Scotland: Aliens' Official Favorite Destination

scubacuda writes: "This Reuters article says that Scotland has the highest concentration of UFO sightings--300 per year, the most per square kilometer and per head of population of anywhere in the world. That means 0.004 UFOs for every square kilometer of Scotland -- a rate four times as high as in France or Italy, earth's other UFO hotspots. (In comparison, only 2,000 UFOs are spotted every year in the United States represent, making just 0.0002 sightings per square kilometer. Bonnybridge--30 miles west of Edinburgh--seems to be the Scotland equivalent of Roswell, New Mexico). UFO nuts explain it in terms of aliens being attracted to remote areas. But can anyone say *autosuggestion*?"

Comments

A book recommendation for the submitter:

[TDScott]

"The Demon-Haunted World" by Carl Sagan does an excellent job of debunking such myths and mysteries, as does the Skeptic's Dictionary.

Funny what people believe, isn't it?

Re:A book recommendation for the submitter:

[Dark Paladin]

The battle against human stupidity is never ending.

We have to fight against:

• people who believe aliens are really kidnapping people in the countryside
  
• people who believe that herbal viagra will add 2 inches to your penis
  
• people who believe that 2000 jews called in sick to work at the world trade towers
  
• people who believe that Microsoft software is secure
  
• people who believe that 500,000 illegal movies are downloaded from the Internet every day and that it's cutting in profits
  
• people who believe Daikatana was a great game, and John Romero is just getting picked on because he's famous
  
• people who believe that women/children/ethnicgroupsotherthanyourown have no rights because God Said So
  
• people who believe that you have to protect children from porn by using filters that all too often block the good instead of just the bad
  
• people who believe that women are just "asking for it".
  
• people who believe that all anime is porn, all games are violent, and all computer geeks are lonely males who never get dates
  
• people who believe that the search for truth and the destruction of lies is a worthless pursuit
  

Sadly, the human condition where only 5% of the population actually examines evidence, weighs the options, and picks the most logical choice that is proven true by experimentation and analysis is going to continue for a long time. Mainly because most people are too fucking lazy to think for themselves.

Re:A book recommendation for the submitter:

[Surt]

You forgot the classic:

* People who believe that the creator of the universe chose _one_ single person in all of history to be his official representative, and that if you don't believe that, you're going to suffer for all eternity.

Re:A book recommendation for the submitter:

[aiabx]

I never believed in UFO's before, but now I do.
I was particularly convinced by the comment "Digital photo's can't be faked". Anyone who can say that and mean it *must* be from another planet.
-aiabx

Re:A book recommendation for the submitter:

[Grax]

I believe in UFOs.

Here are the criteria for establishing whether you have seen an honest to goodness UFO.

1. Could you identify it?
2. Was it flying?
3. Was it an object?

If, indeed, you could not identify it, it was flying, and it was an object then, yes, it was a UFO (Unidentified Flying Object).

With the above criteria I would expect greater amounts of UFO sightings among the near-sighted as they/we are more prone to be unable to identify a flying object.

It's all the Alien tourists...

[SpankTech3000]

going to see the Loch Ness Monster.

Someone has to!

[Watts Martin]

Can anyone say *autosuggestion?*

Sure: "Autosuggestion."

Quoth Groundskeeper Willie...

[Codex The Sloth]

''...I have crippling arthritis in my index fingers. I got it in 1979 from Space Invaders.''-Groundskeeper Willie

''Yeah, that was a pretty addictive video game.''-Chief Wiggum

''Video game?''-Groundskeeper Willie

Oh, you mean extraterrestrials!

[darkonc]

I think that most of these sightings were actually Americans...

Strange creatures in strange garb, from a faraway place, speaking a strange language (the accent gets deep enough...) and with no apparent knowledge of human (or at least local) customs.
and they're always trying to 'probe' the local women (not to mention the sheep)!

We need a correlation study to verify....

[zerofoo]

UFO sitings may be higher in remote areas, but I think the frequency of sightings can be more closely correlated to the alcohol consumption rate in a given area.

-ted

Galaxy Quest...

[NanoGator]

It's probably just a bunch of Thermians visiting the birthplace of Mr. Scott.

Ah Scotland...

[i_want_you_to_throw_]

Come for the Haggis, stay for the anal probes.

Oh dear

[Rogerborg]

I live not far from Bonnybridge. I wouldn't call it the arsehole of the universe, because arseholes have a use. Bonnybridge is a classic oversized-small-town, i.e. crammed full of disillusioned young people with nothing to do. UFO spotting is pretty much the only thing to do there of an evening that doesn't involve pointy implements or GTA (the Live Action version).

Note the military airlanes, note the undulating foggy roads, note that UFO sighting go up after firework displays. It's pretty much a local game now, with people playing along and making up more and more outrageous claims. And note also the ulterior commercial motive: a (dear god) theme park.

I'm picturing the pitch now: "Come to Bonnybridge, home of surly teenagers and desparate hollow eyed single mothers. Taste the delights of warm Irn Bru and soggy chippies. A free stabbing with every ticket!"

Shudder. Nothing to see here. Move along. For your own good, move along.

interesting statistics choices

[bilbobuggins]

scot 1: 'Agh, I've stepped on something!'

scot 2: 'Bloody hell Angus, I think that's 0.004 of a UFO!!'

Actually...

[NoMoreNicksLeft]

If it's true (*laugh*), then it is because of a higher population density... simply more people there to see them. Too many rural areas in the US for us to catch em all.

But since I find it hard to buy that aliens go for an interstellar joyride in Scotland all the time, this means it's obviously the supersecret british skunkworks aerospace base causing these sightings. They have stuff 60 yrs ahead of anything we have, after all. (*ROFLMAO*)

It's because of the kilts...

[fmaxwell]

The reason that extraterrestrials visit Scotland so often is that Scottish men wear kilts. That makes the anal probes much easier to perform. No fumbling with belts, zippers, etc.

You mean...

[Sycraft-fu]

there are computer geeks that actually DO get dates???? Fuck, now I'm even more lonely and depressed. ;)

Obligatory Bill Hicks Quotes

[stereoroid]

1. "I'll tell you, too, that's starting to depress me about UFO's, about the fact that they cross galaxies or wherever they come from to visit us and always end up in places like Fife, Alabama. " (maybe that should read "Fife, Scotland"?)
2. "With a five-minute UFO experience I got a taste of holiness I never got in 20 years of religion."
3. "Would you let the aliens land, please? They might be here to pick me up."

Is there anything that The Great One didn't have an opinion on?

Sceptical Claim

[_Sprocket_]

I have a hard time believing Scotland would lead in UFO sightings. It doesn't strike me as an area of the world with the right popluation center. After all, do they even HAVE trailer parks there?

Plausible explanation?

[Ogerman]

It's funny how anytime "UFO's" come up in discussion, people quickly move to talking about crazy / drunk people. It's amusing, although in contrast, I know enough ordinary, sane people who have seen so-called "UFO's" at fairly close range that a level-headed inquiry is in order. So anyhow, to make a long story short, after a little bit of research, it is my conclusion that most UFO sightings are nothing more than a type of ball lightning. Granted, "ball lightning" itself is not fully understood, but all indication suggests that it is some form of low temperature plasma that can form under certain atmospheric conditions or more often after a lightning groundstrike due to some sort of back-EMF effect. Ball lightning can apparently take various shapes, sometimes as a disk-like form (ie. the classic glowing UFO saucer). So, lets look at the known characteristics of ball lightning plasma and see how they compare to descriptions of UFO sightings:

1.) It can 'levitate' and pass through some solids.
2.) It tends to lose mass as the plasma breaks down, causing it to rise into the air before disintegrating or occasionally bursting with a loud pop.
3.) It often accelerates at an extremely high rate, likely due to electromagnetic fields. This typically occurs near the end of the plasma's 'life' and often after rising back into the air.
4.) It is often attracted to nearby metal objects and has been known to follow automobiles and perhaps airplanes.
5.) The plasma, depending on its makeup, often releases noxious gasses readily identifyable by their odor or color. Some of these gasses cause dizzyness, hallucinations, and loss of consciousness at high enough concentrations.
6.) It seems to form most often in flat terrain. (such as farmland!) Large formations may be of sufficient temperature to burn away grass or crops after descending.
7.) It sometimes rotates visibly on an axis.
8.) It usually emits a high pitched or even wavering sound.

Sound anything like the typical UFO encounter? I'd say so. Granted, many distant sightings are probably just aircraft or weather balloons. So sorry to burst your bubble X-Files fans. The truth IS out there but it's not that exciting.