Sign up for our daily briefing
Make your busy days simpler with Axios AM/PM. Catch up on what's new and why it matters in just 5 minutes.
Stay on top of the latest market trends
Subscribe to Axios Markets for the latest market trends and economic insights. Sign up for free.
Sports news worthy of your time
Binge on the stats and stories that drive the sports world with Axios Sports. Sign up for free.
Tech news worthy of your time
Get our smart take on technology from the Valley and D.C. with Axios Login. Sign up for free.
Get the inside stories
Get an insider's guide to the new White House with Axios Sneak Peek. Sign up for free.
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Want a daily digest of the top Denver news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Denver
Want a daily digest of the top Des Moines news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Des Moines
Want a daily digest of the top Twin Cities news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Twin Cities
Want a daily digest of the top Tampa Bay news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Tampa Bay
Want a daily digest of the top Charlotte news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Charlotte
An unknown object encountered by Navy fighter pilots near San Diego in 2004. Photo: U.S. Department of Defense via New York Times
The Pentagon has fessed up, and it seems that observers who accused it of hiding information about possible alien visitors were right. A New York Times report revealed that Harry Reid initiated a program to investigate the UFO phenomenon that lasted five years and cost taxpayers $22 million.
But it's hardly an unalloyed victory. The good news for those who believe the government has covered up an extraterrestrial presence is that they can retire their tinfoil hats. The bad news is that the study didn't produce unambiguous evidence that E.T. is sailing the skies in high-tech, interstellar Frisbees.
Yes, the Pentagon produced some interesting cases — mostly videos from military aircraft. But there were interesting cases before, and none ever convinced the scientists. This jury could have come in with a solid verdict, but didn't.
Why it matters: Many people have argued that the federal government is keeping secret something tremendously important: the presence of visitors from far-distant worlds. But just because the government does a study doesn't prove much of anything. Remember: The CIA also spent millions of tax dollars examining the ESP phenomenon.
Shostak is the senior astronomer at the SETI (search for extraterrestrial intelligence) Institute.