The first known scientific study of the UFO phenomenon:
September 24, 1412 in Japan, General Yoritsume camps with his army. Suddenly, his sentinels observe a curious phenomenon: mysterious sources of light go and come, whirl in the South-Western sky, describing loops, and this continues until the morning. The General Yoritsume commands that a serious scientific examination is conducted, and his collaborators put themselves at work. They need only little time to draw up their conclusion: the phenomenon is totally natural. It is only the wind which stirs up the stars. (Source Yusuke J. Matsumura, Yokohama.)
To this day only one scientific study was properly conducted:
... and it is positive.
It might seem unbelievable but the ufo phenomenon has not been studied a lot to this day: of course, a large number of private groups and non-profit organisations investigate the subject, and military studies and statements exist.
But only once, a government asked a panel of scientist to study the phenomenon in order to come to some conclusions, and gave at least some means toward that end.
It happened in France, the scientific group is the SEPRA (formerly GEPAN) and the scientific conclusion is that there are now sufficient material evidences that some ufos are flying machines driven by an intelligence and having flight characteristics that today's human technology is far from reaching.
Of course, USAF has conducted several UFO Studies over the years, you will find them in the "Officials" section of this site as they are not pure scientific work, rather military more or less secrets projects.
Of course there is the Condon Report. This report is hardly acceptable as scientific study, as it was funded by the USAF and major scientists who participated in it resigned due to disagreement with the conclusions. These conclusions, as opposed to the huge content of the report, tell nothing about the nature of UFOs, and instead, recommend that scientific study of the UFO phenomenon should be discouraged.
In a paper published in 1968, six well-known scientists explain that the study of UFO is serious and demand that the UN, not the USAF, starts investigating.
James E. McDonald, The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona: "Meteorological Factors in Unidentified Radar Returns," 14th Radar Meteorology Conference, American Meteorological Society, November 17-20, 1970.
Twenty-Two Years of Inadequate UFO Investigations, lectured at the American Association for the Advancement of Science's 134th Meeting general symposium on the Unidentified Flying Objects by the physician James E. McDonald, Professor of Atmospheric Sciences.
Article by James E. McDonald for Astronautics and Aeronautics, August 1967, p. 19-20.
UFOs - An International Scientific Problem, Paper Presented at the Canadian Aeronautics and Space Institute Astronautics Symposium, Montreal, Canada, March 12, 1968, James E. McDonald, The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona.
UFOs' performances are considered by believers as the proof that they are not from Earthly origin. Skeptics use the same data to say that ufos are impossible. Anti gravity propulsion systems might be used in ufos and would grant them their "impossible performances". While skeptics explain that physics proved that anti-gravity is mere nonsense, physicians at NASA and elsewhere are currently investigating anti-gravity and respectable budgets are devoted to these studies.
Faster-than-light travel:
Faster then light travel is not just a Star Trek fantasy anymore, it is a subject of scientific theories and projects. Here is one example taken out of formerly opened xxx.lanl.gov: Chris Van der Broek has an idea on how to lower the energy amount necessary to transport objects faster than light in a time-space warping bubble.
See also Robert M. Wood, Doctor of Physics, 43 years at McDonell Douglas Corporation, "The Extraterrestrial Hypothesis Is Not That Bad."
Extrasolar planets:
If there were other civilizations in the universe, there must be planets outside the solar system that they would inhabit.
Given the size of the universe and the huge distances between stars, if extrasolar planets are rare, the chances that intelligent beings from these planets find us are low.
What science can now answer is simple: there are planets outside the solar system, they are obviously very common, there are all sorts of planets around all sorts of star types, even around pulsars for example. You can have a look at the current catalog of extrasolar planets.
Here is a summary on the current extrasolar planet search technologies and projects, their goals and results and the techniques planned to be used for search of life on extrasolar planets.
One sees in science a logical chronological succession of new discoveries and technological progresses.
This is completely erroneous, here is one stunning example of this mistake: would you believe that one scientist invented the alternate current, the alternate current electric motor, the radio, the Xray photography, the radio controlled missile, the power generator, the transmission of electricity through the air, the interplanetary communication, and had plans for a wireless internet, atomic energy power sources and over 800 more inventions, all of this starting in 1888, and would you know his name?
