Extraterrestrial invasion - a fact or myth?

By Amal HEWAVISSENTI

There are two types of people namely those who fervently believe in the existence of aliens or activities and those who totally reject any reports of sightings or experiences with aliens as complete myth.

The sighting of certain form of aliens or unidentified flying object (UFO) is reported as amazing news from any corner of the world at any moment. However, the UFOs are the mysterious objects in the air which appear to be actually flying but are highly difficult to be observed fully in all their details even after thorough inspection and analysis of what has been discerned of them.

Sightings of UFO

The study of aliens or UFOs became widespread since the 19th century owing to the incident in which people "observed" them in 1868 in the State of Chile.

The opinion that it was something much more than a mere light gained ground and it brought about the trend for the novel study of UFOs and alien activities.

In 1878, a Danish farmer was said to have sighted an unusual object moving fast in the air.

After revelation of his own experience, the round, dark coloured, balloon shaped object was suspected to be a mysterious flying object which moved at a great speed.

In 1882, E.W. Mounder, a space researcher and some other space researchers claimed to have seen certain flying objects which were within sight around 4 - 5 minutes and vanished. On February 25, 1942, American forces reported the sighting of a UFO which showed itself on radar screen and vanished after about 20 minutes.

People of France, Portugal, Italy and America particularly claim to have seen UFOs and even the pilots of fighter planes during the world war II strongly claimed to have observed 'mysterious round object' moving in the air at a great speed.

An American businessman, Kenneth Arnold, too reports to have observed unidentified moving objects while he was flying his personal aeroplane on June 24, 1947.

As he reported, the object which showed roughly a round shape, was moving eastward at sunset. He observed the object against the evening sky and admitted to have been greatly astonished by its speed which he maintained to be around 120 miles per hour.

Definition

In 1954, the American air force, formulated a definition of UFO on the circular 200-2. the definition reads as follows, "An unidentified flying object is any object which is characterised by unusual air speed; does not include any feature or special device included in modern plane or missile; is not positively identified and familiar and does not stay within human sight for a considerable span of time ..."

Followed by this special definition much public attention and discussion were channelled to the sightings of UFO and possibility of the secret arrival of aliens on earth. Dr. Richard Agury, considering and analysing the details and nature of sightings of UFOs and particular signs of alien visits, identifies the common features of a UFO.

He maintains that every report supports the general acceptance that a UFO is a round, flat object. Further he identifies the ability of a UFO to change direction instantly and the sharpness and brightness of its light and speed of flight.

Secret arrivals

Those who support the existence of UFOs and secret arrivals by aliens on earth quote two incidents to prove their view of extraterrestrial life interfering with human activities. One is the case of Apollo being chased by a mysterious object while the spacecraft was still between the earth and the moon.

The astronauts of Apollo being sent to the moon, claimed that a strange, round shaped plane was flying behind them in their course, for several kilometres and vanished. The second is the case of Area 51 in the USA.

Several years previously, a "Flying saucer" crashed into New Mexico - USA and six aliens were claimed to be in the wreck. All but one had been reported to be dead while the one and only 'alien survivor" was said to be captured and detained in the exclusive region called 'Area 51" by the USA military authorities. Meanwhile, Travis S. Taylor and Bob Boan, co-authors of the book tilted "An Introduction to Planetary Defence" represent themselves as strong predictors of an invasion of earth by aliens.

In this book, they discuss the military strategies to be adopted in case of an extraterrestrial invasion.

Gliese 581g a planet resembling earth, was recently discovered by a team of scientists.

This planet situated light years apart from the solar system, is suspected to be inhabited by intelligent beings.

This discovery sheds enough light on Taylor and Bob's insistence that a wider and lethal warfare would soon occur owing to a sudden invasion by aliens.

They insist that an alien invasion will be greater in gravity than we expect and more effective military strategies have to be followed when aliens would attack with possibly improved laser weaponry.

In an interview, Travis S. Taylor expressed his firm conviction that the technology apparently possessed by aliens to arrive on the earth and pose certain threat to mankind areenough for the aliens.

It is clearly noticeable that the facts they present in the book have far greater practicality, and depth than those in a science fiction. Travis S. Taylor and Bob Boan serve as consultants for NASA and Department of Defence USA.

They strongly reject Carl Segan's theory that aliens with a highly improved technology to travel in space, may arrive on the earth with a more peaceful purpose rather than engage in widespread warfare. Carl Segan maintains that aliens, if any, would land on earth with a view to exploring the planet.

Presence of aliens

Thus far, sightings of UFOs and sudden presence of aliens have only been established verbally without any systematic proof or adequate authority.

"If such intelligent beings inhabit other planets close to the earth, and unidentified flying objects traverse the air above earth, why don't they directly come to the earth or encounter human groups on earth?" This is the most frequently asked question by scientists, and other researchers who come out with counter arguments to the assumed presence of aliens or reports of UFOs showing up to people on farms or jungles.

Most scientists argue that originating life on earth is a pure accident that occurred in the absence of positive plan or intent by any force.

In the same way extra terrestrial life is an impossibility because so far the aliens have not been able to prove their presence and become a general reality to mankind.

Some years ago, there was a popular theory that UFOs or alien intervention must account for the disappearances of planes and ships within Bermuda Triangle.

But several scientific explanations have been established to show that such disappearances were the outcome of geographical factors related to the triangle.

Some naval officers and submarine pilots have recorded strange cases in which unidentified machines have been following their submarines strictly keeping to the track.

They reported that the 'mysterious objects' which were pursuing them underwater, quickly rose to the air and vanished once the submarines were steered to the surface of the water.

Responding to these reports, news sources claims that bigger shoals of fish or floating objects in the water may sometimes greater puzzling impressions among pilots and thus contribute to establish the 'myth' of UFOs 'in operation, underwater.'Carl Yung, the reputed Swiss psychologist, was the first to launch a scientific research into the sightings of UFOs and other 'evidence' of visits by aliens.

He assimilated the stories of aliens to pure myth and labelled the strange tales in one of his articles, as "gossip about unidentified flying objects".