Investigating "official" UFO videos

Event Date:
2020-10-01T16:00:00
2020-10-01T17:00:00
Event Location:
Connect via zoom
Speaker:
Mick West
Related Upcoming Events:
Intended Audience:
Undergraduate
Local Contact:

Douglas Scott

Event Information:

Abstract: In 2020 the US Navy officially released three videos of UFOs, or, as they call then "UAPs" – Unidentified Aerial Phenomena. The media and the UFO community got really excited. One video appears to show a cigar-shaped craft performing impossible maneuvers, one seems to be a very fast, low flying but oddly cold craft, the most interesting one seems to show an actual flying saucer flying along then rotating to hover on its edge. But what do these videos actually show?  I discuss the overlooked information in the videos, how I extracted it, mistakes people made in their analyses, and the challenges of communicating all this to an audience with only an average understanding of geometry, infrared optics, and physics. 

Bio: Mick West is the author of "Escaping the Rabbit Hole - How to Debunk Conspiracy Theories Using Facts, Logic, and Respect" and host of the podcast: "Tales From The Rabbit Hole". He's a retired videogame programmer who helped make the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater Franchise. Mick runs the web site Metabunk.org, where he investigates conspiracy theories, debunks pseudoscience, and investigates UFO videos.

Add to Calendar 2020-10-01T16:00:00 2020-10-01T17:00:00 Investigating "official" UFO videos Event Information: Abstract: In 2020 the US Navy officially released three videos of UFOs, or, as they call then "UAPs" – Unidentified Aerial Phenomena. The media and the UFO community got really excited. One video appears to show a cigar-shaped craft performing impossible maneuvers, one seems to be a very fast, low flying but oddly cold craft, the most interesting one seems to show an actual flying saucer flying along then rotating to hover on its edge. But what do these videos actually show?  I discuss the overlooked information in the videos, how I extracted it, mistakes people made in their analyses, and the challenges of communicating all this to an audience with only an average understanding of geometry, infrared optics, and physics.  Bio: Mick West is the author of "Escaping the Rabbit Hole - How to Debunk Conspiracy Theories Using Facts, Logic, and Respect" and host of the podcast: "Tales From The Rabbit Hole". He's a retired videogame programmer who helped make the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater Franchise. Mick runs the web site Metabunk.org, where he investigates conspiracy theories, debunks pseudoscience, and investigates UFO videos. Event Location: Connect via zoom