I keep flipping between it's still feasible we're the only advanced (relative!) civilisation, at least in the Milky Way galaxy. Then the possibility there are a few hundred billion earth like planets makes me think we could have neighbours 'down the road' (but there are some perhaps wildly fortuitous variables for civilisation to kickstart).Currently reading this:
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Mack was a Harvard psychiatrist and Pulitzer prize-winning author of a psychological biography of T. E. Lawrence and utterly eminent in his field. Until, that is, he got roped into studying the alien abduction phenomenon. After interviewing people who thought this had happened to them, he came to the conclusion that "There is no evidence that anything other than what abductees are telling us has happened to them." In other words, they were not exhibiting any signs of a consistent psychopathology. This cost him his professional reputation.
The shorter version of his story can be read here:
The only thing I would say at this stage is that there are lots of people who claim to have encountered the Virgin Mary (like the well-known Children of Medjugorje), or the houris (beautiful maidens who await devout Muslims in paradise). In the latter instance it is typically jihadists fighting on the battlefield. Then there are those who think they have had run-ins with insectoid aliens after ingesting the powerful hallucinogen DMT.
Most would probably be deemed clinically sane. But that doesn't mean that their experiences were genuine.
Have also bought this but not read it yet:
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Wouldn't have bothered were it not for the fact that the first few pages were well-written, engaging and witty. A lot of academic writing even on weird and interesting subjects like UFO religions can still be stodgy. But Palmer is an obvious exception. So am looking forward to giving this a go too.
I keep flipping between it's still feasible we're the only advanced (relative!) civilisation, at least in the Milky Way galaxy. Then the possibility there are a few hundred billion earth like planets makes me think we could have neighbours 'down the road' (but there are some perhaps wildly fortuitous variables for civilisation to kickstart).
But of course travelling such great distances is nigh on impossible with any technology we have so (let's say) a far more advanced and creative solution would be required.
I've loved sci-fi and the UFO tales since I was a little kid so feels petty to disregard those that believe we have been visited. On the other hand I've seen no evidence whatsoever and the majority of sightings have been expertly debunked.
Enjoy those reads!
Maybe not the case.The problem of travel is a big one. Lol. L8ght speed cannot be exceeded, so how do they travel the distances required? They can't. I don't know enough, far from it, but perhaps they exist in dimensions we simply do not understand. Crazy stuff.
He's never denied it he's a scientist and won't deny the possibility, he's always said there isn't any evidence, but across the universe somewhere it was possible and he'll still tell you ,it's possible but we haven't a single peice of evidence.Brian Cox has spent his career denying other civilisations exist yet recently changed his mind.