Blues hasn't been here in like a week. Maybe "they" got him. :alien:

There's lots of things we don't understand...nor can explain. I like to think I have an open mind....and think we can't be the only life in the universe. What that life may be...who knows. :nod:

FPW could probably tell me for sure...I vaguely remember a quote that I think was from Theodore Sturgeon that any sufficiently advanced technology was indistinguishable from magic.

Something similar in a book (Direct Descendent I think): two characters where arguing about interstellar travel. One was explaining that it was impossible because of the duration, that such a travel would last millions of years. And travelling faster would be impossible too, if only because of the friction of air against the spaceship (his explanations were better than that actually).

And the second character retorted that someone living during the 15th century would similarly have said that flying across the Atlantic Ocean was impossible: men could not grow wings, and even if they did they would not have the strenght to fly for so long a distance.

Today we perform the magic: we fly across the oceans.

Exactly, Peter. There is no evidence =whatsoever= UFOs are alien spacecraft.

None the less, to paraphrase Galileo, "They still fly!"

So what are they?

Thank you, Paul. I tried me manly best, but neither the little speakers nor the headphones by this computer can be coaxed into righteous activity by me or the computer maven here.

But I do want to hear De Grasse's rap.

Hi!
The quote's from Arthur C. Clarke!

Sev

Still can't find it. Next month, in Westport, I'm sure Bob Arvanitis will evoke it.

I really doubt Neil Tyson could tell me who Howard Menger was. Oh, you neither, souls?

Well, lemme tell yez, with all good respect.

The UFO phenomenon is vast and deep and not what it seems to be.

I would tell you what it is, but we'd both scream and die of fright.

Alien visitation is a question of energy cost and return value.

While I'm pretty sure I could go visit Ougadougou or Burkina Fasso, the energy cost for me to get there isn't worth the return.

I can't imagine anything we have here on Earth that would be worth traveling 40 or more light years to visit, especially at what it would cost. Energy is NEVER free. I think Earth is the Galactic equivalent of Burkina Fasso.

Hell, we can't even get enough energy together to go to the asteroids here in the Solar System, which would probably solve a lot of shortages we have here on our sad little planet.

The important matter is critical thinking. Invest 9.5 minutes in this Neil Tyson video. It's an astoundingly concise overview of the UFO phenom and critical thinking in general. Blues, you especially need to see this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfAzaDyae...e=youtu.be

Unfortunately:

"Neil Tyson talks about UFOs..."
This video is no longer available due to a copyright claim by St. Petersburg College.