Buntingford area "UFO" this morning
Discussion
RegMolehusband said:
jmorgan said:
No one is writing off inteleligent life here I think. And who says life past our ability is a given point?
This is something I have a problem with, our lack of humility. We humans, as we loftily call ourselves to differentiate us from the other animals, come stumbling precariously into existence in the last few seconds of our planets analogous 24 hour clock then enjoy a few milliseconds of scientific discovery and now some regard us to be the pinnacle of intelligent life - in the whole universe.Our knowledge of the universe is sketchy and we know nothing about the ability of life to develop in other solar systems, take a hold, flourish and go on to enjoy thousands if not millions of years of scientific discovery. We are possibly like ants going about their important daily business totally unknowing of the planet Earth and the complexity of nature, life and science surrounding them.
Edited by RegMolehusband on Saturday 6th August 09:34
Wild and idle speculation is fine but if people are to conduct proper research into life and its possibility elsewhere, we have to do so using the knowledge we curently possess. Of course, over time, outr knowledge base expands and it allows us to recongnise things we may not have recognised before - and to understand other possibilities that may not have been perceived with a less extensive knowledge base.
8vFTW said:
Flintstone said:
8vFTW said:
I'm skeptical about this kind of thing, but as another PHer pointed out, there has been numerous accounts by credible characters, pilots for example.
How many pilots do you know?
8vFTW said:
We know so little about space, there are allegedly over 10 billion other planets out there, somewhere. To write off the possibility of intelligent life out there somewhere is foolish IMO. How can we possibly be alone in the universe? This kind of thing genuinely fascinates me, so please if you do have something useful or loosely based around fact then please do feel free to share it.
I never wrote off the possibility of life elsewhere, I think the odds are in favour of there being some. My comment "How many pilots do you know" was fairly explicit so I'm unsure as to how your train of thought or logic led you to this assumption. Not a pilot are you?
8vFTW said:
I fail to see how anyone could not be curious about such a subject when you consider how little we know.
Oh I'm interested alright, shame there's no proof (decades of dodgy documentaries don't count). Until I see proof it goes in the same basket as religion.Flintstone said:
8vFTW said:
Flintstone said:
8vFTW said:
I'm skeptical about this kind of thing, but as another PHer pointed out, there has been numerous accounts by credible characters, pilots for example.
How many pilots do you know?
8vFTW said:
We know so little about space, there are allegedly over 10 billion other planets out there, somewhere. To write off the possibility of intelligent life out there somewhere is foolish IMO. How can we possibly be alone in the universe? This kind of thing genuinely fascinates me, so please if you do have something useful or loosely based around fact then please do feel free to share it.
I never wrote off the possibility of life elsewhere, I think the odds are in favour of there being some. My comment "How many pilots do you know" was fairly explicit so I'm unsure as to how your train of thought or logic led you to this assumption. Not a pilot are you?
8vFTW said:
I fail to see how anyone could not be curious about such a subject when you consider how little we know.
Oh I'm interested alright, shame there's no proof (decades of dodgy documentaries don't count). Until I see proof it goes in the same basket as religion.I never bothered asking you because as soon as I read your comment, I took it you at least knew a pilot or perhaps are one. Oh, and the rest of my comments were not directed specifically at you, hence why I said general population. I was just sharing my thoughts on the subject.
Intelligence and common sense aren't always in each others company.
Well let's see. Military or ex-military are generally more subjective. Big commercial airlines? Never worked for one and I'm sure most are sane but I've met one or two who had a twitch Ask eharding and some of the other guys with the big watches, they'll know.
I fly bizjets. Reasonable sized aircraft but the same licence required as airline crew which means that if I can do it, most people can. Because ours is a less regimented world (although I'd argue my company is just as safe as the likes of easyJet, Ryanair and even BA due to lack of commercial pressure) it does attract the 'free-thinkers' my favourite being a colleague who drew regular complaints from hotels where he insisted on feng shui-ing every room he stayed in
Then there was the Austrian captain apprehended by security at Le Bourget (Paris) while cycling along a taxiway on a fold-up bicycle he'd whipped out of the nose locker of his aircraft. He wanted to "Go and look at ze wabbits". Can you see now why I laughed?
Actually, coming back to the ex-military there's something disconcerting about flying with latino ex-air force pilots who refer to every flight as a "mission" and 'no' not being an option. One or two americans had the same Ray-Ban tinted view too so I suppose to answer your question yes, background and nationality make a difference (in my experience).
Well let's see. Military or ex-military are generally more subjective. Big commercial airlines? Never worked for one and I'm sure most are sane but I've met one or two who had a twitch
Ask eharding and some of the other guys with the big watches, they'll know.I fly bizjets. Reasonable sized aircraft but the same licence required as airline crew which means that if I can do it, most people can. Because ours is a less regimented world (although I'd argue my company is just as safe as the likes of easyJet, Ryanair and even BA due to lack of commercial pressure) it does attract the 'free-thinkers' my favourite being a colleague who drew regular complaints from hotels where he insisted on feng shui-ing every room he stayed in
Then there was the Austrian captain apprehended by security at Le Bourget (Paris) while cycling along a taxiway on a fold-up bicycle he'd whipped out of the nose locker of his aircraft. He wanted to "Go and look at ze wabbits". Can you see now why I laughed? Actually, coming back to the ex-military there's something disconcerting about flying with latino ex-air force pilots who refer to every flight as a "mission" and 'no' not being an option. One or two americans had the same Ray-Ban tinted view too so I suppose to answer your question yes, background and nationality make a difference (in my experience).
Edited by Flintstone on Saturday 6th August 18:09
RegMolehusband said:
jmorgan said:
No one is writing off inteleligent life here I think. And who says life past our ability is a given point?
This is something I have a problem with, our lack of humility. We humans, as we loftily call ourselves to differentiate us from the other animals, come stumbling precariously into existence in the last few seconds of our planets analogous 24 hour clock then enjoy a few milliseconds of scientific discovery and now some regard us to be the pinnacle of intelligent life - in the whole universe.Our knowledge of the universe is sketchy and we know nothing about the ability of life to develop in other solar systems, take a hold, flourish and go on to enjoy thousands if not millions of years of scientific discovery. We are possibly like ants going about their important daily business totally unknowing of the planet Earth and the complexity of nature, life and science surrounding them.
Edited by RegMolehusband on Saturday 6th August 09:34
Part of the problem here is we have one example and we have had a rocky start and in many cases nearly did not make it. We were a puddle of ooze for a few billion years. Are we the norm then? Our trip through the death of stars to get to a point where our molecular cloud formed was long. Is that the norm for life to have these?
Until the evidence is presented, it is speculation. I think there is life out there, maybe even intelligent (probably). My personal preference is non intelligent more than intelligent. Look at the evolutionary rut dinosaurs were in, they had to be wiped out for us to leap to the fore. It is a riddle we may solve next year, or ten or never. There is also a possibility we are alone but I think that rates down the bottom of the list of possibilities.
It will be interesting when we find the first planet we can say there is life as we know it by examining the spectra (that would be real evidence), I also worry that that day will kick off all the UFO believers into a feeding frenzy of I told you so.
jmorgan said:
I see the holding of certain occupations such as pilots and astronaut and generals etc as a method of the believers to lay credence to their desires pure and simple. The evidence is ignored, it is side tracked and bent and twisted.
You wash your mouth out young man. According to the mums around the school gate a few years ago I, and my wife, know everything about everything "...because your husband's a pilot" 
Flintstone said:
stuff about being a pilot
That's nuts. Like the part about the pilots referring to a routine flight as a "mission". I thought it was difficult, maybe I should sign up then I'll be rolling in cash, wearing tailored suits with a row of bEdited by Flintstone on Saturday 6th August 18:09
hes on each arm.Oh wait, being a pilot isn't as glamorous these days is it.
8vFTW said:
Flintstone said:
stuff about being a pilot
That's nuts. Like the part about the pilots referring to a routine flight as a "mission". I thought it was difficult, maybe I should sign up then I'll be rolling in cash, wearing tailored suits with a row of bEdited by Flintstone on Saturday 6th August 18:09
hes on each arm.Oh wait, being a pilot isn't as glamorous these days is it.
Flintstone said:
Actually, coming back to the ex-military there's something disconcerting about flying with latino ex-air force pilots who refer to every flight as a "mission" and 'no' not being an option. One or two americans had the same Ray-Ban tinted view too so I suppose to answer your question yes, background and nationality make a difference (in my experience).
Have you had any experience of Saudi pilots? Not that I can comment having caused a similar 'incident' some years ago. 
Daisy Duke said:
Flintstone said:
Actually, coming back to the ex-military there's something disconcerting about flying with latino ex-air force pilots who refer to every flight as a "mission" and 'no' not being an option. One or two americans had the same Ray-Ban tinted view too so I suppose to answer your question yes, background and nationality make a difference (in my experience).
Have you had any experience of Saudi pilots? Not that I can comment having caused a similar 'incident' some years ago. els bells got me convinced.....
There are many assumption made off that video it would seem among them speed and direction etc. I would like to see the original. The compressed mpeg clouds many things and one of them is speed (though this one would appear not to be). There is no way to determine size. That shoves all assumptions into the suspect box and introduces a few more, made up and foreign object in cabin/camera/plane canopy etc. Position of object between lens and clouds, and so on.
Is that the back seat of a russian mig?
The bloke in the video is a bit over dramatic.
There are many assumption made off that video it would seem among them speed and direction etc. I would like to see the original. The compressed mpeg clouds many things and one of them is speed (though this one would appear not to be). There is no way to determine size. That shoves all assumptions into the suspect box and introduces a few more, made up and foreign object in cabin/camera/plane canopy etc. Position of object between lens and clouds, and so on.
Is that the back seat of a russian mig?
The bloke in the video is a bit over dramatic.
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