Ufological Pushback Against the Scientific Method and its Proponents? A Hypocritical Course of Action.
Greetings. Why is a data-driven, skeptical, dispassionate approach to the UFO problem viewed in such a negative light by some in the UFO subculture?
Why does the application of the scientific method garner such consistent pushback from some in the UFO subculture?
While there have been some historical examples of credentialed scientists taking a look at the UFO problem, such occurrences are relatively rare, and certainly not the norm. The UFO phenomenon and its attached subculture, have always been viewed in a negative light by the greater scientific research community. The fault for some of that reasoning lies squarely at the feet of the UFO subculture itself, with its tinfoil hat, costume wearing adherents, and its penchant for embracing the "woo" and other beliefs and mythologies that are "grounded" in faith and not supported by any irrefutable evidence whatsoever.
Has the situation changed to any substantial degree over the decades? I believe it has, but only by a miniscule amount. A few of today's scientists have begun to take a look at the UFO issue, with widely varying degrees of dedication. Unfortunately, some of those very same scientists have willingly abandoned their strict adherence to the scientific method and its tried and true methodologies in the process, for reasons unknown. In my humble opinion, the powerful lure of the ufological spotlight, with its accompanying fame and notoriety, is a primary reason for the abandonment.
Throwing additional snags to the muddle are the actions of some in UFO circles. Pushback against efforts to examine and investigate the UFO problem via scientific means has become something only too commonplace, with those who practice the modus operandi erroneously labeled as debunkers, or worse yet, victimized by a wave of character assassinations that target personal lives and details, not any investigative results originating from scientific research into the topic in question. Remember Dr. Sean Kirkpatrick? He continues to be vilified by people in the UFO subculture who have never met the man in person. Talk about childish and abhorrent behavior.
Why is this occurring? Are some alleged UFO witnesses close-minded, and unwilling to accept the findings that are the direct result of dispassionate scientific examinations of their alleged experiences? That certainly is one reason. Some alleged UFO witnesses want confirmation, not answers supported by physical evidence. Is the greater UFO subculture uncomfortable with the idea that far more qualified individuals are coolly scrutinizing the entire UFO scenario, digging for tangible evidence, and discovering that there is nothing to be uncovered, nothing anomalous at least? Perhaps. Is the UFO entertainment industry wanting to protect its position in the UFO social club, its indefensible talking points, its sensationalized narrative, and its religious UFO mythologies? Since there are monies involved, absolutely. Scientific methodologies may find explanations that the UFO subculture will be completely uncomfortable with, explanations that contradict their own decades-long, dogmatically held beliefs about aliens, abductions, crash retrievals, and government cover-ups.
The reactions of the UFO subculture to the scientific method, its practitioners, and its methodologies truly speak volumes and reverberate throughout the echo chamber that is the UFO arena. That will likely never change. However, when credentialed and highly educated scientists get involved in the UFO subculture, and when those same scientists speak in glowing terms about the possibilities of alien visitation despite the lack of irrefutable evidence, they are embraced wholeheartedly, with open minds and open legs. A few of the names are familiar, or infamous; Garry Nolan, Michio Kaku, Bob McGwier, and the Harvard theoretical physicist turned fraud/crackpot otherwise known as Avi Loeb. Seems that scientists are vilified, unless they hold, or profess to hold positions about the UFO phenomenon that are in agreement with the majority of the true believing UFO masses. Talk about hypocritical.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
This piece articulates a frustration that many of us who value skepticism and evidence-based inquiry have felt for a long time. The irony you point out is hard to ignore: the UFO subculture frequently demands scientific validation, yet reacts with hostility when the scientific method is actually applied and yields conclusions that are mundane, incomplete, or simply unsatisfying to belief-driven narratives.
ReplyDeleteWhat resonates most is the observation that skepticism is tolerated only when it confirms prior beliefs. Scientists are celebrated when they speculate freely about alien visitation without evidence, but are quickly dismissed, attacked, or smeared when they apply methodological rigor and arrive at prosaic explanations. That isn’t respect for science, it’s selective credentialism, where authority matters only so far as it reinforces mythology.
The treatment of figures like Sean Kirkpatrick is a clear example of this problem. Disagreement is one thing; character assassination and conspiratorial vilification are another. When critique shifts from data and methods to personal attacks, it signals that the discussion is no longer about understanding phenomena, but about protecting belief systems.
You’re also right to highlight the role of incentives. The UFO ecosystem including media, conferences, influencers & monetized platforms thrives on mystery and implication. Genuine scientific scrutiny threatens that economy, because real answers often lack drama. In that sense, resistance to science isn’t accidental; it’s structural.
This article underscores an uncomfortable truth: much of modern ufology functions are less like an investigative discipline and more like a belief culture. Until the community learns to value disconfirmation as much as confirmation, and rigor as much as revelation, it will remain fundamentally at odds with the very science it claims to want.
Thank you. Your comment perfectly captures the current status of the UFO environment. Thanks so much!
Delete