![[Menu]](navpic.png)
Have aliens ever visited earth?
Category: Space
Published: March 26, 2013
By: Christopher S. Baird, author of The Top 50 Science Questions with Surprising Answers and physics professor at West Texas A&M University
According to the findings of mainstream science, aliens have never visited the earth. Despite the whimsical fantasies of fictional works and the confusion of supposed eye-witnesses, there is no credible scientific evidence that aliens have ever visited the earth. Aliens did not visit the earth anciently and build the pyramids, nor do they sneak onto our planet in our day. Because of the unreliability of the human eyes and human brain, scientific data is established through (1) quantification, (2) use of accurate tools, and (3) repetition.
Quantification means that instead of a human giving a subjective account, the human – or better yet, a machine – measures a number to determine a property. For instance, "it feels hot outside" is a subjective statement of little scientific value. Is it hot enough to melt chocolate? Is it hot enough to melt steel? Does it just feel hot to the person making the statement because she just started menopause? We don't know from this statement. A quantified statement such as "it is 90 degrees Fahrenheit outside" is more reliable, and therefore scientific. Next, the use of accurate tools means that a proven measurement tool is used to make the measurement instead of the human's eyes. For instance, a builder who needs to measure a stud so he can cut the drywall to fit it does not just look at the stud and guess its length. He uses a tape measure to get an accurate value for the length. Lastly, repetition ensures that freak errors in measurement are identified and discarded. Builders know that they have to measure twice if they only want to cut once. Repetition also allows a value to be measured several times and averaged so as to minimize noise. Repetition means that one person takes the measurement several times, but it also means that other people make the measurement. Measurements repeated by different people minimize the error effects of a single faulty tool or confused human. If a builder uses a tape measure that has the numbers printed wrong, he may consistently get the same measurement, but it will still be wrong. Repetition by others will minimize such errors.
In every area of life, and not just in the lab, data is not reliable unless is has been quantified, measured by an accurate tool, and repeated. The alleged eye-witness accounts of UFO's and alien visitations fail to be reliable data on all accounts. When a man tells a newspaper that he saw a bright light over his farm that looked like it had an alien face inside, he has provided no quantified information, he has used no tools to make his measurement, and he is unable to repeat or have others repeat the measurement. Three strikes against him means that such accounts are completely unreliable. If an alleged UFO witness actually went up to his awe-inspiring blob of light and tried to measure its width, temperature, etc. he would quickly find that reflections from clouds were playing tricks on his eyes or that fireflies were migrating. According to current reliable data, aliens have never visited earth, contacted earth, or even given any hint of their existence. These facts do not automatically rule out the existence of life on other planets. They just indicate that their influence has not yet reached earth.
Most alien accounts involve seeing something strange in the sky or a strange creature on the earth. The following objects, events, and experiences could be easily misunderstood to be aliens by unreliable human eyes:
Natural Objects
Fireflies: glowing beetles that can look like large objects when swarming
Barn owls: owls that have alien-like faces
Meteorites: falling space rocks that glow, burn, and explode
Electrical Disturbances
Corona discharge: glowing clouds of sparks around charged objects
Cloud to ground lightning: traditional lighting
Cloud to cloud lightning: lightning that causes clouds to glow
Elves, Sprites, & Blue Jets: exotic-looking forms of lightning
Ionospheric air glow: steady glow high in the ionosphere
Atmospheric Optical Effects
Aurorae: streaking glow caused by particles hitting the atmosphere
Clouds: some clouds can have space-ship-like shapes and colors
Mirages: the bending of light by air can make ships appear in the sky
Rainbows: bow-like scattering of sunlight by raindrops
Fogbows: bow-like scattering of sunlight by fog
Sun dogs: bright spots due to scattering of sunlight by ice crystals
Moon dogs: bright spots due to scattering of moonlight by ice crystals
Light pillars: streaks of light due to scattering by ice crystals
Circumhorizontal halos: arcs due to scattering of sunlight by ice crystals
Searchlights: high-power man-made light beams scanning the sky
Laser guides: laser beams used to calibrate astronomical telescopes
Earthquake lights: flahses caused by earthquakes
Man-Made Craft
Airplanes: advanced airplanes have unusual shapes
Helicopters: advanced helicopters have unusual shapes
Hot-air balloons: aircraft filled with buoyant hor air
Weather balloons: silvery balloons carrying weather instruments
Dirigibles: steerable balloons that come in a variety of shapes
Kites: kites can come in just about any shape imaginable
Flares: bright projectile that streaks across the sky
Military drones: unmanned aircraft that can come in alien-like shapes
Commerical drones: unmanned aircraft used for sensing and delivery
RC airplanes: small unmanned hobby planes flown by radio control
RC helicopters: small unmanned hobby helicopters flown by radio control
Satellites: odd-shaped machines in orbit around the earth
Rockets: fire-propelled object that comes in many sizes
Man-made spacecraft: various manned and unmanned spaceships
Frisbees: gliding toys thrown in the air
Psychological Effects
Hallucinations caused by alcohol or drugs
Hallucinations caused by various medical diseases
Hallucinations caused by an abnormal fear response
Hoaxes and pranks carried out by other humans