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June 28, 2021, 12:19 p.m.

Why the Pentagon’s latest UFO report is a turning point on the issue

Summary

The U.S. intelligence released a preliminary — and watershed — report on unidentified aerial phenomena or UFOs. The report is the government’s most concerted and serious attempt to understand an issue without the fear of being ridiculed. The report found no evidence of aliens but acknowledged at least 143 unexplained sightings since 2004.

Five Facts

  • What is a UFO? What were UFOs called in the new report?
  • Why have there been issues discussing this topic previously?
  • Who is Miles O’Brien and what was his experience with UFOs?
  • Where and When did Miles O’Brien claim to see a UFO?
  • How does this report progress the conversation on UFOs/UAPs?

Focus Questions

Do you think research into UFOs or UAPs is an important and good use of federal money? If so, what do you think can be learned from this research? If not, how do you think the money could be better spent on other research programs? Media Literacy: Why do you think PBS NewsHour chose to focus on this story among all other important news over the past few weeks? What is the intended audience?

For More

  • To see the full report from the government, click here .
  • To see the earlier pieces on this subject, see the videos below

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