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Scotland: Aliens' Official Favorite Destination

Posted by timothy on from the decent-haggis-hard-to-find dept.

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*?"

13 of 384 comments (clear)

  1. A book recommendation for the submitter: by TDScott · · Score: 5, Informative
    "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?

    1. Re:A book recommendation for the submitter: by Dark+Paladin · · Score: 5, Interesting
      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.
      --
      52 Weeks, 52 Religions with John Hummel
    2. Re:A book recommendation for the submitter: by aiabx · · Score: 5, Funny

      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

      --
      Just this guy, you know?
    3. Re:A book recommendation for the submitter: by Grax · · Score: 5, Funny

      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.

      --
      Coding Blog
  2. It's all the Alien tourists... by SpankTech3000 · · Score: 5, Funny

    going to see the Loch Ness Monster.

  3. Someone has to! by Watts+Martin · · Score: 5, Funny

    Can anyone say *autosuggestion?*

    Sure: "Autosuggestion."

  4. Quoth Groundskeeper Willie... by Codex+The+Sloth · · Score: 5, Funny

    ''...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

    --
    I am not a number! I am a man! And don't you ... oh wait, I'm #93427. Ha ha! In your face #93428!
  5. Oh, you mean extraterrestrials! by darkonc · · Score: 5, Funny
    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)!

    --
    Sometimes boldness is in fashion. Sometimes only the brave will be bold.
  6. Ah Scotland... by i_want_you_to_throw_ · · Score: 5, Funny

    Come for the Haggis, stay for the anal probes.

  7. Oh dear by Rogerborg · · Score: 5, Interesting

    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.

    --
    If you were blocking sigs, you wouldn't have to read this.
  8. It's because of the kilts... by fmaxwell · · Score: 5, Funny

    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.

  9. You mean... by Sycraft-fu · · Score: 5, Funny

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

  10. Sceptical Claim by _Sprocket_ · · Score: 4, Funny

    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?