No Evidence Of UFOs But Better Data Needed: NASA Panel

If they're out there, there's "absolutely no convincing evidence" that we've seen them, but that doesn't mean the search for "unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP)" formerly known as UFOs should stop, according to a NASA committee struck last year. "In fact, if I were to summarize in one line what I feel we've learned is we need high-quality data," said panel chairman David Spergel, a renowned cosmologist.

The panel was formed after widely publicized gun camera video of strange objects encountered by military air crews went viral. The 16-member panel then went through about 800 reports of unexplained phenomena but there wasn't enough information in them to say what they are or if they ever actually existed. The panel did note that up to 5 percent of the sightings have never been explained. Most of the others were the result of innocuous encounters with common objects such as balloons or microwave ovens.

Part of the reason the data is muddy is the stigma associated with claiming to have seen a UAP/UFO. Panelists got a taste of that when they got nasty messages and even threats from people who either passionately believe in the existence of otherworldly beings or who scoff at the notion and complained about the investigation being a waste of time and money. Nicola Fox, director of NASA's space science directorate, said abuse of the noted scientists, aviation and space experts who agreed to give the existing evidence a hard look is disturbing and hampers the process. "Harassment only leads to further stigmatization of the UAP field, significantly hindering the scientific progress and discouraging others to study this important subject matter. [The] harassment also obstructs the public's right to knowledge," she said.