[Lixma]

Oldschool, this reply to Rattlehead will serve ably, I think, as a reply to you.

Originally Posted by Rattlehead

What makes you state that Cooper wanted what he saw to be of extra-terrestrial origin? You're reaching here I feel.

I took it from the fact that in the video he called these unknown objects extra terrestrial before he'd even described their characteristics.

Although it is funny. You've just watched a man claim he saw alien spaceships and you think i'm reaching!

I think it's a perfectly valid assumption considering the performance of these aircraft relative to his own, which were supposedly cutting edge for the time. What was he supposed to think?

The 'assumption' (actually a conclusion) could not be less valid if it tried. It's a text-book case of the argument from ignorance: "I don't know what these things are, I don't understand how these things can do what they do - therefore I think they must be from outer space.".

Let's couch that in different terms to better see the error.

"I don't know what these things are, I don't understand how these things can do what they do - therefore I think they must be from another dimension."

"I don't know what these things are, I don't understand how these things can do what they do - therefore I think they must be demonic apparitions."

"I don't know what these things are, I don't understand how these things can do what they do - therefore I think they must be witches in flight."

There is no evidence at all that whatever Cooper saw is in any way extra terrestrial. None. Weird, yes. Worthy of further investigation? Sure. But to arrive at the conclusion of ETs is just a leap in the dark.

Unfortunately it's a common trend to immediately set about discrediting witnesses of UFO events.

Don't mistake using sceptical tools as 'discrediting'. Examining logically a person's testimony is not the same as discrediting the source.

Yes, pilots and astronauts are ultimately just human beings like the rest of us, but at the same time they I feel are a lot less likely to blurt out 'I saw a UFO' than Joe Soap, given their relative expertise of identifying aircraft and their reputations as professionals.

It's not the announcement of seeing UFOs that's the problem. It's their completely un-supported identification as ETs, angels, demons or fairies that causes trouble.

The whole UFO phenomenon has become very sensationalist over the years, and I do think it's pertinent to be on the lookout for the exaggerated, sensationalist aspect of the subject and guard against it, but at the same time it's easy to fall into the mindset that everyone has an agenda or that every single sighting or encounter with UFO phenomena does not merit scrutiny.

Couldn't agree more.

I've seen a UFO. An unspectacular but utterly baffling 10 seconds of my life. I'm not sceptical of UFOs. I'm sceptical of the claims about UFOs.