UFOs and Aliens - What Science Says | Donald Prothero | TEDxResedaBlvd 

TED, still mad at you for flagging the real UFO Talk: "Wanted: A Science of UFOs | Alexander Wendt |"

This guy would have defended the flat earth theory in the 16th century.

11:30 He says that the small grey alien started with a movie from 1964; actually, the first description of a gray is from the Betty and Barnie Hill abduction story in 1961. There goes his argument.

I was once a skeptic. I used to dismiss claims about UFOs and even crack jokes like this so-called scientist until the day I seen it up close and personal for myself. This event happened back in 2014 off the coast of Puerto Rico. While on a large boat, me and a friend of mine observed what look to be a glowing light flying at a very high altitude then quickly descended down over the water for about a minute or two. At this point the unidentified object was maybe 300 yards from us. I could see every detail very clearly and so could everyone else. It was so unreal it actually frightened me as well as everyone else. It looked as if it stopped to observe us for a minute and then quickly plunged itself into the ocean. As it plunged itself into the ocean it seemed as if it did not disturb the water, like it smoothly glided in without making a wave or ripple. You can see the light reflect through the water as it traveled deeper and deeper until the light disappeared. Then maybe about 20 minutes later another craft or possibly the same one very similar looking ,but just a little further of distance came out of the water and either hovered or floated above the surface of the ocean for about 10 to 20 seconds. Then it quickly risen itself for about 100 feet and then shoot off into either space or somewhere far in the atmosphere. None of us were under the influence of anything. The unidentified craft look to be larger than our boat which had to be every bit of over 100 ft. The shape was hard to describe. It was somewhat triangular but a bit rounded. It had a bluish yellow plasma discharge or light at the bottom in the center and then at the rear in the center and then three red lights at each corner. That day quite literally changed my life because there was no way that that could have been any secret military aircraft of any kind. It was totally silent and accelerated from 0 to maybe 25,000 miles an hour pretty much instantaneously.

Too bad he didn’t tackle something more intellectually challenging, like the US Navy disclosures from the last 2 years.

Well this guy must be fun at parties.

One of the better talks on the subject. Cultural argument is persuasive. How do we explain the radar, IR video with eyewitness fighter accounts verified by the pentagon?

But science fiction has also depicted ever piece of technology we have today

This won't age well.

I find it distressing that a so-called scientist renowned in his specialty uses an opposite method, contrary to any scientific approach by drawing definitive conclusions, only from a few examples. This method is not scientific, it's pitiful, it's a shame!

If this guy was abducted by aliens and his rear end probed, he would insist it was a dream or hallucination.

Lol I would want to see this guy try to explain the videos that the American navy released a few years ago 😂

Nothing about the Navy, Stanton Friedman, Phoenix lights, Rendlesham Forest.

This is the type of close minded science that scares me. There are so many things wrong with his so called scientific method. The first is his close minded attitude.

"I've already made up my mind, don't bother me with the facts."

Disclosure would create a big problem for scientists when they find out we're actually thousands of years behind.

This is one of the weakest things I've ever seen.

This guy clearly hasn't done any research on ufo evidence

This would have been more convincing if he had stepped out on stage and said.....UFO's? Nothing to see here folks!, and then walked off stage.

This guy is saying “science this and science that” but he’s literally just stating opinion with out any facts or proof lol

I wonder what this guy makes of the US Navy sightings with their multiple witnesses, extraordinary flight characteristics and recorded by multiple electronic sensors?

You know what else isn't science? Cracking jokes. If there are aerial phenomena out there that are, indeed, unidentified, then do your job, and take it seriously, and try to study them. That's science.

This was a condescending attitude and bias towards the subject.

This guy is our new J. Allen Hynek during project blue book operations...Go there and show them a weather ballon, case closed.!

"In this talk, he unravels the truth behind the UFO phenomenon." What a pretentious (and non scientific) statement.

This is the kind of guy to tell children there is no Santa Clause

And when Navy pilots see objects making 90 degree turns at 3 times the speed of sound and capture it on radar and video it's an illusion

Good luck disproving the Nimitz UFO and eye witnesses!😂

...wow! An impressive achiement! This man and his father have managed to solve the UFO mystery in one, late-night sitting, watching TV on the couch! Kudos!

But Carl Sagan also quotes: “The universe is a pretty big place. If it's just us, seems like an awful waste of space."...

In a nutshell, UFO does not equate space alien. We need to start using a new term for these 'unidentified' or unidentifiable flying objects because people always associate them with little green men.

It's a rare gift when you have the opportunity to meet a gentleman such as this who is 100% sure he knows everything! Someone should inform this guy that science is fueled by ignorance not arrogance.

Boy is this guy going to have a breakdown in the near future...

Donald Prothero, expert in geology, field of expertise: sticking his head in the sand

"Honey, there's a UFO. Quick, grab the worst camera you can find."

If it helps you sleep at night to condescend and try to explain away what makes you uncomfortable, more power to you. The rest of us will keep an open mind and move forward.

Yes but the stigma attached to this subject over the decades has scared most scientists away for studying this subject in a serious way..fear of ridicule or osterization has kept the subject in the closet.

I wonder how much the CIA paid this guy.

I normally don't read commentary. Truly a life changing event..I have not thought alien for a long time. I consider a race we may share this planet with. Admiral Byrd,or something along that line. A change of "venue" ,I'm sure upon witnessing. Thanku for sharing. Can't say I would. People are not generally considerate ,especially about things,that may frighten them.. .

I can understand the need for phenomenon to be replicable, to have controls and peer-review in laboratory science and in many other aspects of scientific investigation. Yet with a huge deal of phenomena this isn't possible. And especially with something as consequential as the possibility that alien life might be visiting our planet, needing it to be replicable and to be able to have controls on it seems absurd! He misrepresents a lot of the information that he delivers and makes conclusions that are wildly biased and seem only to put this subject into a neat box 'lets just call it all a hoax'. The UFO phenomenon is a real phenomenon: there are consistent accounts and reports all over the globe from reputable sources of crafts defying our conventional ideas of what is possible, given our current understanding of physics; The abduction phenomenon is a real phenomenon: you only have to read the work of Dr. David Jacobs and Dr. Karla Turner to see the same thing - there are consistent accounts of what these aliens look like, what they do and how they do things from around the world that give this phenomenon a basis of validity. People are experiencing the same thing. Please look into this seriously and don't take this mindless approach based on our current assumptions of whats possible. Read the literature and make your own mind up! A couple of great books are: 'Alien Agenda' by Jim Marrs and 'Walking among Us' by Dr. David Jacobs - I'd also encourage anyone looking into this seriously to read the Allies of Humanity Briefings which are online here (alliesOfHumanity(dot)org).

Someone should explain to this poor man that life from other planets is not supernatural or paranormal.

There is Tons of evidence, even Physical Evidence (Yes Radar data is physical evidence).

I have ONE QUESTION for all of you flying saucer and alien abduction believers: What would it take for you to no longer believe?

I haven’t even watched this yet & I already know he won’t say a damn thing of interest until the gov confirms it first. Aren’t scientist supposed to do the research?!

I agree with the approach he's taking but I was looking for someone to go over specific videos, like ones released by the military. I've seen claims that the UFO's in these videos seem to be doing things that humans don't, at least publicly, have the ability to do. I want math either confirming or denying these claims.

Tell us about the Tic Tac and the 23% of the original Project Blue Book cases that had no explanation?

What about the navy fighter pilots that have in video moving at 5000 mph making turns that nothing we know of can do

You can’t explain what my dad, his siblings and his parents saw in Southern Africa 60yrs ago. A flying saucer, they were ridiculed by they’re families for speaking about it, that they just stopped because of the stigma.

This is the first time I've ever been disappointed in a TED Talk

I know there’s a lot of BS about aliens and UFOs but how does this dude know with certainty what’s out in the universe?

After reading through a good number of comments I'm reminded of a famous saying .... 100 cups of weak coffee all poured together does not make strong coffee.

Dr. Donald Prothero what's your take on the Nimitz Encounters?

Sadly. He's correct. I want to believe, but yeah. Theres no real evidence.

Prothero's field is Mammalian paleontology. And he's an expert in UFOs, too?

Thank you for this video... 👏👏

Im confident in real UFos, but applaud the Skeptics, they are our best friends, they are not the Enemy and the only Quality Control we have. Progress is 99% falsifying hypothesis. Eventually the Truth will be known and skepticism will have helped the Truth

I’ll add this. This man infers that the Navy is lying, the media is lying... in the usual debunker’s own terms, isn’t that called... CONSPIRACY THEORY? 😂 Ted should flag this!

Thanks for the lecture on scientific method. What about all the hundreds of eye-witness accounts by military personnel over the last seventy years backed up by radar and other observation equipment of real material UAP performing at speeds and maneuvering in ways that cannot be explained according to our current knowledge of physics? The extraterrestrial hypothesis is perfectly legitimate and has been maintained by numerous experts and scientists since the late 1940s.

Even when you know alien life exist. It's beyond word scary the first time. Sobering moment

This lecture has become dated since the DOD disclosure of UAP’s during the Nimitz Incident and David Fravor coming forward. Will be interesting to see how things unfold from here..

Damn his dad went to area 51 and didn't see alien craft!???!! Man they must be fake cuz one guy says he didn't see something

Mr. Prothero is way behind the conversation. Update: We're not asking if they exist, we're asking where they're from.

The absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence.

It is a solid analysis of our modern cultural attraction to UFO but what is not included the existing depictions of ancient civilisations that do not use imagery of angels and devils.

I was getting so frustrated watching this guy, and glad to see from the comments I am not alone

Would love to see this guy's face when he finds out the truth...not to mention shermers...😎

No mention of commander David Fravor and Ryan Graves

There's something to be said with the effect of art has to our society. If there are patterns they need to examined.

If everyone thought like him, and there was no wind, the world would never have discovered gases.

The scientific method is inadequate when it comes to UFOs because you can't replicate UFO sightings for experimentation.

“ I teach at college level” my college is so medriocre I won’t even name it

He should talk to our retired minister of defense in Canada.

Oh dear. This man is a scientist? I guess radar footage accompanied by eye witness accounts from multiple people trusted to fly planes with Nukes strapped to them isn't credible evidence. ... He actually mentioned a weather balloon...hahaha WTAF

So much for scientists being 'objective'...!!!!

As a scientist you should be collecting information to confirm whether UFOs are real or not. Have you done this: No. Has any scientific establishment done this: No. If not, then you have not done your due diligence as a scientist who claims to be an expert on this.

Explain the released UFO videos by the US Navy, Mr. Sceptic!!!!

there is still a lot to discover for him

Hilarious, one moment it’s all about how eye witness testimony is irrelevant, next it’s all “my dad said so”

in the whole known universe we are the only planet with life......then is it so hard to understand that on this whole planet of people only ONE person could have an alien entity?

Joe Rohan should interview this dude.

It's good to see the scientific community taking a stance and it's hard to argue with the scientific method. That said, this guy's stance seems to be "Just believe whatever the government tells you to believe.". I mean FOIA? Really? Come now.

This guy is like the Jalanese WWII soldier that waa on an islabd and didnt know the war had ended. This professor needs to see the US Navy videos and admiisions

One needs to be skeptical of skepticism too!

The internet may be full of lies but it is also full of truth, if you know where to look.

Flat earthers should get this guy to prove their theory

This guy is awesome. What a great talk. He makes a great point about how unreliable eyewitness can be, and how with more camera's were seeing less proof of UFOs

where did you come up with the number 50,000 people seeing the aircraft?

I think a vast majority of what he says is spot-on. The main topic at issue here is how to think critically, and not jump to a conclusion that you like simply because you don't have the means or time or skills to analyze it out. I stumbled on the last part though, wherein he brought up the Roswell story, he made a few mistakes. For one, the photos of materials being held in that picture were not the object that crashed. Given that the mogul project was top secret, and that the recovery of the materials (across more than one location, apparently) was a massive project with a lot of military personnel on site, it's absurd to even suggest that they would release pictures of the actual materials to the press. Those photos were a cover story, along with the headline. Secondly, the original report in the Roswell Daily Record had the headline "RAAF Captures Flying Saucer On Ranch in Roswell Region", a statement that was later revoked with a cover story about a weather balloon (which was what was pictured). While the incident was forgotten for many years is largely correct, but it was that "flying saucer" newspaper report that attracted Stanton Friedman, a nuclear physicist, to dig into the story years later and realize that the "weather balloon" item was a cover-up (which it was). But his interviews of eye witnesses confirmed to him the original statement, not the cover-up story. Those eye witness accounts from people who were on the scene therefore might fall into the niche that Dr. Prothero categorizes as being unreliable simply on the basis that human psychology and memory gets in the way. But his statement is completely wrong here: "UFO authors revived it in a novel in 1978 and a whole industry grew up with no original data sources, no eye witnesses, it was all made up from thin air." Stanton Friedman is the "UFO author" to which he refers, who did not write a "novel," and there were many eye witnesses he discovered starting with Jesse Marcel, and it was not all made up from "thin air." While it still can be argued that there was no actual "saucer" - as Marcel states - his description of what he found does not ring of "flying saucer" it rings of what we now know as Mogul. But it seems to me that Dr. Prothero did not do any homework into those who made the claims, and did not read Friedman himself, perhaps because he feels it's a waste of his time. He seems to have only consumed the "skeptical inquirer" conclusions and echoed the sentiments without looking deeper into it. Similarly, I'm not aware of the Betty & Barney Hill incident being debunked as a hoax. I am not a big fan of abduction stories in general, but a "hoax" implies it's a foregone conclusion. (Crop circles are a foregone conclusion - they are a hoax. But the Betty & Barney Hill incident? Did they admit to it being a hoax?) My point is that we need to be careful that a skeptic can be guilty of the exact same thing that a believer can be guilty of: to jump to a conclusion based on a predisposed belief. The burden of proof is on the one who makes the statement, absolutely. But if they are unable to prove it, you cannot CONCLUDE that it's false. It needs to remain inconclusive.

This person was clearly desperate to include a Ted talk into his resume, that he chose the easiest topic to ridicule. What an accomplishment sir!!! Bravo 👏🏼

We know that Sagan quote. We know about Occam’s razor. What arrogance. Same old story. Whatever scientist (in this case a geologist?!), using the same tired arguments to explain the Holy Gospel of Science to us idiots. Knows nothing about any serious cases, won’t even look at them. The thing is, even I who’s just a semi-learned UFO guy could easily destroy that man in an evidence based debate. The best critics of ufology are ufologists themselves... you know... like in any other field of research?

If hundrads of thousands beleive in a invisible man that lives up in the sky and looks down on us and knows everything we do, why is it so difficult to believe that there might be a flying saucer up there looking for him????

Experimental research means direct observational experimentation in real time, looking for cause and effect. Correlational research is inherently retrospective, and is therefore incapable of proving cause and effect. Since most people would have no idea what I just wrote, they can conflate the former with the latter, particularly if it makes them happy to do so.

After researching this subject for long time, I keep comeback to this guy to brainwash me so I have a brand new brain to start researching again.

Many a pilot, as well as astronauts, some with degrees in aerospace engineering and other relevant fields, have witnessed high performance craft doing things that seem physically impossible with the best of human technology. Dismiss them if you will, but many of us care about what they have to say.

Lieutenant D. A Swimley, USAF in 1953 following the sighting of 8 UFOs that were confirmed on radar and witnessed numerous other people including commercial pilots and police officers. “Headquarters wouldn’t let us go after it and we played around a little bit. We got to watching how it made 90 degree turns at this high speed and everything. We knew it wasn’t a missile of any type, so then we confirmed it with the radar control station, and they kept following it, and then it crashed somewhere off between Texas and the Mexico border.” Colonel Robert Willingham, USAF from an affidavit in the 1970’s when discussing a sighting of a UFO whilst he was navigating an F94 jet on September 6th 1950. “A saucer flew right over (us), put down three landing gears, and landed out on the dry lakebed. (The cameramen) went out there with their cameras toward the UFO…. I had chance to hold (the film) up to the window. Good close-up shots. There was no doubt in my mind that it was made someplace other than on this earth.” Colonel Gordon Cooper, Mercury and Gemini Astronaut describing an incident he witnessed during the 1960’s during a videotaped interview for the Disclosure Program. “The UFO was bouncing around the 747. (It) was a huge ball with lights running around it… Well, I’ve been involved in a lot of cover-ups with the FAA. When we gave the presentation to the Reagan staff, they had all those people swear that this never happened. But they never had me swear it never happened. I can tell you what I’ve seen with my own eyes. I’ve got a videotape. I’ve got the voice tape. I’ve got the reports that were filed that will confirm what I’ve been telling you.” John Callaghan, FAA Chief of Accidents and Investigations during a videotaped interview for the Disclosure program. “I have frequently been asked why a person of my background-a former Chief of the Defence Staff, a former Chairman of the NATO Military Committee-why I think there is a cover-up (of) the facts about UFOs. I believe governments fear that if they did disclose those facts, people would panic. I don’t believe that at all. There is a serious possibility that we are being visited by people from outer space. It behoves us to find out who they are, where they come from, and what they want.” Admiral Lord Hill-Norton, British Royal Navy, former Chief of Defence during a videotaped interview for the Disclosure program. The security guard called and said, “Sir, there’s a glowing red object hovering right outside the front gate. I’ve got all the men out here with their weapons drawn.” We lost between 16-18 ICBMs (nuclear tipped Inter Continental Ballistic Missiles) at the same time UFOs were in the area… (A high ranking Air Force officer) said, “Stop the investigation; do no more on this and do not write a final report. I heard that many of the guards that reported the incident were sent off to Vietnam.” Captain Robert Salas, USAF, during a videotaped interview for the Disclosure program. “It was the darndest thing I’ve ever seen. It was big, it was very bright, it changed colours, and it was about the size of the moon. We watched it for ten minutes, but none of us could figure out what it was. One thing’s for sure: I’ll never make fun of people who say they’ve seen unidentified flying objects in the sky.” Former President of the United States, Jimmy Carter following his sighting along with many others of a UFO at Leary, Georgia in October 1969. “The phenomenon of UFOs is real. I know that there are scientific organisations which study the problem.” Former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev on 26th April 1990. “This is the first sighting in Zimbabwe where airborne pilots have tried to intercept a UFO. As far as my Air Staff is concerned, we believe implicitly that the unexplained UFOs are from civilizations beyond our planet.” Air Commodore David Thorne, Director of General Operations for the Zimbabwe Air Force in 1985. “The Air Force has arrived at the conclusion that a certain number of anomalous phenomena has been produced in Belgian airspace. The numerous testimonies of ground observations….reinforced by the reports of the night March 30-31 (1990) have led us to face the hypothesis that a certain number of unauthorised aerial activities have taken place. The day will undoubtedly come when the phenomenon will be observed with the technological means of detection and collection that won’t leave a single doubt about its origin. This should lift a part of the veil that has covered the mystery for a long time; a mystery that continues to be present. But it exists, it is real, and that in itself is an important conclusion.” Colonel Wilfred De Brouwer, Chief of Operations for the Belgian Air Force in 1990 following a spate of sightings over the country witnessed by hundreds of people. Many of the sightings were confirmed on radar. “It is impossible for any man-made machine to make a sudden appearance in front of a jumbo jet that is flying 910 kilometers per hour and to remain in steady formation paralleling our aircraft. … Honestly, we were simply breathtaken.” Kenju Terauchi Japan Airlines pilot in 1986. Before we could do anymore, the army, after conferring with (US) officials, ordered the investigation stopped.” Dr Paul Santorini regarding UFOs seen over Greece in 1946. “Maximum security exists concerning the subject of UFOs.” CIA Director, Allen Dulles, 1955. “I have discussed this matter with the effected agencies of the government, and they are of the opinion that is it not wise to publicize this matter at this time.” Senator Richard Russell, head of the Armed Services Committee, following his sighting of a UFO during an official trip to the Soviet Union in 1955. “Reliable reports indicate there are objects coming into our atmosphere at very high speeds and controlled by thinking intelligences.” Navy Admiral Delmar Fahrney in a public statement during 1957. “Congressional investigations…are still being held on the problem of unidentified flying objects and the problem is one in which there is quite a bit of interest… Since most of the material presented to the committee is classified, the hearings are never printed.” Congressman William H Ayres 1958.” Given that this subject is a true to life observed event and isn’t really a scientific occurrence as the phenomena cannot be observed under a controlled setting, it makes you wonder why these testimonial disclosures have been ignored for so long with the broad brush assumption that everyone of these people are lying, crazy or making up false tales. 2004 Mexican gun camera footage of 12 ufos observed by several jet fighters 1981 May 18 cosmonaut Georgy Beregovy and 1 more cosmonaut records on video 10m saucer with 8 windows outside Salyut 6 space station and 3 aliens inside the station over 4 days. All is kept top secret. Scepticism regarding this phenomena is the politically correct term for what is really "WILFULL IGNORANCE"

The aliens just want our junk food and chocolate. No chocolate can be made in outer space.

LOL. "As far as he is concerned" 14:30. His father never heard of USAPs, evidently. 😝

I can't argue anything he just stated. So...why do other scientists build giant telescopes to look for life in distant parts of the universe with no evidence that they exist ?

but the Roswell incident happened in 47, so how do you explain the "grey alien" theory with media from the 50's and 60's?

Key message, media can spin anything a certain way to influence the public.