The UFO Phenomenon

Researchers want UFOs to be a topic of serious academic study

By T.K. Randall
December 9, 2025 ·  90 comments

Image: AI-generated (Midjourney) While many still dismiss UFOs as pseudoscience, a growing number of researchers view the topic as a legitimate subject for rigorous academic investigation.

The Society for UAP Studies is ahead of the curve in this regard; its recent international conference wrapped up with an argument for the establishment of a new discipline dedicated to studying UFOs.

The group's board is comprised of dozens of experts from all over the world.

Michael Cifone, who is the society's co-founder and president, recently told USA Today that the group wasn't looking to take any particular position on the existence or otherwise of alien visitors."But we are interested in taking on these topics that don't fit neatly anywhere," he said.

"As academics, our skill is in establishing a framework so we're not simply speculating, but situating it within historical, cultural and scientific frameworks."

His own interest was piqued when he turned his attention to researching the phenomenon during the Covid-19 pandemic.

"While [the study of UAPs] was a topic of ridicule, there was still something strange and odd for which there seemed to be some good anecdotal evidence and witness evidence, evidence that was not easily dismissible by conventional analysis," he said.

Whether the society will succeed in establishing the phenomenon as a genuine scientific subject, however, remains to be seen.

Source: USA Today | Comments (90)

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