Concept of Religion, Science and Conspiracy on Extraterrestrials

Student’s Name:
Instructor’s Name:
Course/Class:
Date:
Summary and Synthesis Essay
Concept of Religion, Science and Conspiracy on Extraterrestrials
The existence of extraterrestrials is a divisive topic. The critical question is, to which extent does religion, science, skepticism, and conspiracies explain, support, or disapprove the phenomenon of extraterrestrials? Shermer (129-134) provides us with a glimpse of skepticism and science’s roles in shaping beliefs, which also applies to extraterrestrials. Shermer elaborately argues that any notion, whether scientific or not, should be treated with skepticism. Irving and Brookesmith (115-117) argue the issue of extraterrestrials may be an art of hoax and maybe lacking evidence, but its allure is quite astonishing and magical. Professor Diana Pasulka dismissed the existence of extraterrestrials but extrapolated the relationships between religion and science and U.F.O. s (Illing, 123-128). Heaney (141-141) believes unidentified flying objects or extraterrestrials are not real, are just for fun, and there are ‘there’ to create uniqueness. This paper will summarize and synthesize critical arguments from the four authors. In the whole argument, there is overarching evidence that supports skepticism towards the existence of aliens or extraterrestrials.
In the article, A skeptical manifesto, Shermer (129-134) raises valid concerns on skepticism and science. Shermer weaves series of stories that were unproven and fallacious, yet they were being fronted as scientific and credible. Skepticism is becoming a modern form of science that is geared towards challenging existing beliefs such as U.F.O.s. Shermer argues that being skeptic means that one can challenge the validity of a particular claim by calling for evidence to prove or disprove given stands (Shermer, 131). We need to call for evidence regarding U.F.O.s. We further know no substance evidenced has been advanced to support aliens. So what is the connection between science and skepticism? Skepticism is part of science because being skeptic means that one can formulate ways that describe and interpret an observed phenomenon like the existence of U.F.O.s, with an aim at nurturing a testable body of knowledge that is exposed to confirmation or rejection. As a result, the concept of extraterrestrials must be scrutinized through science but taking into account how education, culture, biases, and religion impact scientific perspectives on aliens.
In Crop Circles, Irving and Brookesmith (115) view the phenomenon of extraterrestrials as a hoax or prank. Plausible arguments regarding aliens have not achieved. What is available may constitute loosely advanced beliefs and hoaxes. But the motivation factor is unknown; the aim of such hoaxes is just mysterious. In a wheat field in Wiltshire, in 1976, Doug Bower and his co-conspirator Dave Chorley created a representation called ‘flying saucer nest’ in a wheat field, but they did not know that it would later turn into a cultural phenomenon, which reflects alien bodies(Irving and Brookesmith, 115). This observation becomes a gist of what Irving and Brookesmith discussed. Doug Bower and his co-conspirator Dave Chorley's story, which is not proven, has elicited a mixed reaction in form conspiracy theories, pseudoscientific, science, mystery, and magical thinking (Irving and Brookesmith, 115). But what was the cause of such a mixed wave of reactions? History can help in answering this question. The history of extraterrestrials dates back to the 17th-century when odd patterns are appearing in crops. The same patterns of circles around crops were observed in the 1960s, and they were presumed to be landing spots for U.F.O.s (Irving and Brookesmith, 115). Most suspected incidences of U.F.O.s have not been recorded; this diminishes their validation efforts. At approximately the same time, there were suspected phenomena of U.F.O. s, which were described as sky watches or saucer nests. Unfortunately, the images of the incidences were not taken (Irving and Brookesmith, 115). Thus, the historical contexts, which include saucer nests and suspected U.F.O.s landing in the 1960s, could have informed Bower and his colleagues to make something that looks like a flying saucer in 1976. Phenomena like crop and stone cycles offer a fertile ground to stage hoaxes, and this is fueled by the fact that the majority of the population believe in U.F.O.s, ghosts, and fairy tales. Thus hoaxes, pranks, and fake observations and fairy tales are sometimes staged to quench the thirst for evidence of legend or existing beliefs on U.F.O.s. There is usually a palpable inner human longing to rationally justify paranormal events by bringing evidence that is devoid of credibility. The interpretation of paranormal phenomena such as U.F.O.s falls within the realm of art, deception, and belief.
In The new American religion of U.F.O.s, Illing (123) observes that the belief in aliens is becoming a new reli...