Concept of Religion, Science and Conspiracy on Extraterrestrials

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Summary and Synthesis Essay
Concept of Religion, Science and Conspiracy on Extraterrestrials
The existence of extraterrestrials is a divisive topic. The critical question is, to which extent does religion, science, skepticism, and conspiracies explain, support, or disapprove the phenomenon of extraterrestrials? Shermer (129-134) provides us with a glimpse of skepticism and science’s roles in shaping beliefs, which also applies to extraterrestrials. Shermer elaborately argues that any notion, whether scientific or not, should be treated with skepticism. Irving and Brookesmith (115-117) argue the issue of extraterrestrials may be an art of hoax and maybe lacking evidence, but its allure is quite astonishing and magical. Professor Diana Pasulka dismissed the existence of extraterrestrials but extrapolated the relationships between religion and science and U.F.O. s (Illing, 123-128). Heaney (141-141) believes unidentified flying objects or extraterrestrials are not real, are just for fun, and there are ‘there’ to create uniqueness. This paper will summarize and synthesize critical arguments from the four authors. In the whole argument, there is overarching evidence that supports skepticism towards the existence of aliens or extraterrestrials.
In the article, A skeptical manifesto, Shermer (129-134) raises valid concerns on skepticism and science. Shermer weaves series of stories that were unproven and fallacious, yet they were being fronted as scientific and credible. Skepticism is becoming a modern form of science that is geared towards challenging existing beliefs such as U.F.O.s. Shermer argues that being skeptic means that one can challenge the validity of a particular claim by calling for evidence to prove or disprove given stands (Shermer, 131). We need to call for evidence regarding U.F.O.s. We further know no substance evidenced has been advanced to support aliens. So what is the connection between science and skepticism? Skepticism is part of science because being skeptic means that one can formulate ways that describe and interpret an observed phenomenon like the existence of U.F.O.s, with an aim at nurturing a testable body of knowledge that is exposed to confirmation or rejection. As a result, the concept of extraterrestrials must be scrutinized through science but taking into account how education, culture, biases, and religion impact scientific perspectives on aliens.
In Crop Circles, Irving and Brookesmith (115) view the phenomenon of extraterrestrials as a hoax or prank. Plausible arguments regarding aliens have not achieved. What is available may constitute loosely advanced beliefs and hoaxes. But the motivation factor is unknown; the aim of such hoaxes is just mysterious. In a wheat field in Wiltshire, in 1976, Doug Bower and his co-conspirator Dave Chorley created a representation called ‘flying saucer nest’ in a wheat field, but they did not know that it would later turn into a cultural phenomenon, which reflects alien bodies(Irving and Brookesmith, 115). This observation becomes a gist of what Irving and Brookesmith discussed. Doug Bower and his co-conspirator Dave Chorley's story, which is not proven, h...