Ufology, the study of UFOs, cannot be considered a legitimate science according to Occam's razor. The core belief of ufology - that UFOs are piloted by extraterrestrials - makes numerous unfounded assumptions. Occam's razor dictates that the simplest explanations are preferable, and UFO sightings can be explained by natural or human phenomena like meteors or classified aircraft. However, ufologists dismiss these reasonable explanations in favor of more complex theories involving aliens. By prioritizing improbable notions over finding the true explanation, ufology operates as a pseudoscience rather than a legitimate field of scientific inquiry.

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UFOs – Unidentified Flying Objects
Ufology – is a neologism coined to describe the collective
efforts of those who study reports and associated evidence of
unidentified flying objects (UFOs).
Ufologist – A ufo investigator is called a ufologist
Ufo Sightings- Some eye witnesses to the UFOs
Roswell Incident- called the Roswell UFO crash
1947
UFO Conspiracy – Worldwide UFO cover Ups and
related theories
Alien- An extra-terrestrial being is called an alien

2. UFO: Ufology, as Falsified by Occam
Curtis Belmonte
Massachusetts Academy of Mathematics and Science
In the philosophy of science, Occam’s razor refers to a philosophical principle stating that
when searching for an explanation, a scientist should be thinking as simply as possible. Being
designated as a razor, its foremost purpose is shaving away unnecessarily and overly complicated
scientific theories. According to Occam’s razor, rather than forming radical hypotheses and
making complex suppositions about a given topic, investigators should draw the simplest
inferences and make the fewest assumptions possible. As an example, if an individual were to
find a letter in a trashcan, he could assume the complex and remote possibility that the trashcan
may have spontaneously come into existence around the letter. Occam’s razor, however, insists
that such an unlikely notion be disregarded in favor of the much simpler possibility that another
person had simply thrown the letter away. It is this general rule that guides all serious scientists
in their pursuit for answers and understanding.
UFO researchers define ufology as the study of unidentified airborne crafts and the
implications these unexplained objects may hold for the existence of extraterrestrial life
(“Ufology,” 2010). Among the dogmas of this purported science are that alien life forms have
likely engineered these spacecrafts and use them to visit Earth, that world governments conspire
to cover up such visitations, and that the field as a whole deserves further scientific study
(“Ufology,” 2010). A major promulgator of the tenets of ufology is Dr. Steven M. Greer. A
physician and self-proclaimed UFO authority, Greer is a frequent speaker at ufology
conferences. He is also known for founding the Center for the Study of Extraterrestrial
Intelligence and has authored several publications on the topic of UFOs and their supposed
implications (“Steven M. Greer,” 2010). Although he is a licensed physician, he is largely
scorned by the greater scientific community and is frequently paranoid to the point of accusing
the U.S. government and Air Force, which discredit his claims, of a large-scale conspiracy to
hide evidence of alien visits to Earth (“Steven M. Greer,” 2010). All of these signs point to
Greer’s isolation from main-stream scientific research, designating him as a hermit scientist
(Gardner, 1952).
Upon examining its principal tenets in light of Occam’s razor, an individual can clearly
see just how little weight ufology holds as a legitimate science. First and foremost, the field is
largely built around the belief that UFOs are built and piloted by extraterrestrial beings. This
dubious notion is already predicated on a number of wild assumptions: that alien life forms exist
within a traversable distance of Earth, that they possess advanced technology which allows them
to construct their mysterious spacecrafts, that they know of the existence of life on this planet,
and that they have reason to visit it in the first place. The razor, were it applied to this so-called
science, would have all of these unnecessary postulations trimmed away and replaced by much
simpler and naturally explainable theories. Skeptics and the government both behave in such a
fashion upon refuting UFO enthusiasts’ claims in favor of simpler explanations (“UFO FAQ,”
2007). However, instead of accepting these less radical alternatives, ufologists merely raise
further dubious claims and accusations of conspiracy, thus complicating the issue and irreparably
damaging the validity of the field.

3. Adhering to Occam’s razor, a truly scientific mind can find far simpler explanations for
the phenomenon of unidentifiable airborne objects. Firstly, it is quite possible that many of the
UFO sightings which are reported come from unreliable sources. The individuals that cite a
personal encounter with such crafts or even with extraterrestrials themselves may not be
mentally sound, they may spread false information for the sake of publicity, or they may even
have a psychological desire to believe which causes them to manufacture false memories about
these experiences (“UFO FAQ,” 2007). Additionally, these unidentified airborne objects may be
the result of a simply explainable natural or manmade occurrence. Countless UFO reports could
be explained away by an errant meteor; an orbital satellite; or an experimental and highly
classified, but decidedly human, aircraft (“Hynek’s Classification System,” 2007). Each of the
above, witnessed by a layperson with little knowledge of what he or she is seeing, could easily
be mistaken for some unearthly phenomenon. The latter possibility could even explain why the
government may be unwilling to release information regarding such investigations, lest its top-
secret projects become public knowledge.
Many ufologists dismiss such comparatively reasonable explanations and instead
continue to profess the theory that extraterrestrial beings are behind the existence of UFOs. This
continued insistence on the improbable is a direct affront to the principle of Occam’s razor. In
light of its disregard of this essential scientific tenet, the field cannot be considered a legitimate
science by any means. When a supposed scientific field clings to an unlikely notion, it can be
considered no more than a pseudoscience, one that contributes little to furthering scientific
knowledge and understanding. It is the desire of its followers and supporters to find evidence for
the improbable rather than to find a true explanation, whatever it may be, that fuels much UFO
research. Hence, ufology is clearly no more than a misguided and tenuous field of
pseudoscience, far removed from the legitimate scientific community.
Literature Cited
Gardener, M. (1952). Fads and fallacies in the name of science. New York: Dover Publications.
Hynek’s classification system. (2007) Retrieved September 22, 2010, from
http://www.cufos.org/HynekClass.html
Steven M. Greer. In Wikipedia. Retrieved September 22, 2010 from Wikipedia, The Free
Encyclopedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steven_M._Greer
UFO FAQ. (2007). Retrieved September 22, 2010, from http://www.cufos.org/FAQ_English_
P2.html#cyber
Ufology. (2010). In Wikipedia. Retrieved September 22, 2010 from Wikipedia, The Free
Encyclopedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ufology