Britain Quits UFO Game

The United Kingdom's Ministry of Defence has announced it's closing down a 50-year-old project to investigate UFO sightings. (No, not these guys.) The justification is that the program hasn't accomplished anything, it costs money better used on other things, and (unstated but probably most important) it's a bit silly.

While I understand the reasoning, and approve of anything which makes paranormal crackpots froth at the mouth (which this is bound to accomplish), I have to say that I wish the British weren't doing this.

Why? Because in both military planning and scientific research the really interesting stuff is the things you don't expect. Sure, those reports of lights in the sky and flying saucers are almost always normal airplanes, or hallucinations, or pranks. But it's still worth checking out. If 9,999 reports are mistakes or hoaxes but the 10,000th is even something as mundane as a small plane smuggling heroin, then its worthwhile. In an age when the primary international danger is terrorism, I think it's odd for the MoD to decide they're perfectly safe watching the skies for conventional military attacks.

Ah, well. In my opinion this just means the British are getting complacent because they know The Doctor will always be around to bail them out. The Brigadier would be spinning in his grave.