This video demonstrates FLIR1 (Forward Looking Infrared System), the second of three U.S Military videos of an unidentified flying object, or what they refer to as a UAP (unidentified aerial phenomenon). As the video begins a brief explanation allows individuals to understand the technology, the sensor on the U.S Navy’s F/A-18 Super Hornet is in infrared mode. The unidentified object appears as a white shape on the weapon sensor operator, but after changing to TV mode, it appears as a dark, ovular object against the bright sky. After a brief moment, the object suddenly accelerates to the left, out of the sensors view at an unexpected velocity. 

 

The footage captured by the FLIR1 has been through the official declassification process of the United States government and was therefore approved for public viewing. By using critical thinking we can analyze the video, inspect the credibility and recognize assumptions based on the information presented. Appeal to authority surrounds the government as they are typically viewed as a reliable source of information. Many individuals recognize an unidentified flying object as a synonym for "alien spaceship”, which only celebrates the unexplained. Thousands of reports regarding unidentified flying object remain unanswered, therefore many establish an emotional connection between UFO's and extra-terrestrial life. The vivid experiences of bright lights, disorientation and strange sounds/experiences alter perception and observations, along with ideology and personal belief support that a UFO was caught on camera by the U.S Navy.

This photo is an image of the "Roswell Daily Record" front page. This front page was mainly based on the results of the Roswell incident and investigation that ensued. The government reported that the "UFO crash" was actually just a USA air force balloon that had come down, and that no extraterrestrial life forms were involved. 

 

This image shows how our appeal to authority can sometimes be misleading. This picture is showing how the government is confirming that the UFO seen crashing near Roswell, was a weather balloon. The fact that the military was covering the incident supports its truthfulness, which later caused conspiracy theories. Using critical thinking we can gather the information this picture tells us to evaluate biases, assumptions and emotions and create alternative answers. We must use skepticism in the governments reports to see if there are alternative answers to the events. Some conspiracy theorists believe the government used simplicity for the general public, stating it would be too dangerous to inform the public of alien life. Realistically, the incident could remain unexplained as there was a military presence, meaning a possible cover up. Many individuals believe in the agenticity; seeing that the government has involvement with UFO's supports the belief of alien life coming to earth. A flaw in this picture is the content, it does not show the “crash landing” site, only a man with the supposed balloon. A limitation would be the restrictions during the incident that limited the public and press to probe deeper into the military presence and site.

 

This photo provides a connection to patternicity as many individuals report unidentified flying objects that turn out to be patterns or shapes familiar to the human eye. Humans have a difficult time interpreting and rationalizing the unexplained which support the belief of alien life and alien technology. Critical thinking and skepticism disprove many UFO sighting claims; as evidence is gathered regarding the sighting, credibility is verified, and assessments are often completed to see if the sighting can it be reproduced. Although many UFO sightings are disproved, confirmation bias allows many individuals to continue believing in the events that coincide with their personal beliefs. A limitation shown in this photo is perspective, as the alteration of perspective can change ones interpretation of something. This limitation relates back to patternicity because perspective, lighting and altered perception may influence what humans believe is an unidentified flying object.

The National UFO Reporting Center focuses primarily on receiving, recording, corroborating and documenting reports from individuals who have been witnessed unusual, possibly unidentified flying object related events. The Reporting Center differs from other organizations by making all data publicly available in summary. Detailed information is available to experienced investigators and monthly sighting report are summarized on the website.

Connection:

This website displays numerous reports of UFO’s or aliens, although many have been debunked and are associated with altered perception and observations some reports remain unexplained. Confusion with causation is displayed on this website as many individuals believe that strange lights, unfamiliar sounds or shapes in the sky are related to unidentified flying objects and extra-terrestrial lifeforms. The website dates back numerous years causing proof of verbosity, although the website director promises summary reports the excessive number of summaries make it difficult to locate information. This website allows individuals to share their personal experiences and encounters which promotes ideology and establishes emotional connections. A flaw in this website would be that anyone can report an unidentified flying object through the internet which deliberately creates mystery. 

2. UFO's are relevant in day to day life because the pursuit for extra-terrestrial life continues with each UFO sighting. An example of a recent UFO sighting was March 7th 2020, in Stoney Creek Ontario when an individual reported seeing strange lights moving from the Southwest sky to the Northeast.

3. The research I found the most interesting was the government videos of UFOs. Government conspiracy theories and cover-ups are a common theory surrounding UFOs and the government involvement. Through researching UFO incidents and reviewing UFO videos, it is evident that the government has become more open with their research and findings related to UFOs. I believe as technology advances and society becomes more open to the idea of extra-terrestrial life, the public and government will collaborate to identify where these UFOs originate. Many of these videos were fascinating as they baffled both the public and government officials. These rare sightings may not provide answers, but they do leave us with more exciting world mysteries.

4. I will remember the information that was declassified in the project blue book findings. I found it astonishing that the government would put together a task force to investigate such sightings. While it was impressive they identified over 12,000 cases, they do admit to leaving many sightings "unidentified". The unidentified objects are interesting as it leaves the government vulnerable to questioning and leaves room to create mystery.

5. The pseudoscience belief that is most harmful is emotional connection because it creates a blockade between logical decisions and emotionally based decisions. Emotions may affect the nature of a decision and the speed at which one makes a choice. Anger can lead to impatience, rash decision-making, while excitement might cause someone to make quick decisions without considering other options. Emotionally based decisions may cause poor judgement,  bias and recklessness decision making. The least harmful pseudoscience belief is unexplained because although the questions have yet to be answered, critical thinking and skepticism are continually used as an attempt to provide answers. An example of unexplained would be UFO's and alien lifeforms, they are not yet confirmed or denied and therefore the search for an answer continues. 

6. If you could pass on your knowledge to a family member or friend, what do you think is the most important thing to pass on?
If passing knowledge about UFO's onto a family member or friend important information that I would provide is the value of critical thinking when analyzing the information provided. It is crucial to remain skeptical when viewing video footage, websites or images claiming UFO sightings.