Tyler Cowen, Columnist

The Real Government Conspiracy Isn’t About UFOs

Officials aren’t suppressing evidence that alien life forms exist, they’re just embarrassed to admit that they don't know.

This object has landed and been identified.

Photographer: Sam Yeh/AFP

Three months ago, following last summer’s congressional hearings on UFOs, the Pentagon’s All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office issued a 63-page report evaluating almost 80 years of evidence. Its conclusion — not altogether surprising, given the name of the office — can be summarized as follows: Not much to see here. Please move on.1

The Senate Intelligence Committee isn’t buying it. The Intelligence Authorization Act , which it passed last week, among other things calls for review of the All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office . The bill would also limit research into what are now called UAPs (for unidentified anomalous phenomena) unless Congress is informed and add whistleblower protections for anyone who might wish to step forward and speak their minds.