Over the years, many people have claimed to see unidentified flying objects (UFOs) in locations around the world, but what they actually are remains a mystery. Investigators examine witness accounts and any photographic or physical evidence to try to determine if sightings are real objects that cannot be explained or hoaxes, but many cases still have no conclusive answer. While UFOs were often assumed to be visitors from outer space, investigators now seek simpler explanations like misidentified normal objects before jumping to extraordinary conclusions. Continued searches and studies aim to solve the question of whether UFOs truly exist, but their reality remains unproven despite decades of interest in their nature and origin.

1. Taylor Kaine
Over the years, people claimed to have seen UFOs in their backyard, up in the mountains
and even on the moon. But what are these mysterious objects? This is the question that
investigators have been trying to solve for a long time. There have been sightings proven false and
others that still remain a mystery. The popular term UFO, has been causing controversy all over the
world and as a result, this topic could very well turn from science fiction to science fact.
When a person thinks about UFOs they usually associate it with outer space and aliens, but
this connection has a history. During the 1940’s and the 1950’s the atmosphere was feverish and it
seemed as though people were always sighting UFOs, but with the technology of the time this
concept seemed nearly impossible. Because UFOs appeared to do things that could not be done on
Earth, investigators and witnesses assumed that these unidentified flying objects must come from
another world. Now, anytime the term UFO comes up in a conversation, people immediately think
of outer space.
After a person claims to have seen a UFO, the next step is for an investigator to figure out
whether it is real or fake. For years, pictures and physical evidence have been sent to investigators
and their job is to process the information and determine whether or not the sighting is a hoax; this
process involves three distinct steps. First, they must examine the witnesses. Do all of the witnesses
agree on the details? If there is only one witness, then they must research their history and make
sure they have no reason for making up the sighting? In the past, many photos have been tampered
with and because of this, the investigators next step is to check photographic evidence. In a photo
analysis, they have to verify that the UFO is not different object, a more normal object, and that it’s
not just being viewed from an odd angle or distance. The last and final step in the determination
process, is physical evidence. Is there any physical evidence for there being a UFO? Investigators
will inspect the ground for any effects on the landing site and examine people’s bodies for any
unexplainable marks that may have been caused by the landing of the UFO.
When UFOs were a popular topic, many people used alleged photos to make money or get
their name in a magazine but others changed the way we look at UFOs. Kenneth Arnold was one
man who definitely altered the way we look at a UFO’s appearance. Arnold was a former football
star who, at age 32, decided he wanted to devote his life to proving the existence of these
mysterious objects. He came up with the term “flying saucer” when he sited a UFO and described
the way it flew as a saucer. The expression stuck and changed from an appearance phrase to a term
that explained its shape. On June 24th, 1947, Arnold claimed to have had nine UFO sightings. It
turned out – after much investigation – that those nine flying saucers were actually White Pelicans.
Arnold never admitted to the public that they were birds simply because he believed that birds
could not fly that fast. Another important man in the history of UFOs, is William of Occam. William
was an English philosopher who came up with the “Occam’s Razor” theory. This rule states that the
simplest answer is most likely to be true. For example, if someone who lives by an airport says they
saw a UFO, then the simplest answer would be that it they have actually observed an airplane.
Although UFOs are a fascinating concept to ponder, I do not believe that they actually exist.
I do believe that it is possible for there to be life on other planets but this idea of having mysterious
objects flying around the sky, is unrealistic. With today’s advanced technology, people have all the
power in the world to modify images, therefore, any picture of a UFO has to be deeply examined.
Another reason that I doubt the existence of UFOs is that ¾ of the time investigators find an
alternate reason for there being a “bright object” in the sky. Like the pelicans, many objects can

2. cause people to get excited about a UFO, when most of the time the object is something less
extraordinary and more normal.
For decades, UFO investigation has been causing controversy all over the world. Do they, or
do they not exist? This question still remains unanswered but investigators are dedicating their lives
to finding out whether these strange objects are real. While people continue to search for the
answer, one good thing has come out of it all. Because of the conspiracy, we get to enjoy many
movies, such as Race to Witch Mountain and Monsters vs. Aliens, which both involve UFOs and
aliens. The popular term UFO, has been a questionable topic for a long time but it is almost at the
point of changing from science fiction to science fact.
Works Cited:
Mason, Paul. Investigating UFOs (Forensic Files). Chicago: Heinemann Library, 2004. Print. (Secondary
Source – book)