“There’s a fascinating frailty of the human mind that psychologists know all about, called “argument from ignorance.” This is how it goes. Remember what the “U” stands for in “UFO”? You see lights flashing in the sky. You’ve never seen anything like this before and don’t understand what it is. You say, “It’s a UFO!” The “U” stands for “unidentified.”But then you say, “I don’t know what it is; it must be aliens from outer space, visiting from another planet.” The issue here is that if you don’t know what something is, your interpretation of it should stop immediately. You don’t then say it must be X or Y or Z. That’s argument from ignorance. It’s common. I’m not blaming anybody; it may relate to our burning need to manufacture answers because we feel uncomfortable about being steeped in ignorance.”

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About Neil deGrasse Tyson

American astrophysicist and science communicator of the late 20th and early 21st centuries, he bridges complex cosmic concepts for broad audiences. His work on the Cosmos television series and public lectures makes astronomy accessible, while his writings and media appearances champion evidence-based reasoning and critical thinking.

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