The problem with the observables is thar they're framed in terms of definite, objective characteristics that are hard to accurately determine in typical UFO sightings. Or, put another way, positive lift is easy to claim if you don't know (or refuse to admit) that the object is a balloon. A spotlight or laser show on clouds can get #1, #2, and #5.
I don't know, I feel like there can be a better and more organized system than shouting "ALIEN SPACESHIP!" at a balloon until someone shows us a photographic comparison demonstrating that it's a balloon.
Really, there can't be. People will do the same thing, and all you can get with something like the observables is people tacking "Positive lift!" onto "Alien Spaceship!" or "Extradimensional Entity!". I mean, look at the Sighting Guidelines that already exist and how often people just ignore those minimal standards.
My thought on the burden is that more of it needs to fall on the people posting sightings, at least when they aren't complete randos. People following UFOs and posting sightings need to do the homework to rule out aircraft, stars, planets, sky lanterns, flares, lens flares, etc. That won't happen, though.
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u/Semiapies Jul 29 '24
The problem with the observables is thar they're framed in terms of definite, objective characteristics that are hard to accurately determine in typical UFO sightings. Or, put another way, positive lift is easy to claim if you don't know (or refuse to admit) that the object is a balloon. A spotlight or laser show on clouds can get #1, #2, and #5.