A UFO is an Unidentified Flying Object. Based on that definition, anything you see in the sky that you do not recognize as something you’ve seen before (or at least something you know is natively found in our world) would be a UFO. A new type of airplane an unusual looking hot air balloon, and a large R/C aircraft could all be called UFO's.
Doesn’t sound like the UFO’s you have heard of in the media and entertainment fields, does it? That’s because our society is obsessed with another common understanding of the term UFO, which is alien spaceships.
An obsession with aliens is something that dates back a century or more. Comic books in the early to mid 1900’s commonly were about alien invasions or abductions. Today’s movies still pay homage to this fantasy.
But why do we find UFO’s to be such an amazing fascination? Is it because we are fascinated by the possibility of aliens? And if so, then why is that so interesting?
The reason aliens and UFO’s are interesting transcends the whole subject at hand here. We are obsessed with the unknown. People love mystery. This can be seen in the books we read, the TV shows and movies we watch, and even the games we play. (Think “Peek-A-Boo”!) People like surprises, let’s face it.
Do UFO’s really exist? That is a good question, and the simple answer is yes, UFO’s exist—by their true definition. Of course there are things in the sky that we do not recognize, and they are UFO’s from a purist, technical standpoint.
However, when one asks if UFO’s exist, they are of course referring to the more common connotation of the term, meaning do alien spaceships exist. The fact is that we do not know, and the answer is that this is unlikely.
If aliens existed and had found a mode of transportation to visit our planet, doesn’t it seem likely that they would, at some point or another, introduce themselves? Why in the world would they want to come here and keep it a secret?
As with many other mysterious issues (like Bigfoot, ghosts, etc.) there are several angles to the story. Most UFO reports are simply laughable in their inconsistencies and misinformation. This makes many people view the entire concept with great suspicion.
On the other hand, there are accounts and evidence which are very hard to explain, perhaps impossible. The truth of the matter is, though, that an inexplicable occurrence (such as radar showing crazy things) does not necessarily mean that aliens are around. It just means that something happened that we don't understand. We need to keep studying and searching for the answer. Could some reported incidents actually have been of alien spacecraft? Maybe.
As much fun as UFO’s and aliens are to entertain as fantasies, they simply are unlikely to be real. But of course, unlikely and impossible are not the same thing. We should reject crazy notions about UFOs that are based on fantasies, but at the same time keep an open mind to discover the real source of each UFO incident.
Submitted by: Gabriel Adams
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