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1281 Unidentified [ 18 JANUARY 1979] Flying Objects 1282
they are terr~strial it~ <?r_i~in, and the only J
extra-tcrrestnal possibilities do not seem
to be fcasibk because of the very eccentric Ipaths which the objects, or iights, which
were seen seem to have taken. But if they I
are terrestrial phenomena, we ought to be
able to identify them.
I believe that any dispassionate investi-
gation, such as I understand the noble
Earl, Lord Clancarty, would wish to have,
could not ignore the possibility of the
phenomena having their origins outside
the earth and perhaps outside the solar
system. Ju~t as meteorites are chance
material projectiles originating in the solar
system, may there not be random matter
of a ditTerent character-perhaps a
luminous but insubstantial character-
that in certain circumstances becomes
visible. and attracted to our area? I
certainly should be readier to accept some
explanation in terms of what I might call
the atsronomical phenomena than ships
from outer space. It would, I suppose,
be foolish to deny that possibility, but as
an explanation of phenomena-and I
think that the noble Lord, Lord Gladwyn,
exposed this-it is surely a very long shot
indeed.
If we are to conduct any dispassionate
inquiry-and I think that we should-we
must listen to the proponents of what one
might call the Star Trek view. It can
be argued, not unreasonably, that we in
our humble way are probing nearby solar
space with our Venus and Jupiter and other
vehicular probes. \Ve have ventured on to
the Moon. ls it not presumptuous, the
argument goes, to suppose that elsewhere
in space creatures more advanced than us
are probing into our space, probing with
means now occasionally visible to us,
using their own RPVs, controlled from
stations light years away, rather on the
lines which the noble Earl, Lord Kimberley,
mentioned? It is a possibility which we
must be prepared to consider. It is a
possibility, though not many of us, I feel,
would call it a probability.
But if we do have a study of UFOs,
as the noble Earl desires, we could not
exclude the possibility of extra-terrestrial
intelligences from our consideration. This
quotation has been given twice this
evening, as well as a dozen times outside
this House in this connection, but,
" There are more things in Heaven and Earth,
Horatio",
Hamlet said,
"than are drearnt of in your philosophy".
And Heaven, my Lords, has always
offered us more pos,ibilities than earth.
Although I remain sceptical of intelligent
invasion from outer space, 1 recall the
dictum of the late Mr. Sherlock Holmes
when he was investigating the curious
matter of the Sign of Four:
" When you have diminated the impossible,
whatever remaim, however improbable, must be
the truth".
The desirability of getting mtional ancl
acceptable expianations for the odd
phenomena which arc being r.;:ported
-even if, like some other para-normal
phenomena, they are subjective--in my
opinion is not, or should not be, merely
to satisfy our curiosity. Here I am
coming from rather a different angle to
something which was discussed in greater
depth by the right reverend Prelate the
Bishop of Norwich.
There is a social danger, in my view,
in leaving people in ignorance of the
origins of these phenomena. I have
recently learned from a number of
sources that there have grown up. in
North America particularly, many groups
and cults whose attitudes arc based on
beliefs that UFOs are influential outer-
spatial manifestations interested in this
earth. In some cases these groups arc
looking to outer space for Man's salvation.
Jf this is right, !t is rather disturbing.
1. find, too, that in this country there
are groups interested, other than purely
scientifically, in the UFO phenomena.
I had a letter--and I think that other
noble Lords may have had the same letter
--earlier this week from an ecumenical
Christian group which believes, among
other things, that UFOs menace the
spiritual health of the nation; that they
are anti-Christian and that information
exists about them which is being withheld.
It seems to me that this association of
UFOs with mysticism and religion makes
explanation of the true origins of the
phenomena a matter of great importance
and of some urgency. The sooner that
each reported sighting or landing is
satisfactorily explained, the better. It
is no good just laughing them off or trying
to laugh them ofr; we must seek the truth
and tell it.
My Lords, I remain sceptical, perhaps
more sceptical than anyone who has
f.
. ~·
!,'