Social Intelligence About Anomalies: The Case of UFOs

Abstract

In recent years, there has been considerable public interest in the possible existence of certain controversial anomalies and their implications. These anomalies include the Loch Ness Monster, the Abominable Snowman and his American Relative the 'Bigfoot', and Unidentified Flying Objects. The interest in anomalies has accompanied a revival of interest in the occult1 and in certain scientific fringe theories such as those of Immanuel Velikovsky.2 The public has turned to scientists in many of the cases to validate or debunk the claims made by advocates of anomalies, occult beliefs, and fringe theories. Scientists in turn, alarmed by the rise of these types of interests, have attempted to deny legitimacy to these claims on various grounds.3 This debunking posture on the part of scientists now seems so natural that scientists who become anomaly advocates appear somewhat anomalous themselves.4 The general debunking posture requires explanation, since one cannot simply assume that because scientists are the representatives of truth, they naturally resist such 'error' however appealing this ideology might be to members of the scientific community. The explanation can be sought in two sets of factors, which one might Call 'the interests of the scientific community' and 'the logic of scientific belief', respectively.5 The first set of factors will not be discussed at any length here, although the author plans to do so in a later work.6 For the moment, let us simply observe that the popularity of beliefs and belief systems which conflict with those