Aliens Among Us

So, here’s something. One of the founders of Israel’s space effort has announced that aliens are real and have made agreements with the United States Government. I find this and other claims by, for example, people associated with the To The Stars Academy, to be fascinating on so many levels. On the one hand, I’m skeptical of claims that aliens have visited us, that we are in communication with them, that we have functioning (or non functioning for that matter) alien technology, etc. On the other hand some of those making the claims have significant backgrounds in fields not known for tolerating flights of fancy. This leaves me with an unanswerable question: should I believe them or not?

In considering my options, I have to account for their motives and behavior.

First do they themselves believe their own pronouncements? If so it seems to me there are three possibilities. One they are mentally unstable unable to separate fantasy from reality. Two they could have observed or experienced something they misinterpreted as evidence of aliens, alien technology, or alien interaction with humans. Or, three, their claims are the truth. Aliens exist, have communicated with us, reached agreements, with us, and (willingly or not ) shared technology.

Second do they themselves not believe their own pronouncements? If they are inventing these claims from whole cloth, what is their motive? It could be personal, they’re experimenting to see how gullible the rest of us are. It could be they are forced or convinced to make these claims by a body (such as a government, corporation, or other organization) pursing its own agenda. The first possibility feels unlikely given the stature of some of these individuals. I have no way to evaluate the second. I can’t think of any way false claims like these could benefit the government of other institution.

As with so many things in life, I’m left with a conundrum. Fortunately, it is a conundrum of the best kind: an inconsequential one. At this moment it makes no difference to me one way or the other. My behavior won’t change either way. One thing I firmly believe, however is that