Vaguely Egg Shaped

"This week join Cristina as she discusses Project Sign! We also learn what boosted the science fiction of the time and where the term for UFO probably came from. Remember everyone to be safe, wear a mask and go out and vote!"

Presented by: Cristina
Category: Extraterrestrial

In 1947, Kenneth Arnold made his famous UFO sighting while flying over Mt. Rainer is Washington. This coined the term "flying saucer" and led to a UFO craze where many more people called in reports. At the time, the Cold War was just beginning, and so the U.S. government took these reports seriously. Under the belief that these object could only be alien or foreign (most likely Russian), the started Project Sign to investigate.

Project Sign looked into every UFO report they could, but in most cases didn't investigate beyond, "Is it Russian? No? Good." In fairness to them, their mission was hampered by the branches of the U.S. military not communicating with each other and in some cases, actively keep secrets. In at least one occasion, the reported UFO was revealed to be a genuine weather balloon a year later when the people tracking it finally got around to telling them.

Project Sign officially ended, but similar programs replaced it such as Project Bluebook.

Takeaway: UFOs being ridiculed is linked to the AIr Force's incompetence.

Trivia

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