the pure novelty of meeting people we've never met before. Not only that, but the curiosity: it's a question for the ages, are we alone, and curiosity drives us to want an answer.

So then you get these people that set up alien spacecraft sightings and all of a sudden, every man and his dog think every object they cannot identify in the sky must be an alien spacecraft from another world. It affords nothing but false hope and, subsequently, confusion and dispute. On one hand, sceptics want to meet aliens as much as 'believers', but they will stop and think about what they're seeing. Believers don't want to stop and think about what they're seeing because they like thinking it's alien. And then, the arguments start, and the rage and anger. This is unfortunate, because sceptics aren't trying to upset believers, they're just trying to point out that they're being deceived thanks to people trying to cash in on various hoaxes and the like.

The saddest irony that sceptics experience with believers is that all we want for people is to live in reality, and to experience the beauty, mystery and unfathomable discovery that still exists there. I personally find it more thrilling, and challenging, to face difficult-to-answer questions rather than pretend I already know the answer. I guess some people just aren't up for the challenge the same way I am, though, and people that really think they know something they don't are difficult to convince otherwise. So at the end of the day, we have little choice but to leave them living in the clouds of fantasy, where they will never benefit from any real answers.

I can't say for certainty that there is or isn't any intelligent life in the universe other than us because I simply don't know. Some people don't like not knowing though, even if it means they have to concoct a fairy tale to explain the unknown.

NB: as an aside and in relation to alien invasion, as per my first paragraph, both history and biology show us that the more intelligent a species is, the more likely it is going to be predatory. That is, the more advanced technologically, the more likely they are to come not in peace, but for other reasons less than savoury. This is despite the fact that people like to think more advanced civilisations would have a more developed set of virtues and morals as a culture.

Downloaded and set as desktop background.

"...the wings of an aircraft or the rotor of a helicopter kinda gave it away."

Yeah but which was it, the wings of an aircraft or the rotors of a helicopter, because if you're indecisive about that little detail than how can you conclude that it was either?

In the case of Iceland, that is no aircraft I know exists, and with my already extensive aviation background, I can tell you now there is no man-made aircraft that moves like that, or more specifically, lands like that.

As for the Jerusalem video, as with the Iceland one, with only the video to go by, it is unidentifiable. That means the only correct answer is "I don't know what that is".

I will point out, though, that it's strange there are only three videos of this event in a city of millions, and no one in the object's area of operation, which happens to be the very famous Dome of the Rock, managed to get a clear close-up shot of it. Additionally, all three videos appear to have been made from roughly the same angle... you can tell by the direction the object moves in being consistent across all three recordings.

EDIT: Since this happened in 2011, quite some time ago, I did wonder if the Jerusalem event had already been investigated. Turns out, it has. Not so hard to explain afterall.

This one's my favourite, Phil Plait is among the best astronomy writers on the internet due to his inexhaustible ability to communicate complex information to laypeople in such a way that they should be able to understand it quite easily.

Oh I'm done, was just adding one more article. It sounds like you're not actually looking into any of it though. Head up my rectum? I have the feeling that this is an attempt to bait me, but the fact is I prefer to live in reality, hence why I investigate extraordinary claims instead of just jumping to conclusions. Plus, my spine won't allow me to take such a position.

Anyway, feel free to check out the articles for yourself, or just ignore them like a good little 'believer'. Not my problem either way, I'm just pointing out what it is, not what it could be. The fact that you're attempting to bait me without addressing the information or arguments that I've provided only indicates that you haven't got any kind of response in any case, so clearly you agree with me, you just don't want to admit it and are feeling a little foolish, so you retaliate and attempt to make me feel foolish in return.

At least I'm thinking.

You said, "If you want to see something hard to explain try this one," then linked a video of a hoax that occurred in 2011 and has been since explained. It does seem that what you consider to be 'hard to explain' is actually pretty easy to explain with a little thought. I know you really want to try to save face here, hence the personal attacks, but would it not be more mature, if any response was warranted at all, to at least admit you were mistaken and perhaps need to re-examine your own personal biases?

They bring it by drakkar each three months, yep.

I never said anything about Huffpost, and I also never linked anything from Huffpost. I don't think you've even looked at any of what I provided you with, or if you have, you're ignoring it or brushing it off because it doesn't agree with your opinion. Phil Plait, for example, is far from unreliable. He's a lot smarter than you and me combined.

I'm not trying to sound anything, I'm just putting forward the results of the investigation into the Jerusalem event, and providing the evidence of why it was a hoax. That doesn't make me smart, it makes the people who found it to be a hoax smart. It makes you ignorant if you ignore it, but not stupid if you don't understand it, so which one is it for you, because if it's just that you don't understand, instead of jumping on the back foot why don't you ask for an explanation instead?

Seriously, you are trying to attack me but what with? I never tried to hide that I was adding a response to a YouTube video, I made it quite clear what it was and also explicitly stated that it was an unconfirmed claim. Not once did I try to push that claim as evidence, and in fact made the point that the only honest claim one can make regarding the object is "I don't know what that is" until an investigation can be completed, like with the Jerusalem event in which case an investigation found the videos, all of them, to be hoaxed.

I'm not here to stand over you, or be better than you, so why you're being so defensive about all this is really quite redundant. I'm also having trouble keeping up with why you seem to think my post edits are a bad thing, they merely indicate that I thought of something new and pertinent to add to a post instead of putting up a whole new one and spamming the board, or I made a mistake that needed to be corrected. See, correcting mistakes is a good thing, it means you're academically honest enough to admit you were wrong.

Honestly, I don't know what your problem is at all. You haven't even made a point regarding the topic of discussion, actually, you've just ranted at me with various degrees of vitriol and spite. I'm starting to think you're just trolling for a reaction, to be honest, but if it's not trolling and you are actually serious, I strongly recommend you reconsider your motives and biases in this discussion and visit your own intellectual integrity.