There's a guest blog making the rounds today at Aliens Ate my Buick from a former UFO researcher named Matt Graeber titled "Is Ufology a Legitimate Scientific Endeavor?" From what I could tell, it didn't really explore, much less explain, that question, however, it did seem to give some fascinating psychological hints toward what drives Mr. Graeber. While professing to believe in the phenomenon of UFOs, he manages to suggest that there are ten reasons why people believe in/study UFOs, which are:
Ufology as a means to emotional fulfillment
Ufology as a money-making venture
Ufology as a social activity
Ufology as a “second career”
Ufology as a “devotional”
Ufology as medium for apocalyptic visions
Ufology as a source of adventure
Ufology as an anti-social/anti-science “enclave”
Ufology as a hobby
Ufology as a mental/emotional imbalance
Since he spent 34 years in Ufology perhaps he'd be so kind as to share which one of his categories he fits into? Of course, he didn't, and he didn't answer the question he set out to ask, either, so I'll endeavor to answer it myself.
I'd simply ask one series of questions in an attempt to solve this mystery. Have people drawn and painted objects in the sky for thousands of years? It seems that they have. Have people been describing unknown objects in the sky for just as long, right up until modern day? Once again, it seems so. Finally, do huge numbers of people, despite being called crazy, continue to report strange sightings and encounters? One last time, it seems like the answer is yes. So what do those answers mean? To me, as a scientist, it seems like that means there's something worth investigating, without being told that you are lacking and/or disturbed in some fashion.
OddThings Atom Feed
11 Comments:
I'm in it for the adventure. The thrill of going to supposed haunted places and taking photos and such is great. Actually getting something on film would make it so worth it.
Adventure's a great reason, really. Honestly, I think I'm into the entire "paranormal" genre because I enjoy exploring new things as a scientist. I believe there's a lot of fertile ground in the paranormal that's ignored by a lot of scientists.
Dustin, it's great to see such sentiment from the scientific community. It's simply amazing how successful the world "anti-ufo" campaign has become. Anybody mentioning UFO's today on any "reputable" level gets instant ostracism. Just the "knowing smiles" you see on people's faces when you bring up the subject show that no truly open discussion is possible about this. But it's certaily time it's started!
My best,
Sol
It's interesting, Sol, that somehow some group with the agenda has made it so embarrassing for many people to even report having seen one, much less have an open and honest discussion about it. It's simply not that way in other countries around the world from what I've heard.
Very well said Dustin. And it is nice to see someone who has a background in science who is geniune about exploring the questions surrounding UFOs and the paranormal.
Hiya!
I'm a person attentive to UFOs and their ancillaries because, inattention seems unintelligent, unprogressive, and unbrave given six categories of pretty compelling evidence.
alienview@roadrunner.com
> www.AlienView.net
>> AVG Blog -- http://alienviewgroup.blogspot.com/
>>> U F O M a g a z i n e -- www.ufomag.com
UFObits, thanks for that. I think it's really imperative to study anything that's going on, which so many people have experienced. There shouldn't be "shame" in legitimate research into anything in this world.
Alfred, thanks for stopping by. I'm going to have to have a longer look at your site later. Looks interesting.
To me, as a scientist, it seems like that means there's something worth investigating, without being told that you are lacking and/or disturbed in some fashion.
My guess is that you, yourself, are disturbed or lacking in some fashion, else you would shy away from the lunatic fringe and cleave to the science that you claim is your profession. What's next? Will you be going on the road, collecting honorariums for lecturing about UFOs? Or will you be collecting the Nobel prize for demonstrating abiogenesis in the laboratory? One will get you in the encyclopedia, the other will not.
Your criticism of Graeber is about as pointed and meaningful as Dr. Dino's criticisms of the principle of biological evolution. Citing that you are a scientist is simply an appeal to authority. You have neither the experience nor expertise to make the judgement that you have made.
"Ufologically" speaking, you are "more of the same." Nothing particularly unique or visionary about your proclamations - your thoughts are as mundane and predictable as those who send you favorable comments. Ergo, we've smelled this kind of excreta before.
Don't count yourself lucky to have received the accolades of the likes of ufobits and Alfred. Whether you realize it, or not, it labels you, and not in favorable light, either.
What "accolade" nym-wit? A simple statement was made. This is forgetting there's nothing wrong with you a furious high colonic wouldn't fix... Those intestinal impacts can really make ya' testy, I've heard...
As to excreta? Check your top lip you corner sniping coward. All that said?
Push a sock in in it. Your whiny comments label you, and not favorably -- moron.
alienview@roadrunner.com
> www.AlienView.net
>> AVG Blog -- http://alienviewgroup.blogspot.com/
>>> U F O M a g a z i n e -- www.ufomag.com
Interestingly, Alfred, I got an e-mail from Matthew Graeber yesterday, and I believe that comment may have actually been written by him. No way of knowing for sure, and it might not have been, but I found it to be an interesting coincidence. ;-)
I think it may be possible to gage public interest in UFOs by how many of these smirking chimp nym-rods ...without imagination and aspect... crawl out of their moldy defilade to sneer and cast aspersions at others willing to think out of the clueless boxes the former would mandate for them. That said, the aforementioned, by any other name, still smell like a turd crayon and write their churlish screeds with same...
...but I sugar coat it...
alienview@roadrunner.com
> www.AlienView.net
>> AVG Blog -- http://alienviewgroup.blogspot.com/
>>> U F O M a g a z i n e -- www.ufomag.com
Post a Comment
Links to this post:
Create a Link
<< Home