A Stone’s Throw into the Universe
I consider myself a fairly well adjusted, quasi-educated, and usually rational person so when I tripped over a YouTube clip of Sergeant Clifford Stone’s press release claiming to have identified/classified 57 different alien species, my eyebrows went up.
Rationally, I considered the facts presented. He was a top-secret government employee. He is an educated man who appears to have all his facilities. He seemed to believe every word he spoke.
On the flip side, the clip was released in 2001 and I had never heard his claim before 2009. Could it be that I am not the savvy onliner or sci-fi junkie I once thought myself to be?
Hmm…
With that being said, I had to contemplate the topic. It rolled around in my head like a marble over a bumpy grid.
Life beyond Earth Little green men and real-life Aliens that Sigourney Weaver feared a possibility? Or could it be an obsessed attention seeker looking for his fifteen minutes of fame?
And, if they are out there, do you think they sit around and wonder if we exist too? Place bets and describe us as ugly versions of themselves?
Online you can trip over many interesting concepts and ideas. Ones that make you think, ones that cause you to roll your eyes, and ones that are easily closed out due to the outlandish nature of facts presented. Socan you really trust what you find on YouTube?
Still, the man had conviction!
Looking at it from another angle, I considered why our government had not squashed this story and the man who created it. Could it be that they knew he had proof to present to the curious public? Or was it more likely they thought it prudent to ignore him, as any attention might reinforce his point?
Hard to say. I am used to my government lying to me. That’s what they do. It’s in the small print, copy written, and they hold the patent. It’s an unspoken guarantee.
After much time spent staring at blank walls and pondering the possibilities, I will have to split it down the middle. It is the most logical conclusion.
Sergeant Stone might be looking for way to capitalize on his space-loving passions. He could be willing to add some creative flair to enhance his position. In today’s society, instant gratification is the key to increasing the public’s attention span. Without a bit of pizzazz, he could have feared it completely overlooked. What good is knowledge if it can’t be shared?
There is a great possibility that we are not alone in the universe. It is simply too big. To think we are alone in this great expanse seems too cocky and arrogant. With infinity surrounding us, endless places we’ve never known or explored, our education on the topic is rudimentary at best.
There is so much that we just don’t know, too much to rule out the possibility of life in other places. I’ll let the experts duke that one out.
57 species of alien life might seem a little crazy, but considering the old adage “Truth is stranger than fiction”, it may be right on the money.
But what do I know? I’m only human.
