ET, you bore me: unidentified aerial phenomena and the Pentagon

A good number in the scientific and sceptical fraternity have been much cooler to this excitement. "Recently," a reproachful Andrew Franknoi, astronomer at the Fromm Institute for Lifelong Learning at the University of San Francisco observes, "there has been a flurry of misleading publicity about UFOs [based on military reports]. A sober examination of these claims reveals there is a lot less to them than first meets the eye."

Science writer Mick West, who has viewed much UAP footage released by the US military, affords a good perspective for debunkers. Most sightings can be put down to distortions in the image or problems in the instruments themselves. For all that, he admitted that unidentified objects appearing "in restricted airspace" presents "a real problem that needs solving."

UFO sceptic Robert Sheaffer sees no reason for a Damascene conversion. "There are no aliens here on Earth, and so the government cannot 'disclose' what it does not have." With a measure of unflagging confidence, he suggested that government sources knew "less on the subject than our best civilian UFO investigators, not more."

Another good reason for dampening any excitement around the UAP Report is the motivation of the Pentagon. Instances of costly bungles are many, from the vast expenditure in such failed conflicts as Afghanistan to the $1.6 trillion debacle over the F-35. Perhaps, writes Matt Stieb, the DOD "simply wants a flashy reason to demand more money."

Reid, for his part, expects little but urges continued interest in funding ventures in UAP investigations. "I don't think the report is going to tell us too much. I think they need to study it more and not just have one shot at it." Condon and his research team might have set him straight.