‘Demons in the Dark’

Weak article better suited for a tabloid than Newsweek. One major flaw is that the author doesn't apply critical thinking to most of the arguments. I.e., to argue that interstellar distances are an insurmountable barrier to travel across assumes that the traveler (UFO) is on a par with our nascent technology.

To show you how far we've come in a single lifetime, there are people alive today who lived in a world where hot air balloons were the only method of flight. Now imagine a race of beings 1,000 lifetimes ahead of our technology... or better yet, a few million?

By any chance did anyone see Darth Vader ,aka: VP Dick Cheney, on this UFO? He hasn't been seen of recent you have to admit.

"Many UFO sightings come during a period of earthquakes, when shifts in the earth's plates alter the atmosphere's magnetic charges. So it's not surprising that people's brains could vividly experience what seems to be a UFO sighting or even an alien abduction."

There is less fact in this statement than explaining it as aliens from another world... That's funny.

"Many UFO sightings come during a period of earthquakes, when shifts in the earth's plates alter the atmosphere's magnetic charges. So it's not surprising that people's brains could vividly experience what seems to be a UFO sighting or even an alien abduction."

This statement has less evidence than aliens from another world visiting our planet... That's funny.

Reading the comments here, the jury seems to have made up it's mind. This is a crap article! It's a shame, because the topic is extremely compelling. Perhaps, in the future, Newsweek could have a real journalist take a crack at it.

My first reaction after having read this article was to step back in disbelief. Not about UFO's. About the journalistic education or qualifications of this person who has written this. Mr. Euchner displays such a level of bias that he violates science, journalism and social grace all at the same time. He dismisses not only the reports of these people, but every reported sighting in the history of mankind. What an arrogant ego! And please, Newsweek, how could you allow this kind of unprofessional reporting to be posted as fact?

All I know is that what I saw with my parents in Oct., 1966 in rural NH had nothing to do with sleep deprivation or any other explanation I've heard for UFO sightings. Two very bright lights high in the clear night sky, changing colors from red, green, blue, yellow, and moving slowly in irregular patterns, up, down, sideways, zig zagging around. No sound at all. Then an arc of light going from one light to the other, at which point one of the lights just disappeared, while the other continued its zig zagging. We watched in awe for several minutes before the solitary light moved below the tree line in our back yard. Any explanations are welcome.

I find it interesting that you take something like "magnetic brain stimulation" and consider it so much more plausible than other explinations. UFO's are a real phenomenon with many possible explinations. Undoubtedly, most of those possible explainations explain some amount of the sightings.

But how about this: Ask a scientists how much we have really discovered about science, about the physical realities surrounding us. As an Engineer, I see scientific discoveries occure at a breakneak pace all the, with no sign of us being anywhere near a complete understanding of the universe. I'd say our model of the universe is less than 1% complete. So who are you to say that intergalactic travel is impossible? Thats like a cave man telling NASA that it's impossible to go to the Moon!

On another note... what has intergalactic travel got to do with it anyway? Scientists are discovering hundreds of extrasolar planets within a few hunddren light years of our planet. Even if there is no way around Einstein's theories, sub light speed interstellar travel is still perfectly plausible. Our galaxy is about 80,000 light years across, so even at only half the speed of light the galaxy can be traversed in 160,000 years (some form of human has been on Earth for 3-5 million years, mind you).

So please, take your biased, hand picked expert opinions, and anecdodal examples and offset them with expert opinions that contradict your first impression(there are plenty of those opinions out there), or at least exercise healthy skepticism that the most comfortable explination isn't necesarrily the correct one. Doesn't anyone understand how uncomfortable it made people feel when Darwin informed them that they had evolved from apes?

I find it interesting that you take something like "magnetic brain stimulation" and consider it so much more plausible than other explinations. UFO's are a real phenomenon with many possible explinations. Undoubtedly, most of those possible explainations explain some amount of the sightings.

But how about this: Ask a scientists how much we have really discovered about science, about the physical realities surrounding us. As an Engineer, I see scientific discoveries occure at a breakneak pace all the, with no sign of us being anywhere near a complete understanding of the universe. I'd say our model of the universe is less than 1% complete. So who are you to say that intergalactic travel is impossible? Thats like a cave man telling NASA that it's impossible to go to the Moon!

On another note... what has intergalactic travel got to do with it anyway? Scientists are discovering hundreds of extrasolar planets within a few hunddren light years of our planet. Even if there is no way around Einstein's theories, sub light speed interstellar travel is still perfectly plausible. Our galaxy is about 80,000 light years across, so even at only half the speed of light the galaxy can be traversed in 160,000 years (some form of human has been on Earth for 3-5 million years, mind you).

So please, take your biased, hand picked expert opinions, and anecdodal examples and offset them with expert opinions that contradict your first impression(there are plenty of those opinions out there), or at least exercise healthy skepticism that the most comfortable explination isn't necesarrily the correct one. Doesn't anyone understand how uncomfortable it made people feel when Darwin informed them that they had evolved from apes?

Everything you have said is plausible. You know what else might explain their UFO sighting??? They may have seen a UFO.

This is the most obtuse thing I have ever read. Talk about sticking one's head in the sand (or posterior orifice)! There have been too many sightings of UFO's over the past 50+ years, and it is a phenomena that has been recorded throughout human history - but strangely began for the first time in US history immediately following the re-establishment of Israel as a Jewish state. Contrary to what you want to think, dunnhaupt and observer, there have in fact been many sightings over heavily populated areas. Google "Chicago O'Hare UFO" and "Jersey Lights UFO" for two examples. Idiots!

While teleportation might be a tenous proposition, that does not preclude the possibility of interstellar flight, and I can't believe any serious scientist would claim as such as this article implies. We have the capability, today, to engage and have already engaged in spaceflight. The Voyager probes launched in 1977 have left our solar system. The only thing preventing them from entering another solar system is time and distance. Certainly, given the limitations of human biology, it might be difficult to imagine decades long manned spaceflight. But what law requires such missions be manned? Advanced AI would be all that is necessary. While its right to be naturally skeptical, such claims aren't worth dismissing. They may not be little green men, but they just might be little green robots.

Scientists are not the end all of knowledge. How many times had they changed there views on various things, from black holes to when the oldest known human was. They like us normal people DONT know it all. They just go to there little meetings and debates and guess like the rest of us on unknown matters, and when MOST of them agree whats what then they put in science books and teach us what they think they know. Only to change it again in the future. Perfect example is Pluto. And for them to make like we average people are simpletons and cant tell the differance between thestars and the moon, from a big assed black moving mass with interchanging lights on it is just plain ignorance on there part. If THEY dont think its real , or have proof then its a mass delusional dream that all are in, but them.

While matter teleportation may be a tenous proposition, there is nothing prohibiting actual interstellar flight. This capability exists today. The Voyager probes launched in 1977 have left our solar system, only time and distance prevents them from entering another. It may be difficult, given what we undertand about technology and human biology to envision manned space flight -- but who says supposed UFOs must be manned and not guided by some form of artificial intelligence that left its homeworld decades (or longer) ago?

Have you seen a black hole? Black matter? but scientist said it is real, why can believe in UFO are we are so egocentric that we believe that we are the only one in this universe, as you say, the incredible technology required for inter-galactic space travel at the speed of light. Do they? maybe they are closer than you may believe.