UFOs, Chemtrails, and Aliens: What Science Says - Hardcover

Prothero, Donald R.; Callahan, Timothy D.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 025302692X ISBN 13: 9780253026927

Publisher: Indiana University Press, 2017

Synopsis

UFOs. Aliens. Strange crop circles. Giant figures scratched in the desert surface along the coast of Peru. The amazing alignment of the pyramids. Strange lines of clouds in the sky. The paranormal is alive and well in the American cultural landscape. In UFOs, Chemtrails, and Aliens, Donald R. Prothero and Tim Callahan explore why such demonstrably false beliefs thrive despite decades of education and scientific debunking. Employing the ground rules of science and the standards of scientific evidence, Prothero and Callahan discuss a wide range of topics including the reliability of eyewitness testimony, psychological research into why people want to believe in aliens and UFOs, and the role conspiratorial thinking plays in UFO culture. They examine a variety of UFO sightings and describe the standards of evidence used to determine whether UFOs are actual alien spacecraft. Finally, they consider our views of aliens and the strong cultural signals that provide the shapes and behaviors of these beings. While their approach is firmly based in science, Prothero and Callahan also share their personal experiences of Area 51, Roswell, and other legendary sites, creating a narrative that is sure to engross both skeptics and believers.

About this title

Review:

With their book’s brisk pace and energetic writing, Prothero and Callahan offer entertainment as well as wisdom for everyone who’s ever wondered what’s behind so many conspiracy theories and paranormal phenomena. Source: Publishers Weekly (starred review)

This entertaining study reveals a public fascinated with the unverifiable. . . . [Prothero and Callahan] cogently and patiently explain impulses to seek complicated answers for life’s unknowns, even when simpler, more mundane explanations exist. Source: Foreword Reviews

From the Author:

Donald R. Prothero taught college geology and paleontology for 40 years, at Caltech, Columbia, Cal Poly Pomona, and Occidental, Knox, Vassar, Glendale, Mt. San Antonio, and Pierce Colleges. He is the author of numerous books and scientific papers including Reality Check: How Science Deniers Threaten Our Future and Abominable Science! Origins of the Yeti, Nessie, and Other Famous Cryptids.

Timothy D. Callahan was trained as an artist and worked for more than 20 years in the animation industry. Throughout his life he has also had an active interest in the sciences and the study of mythology and religious belief. He is the religion editor for Skeptic Magazine.

About this edition

• Publisher: Indiana University Press
• Publication date: 2017
• ISBN 10: 025302692X
• ISBN 13: 9780253026927
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 480