Welcome Thread - New Members Post Here

[Alex75]

Hi everyone, I'm Alex and an avionics engineer. Mostly here because I like Mick's work in the UAP sphere.

 

[AllTheQuestionsToday]

Hello. Thanks for setting this up for scientific review of these sorts of topics.

 

[Kyle Ferriter]

Hello everyone. I'm a software engineer working in the academic life sciences. Most recently working on genetic knowledgebases. I'm interested in the efforts of humans to understand ourselves and our environment. And the ways we fail.

Always been a skeptical person but got more interested in following the details and discussions of specific subjects as I've watched more and more frustratingly unscientific and misleading claims be made around topics like UFOs, Covid, ghosts, Havana Syndrome, QAnon, doomsday cults, homeopathy, crystal therapy, astrology, warp drives + FTL travel, remote viewing, telepathy, 9/11 trutherism, faith healing, and alt-archaeology coming from places like the Rogan podcast and Ancient Aliens show and now Netflix with Graham Hancock's show. And most recently the resurgence of the HIV-denialism, virus-denialism, vaccines-and-autism falsehoods, and general chemistry/biology misinformation fueled by RFK Jr's publicity. In the context of so much misinformation, often even spread by reporters and scientists who should be expected to do better, I think this site is a valuable source of high-quality discussion, analysis, and fact-collecting.

 

[Der Ungrund]

I'm in academia. I honestly don't know enough bout math, cgi, or video to contribute much to this forum, but I've been in awe of it and lurking for years. Some of the debunks here are completely brilliant in their simplicity and elegance.

 

[FatPhil]

I'm in academia. I honestly don't know enough bout math, cgi, or video to contribute much to this forum, but I've been in awe of it and lurking for years. Some of the debunks here are completely brilliant in their simplicity and elegance.

Probably the most useful skill is to just be a pattern matcher. An insight that flips the dialogue onto the right direction can be very useful, someone else can dot the 't's and cross the 'i's. Our butterfly case come to mind - that was right out of left field, and entirely bang on. Welcome!

 

[Gryffin]

Hello! I go by Gryffin. I learned about metabunk from the High Strange podcast. I'm very much enjoying learning about UFOs, listening to podcasts for now mainly and then following up what I hear with Internet searches. Right now, I'm working through The Alien UFO Podcast by Simon Brown. Looking forward to browsing around. Is there a best way to search for specific sightings? For example, I'd like to find y'all's discussion of the Jerusalem sighting in 2011, but I'm not sure how to go about it. Thank you!

 

[Landru]

Hello! I go by Gryffin. I learned about metabunk from the High Strange podcast. I'm very much enjoying learning about UFOs, listening to podcasts for now mainly and then following up what I hear with Internet searches. Right now, I'm working through The Alien UFO Podcast by Simon Brown. Looking forward to browsing around. Is there a best way to search for specific sightings? For example, I'd like to find y'all's discussion of the Jerusalem sighting in 2011, but I'm not sure how to go about it. Thank you!

https://www.metabunk.org/threads/temple-mount-ufo-debunked.82/#post-283509

For other interests use the search function (the magnifying glass in the upper right corner)

 

[Ann K]

For other interests use the search function (the hour glass in the upper right corner)

Just a note: I get a magnifying glass. I don't know which devices get which icons, but I'm on an iPad.

 

[Landru]

Just a note: I get a magnifying glass. I don't know which devices get which icons, but I'm on an iPad.

My mistake.

 

[Gryffin]

https://www.metabunk.org/threads/temple-mount-ufo-debunked.82/#post-283509

For other interests use the search function (the magnifying glass in the upper right corner)

Hi Landru, thank you. Yep, the search function works great. I have a posting guidelines question if that's ok. I read the posting guidelines, but I'm still not clear on something. Regarding the dome of the rock sighting, I learned about it from a podcast episode in 2022, and the person being interviewed addresses that one of the videos was faked but not the other four. Anyway, where would be best to discuss a larger question of believers (I guess is the term?) ignoring concrete evidence? If that podcast was the only thing I'd heard on the subject, I'd believe his thoughts, but in my experience so far, a tiny bit of google searching following a claim has debunked every sighting I've heard about, in like 30 seconds. So what are these UFOlogists missing or ignoring that seems so obvious? Not to ask the question here haha, but I guess in a round about way, where would the best place to have this discussion?

 

[Landru]

Hi Landru, thank you. Yep, the search function works great. I have a posting guidelines question if that's ok. I read the posting guidelines, but I'm still not clear on something. Regarding the dome of the rock sighting, I learned about it from a podcast episode in 2022, and the person being interviewed addresses that one of the videos was faked but not the other four. Anyway, where would be best to discuss a larger question of believers (I guess is the term?) ignoring concrete evidence? If that podcast was the only thing I'd heard on the subject, I'd believe his thoughts, but in my experience so far, a tiny bit of google searching following a claim has debunked every sighting I've heard about, in like 30 seconds. So what are these UFOlogists missing or ignoring that seems so obvious? Not to ask the question here haha, but I guess in a round about way, where would the best place to have this discussion?

I think there are some threads already discussing this. Use the search or browse the UFO categories.

 

[Metaphoria]

Hi all, just landed here after reading in Tangle about Mick's work. I look forward to learning more!

 

[AdmiralKird]

Hi, I've been following this stuff for the past few years. I had a friend sending me stacks of links UFOs and ran into Mick's stuff while looking for reasonable explanations that sounded sane. Personally, I have been heavily involved in the ASOIAF community doing literary analyses and moderating over the past decade until the recent fiasco regarding the Reddit CEO, so I know my way around tinfoil.

 

[Mendel]

ASOIAF community

I had to look up that acronym, so FYI,
ASOIAF=A Song Of Ice And Fire, the book series underlying Game Of Thrones

 

[Seytom]

it's intentional. it's to keep the spam robots out.

Thanks for explaining, I've been wondering.

 

[RoboKop]

Hi, I am Robert, now game programmer and in past cgi artist.

 

[slavishcrusader]

Hey guys,
I am here after the Mh370 video lol and here to have discussion about what others think of that video
Hopefully I stick around for other topics as well!

 

[moleculo]

Hi everyone! Im honestly here because of the congressional UFO hearing. I just couldn't believe the claims from those people, as hard data seemed basically non-existent and every extraordinary claim ultimately fell back into some human testimony. I found Mick and metabunk while looking for reasonable explanations for some of the videos that people tout as definitely absolute proof of aliens.

Honestly a world of being welcomed info the federation i.e. Star Trek would be so exciting, but reality tends to follow the most reasonable mundane explanation rather than the most exciting. Looking forward to adding any expertise I can.

 

[Sid]

Hi, everyone. I've decided to join mainly because I've long been interested in skeptical analysis of UFOs. Recently I've been reading a lot of UFO subreddits, in order to keep on top of what they're talking about day-to-day, and it's *exasperating*. There's only so many times you can see the same 10 reasonably-explainable videos around, or read people yelling about how X news story proves that Dulce Base/Bob Lazar/etc are real, before it gets too annoying. So I've decided to bite the bullet and finally join because I thought it'd be nice to actually post in an environment with people who put more thought in.

 

[Debunked999]

This thread is for any first time poster to (optionally) post an introductory "hi everyone" post, which will also get you "verified" (meaning you can post without anti-spam restrictions) once that post, and a few posts in another sub-forum, have been approved.

A few words on who you are and how you ended up here would be appreciated. Or just say hi!


It's highly recommended that you first read the Posting Guidelines:
https://www.metabunk.org/threads/posting-guidelines.2064/

Hi there I find this site extremely helpful thanks guys

 

[Bridges]

Hello, I am primarily a character concept artist but I've always enjoyed the strange. Almost 6 years ago I met a nice group of people in an ARG (Alternate Reality Game) which was held for 2 years, and I cut my teeth using many different techniques to progress the ARG collaboratively.
In a way I recognize some of what was done in that ARG in some of these threads, and I really appreciate it when people get together and roll up their sleeves to figure something out.

I ended up here after being sent a link to the site by Mr. West after he kindly answered some of my questions regarding a video. Despite enjoying his videos I have not realized this site exists, and having lurked here I find it to be a cool place.

With that, I expect myself to continue lurking as I don't carry much specialization nor have I been actively participating in anything recently, Cheers!

 

[Smythe Bacchus]

Hi All,

Long time lurker and follower of logical investigators, including Mick West. I've been following this "UFO disclosure" movement. It appears to be a cultist subculture founded on myopic belief rather than any hard evidence. The venom spurted towards individuals like Mick West by "believers" is a hallmark of religious fanaticism against anyone who they view as trying to "trick" them into abandoning their true faith. They leap headlong into confirmation bias and instantly accept anything that reinforces "chosen" reality (no matter how dubious). The fanatics accuse considered skeptics of cherry picking, misinterpreting, or distorting evidence without recognizing the irony. Highly educated individuals are not always immune.

This is not news to anyone. For at least some of these individuals their motivation appears to stem from a desperate desire to enter some kind of benevolent galactic federation that will open the doors to accelerated technological advancement, a better life, and otherworldly adventures (i.e. Star Trek). For others it is a diametrically opposed belief that malicious aliens are already here and infiltrating our power structures towards eventual enslavement of the Earth (another well worn sci-fi trope). Their beliefs are buoyed by UFO echo chambers and grifting opportunists. What they all seem to agree on is the "greedy multinational conspiratorial elite" that is hiding all the evidence for their own nefarious ends.

If any true believer had hard evidence it would be anonymously leaked to EVERYONE post-haste. Recently, David Grusch has provided what was missing in the past - a qualified entrant for the "UFO community" to play poker with the US government through congress. His claims appear to be deliberately scattershot because he is holding an empty hand. This appears to be an attempt to bluff the US government into exposing its own deep-state conspiracy by recruiting more powerful players within the government to join the hunt for the alleged deep-state conspirators. And if nothing is revealed? This would only reinforce the unshakeable reality of beliefs in a vast decades-long conspiracy, rather than breaking it.

That is why this forum, Mick West, Steven Greenstreet and others who follow the evidence are so important - their light of objective reality can be a harsh one to those "who want to believe" yet they provide a valuable service to help prevent more from being sucked into the black hole. This is an antidote to the shameless misinformation entertainment business model espoused by Ancient Aliens, Skinwalker Ranch, and other bunk.

We cannot be alone in this universe, but the reality of its vastness in both space and time, and the ephemeral nature of life itself all act against the likelihood of direct contact with any extraterrestrial civilization. So does our relatively primitive, selfish, divisive, and violent nature. Is it possible for a technologically advanced civilization to survive without sociological advancement? I suspect direct communication with any of us would be akin to a human trying to directly communicate with a bee. At least the bees know how to work together in harmony towards a shared goal.

Not sure if I'll have much to contribute, the above is just my 5c for the record, but I'll certainly keep reading with great and grateful interest.

Keep up the good work!

 

[Pasta_Swan]

Hello everyone! Senior full-stack engineer (consulting work, mostly) and Microsoft fanboy here. Been interested in and engaged in the UFO topic and community for decades. I'm here to possibly offer a sort of other-side-of-the-fence perspective, and expose myself to the same. I'm also hoping to specifically learn more about aviation/satellite imagery - it seems like there's more professional/applied experience here than anywhere else I've seen.

I first heard about Mick and this site from the /r/UFOs subreddit. While I do lean more toward "believer" (no, I'm not here to debunk debunks) than likely many users here, I am still skeptical of every claim, and I believe that skepticism is necessary to analytical thought. These are things /r/UFOs and the UFO community is in dire need of.

I've seen *some* posts and comments in /r/UFOs praising this site and the work its users have done, but not nearly to the volume I'd expect; aren't we all working toward the same goal? Don't we all want truth? At the least, if a claim has been explored completely and rationally, and can't be debunked... isn't that an ideal scenario for even the Truest of True Believers?

From someone fairly deep in the UFO community, I sincerely thank you all for the logical, hard work that I've seen so far. I look forward to learning and acquiring new experiences with everyone here.

 

[CaseyCase]

Hello! New member. How many posts do I have to make before I can start a thread with a video? I need some help explaining a CCTV video that has scared some people working in a care home. Many thanks

 

[sixevil5]

Hello! I am a physics student, and also interested in all the bunks, claims and theories! I am a skeptic but also want to believe, so joining this forum is a great way to balance out all the nonsense one can find on the web these days. Just by reading a few posts here i have come to conclusion that usually things have a very simple explanations. So if a person does not look to the other side, its possible to quickly start to chase your own imagination and fantasy tail. I like to play music and reading. Also not a native english speaker.

 

[RobertBillyBob]

Hi,
Computer vision engineer and Blender hobbyist, currently having a bit of fun analyzing the "MH370 teleportation" videos.
I discovered Mick West and Metabunk a few weeks ago while looking up UFO news on reddit.

 

[Mendel]

(no, I'm not here to debunk debunks)

it wouldn't be a problem if you were.
if you see something wrong with our reasoning or the evidence, feel free to speak up!
Welcome to Metabunk!

 

[Angatar]

Hello! I made this account nearly 8 years ago (!! time flies!) when the flat earth stuff, and my interest in debunking it, was at its peak. I've always been a skeptic but haven't had much interest in many topics in the last few years. About a month ago me and my brother got into an argument about UFOs, around the time Mick West appeared on Decoding the Gurus, and it's been a recent interest of mine.

 

[Kyle McDonald]

Hi all, I found this forum from r/UFOs. I have 15+ years of computer vision experience and I've been trying to use this recently for some basic video forensics.

 

[kerotanuk]

Hi everyone, I've lurked on here for a while enjoying the in-depth analysis and conversation, but as 99% of new users the recent 'flap' of UAP discussion has encouraged me to sign up and participate.
I am a very open-minded person with a few personal 'woo-woo' beliefs, but I am mainly driven by scientific method and evidence-based claims (and I'm not sure my 'woo-woo' stuff can be proven/disproven/concisely-summed-up ha..)

Look forward to getting into some fun topics with everyone!

 

[AF_Brat72]

Joining from California. I am a US Air Force "Brat" -- I grew up with a fighter pilot father, USAF Nurse mother. My brother is a retired US Navy pilot. I'm a former skydiver. As a kid in the early 70's I often flew (at the controls) in small private aircraft, mostly during my time in the Civil Air Patrol, but I never pursued a pilot's license. Back then I was also into UFOs, read a few books on the subject, never saw anything. Now I am just an open-minded skeptic who occasionally checks into the UFO scene to see what's happening there. My day job is editing TV shows.

 

[V0LDY]

Hello! Coming here after the recent craze about MH370, big fan of Mick's analysis!

 

[theDampSquid]

Hey gang, I'm a professional VFX artist (not corridor crew), specialising in 2D compositing.

The MH370 satellite video has brought me here and it's currently 7:21 am and I have not slept since seeing it at 1pm last night. (Out of curiosity, not fear)

 

[Hardcore Gamer]

Long time reader but new to posting. Exercising my OSINT skills on stuff that interests me like cyber tracking and tax-funded spy vehicles. I also play video games, mostly sims and tarkov. I work in the Machine Learning field and code a lot

Discovered site thru Mick West's channel..

 

[SuppaCoup]

Hello all, thought I'd go ahead and join, this UFO stuff is pretty wild and it's nice to talk about it in a place that orients itself towards polite, fact-based discussion.

 

[JunkTheRat]

Hello all! I joined up because of the MH370 UFO debacle, and I really am looking forward to contributing on other topics as well.

 

[Gary C]

Mandatory newbie introduction.
I'm a retired systems analyst and amateur astronomer living in Laurel, MD, USA
My wife and I are both former military.
Full disclosure: I subscribe to eSkeptic.

 

[ImperatorSomnium]

Hello everyone! I am just here to find out about the latest debunks and exposed lies, something that I really like, no matter if it is UFOs, grifters, scammers or especially ruzian propaganda! A die hard fan of science, technologies, aerospace and Inter Milano from Bulgaria!

 

[Dave Green]

Hey all,
Read Escaping the Rabbit Hole and listened to the RH podcasts.
Pet peeve is anything to do with Skinwalker Ranch and/or "scientists" for hire (especially one with the same initials as a motorbike race).
Brit working for MoD but sadly nothing to do with UFOs/UAPs or in fact anything interesting.

 

[Jod]

Hi! Just received the updated escaping the rabbit hole book. Brilliant! I have a friend who is deep into chem trails and my brother is antivax. Great reading, I feel I can counter some of the arguments with confidence