No, Alients Do Not Exist

by Dave Barlow

I have been interested in UFOs for a very long time and basically do not believe they exist. To qualify this further, like a lot of astronomers, I firmly believe life exists some where else in the universe. The odds of mankind being the only form of intelligent life around is vanishingly small. The problem is, how common is it?
Further, modern physics tells us that the maximum speed is light-speed. This means that travel between stars takes a long time and a LOT of energy. So, even if a nearby star harbors an intelligent civilization it may take 100+ years for them or us to reach each other. So, would we even know of each other? We would have to monitor radio waves from each nearby star using the most sensitive radio telescopes for many years before this sort of question could be answered. This pre-assumes another alien life would use radio anyway.
Assuming that physics is wrong and faster-than-light travel is possible, obviously travel is easier. This sort of technology is way above ours. If UFOs are alien spacecraft powered by high-technology drives, why do they behave as they do? If they are observing us, they can do so in secret from space? If they want to conquer us, no problem. They have the better technology and probably larger forces. If they are hear to teach and enlighten us, why hide and use 'channellers' and 'mystics?'
In short, I think that if UFOs were aliens they would announce their presence. If they did not want to be seen they would remain hidden‹after all they have a higher tech than us.
I suspect that wherever alien life is, they are so far away we will never be aware of each other. If nothing else, the chances of life developing is, probably, very small. The chances of that life being more advanced than us? About 50-50. Could they reach us even if they have FTL travel? Imagine that, on average, there was only one intelligent species per galaxy. That means it takes, at light speed, 2-10 Million years to travel between galaxies. Any one who can overcome that obstacle will have a technology so superior to ours, they would be like Gods. Even if there are a thousand intelligent species in this galaxy, that is still only one life form for every 10,000+ cubic light years of space. That is a large volume. Our best telescopes can only just image a star at that distance.
For UFOs to be aliens it implies life is very common, they all have FTL travel and are so stupid as to be seen, crash, announce themselves to Governments and so on.
The vast majority of UFO stuff is, apparently, the fertile imaginings of people who want to be important or 'special' in this world. Sort of "Look at me, I know a great secret that even the physicists do not know." UFOs are, I believe, a modern version of mankind's visions of gods, saints, demons, spirits etc. Our history is liberally dotted with incidents of people having visions and being spoken to by deities. There is something inherent in the human psyche that makes this a common ailment. There have been several discussions about UFOs in the Bible. Are aliens angels? I suspect that the questions are valid and the answer is yes! But they are not actually aliens or angels, merely a hallucination or delusion.

Dave Barlow has been interested in UFOs for a very long time, and possesses degree and postgraduate qualifications in Astrophysics (specializing in Cosmology and Galactic Dynamics). He lives in the United Kingdom.

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