https://padlet.com/bitto_tomy_c/assignment_2 Made by Bitto and Steve en-us 2019-11-10 15:59:51 UTC 2019-11-26 02:50:19 UTC hello@padlet.com bitto_tomy_c https://padlet.com/bitto_tomy_c/assignment_2/wish/409171661 Made by Bitto Tomy and Steven Chen]]> 2019-11-10 16:02:23 UTC https://padlet.com/bitto_tomy_c/assignment_2/wish/409171661 bitto_tomy_c https://padlet.com/bitto_tomy_c/assignment_2/wish/409172129 Description:
This article shows different theories as to why aliens haven't contacted us or why they haven't responded to our messages. The main hypothesis given by METI (Messaging for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence) scientists is the "zoo hypothesis", a theory that suggests that aliens are looking down on us, similar to how we look at zoo animals. Another theory the article states is the "quarantine theory", regarding to which aliens are keeping us in quarantine because they don't want us to know about them as it can be culturally disruptive.

Connection:
I find the red flag is appeal to authority, because in this article the writer uses the support of scientists to say that alien life exists and why they are not contacting us. Everything given in the website is based on hypothesis and assumption. There is no scientific proof or evidence to backup this theory and hypothesis. The pseudoscience watch-list that is associated with this article is results can't be reproduced or verified, because everything in this website is just theories without any experimental or evidence confirmation supporting them.]]> 2019-11-10 16:05:49 UTC https://padlet.com/bitto_tomy_c/assignment_2/wish/409172129 bitto_tomy_c https://padlet.com/bitto_tomy_c/assignment_2/wish/409172204 Description:
This website shows when we will be able to discover alien life according to the Drake's equation, developed by an astrophysicist named Drake. This equation helps to find the number of active extraterrestrial life beings in the universe and with this data, the website shows us how many years it will take us to meet alien life forms.

Connection:
The red flag associated with this website is proof by verbosity, because a lot of information that is given in this website shows that alien life exists and we will find it in 2040, even when Drake's equation is just a hypothesis. The equation has a lot of potential, but the variable taken to do the equation is based on assumptions and not on any strong variable making the equation a hypothesis.The reason for belief is unexplained, because "Does alien life really exist?" is an unanswered question, this website tries to prove that it exists. The pseudoscience watch-list associated with this article is results can't be verified, because the result or equation won't give any accurate information and all the details given in the website are based on assumptions. Applying critical thinking and skepticism, we can find that the Drake's equation and details given in the website are being used by scientist in the search of alien life forms, but they are trying to correct it, to make a more  accurate model. In a way, the website is good to understand the basic facts of Drake's equation and how it's helping in proving alien life existence, but right now it's still just an assumption.

]]> 2019-11-10 16:06:19 UTC https://padlet.com/bitto_tomy_c/assignment_2/wish/409172204 bitto_tomy_c https://padlet.com/bitto_tomy_c/assignment_2/wish/409172229 Description:
This is a website dedicated to report alien sightings, training others for alien hunting and giving information related to alien sightings. The website states that they believe in the existence of alien and provide researched information too.

Connection:
The red flag associated with this website is proof by verbosity, because the website provided  information about the existence of alien life and presented many details from different UFO sightings from around the world, but without any evidence. There are 2 other red flags; appeal to authority, because in many of their findings and theories that support the existence of alien life, they use people like the US navy. Their homepage itself shows an article in which the navy confirms the existence of UFOs and confirmation bias, because  in this website, they are only looking at one side of the coin which is the existence of alien life, they are not trying to give or look on the other side that is the non-existence of alien life.
The reason for belief in this website is patternicity and unexplained, because all the sightings given in the website is related to people seeing a strange shape in the sky and thinking that it is alike to a UFO. The website is focused and determined to prove the existence of alien life which is a goal derived from an unanswered question, making people more interested in it. The pseudoscience watch-lists found in this website are deliberately trying to create mystery and results can't be reproduced or verified, because the website appeals to our need for excitement. They ask everyone to join them and be a member who looks for alien life, which can attract more people and all the details given in the website do not have evidence that is scientifically proven, all evidence was made by interviews and reports given by different people. Limitations found in the website include; the fact that anyone can give UFO sighting details and stories to the website which are posted without any fact checks, making the website a forum to post stories on UFOs.]]> 2019-11-10 16:06:30 UTC https://padlet.com/bitto_tomy_c/assignment_2/wish/409172229 bitto_tomy_c https://padlet.com/bitto_tomy_c/assignment_2/wish/409172259 Description:
This is a recently unearthed picture of an Apollo lunar mission. The conspiracy theorist who unearthed this picture states that the greenish yellow shape seen in this picture is a UFO.

Connection:
The red flag attached with this picture is confirmation bias, because the greenish yellow blur seems like a lens flare, but the conspirator doesn't want to look towards this side of the picture, he concluded that the green blur was a UFO. More research on this picture showed that the green blur was actually a lens flare and not a UFO. The reason for belief is patternicity, because the disk shape of green blur made him think that it was a UFO. The main pseudoscience watch-list associated with this picture is money is often involved, because whoever uploaded this picture did this to achieve fame and money. By applying critical thinking and skepticism one can easily find out that it's a hoax as it is almost obvious that it is just a lens flare on the camera.

]]> 2019-11-10 16:06:41 UTC https://padlet.com/bitto_tomy_c/assignment_2/wish/409172259 bitto_tomy_c https://padlet.com/bitto_tomy_c/assignment_2/wish/409172306 Description:
This is a picture taken in the USA, showing a huge white light in the sky. People assumed that it was a huge alien invasion on Earth and it was a UFO but it was actually gas emissions from a rocket launched by SpaceX.

Connection
The red flag associated with this picture is confusion of correlation with causation, because the picture shows the white light produced by the launched rocket but people assumed it was an alien invasion and the huge bright light as a UFO. The reason for belief is patternicity, because someone seeing a shape similar to a UFO, would believe it to be a UFO, even when it was just an exhausted gas. Another reason for belief is unexplained, because the events happening in the sky was not something that common people may know, it was an in-explainable event for normal people so everyone assumed it was an alien invasion, which shows more reasons for belief such as agenticity. Applying critical thinking, one can easily find out that this was no UFO, because SpaceX confirmed that this was gas exhausted from their rocket and no alien invasion and anyone can find this information if the research was done and collected.]]> 2019-11-10 16:06:56 UTC https://padlet.com/bitto_tomy_c/assignment_2/wish/409172306 bitto_tomy_c https://padlet.com/bitto_tomy_c/assignment_2/wish/409172334 Description:
This image displays a mountainous region which is potentially high in altitude as there is visible (what seems like) snow. For the most part, the image is a good quality, clear image with a strange dark disk in the air of the picture.

Connection:
No red flags are present in this image but reasons for belief that are included in with this image is patternicity and agenticity. This image is able to sway the beliefs of people because of the dark disk spot on the image. Its shape is unfamiliar and in the sky, so people's, almost "natural" reaction to this is to associate it with UFOs, this is an example of agenticity. An example of patternicity would be someone seeing this image, and because of its "familiar" shape or appearance, would believe it to be a UFO. Applying the critical thinking process and skepticism to this image would result in more reasons for belief such as unexplained, because there is no proven, "real" information on sightings like this. A flaw for this image is the image itself, moving objects in the air are naturally blurry, so having a UFO flying in the air being so clear means it is either photo-shopped or the "UFO" is just strangely floating in the air, still enough for a camera to capture an almost perfect image. Another flaw would be how stereotypical the UFO in the image seems. Limitations of the image include the fact that its only an image, and could have been altered anyway the "photographer" wanted.

]]> 2019-11-10 16:07:07 UTC https://padlet.com/bitto_tomy_c/assignment_2/wish/409172334 bitto_tomy_c https://padlet.com/bitto_tomy_c/assignment_2/wish/409172384 Description:
This video is about the US Navy confirming that UFOs are real. The video contains UFO sightings from the US pilots in the air, encountering strangely shaped objects in the air that are rotating and "flying" against winds of 120 knots. The UFOs have been titled "Unidentified Aerial Phenomena" by the US Navy.

Connection:
This video connects to the appeal to authority red flag because the inclusion of the US Navy's opinion on the existence of UFOs will doubtlessly cause others to begin believing in UFOs without apply the critical thinking process and skepticism to UFO sightings. Applying all the steps in the critical thinking process will allow someone to reevaluate their own reasons for belief. People may believe in UFOs because it is unexplained, we do not know whether or not extraterrestrials or UFOs truly exist, so to "fill" the void of not knowing, people choose to believe or "explain" it through believing in UFOs. More, less obvious reasons for belief include agenticity and patternicity. People may see strange objects in the sky that resemble what they think looks like a UFO, and so associate it with aliens (patternicity) or they see a strange object in the sky and correlate it with/as a UFO (agenticity). A flaw for this video is the fact that because it is footage from the US Navy, people are less likely to confirm whether or not these sightings are real, people are not going to apply the critical thinking process. Limitations of this source include the unclear footage of the supposed UFOs, which affects the reliability of the video.

]]> 2019-11-10 16:07:27 UTC https://padlet.com/bitto_tomy_c/assignment_2/wish/409172384 bitto_tomy_c https://padlet.com/bitto_tomy_c/assignment_2/wish/409172420 Description:
This video has people on a ferry, in the middle of the ocean and strange lights in the far distance of the oceans. The shapes are indistinguishable and the recorder does not stop to zoom in or try to get a clearer image.

Connection:
A red flag present in this video is red herring. The recorded of the video does not stop to try to zoom in or get a clearer image of the strange lights in the distance, he instead justifies that the lights are UFOs by saying that because he is in the middle of the ocean and there are random lights in the sky, this is proof UFOs are real, which shouldn't be considered as a proper explanation. Applying the critical thinking process and skepticism reveals that agenticity and unexplained are the reasons for belief in this video. The man in the video associates the unknown lights as UFOs, which is an example of both agenticity and unexplained reasons for belief. Flaws included with this video is the location of which it was recorded. It was recorded near the coast of North Carolina, which is home to N.C.'s only military base. Limitations in the video is the very vague and short duration of the recording, hardly giving any chance to apply the critical thinking process

]]> 2019-11-10 16:07:43 UTC https://padlet.com/bitto_tomy_c/assignment_2/wish/409172420 bitto_tomy_c https://padlet.com/bitto_tomy_c/assignment_2/wish/409172448 Description:
This video is about a UFO sighting in 2008 by a man who reported it to the police. The police thought it was a joke at the time, until they saw it for themselves. Six people, including five police officers saw what they all described as a large triangular object with huge lights on it, slowly moving through the air in complete silence.

Connection:
A red flag present in this video is appeal to authority. The officers "confirmation" of a UFO makes it more likely for people to believe in the existence of UFOs. Applying the critical thinking process and skepticism to this video uncovers several reasons for belief such as agenticity and unexplained. The strange unknown and unfamiliar objects in the sky cause people to assume that it is a UFO because no matter how they try to process an object in the sky, it is impossible to conceptualize what it is if it doesn't look like a plane, jet or helicopter, these are examples of unexplained and agenticity reasons for belief. Flaws of this video include the unreasonableness of the events. If the object was so bright and as large as a football field and flying as low as the trees, just like the police officer reported, how could only six people be aware of it. Limitations of the video include the lack of information from other people, such as there being five police officers , but only a few of them actually reported what they saw.

]]> 2019-11-10 16:07:56 UTC https://padlet.com/bitto_tomy_c/assignment_2/wish/409172448 bitto_tomy_c https://padlet.com/bitto_tomy_c/assignment_2/wish/409172505 1.
After researching this topic, it was surprising how many UFO sightings are reported and how frequently they are reported on by journalists. Though most of them are hoaxes, a few major ones such as where even the US Navy were convinced UFOs were real was really strange.

2.
If UFOs and aliens were real, it would be relevant to everyone. Would knowing the existence of aliens and UFOs positively or negatively affect us all? If aliens were real, whether they were hostile or not would be an important factor that could affect everyone on Earth.

3.
The research on the videos was the most interesting. Hearing people's reactions and reports on what they saw in the sky is very interesting, because even when looked at by us as an audience, we can also neither confirm or disprove the existence of UFOs and it is highly unlikely be able to identify what these objects in the air are.

4.
A fact that I would remember from this research would be the fact that even the US Navy encountered a strange flying object that was strangely rotating in the sky. Even the speed it was flying through the air against such strong winds was very interesting.

5.
The most harmful pseudoscience belief would be agenticity, because providing a baseless answer to an unanswered question will just influence and make people believe things that they sometimes should not. The most harmless would be unexplained, as long as you keep an open mind. Believing something to fill a figurative "void" of knowing what something is okay, as long as you are able to change beliefs when an answer is found.

6.
The most important thing to teach people is the critical thinking process and skepticism. If you are able to observe, question and be skeptic about a theory, you are less likely to believe in the "wrong" things.]]> 2019-11-10 16:08:21 UTC https://padlet.com/bitto_tomy_c/assignment_2/wish/409172505