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158 hand. However, as Brin remarked, aversion to an idea simply because of its association with crackpots gives crackpots altogether too much influence.“ I do not think the evidence is at all persuasive that UFOs are of intelligent extraterrestrial origin, nor do I think the evidence is convincing that no UFOs are of intelligent extraterrestrial origin. Dael Onnnn 19£065 Those who claim that UFOs are extraterrestrial visitors have not yet proven their case. The vast majority of UFOs—some would say over 95% —have turned out to be IFOs: Identifiable Flying Objects. Arthur Clarke acknowledged that phenomena still unknown to science may account for the very few UFOs that are both genuine and unexplained. However, there is no hard evidence that Earth has ever been visited from space; if that does happen, radar networks would know within minutes.” Bernard Oliver cited the example of an intruder into our skies that was documented with many photographs—a bolide that passed through the Earth’s atmosphere in 1972. If there were something to UFOs, we would have better evidence than we do. After decades of UFO reports, Shostak reminded us, there still are no artifacts to examine.® Whatever light they may shed on atmospheric phenomena and human psychology, some say, UFOs tell us nothing about extraterrestrials. Even if the reality of UFOs were established, it would not necessarily prove the reality of alien visitors.” On the other hand, the unknown phenomena explanation for UFOs would not necessarily exclude the idea that advanced extraterrestrials could visit the Earth. As geochemist David Schwartzman pointed out, surveillance by extraterrestrials could be taking place independently of UFOs.” Discrediting the claim that UFOs are extraterrestrial visitors does not prove that the visit scenario is impossible. At the root of every pseudo-science there is to be found, if one searches assiduously and without prejudice, the germ of a new science. —Physicist and engineer Maxwell Cade, 19667! The UFO controversy polarized the question of observing extraterres- trial vehicles on or near the Earth. There should be room in the debate for an owlish position: that we can record and objectively examine reports without drawing conclusions in advance. The UFO Controversy The Galilean Test —Carl Sagan, 1968 The Case for UFO Research