Are We Making Progress?

  By: Bill Hamilton

It is tempting to look back on 1998 and reflect on the progress we have made in the field of Ufology. You may be wondering "What progress?" Have we not seen a year of further hoaxes, controversy, disagreement, and disillusionment among researchers. Indeed, we have. In a way that is not readily apparent, these are signs of progress.

Recently, Michael Lindemann of CNI News wrote to me (and other researchers) to ask us, in our view, what the goal(s) of ufo-related research are at this time and whether we have made any progress toward realizing those goals during the past 10 years. He also asked what must be done in order to fully realize these goals and when I would anticipate this happening.

There have been many discoveries in Astronomy during 1998 and many of these tend to bolster the idea that we are not alone in the universe. At this time 17 extra-solar planets have been discovered. Astronomers have been finding evidence of Jupiter-sized worlds in highly elliptical orbits around other stars. Recently an Australian-New Zealand team announced the discovery of an earth-like planet around a star close to the center of our Milky Way galaxy. We are not yet convinced that UFOs come from some of these other earth-like planets, but there still remains a strong possibility that some UFOs are spacecraft from extra-solar planets and that is a very exciting prospect. If the same scientific processes and dedication applied in the field of Astronomy were applied to the field of Ufology, we would probably accelerate progress toward our goals. We must remember that in Astronomy there are also controversies and disagreements.

So, what are our present goals in Ufology? Could we now prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, the existence of unexplained, unconventional and unidentified flying craft in our atmosphere? I think so. The evidence over the last ten years has been strengthened.

The sightings continue and even get better. More than ever witnesses are reporting their sightings and encounters. We have a mission in Skywatch that involves gathering the evidence. Our goals should still include gathering evidence, especially physical and photographic evidence. This should also be extended to an analysis and evaluation of that evidence and use of the scientific method to achieve that. Our mission also includes educating the public and publishing our findings. We have also included the revealing of any evidence already gathered by official sources and hidden by secrecy that would further enlighten us on the nature and origin of UFOs.

Recently we have initiated Project Contact International to encourage attempts at signaling or contacting UFOs in order to further our goals.  Our real goal in Ufology should be to discover the actual nature and origin of UFOs. If some UFOs are alien spaceships from some other solar system, then we should lay out a plan to support this hypothesis. If some UFOs come from some other dimension of the universe, then likewise we should gather the evidence. If some UFOs are advanced terrestrial aircraft or antigravity craft, then we should gather that evidence as well.

But, how do we benefit by doing all this besides satisfying insatiable human curiosity? I think the real benefits come when we learn something new, something we can apply with our own skills to advance human progress. I also think we will make progress as our view of the universe evolves and eventually includes other thinking intelligent beings.

Actually our entire endeavor can be viewed as an adventure, an adventure that is taking us closer to the exploration of new worlds and new forms of life.

Post a message on the  Skywatch "Discussion  List" Regarding this  article topic.