Interest in unidentified aerial phenomena (UAPs), the new term for UFOs, reignited in June 2023 when ex-US intelligence agency whistleblower David Grusch told the Debrief website that during his official duties he had discovered the US had indeed been retrieving spacecraft of non-human origin for decades. The claims led to a congressional hearing, in which Grusch and others described what they had gleaned of this super-secret project, or seen with their own eyes during military service. Their testimonies resulted in the new Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Disclosure Act, authored by a bipartisan group of five elected representatives, led by Democrat majority leader Chuck Schumer and Republican senator Mike Rounds.
While it is easy to focus on the extraordinary nature of the subject or the credibility of those witnessing UAPs, the prospect of alien spacecraft raises serious issues that go beyond whether we're alone in the universe. Lots of scientific work is under way not only to look for signs of extraterrestrial life, but more recently to ask what it would mean psychologically for us if aliens really do exist, and - potentially worse - if the authorities have been lying to us about what they know.
When it comes to governments, the primary issue is trust. As Republican congressman Glenn Grothman of Wisconsin explained in his opening remarks on 26 July: "The lack of [government] transparency regarding UAPs has fuelled wild speculation and debate for decades, eroding public trust in the very institutions that are meant to serve and protect them."
The Disclosure Act was meant to restore public trust and assure Congress that secret projects were not taking place beyond its oversight....<<<Read More>>>....