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APPENDIX ers. 251 the entire human race could, in time, be restarted from this pool of genetic material. Even gene therapy and the creation of hybrid species is well within our theoretical horizon, even if it has not completely been reduced to practice. None of these accomplishments require the proce- dural behavior of the “alien doctors" described by abduction research- The means of permanently erasing the memory of the victims through the use of appropriate drugs are also available in the current pharmacopeia. Whatever the supposed aliens are doing if they actually perform what appear to be shockingly crude and cruel simulacra of biological experiments on the bodies of their abductees is unlikely to represent a scientific mission relevant to the goals of extraterrestrial visitors. The answers may have to be sought in other directions. HISTORY The ETH was initially formulated at a time when the earliest sightings known dated from World War II. It could be validly argued that this major conflict was detected from space and that the observation of nuclear explosions on earth precipitated the aliens' decision to survey our planet, perhaps in an effort to assess the human race as a potential threat to other intelligent life forms. The mounting evidence for the proliferation of similar phenomena, not only before 1945, but during the nineteenth century and indeed in the remote past of our culture, has become convincing, although some ufologists, borrowing an argument from their skeptical opponents, are now pleading that such data should simply be disregarded. If it can be established that the phenomenon has indeed existed throughout history, adapting only its superficial shape but not its under- lying structure to the expectations of the host culture, then we are unlikely to be dealing with extraterrestrials doing a survey of the earth. Nor are we dealing with advanced prototypes. Again, a more sophis- ticated class of explanations than both the ETH and the advanced technology hypothesis must be sought.