Skeptical Analysis on UFOs, Alien Abduction & Ancient Astronauts

UFOs, Alien Abduction & Ancient Astronauts

WATCH

National Geographic: Is It Real?

• “UFOs,” Season 1, Episode 2

Penn & Teller: Bullshit!

• “Alien Abduction,” Season 1, Episode 3

Ancient Aliens Debunked

READ

From The Skeptic’s :

• UFOs
• Alien Abduction
• Ancient Astronauts
• Roswell
• Crop Circle

From the course website:

• How We Staged the Morristown UFO Hoax
• The Idiocy, Fabrications and Lies of Ancient Aliens

How to Think About Weird Things: Critical Thinking for a New Age

• Chapter 7: “Case Studies in the Extraordinary” UFO Abductions, Ancient Aliens, Stephenville Lights, The Roswell Incident (234-248)

WRITE

Put on your skeptics hat, write at least one 4-5 sentence paragraph in response to each prompt and upload to the appropriate folder on turnitin.com:

UFOs: A Skeptical Analysis

1. UFO enthusiasts offer “proof” that Earth is being visited by extraterrestrial alien beings in interstellar spacecraft. Briefly discuss the terrestrial, down-to-earth explanations for the following “evidence.”

1. Eyewitness sightings, photographs or videos of UFOs, such as the 2004 infrared video footage taken by the Mexican Air Force of a group of UFOs over the Gulf of Mexico.

1. Physical evidence of UFOs, such as crash debris found near Roswell, New Mexico in 1947 and rings in grass claimed to be UFO landing sites.

2. Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. Offer at least one example of compelling evidence you would demand in order to take seriously the claim Earth is being visited by extraterrestrial alien beings in interstellar spacecraft? Explain how your example(s) would be considered strong evidence of visitation by extraterrestrials.