As promised, the Pentagon released its UAP (UFO) report. And what did they find? First, they

… lack sufficient data to determine the nature of mysterious flying objects observed by American military pilots including whether they are advanced earthly technologies, atmospherics or of an extraterrestrial origin.

Steve Gorman, “Watershed U.S. UFO report does not rule out extraterrestrial origin” at Reuters via Yahoo News (June 25, 2021)

But read on:

The report marked a turning point for the U.S. government after the military spent decades deflecting, debunking and discrediting observations of unidentified flying objects and “flying saucers” dating back to the 1940s.

Steve Gorman, “Watershed U.S. UFO report does not rule out extraterrestrial origin” at Reuters via Yahoo News (June 25, 2021)

At one time, lack of sufficient data was, essentially, a basis for dismissing whatever was happening. Now the brass must, at least, take it seriously. For one thing, the superior technology might not be alien, it might be earthlings who are better equipped than the U.S. military…

“Of the 144 reports we are dealing with here, we have no clear indications that there is any non-terrestrial explanation for them – but we will go wherever the data takes us,” the senior official added.

Steve Gorman, “Watershed U.S. UFO report does not rule out extraterrestrial origin” at Reuters via Yahoo News (June 25, 2021)

Wow. That sound you just heard was smirks getting wiped off faces… Following the evidence wherever it leads is a good beginning. We really must find out whether there are weather phenomena we don’t know about and technologies we don’t know about, or whatever.

Most noted sightings were from the last few years (which favors the view that the technology is terrestrial, as many nations are advancing in technology):

The report established five potential explanatory categories: airborne clutter, natural atmospheric phenomena, U.S. government or American industry developmental programs, foreign adversary systems and a catch-all “other” category.

Steve Gorman, “Watershed U.S. UFO report does not rule out extraterrestrial origin” at Reuters via Yahoo News (June 25, 2021)

“American industry developmental programs” is an interesting category. It means private industry is competing with the Pentagon but the Pentagon doesn’t know. The “catchall ‘other’ category” is, of course, extraterrestrials.

If the strange phenomena are the work of extraterrestrials, John Gertz says, at Scientific American, that they might actually be here now — as robotic probes. Given the magnitude of the universe, robotic probes would make more sense for exploration:

Relatively simple flyby probes might intermittently surveil nascent solar systems, for example, at 200-million-year intervals. Star systems with biogenic planets might be surveilled more often. Highly capable probes might be placed permanently in the vicinity of planets that have achieved multicellularity as indicated by their oxygen-rich atmospheres or other biosignatures.

John Gertz, “Maybe the Aliens Really Are Here” at Scientific American (June 21, 2021)

And now, a walk on the wild side:

However, when we do finally hear from a local probe, after it has decoded us, its transmissions may be in a terrestrial language. The ensuing dialogue will take place in near real time, as opposed to the painfully slow dialogue between ourselves and an alien civilization transmitting from a star at hundreds or thousands of light years distance. An alien probe need not reveal the location of its home base, obviating any danger to the progenitor civilization. A fully autonomous probe would be able to communicate with us even if its progenitor civilization is long extinct.

John Gertz, “Maybe the Aliens Really Are Here” at Scientific American (June 21, 2021)

So they are all dead but we can communicate with their intelligent AI? The idea practically screams to be a film! Don’t get the Pentagon involved. This is a job for artistic geniuses.

At least one study cited 29 comparatively near planets whose inhabitants could, in principle, be watching us. And at The Smithsonian Magazine, we have just been told (June 25, 2021) that there are 1700 solar systems in which, “if aliens exist, they can see Earth.”

So the biggest news turns out to be a change in attitude. That doesn’t add to or subtract from the evidence for extraterrestrial civilizations. It just means that we may be in a sounder position to evaluate the evidence.

You may also wish to read:

The UAPs (UFOs) are “not caused by any U.S. advanced technology.” And that’s all the Pentagon probably really knows. Some, including physicist Mark Buchanan, hope we never find out if it’s aliens or not. (June 19, 2026)