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☆ A Harvard professor is risking his reputation to search for aliens. Tech tycoons are bankrolling his quest.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-08 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +26 min

The Harvard professor's research is bankrolled by tech tycoons "pissed off" at academia's dogma. But this boundary-pushing is exactly why he's backed Loeb's research. AdvertisementDesch, the astrophysicist from Arizona University, posted a critique of Loeb's work on arXiv alleging "multiple fatal flaws with the manuscript's arguments." Asked whether he no longer believes in a possible technological origin for the meteor, Loeb said they need to investigate further. As he plans more extravagant expeditions to prove the origin of the interstellar meteor, Loeb likens his critics to crows pecking at the neck of an eagle.

Persons: Avi Loeb, Loeb, —, Steven Desch, they're, Loeb's, they've, Charles Hoskinson, that's, Anibal Martel, Mark Zuckerberg, Stephen Hawking, Lucas Jackson, Oumuamua, Desch, It's, Meech, Hoskinson, Rather, Lane Turner, James Webb, Bill Diamond, Stenzel, AARO, UAPs, Loeb hasn't, Joe Rogan's, Eugene Jhong, Galileo, ", Frank Laukien, Laukien, Charles Alcock, Seth Shostak, Stephen Wolfram, Richard Branson's, Vera, Rubin, Avi Loeb Loeb, what's, Rob McCallum, Mariana Trench, James Cameron, Avi Loeb Hoskinson, spherules, Harvard's Stein Jacobsen, Loeb didn't, Monica Grady, Patricio Gallardo, it's, Diamond, That's Avi, Adam Glanzman Organizations: Harvard, Service, Arizona State University, Netflix, Galileo, Anadolu Agency, Reuters, University of Hawaii, Boston Globe, James Webb Telescope, NASA, SETI Institute, Pew Research Center, Department of Defense, UAP Department of Defense, Jhong, Bruker Corporation, Smithsonian's, for Astrophysics, MIT, Wolfram Research, Harvard University, Survey, US Space Command, Hoskinson, UK's Open University, University of Chicago, Arizona University, U.S . Government, The Washington, Getty, Loeb, Astronomy, Astrophysics Locations: Lexington , Massachusetts, United States, Getty, Loeb's, New York, Cambridge, Massachussetts, UAPs, Colorado, Chile, Papua New Guinea, 2401.09882, IM1

☆ US military developing portable UFO detection kits as Pentagon says no evidence of alien tech found
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-08 | by ( Oren Liebermann | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The US military is developing portable UFO detection kits to collect better data on reports of sightings as the Pentagon says there is no evidence of alien technology found in any government investigation. The AARO office looked at US government investigations and efforts related to UFOs dating back to 1945. Some of the reported sightings of UFOs were people who unknowingly witnessed the testing or use of classified US technology. The AARO office is also collecting and investigating new reports and sightings of unidentified objects. In February, the office closed 122 cases, Phillips said, most of which was debris in the atmosphere.

Persons: Timothy Phillips, AARO, ” Phillips, Phillips, there’s, Sean Kirkpatrick, “, ” Organizations: CNN, Pentagon, United, United States Government Locations: Texas, Roswell , New Mexico, United States, China

☆ UFOs: US is receiving dozens of reports a month, senior Pentagon official tells CNN
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Oren Liebermann | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The office has received approximately 800 reports of unidentified objects to investigate as of this past April, up from 650 reports in August 2022, Sean Kirkpatrick, who heads the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office at the Pentagon told CNN. “I am worried from a national security perspective.”But Kirkpatrick could offer few details about why certain reports raised suspicions about foreign involvement. The portal for historical sightings is set to open sometime in the next month or so, Kirkpatrick told CNN. Its purpose is to validate or refute past reports of unidentified objects, checking them against other reports and cataloging them for possible further analysis. Asked if the US government should have created an effort to handle unidentified objects earlier, Kirkpatrick demurred.

Persons: Sean Kirkpatrick, Kirkpatrick, ”, ” Kirkpatrick, Biden, UAPs, David Grusch, Grusch, “, Kirkpatrick demurred Organizations: CNN, Pentagon, Federal Aviation Administration, Air Force Locations: United States, South Carolina

☆ U.S. government wants to move conversation around UFOs from speculation to science
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( Magdalena Petrova | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Unidentified flying objects, or UFOs, have captured the imagination of Americans for decades. But much of the conversation has been confined to science fiction movies and novels. A big one suggests the U.S. has been concealing alien life and technology in secret compounds like Area 51 in Nevada. A 2019 poll found 68% of respondents believed the U.S. government knows "more about UFOs than it is telling us." Then, in June 2022, NASA convened an independent expert panel to help study UAP incidents and advise the Department of Defense on how to gather and interpret data on UAPs.

Persons: Ryan Graves, Graves Organizations: UAP, Safe Aerospace, U.S . Navy, UAPs, National Intelligence, Pentagon, NASA, of Defense, DoD Locations: Nevada, U.S, Washington

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailThe study of UFOs goes mainstreamFor decades, much of the discourse around UFOs has been confined to science fiction movies and novels. In the absence of government commentary on the topic, conspiracy theories around the U.S. hiding alien life and technology in secret compounds like Area 51 have run rampant. In an attempt to address potential national security questions, Washington, D.C. has taken up the charge to publicize and legitimize the study of unidentified anomalous phenomena, or UAPs, as the military is calling UFOs.

Locations: Washington

☆ Aliens are under the spotlight again as Amazon's Ring offers $1 million prize for proof of UFOs
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( Tom Carter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ring is offering a prize for anyone who captures proof of aliens on their doorbell camera. It comes amid a rising number of UFO sightings in the US. AdvertisementAdvertisementEvidence is growing that there is life on other worlds – and now Ring is offering a $1 million prize for anyone with hard proof. The Amazon-owned smart home security device company said it will offer the prize to anyone who captures "unaltered scientific evidence" of extraterrestrial life on their doorbell camera. The number of sightings of UAPs has spiked in recent years, with the US government tracking some 650 UAP incidents.

Persons: —, David Grusch, Jaime Maussan Organizations: Service, NASA, SETI, Pentagon Locations: Mexico

☆ NASA created a new position to lead UFO research and appointed somebody, but won't share who it is
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | Maiya Focht | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

NASA also created a new position to lead UAP research, but officials won't say who they appointed. NASA officials cited harassment concerns but said they might share the new UAP chief's name someday. As part of its new plan to tackle mysterious phenomena, NASA created a new officer position: Director of UAP Research. That's why I'm announcing that NASA has appointed a NASA Director of UAP Research," Bill Nelson, NASA's administrator, said in a press briefing on Thursday. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson speaks in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Persons: Bill Nelson, Bill Ingalls, Nicola Fox, Fox, Daniel Evans, Evans Organizations: NASA, UAP, Service, Navy, Research, UAP Research Locations: Wall, Silicon, Colorado Springs , Colorado

In its 33-page report, an independent team commissioned by NASA cautioned that the negative perception surrounding UFOs poses an obstacle to collecting data. “We want to shift the conversation about UAPs from sensationalism to science," NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said. Instead, the group relied on unclassified data in an attempt to better understand unexplained sightings in the sky. The government refers to unexplained sightings as UAPs versus UFOs. ___The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group.

Persons: UAPs, Bill Nelson, Nelson, ” Nelson, doesn't, “, ”, Dan Evans, NASA's, Scott Kelly, David Spergel Organizations: — NASA, NASA, Simons Foundation, Associated Press Health, Science Department, Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science, Educational Media Group, AP Locations: CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla, “, U.S

☆ NASA installs new chief of UFO research after expert panel report
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( Joey Roulette | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

"The mission of NASA is to find out the unknown," Nelson said. The NASA panel, comprising experts in scientific fields ranging from physics to astrobiology, issued the report after holding its first public meeting in June. NASA said the new director of UAP research will handle "centralized communications, resources and data analytical capabilities to establish a robust database for the evaluation of future UAP." The report said defense and intelligence analysts lacked sufficient data to determine the nature of some of the objects. The NASA panel studying UAPs held its first public meeting in June, comprising experts in scientific fields ranging from physics to astrobiology.

Persons: Joe Skipper, Bill Nelson, Nelson, UAPs, Joey Roulette, Will Dunham Organizations: NASA, Vehicle, Kennedy Space Center, REUTERS, Rights, UAP, National Intelligence, Navy, U.S, East, Pentagon, Thomson Locations: Cape Canaveral , Florida, U.S, West

☆ Congress's UFO hearing shows the hardest part of discovering alien life may be announcing it. Here's how NASA might break the news.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

An illustration of the CoLD scale for determining confidence in a detection of alien life. The discovery of extraterrestrial life is likely to be a slow build-up, rather than an explosive eureka moment. The president or other countries could be involved in announcing extraterrestrial life existsPresident Joe Biden speaks at Delaware State University. Anna Moneymaker/Getty ImagesAnnouncing the existence of alien life would be an "administration-level" affair, Glaze said, referring to the US presidency. Needless to say, any discovery of alien life would likely lead to chaos — at least in public discourse.

Persons: NASA isn't, David Grusch, Randall Hill, UAPs, Elon Musk, John Locher, Karine Jean, Pierre, we've, Lori Glaze, Glaze, James Webb, Jean, Philippe Arles, It's, Aaron Gronstal, Mary Voytek, Joe Biden, Anna Moneymaker, Carlos Garcia Rawlins, Stephen Hawking, I'm, we're Organizations: Service, NASA, Beijing, Reuters, Department of Defense, Associated Press, AP, White House, Navy, US Department of Defense, JPL, Caltech, Delaware State University Locations: Wall, Silicon, South Carolina, Surfside Beach , South Carolina, US, Alaska, Canada, Lake Huron, Rachel , Nevada, Bugarach, France

☆ What is a UAP? What the acronym means, why they're different from UFOs, and what a Congressional hearing revealed
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Recent testimonies before Congress and meetings with NASA have renewed interest in UAPs and UFOs. There are differences between UAPs and UFOs, especially related to potential proof of alien life. Here's everything you need to know about UAPs and UFOs — including what they stand for. The transition from using UFO to UAP was to better encompass a variety of phenomena and strange sightings. Bettmann/Getty ImagesUAP vs. UFOUFO — which stands for "unidentified flying object" — was coined by the Air Force in 1952.

Persons: David Grusch's, Kenneth Arnold, Nev, John Locher, David Fravor, Ryan Graves, Graves, Fravor, UAPs, — Organizations: NASA, Service, Air Force, UAP, CNN, Department of Defense, Pentagon, Getty, Military, Navy, Force, AP, New York Times Locations: Wall, Silicon, San Diego, Roswell , New Mexico, Rachel

☆ Congress UFO Hearing: Experts Say UAPs Pose Potential National Security Threat
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Yemen Oil Tanker at Risk: An Operation to Avert a Massive Spill A team of international experts has launched an effort to transfer more than one million barrels of oil from an abandoned tanker before it spills off Yemen’s Red Sea coast. WSJ’s Sune Rasmussen explains what’s at stake in this high-risk operation. Photo: Yahya Arhab/Zuma Press

Persons: WSJ’s Sune Rasmussen, what’s, Yahya Arhab Organizations: Yemen Oil, Zuma Locations: Yemen

☆ The ex-intel officer who testified the US has proof of aliens previously made the wild claim that the Vatican was part of a UFO cover-up
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( Grace Eliza Goodwin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

An ex-intelligence officer told Congress this week that the US has evidence of "non-human" life. The whistleblower previously made a shocking claim that the Vatican was part of a 90-year cover-up. The Department of Defense has denied that a top-secret program with evidence of alien life exists. Then, shockingly, Grusch said Pope Pius XII "backchanneled that" and the Vatican "told the Americans what the Italians had and we ended up scooping it." He told NewsNation that he's coming forward now because the American people have a right to know that they are being lied to.

Persons: David Grusch, Grusch, that's, NewsNation, Benito Mussolini, Pope Pius XII, Ross Coulthart Organizations: Department of Defense, Service, Air Force, Department of, UAP, Force, Associated Press, NewsNation, Catholic Church, Vatican Locations: Wall, Silicon, Italy

A House Oversight subcommittee convened Wednesday’s hearing on UFOs, as the lawmakers who pushed for the hearing are calling for the government to be more forthcoming about the unidentified anomalous phenomena. The hearing is the latest push by lawmakers, intelligence officials and military personnel working on unexplained aerial phenomena to probe the issue on a national platform. “This is an issue of government transparency,” said Rep. Tim Burchett, a Tennessee Republican who pushed to hold Wednesday’s hearing. We’re going to uncover the cover up, and I hope this is just the beginning of many more hearings.”No government officials testified at Wednesday’s hearing. Lawmakers have pressed the Department of Defense on the sightings, describing them as potential national security threats.

Persons: CNN —, ”, Ryan Graves, Graves, David Fravor, David Grusch, ” Fravor, Tim Burchett, “ We’re, … We’re, Sean Kirkpatrick, Kirkpatrick, “, Robert Garcia of, Garcia, Jared Moskowitz, ” Moskowitz, ” Graves Organizations: CNN, Navy, Safe Aerospace, US Navy, Air Force, Tennessee Republican, Department of Defense, Democratic, Florida Democrat, House Intelligence Locations: Robert Garcia of California, Florida

☆ Senators move to require release of US government UFO records
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Josephine Walker | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, July 14 (Reuters) - The Senate in the coming days is expected to consider a bipartisan measure that would compel the U.S. government to publicly release records relating to possible UFO sightings after decades of stonewalling. Their 64-page proposal is modeled after a 1992 U.S. law spelling out the handling of records related to the 1963 assassination of President John Kennedy. "Our goal is to assure credibility with regard to any investigation or record keeping of materials" associated with UAPs, Rounds said. Under the measure, records must be publicly disclosed in full no later than 25 years after the law is enacted unless the U.S. president certifies that continued postponement is necessary because of a direct harm to national security. The Pentagon has investigated numerous unexplained sightings reported by military aviators and NASA formed a special panel to look into UAPs.

Persons: Chuck Schumer, Mike Rounds, John Kennedy, Schumer, Rounds, Harry Reid, Josephine Walker, Richard Cowan, Will Dunham Organizations: Senate, Democrat, Republican, Senate's Intelligence, Armed Services, U.S . National Archives, Records Administration, Democratic, U.S . Navy, Pentagon, NASA, Thomson Locations: stonewalling, U.S, Congress

☆ NASA wants to use your cellphones to help identify UFOs
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

NASA wants your help to identify UFOs and UAPs. NASA and federal officials said "imagery from smartphones is of limited value" to pin down UFOs. NASA's independent task force studying UAPs has been active since September 2022. NASA and the AARO said researchers need better, more reliable data to help categorize and identify what's behind strange sightings when they're reported in the sky. During the meeting, Kirkpatrick also said the AARO is researching how AI could help in studying, reporting, and identifying UFOs

Persons: —, Defense —, Sean M, Kirkpatrick, AARO, — Kirkpatrick, UAPs, they're Organizations: NASA, Service, Defense, Wednesday

WASHINGTON, May 31 (Reuters) - A NASA panel formed last year to study what the government calls "unidentified aerial phenomena," commonly termed UFOs, was due to hold its first public meeting on Wednesday, ahead of a report expected in coming weeks. The focus of Wednesday's four-hour public session "is to hold final deliberations before the agency's independent study team publishes a report this summer," NASA said in announcing the meeting. The panel represents the first such inquiry ever conducted under the auspices of the U.S. space agency for a subject the government once consigned to the exclusive and secretive purview of military and national security officials. The NASA study is separate from a newly formalized Pentagon-based investigation of unidentified aerial phenomena, or UAPs, documented in recent years by military aviators and analyzed by U.S. defense and intelligence officials. "There is no evidence UAPs are extraterrestrial in origin," NASA said in announcing the panel's formation last June.

Persons: Joey Roulette, Steve Gorman, Robert Birsel Organizations: NASA, U.S, Pentagon, UAP, Thomson Locations: U.S, Washington, Los Angeles

☆ NASA team to issue report on unidentified phenomena in July
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —A team of 16 experts and scientists assembled by NASA aims to publish its first report on unidentified anomalous phenomena, also known as unidentified flying objects, or UFOS, by midsummer. “We’re trying to assess whether those phenomena pose any risks to safety and we’re doing it using science,” Evans added. Unidentified anomalous phenomena, or UAP, “are events in the sky that cannot be identified as aircraft or known natural phenomena from a scientific perspective,” according to NASA. Instead, the team’s approach has been outlining how to evaluate and study unidentified anomalous phenomena using data and technology. But since being announced in June 2022, members of the independent study team have faced online harassment.

Persons: CNN —, ”, Dan Evans, “ We’ve, ” Evans, “ We’re, Evans, UAPs, Scott Kelly, David Spergel, Kelly, ” Spergel, “, Sean Kirkpatrick, Kirkpatrick, ” Kirkpatrick, Spergel, astrobiology, Katie Hunt, Michael Conte, Jackie Wattles Organizations: CNN, NASA, UAP, National Defense, US Navy, Simons, US Department of Defense, Pentagon Locations: New York City

☆ US military releases combat drone footage of a mysterious object — what looks like a silver orb. The Pentagon says it's not aliens.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Rebecca Cohen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The US Military released a video showing a mysterious silver orb flying in the Middle East. The head of the Pentagon office who reviews these incidents said there's no evidence of aliens. He added that his office is reviewing more than 650 incidents of UFOs reported by the military. The video released by the military shows a silver orb flying across the screen of a sensor located at a Middle Eastern military base. Correction: April 20, 2023 — An earlier version of this story's headline incorrectly identified who discussed the mysterious object.

☆ US government tracking more than 650 potential UFO cases, Pentagon says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Jeremy Herb | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The US government is tracking more than 650 potential cases of so-called “unidentified aerial phenomenon,” commonly known as UFOs, according to the director of the office created last year to focus on the sightings. He played video from two of cases that had been declassified, one that had been resolved and the other unresolved. Kirkpatrick explained that this case was unresolved because there was no other evidence beyond the video. He said that in a small number of cases, he has concerns the episodes could be evidence of potential technological advancements. Those cases, he said, are handed off to the intelligence community to investigate further.

☆ 5 times scientists thought they'd maybe discovered signs of extraterrestrial life but sadly didn't
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Extraterrestrial life could exist, but mysterious objects in the sky aren't evidence of aliens. Scientists have thought they were close to discovering alien life a few times — none of it via UFOs. As the US discovered a flurry of UFOs — officially called "unidentified anomalous phenomena," or UAPs — in early February, Google searches for "extraterrestrial life" and "are aliens real" spiked. There have been incidents in the past where some researchers thought they'd come close to discovering signs of alien life — or even extraterrestrial intelligence — but none were UFOs. They dubbed the first interstellar object 'Oumuamua, which is a Hawaiian term meaning "a messenger from afar arriving first."

☆ The UFO shoot-downs show the hardest part of discovering alien life may be announcing it. Here's how NASA might break the news.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Extraterrestrial life likely wouldn't show up as flying objects, but finding it could cause similar chaos. An illustration of the CoLD scale for determining confidence in a detection of alien life. The president or other countries could be involved in announcing extraterrestrial life existsPresident Joe Biden speaks at Delaware State University. Anna Moneymaker/Getty ImagesAnnouncing the existence of alien life would be an "administration-level" affair, Glaze said, referring to the US presidency. Needless to say, any discovery of alien life would likely lead to chaos — at least in public discourse.

"I know there have been questions and concerns about this, but there is no, again no indication of aliens or extraterrestrial activity with these recent takedowns," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said. On Sunday, a U.S. Air Force general said he would not rule out aliens or any other explanation yet, deferring to U.S. intelligence experts. John Kirby, National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications, answers questions during the daily press briefing with White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, at the White House in Washington, U.S., February 13, 2023. REUTERS/Evelyn HocksteinMultiple White House officials ruled out the possibility that the objects came from extraterrestrials on Monday. "I don't think the American people need to worry about aliens with respect to these crafts, period," White House spokesperson John Kirby said during a White House briefing with reporters on Monday.

☆ Elon Musk joked that the UAPs shot down over North America are alien 'friends of mine' as questions remain over their origins
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Elon Musk joked on Sunday about the latest UAP to be shot down over North America. Three more unidentified objects have been shot down since the Chinese spy balloon on February 4. "Just some of my [alien] friends of mine stopping by," he added, including emojis of an alien and a flying saucer. Musk's quip came an hour before an American F-16 fighter jet shot down an object over Lake Huron, Michigan. Like the two other downed objects, officials decided it was a risk to civilian aircraft due to the altitude at which it was flying, the statement said.

WASHINGTON, Feb 13 (Reuters) - The White House said on Monday there is no indication of aliens or extraterrestrial activity after a series of shoot-downs of unidentified objects over North American airspace. "I know there have been questions and concerns about this, but there is no, again no indication of aliens or extraterrestrial activity with these recent takedowns," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said. On Sunday, a U.S. Air Force general said he would not rule out aliens or any other explanation yet, deferring to U.S. intelligence experts. "I don't think the American people need to worry about aliens with respect to these crafts, period," White House spokesman John Kirby said during a White House briefing with reporters on Monday. The government's effort to investigate anomalous, unidentified objects - whether they are in space, the skies or even underwater - has led to hundreds of documented reports that are being investigated, senior military leaders have said.

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