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NPR News

The new era of UFO research

A NASA panel studying unidentified anomalous phenomenon held a public hearing in Washington, D.C. on May 31.
A NASA panel studying unidentified anomalous phenomenon held a public hearing in Washington, D.C. on May 31.

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Listen 46:28

It seems like UFOs (or UAPs, unidentified anomalous phenomena) are having a moment in Washington. NASA is enlisting the public’s help to gather more data and destigmatize research around unknown objects in our skies.

Last year, the agency announced the creation of a panel of experts, led by astrophysicist David Spergel, to conduct independent research on UAPs. The Pentagon has a separate agency to investigate unknown aerial objects, and of about 800 reports, says only a small percentage remain unexplainable.

The NASA panel held its first public meeting last week. While the team of scientists didn’t reveal any extraterrestrial secrets, the agency is helping to start the conversation.

“One of our goals is to remove the stigma because there is a need for high-quality data to address important questions about UAPs,” Spergel said.

Are we entering a new era of government transparency around UFOs?

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