The U.S. military takes UFOs seriously. Why doesn't Silicon Valley or academia?

I think it's unlikely that we are being 'visited', only because of the inconceivable distances involved, that's all I would say.

I've wrestled with this one, and I have to admit I find this awfully flimsy ground to try and stand upon.

We would have said the same thing about visiting Mars a few hundred years ago.  I'm one of those who believes (yes, just a gut sense; no real evidence  ) that if the human race manages to not extinguish itself we will develop tech that will allow us to visit the far reaches of the universe.

I don't put anything past us in terms of imagination and innovation.  We've proven to be quite remarkable at both.

prejudice
[ˈprɛdʒʊdɪs]

NOUN

1. preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience.
   

Steve, it’s not prejudice when I’ve learned something through ‘actual experience’. However, I did as you suggested. Turns out I ought to have trusted my intuition/intellect. There’s also a big clue in the title of his site...Metabunk. 

Pathetic. I am not surprised by your response to this vid. He presents a reasonable approach and even that does not meet with acceptance. So, is the only acceptable response is one that says all ufos are aliens?  I must say your response puts you in the same category as you put skeptics in, one where no matter what you say or any believer can be dismissed with prejudice

I thought plane lights weren't utilised at great heights ?

Most of the airlines I flew for were consistent, the steady nav lights stayed on throughout, day and night, the strobe lights too. There are other lights, like Landing or Taxi lights, Anti-ice lights and more. They are off for most of the flight above 10000feet. I have read that some pilots used to leave the landing light on when flying through darkest Africa at night. Probably had a scare! 

I agree with Mick West that the vast majority of ‘sightings’ can be explained away, contrails and aeroplanes themself are easily misidentified. I think he’s working with low lying fruit. I’m more interested in cases that are harder to explain away, like the Ariel School in Zimbabwe. That is my favourite. No doubt he’d explain that one away too, everything can be low flying fruit, depending on people’s worldview.

I've wrestled with this one, and I have to admit I find this awfully flimsy ground to try and stand upon.

We would have said the same thing about visiting Mars a few hundred years ago.  I'm one of those who believes (yes, just a gut sense; no real evidence  ) that if the human race manages to not extinguish itself we will develop tech that will allow us to visit the far reaches of the universe.

I don't put anything past us in terms of imagination and innovation.  We've proven to be quite remarkable at both.

You may be right but remember the kind of distances we are talking about here. The nearest star (after our sun) is 4.5 light years way. Going to Mars is completely irrelevant by comparison. 
 
It would take more than four years travelling at 186000 miles a second (if I have that right ?)

which is...just give me a sec to work it out in my head.... 23808000000000 miles ....a very long way. And even when you get there, you are actually only nowhere, relatively.   

That must be some spacecraft they have. Don't think Richard Branson will be rolling one out too soon. 

Steve, it’s not prejudice when I’ve learned something through ‘actual experience’. However, I did as you suggested. Turns out I ought to have trusted my intuition/intellect. There’s also a big clue in the title of his site...Metabunk. 

Your answer was far more polite than mine would've been. If there was ever a case of the pot calling the kettle black lol...

Pathetic. I am not surprised by your response to this vid. He presents a reasonable approach and even that does not meet with acceptance. So, is the only acceptable response is one that says all ufos are aliens?  I must say your response puts you in the same category as you put skeptics in, one where no matter what you say or any believer can be dismissed with prejudice

Speaking of "pathetic", did you ever come up with an explanation for why the neuroscientist Raymond Tallis is a "damned fool"...or is it still just because he is against your Physicalist Evangelical faith? 

Or that time where you were against "field effects" because you thought they were part of Psi rather than Physics?

Or the time you kept spamming that one PBS video on consciousness and QM, even when what was said in the video agreed with the OP you were arguing against...

Or the time like a weasel you went behind Maaneli's back and called him a "woo-monger" on the JREF forums like a "pathetic" gossiping teenager, only to have even the physicists there laugh you off as a joke.

You may be right but remember the kind of distances we are talking about here. The nearest star (after our sun) is 4.5 light years way. Going to Mars is completely irrelevant by comparison. 
 
It would take more than four years travelling at 186000 miles a second (if I have that right ?)

which is...just give me a sec to work it out in my head.... 23808000000000 miles ....a very long way. And even when you get there, you are actually only nowhere, relatively.   

That must be some spacecraft they have. Don't think Richard Branson will be rolling one out too soon. 

I remember reading somewhere that it’s all about ESP, I think we should look there for a clue. It’s a fascinating topic, encompassing many areas. 

I think we maybe ought to ask Jurgen Ziewe or Tom Campbell if long distance space travel is possible. In fact I will do that, I’ll ask Jurgen if he’s been to any planet or star. Of course he’d be lying if he had, that’s just so much more likely than him telling the truth. 

I remember reading somewhere that it’s all about ESP, I think we should look there for a clue. It’s a fascinating topic, encompassing many areas. 

I think we maybe ought to ask Jurgen Ziewe or Tom Campbell if long distance space travel is possible. In fact I will do that, I’ll ask Jurgen if he’s been to any planet or star. Of course he’d be lying if he had, that’s just so much more likely than him telling the truth. 

I think our understanding of time & space is so naive at this current point that it is hard to rule out space travel...but I think Tim is right that it seems quite difficult with what we currently know. (Though there is that warp drive stuff that's recently come out.)

Plus all the other weird stuff with UFOs...

I think our understanding of time & space is so naive at this current point that it is hard to rule out space travel...but I think Tim is right that it seems quite difficult with what we currently know. (Though there is that warp drive stuff that's recently come out.)

Plus all the other weird stuff with UFOs...

I’ve written to Jurgen, let’s see what he says.  

It’s one of my favourite topics. 

I remember reading somewhere that it’s all about ESP, I think we should look there for a clue. It’s a fascinating topic, encompassing many areas. 

I think we maybe ought to ask Jurgen Ziewe or Tom Campbell if long distance space travel is possible. In fact I will do that, I’ll ask Jurgen if he’s been to any planet or star. Of course he’d be lying if he had, that’s just so much more likely than him telling the truth. 

What I have to say about this is only what I've come across (as reported) from various occurrences/sources. None of it has any science behind it.  

One of the two trapped miners (Shepton Mine disaster) reported that he travelled across the universe (infinite number of universes he said) with ease (instantly) out of his body. He saw many other life forms, most of them more advanced than us some quite similar in appearance, some very different. (Star wars ?) 

I'm making the assumption that he was telling the truth and what he said is correct, although such an assumption is just that. worthless really. 

So, assuming all that, the human psyche (soul) would seem to be something beyond the laws of physics, certainly not in the electromagnetic spectrum, as he didn't take years to get there even if he could have travelled at the speed of light (which is again only theoretical). It's something else, some kind of 'stuff' we can't even approach.  

Having said that, I realise I'm going off the topic of the thread here, so I'll stop there.