henry (02/25/83)
Over and above Phil Karn's examples, it is instructive to note how often
conspicuous aerial phenomena like large meteors have been misreported as
UFOs, often by competent and reliable folks like airline pilots. The
really striking part, actually, is how many of these reports include
details like the UFO pacing the aircraft, windows being visible on the
side of the UFO, etc. -- details which most assuredly WERE NOT PRESENT
in the original phenomenon. This sort of thing is why anecdotal evidence
(aka subjective evidence, etc.) is flatly classed as worthless by many
serious investigators. The human eye and mind ("you don't see with your
eyes, you see with your mind" -- don't forget that!) simply are not very
faithful reporters of strange, novel phenomena.
Note also that there are documented instances where reliable people like
professional men, public officials, etc. have reported UFOs and the like
and have later been determined -- with as near to absolute certainty as
human beings can get -- to have been, simply, LYING! This is a factor
one must ALWAYS consider when evaluating reports of remarkable events.
Henry Spencer
U of Toronto