◆ SpookStack

throughout the decades during which these phenomena have occurred, the secret would have inevitably come out, especially if the political upheavals of recent years are taken into account. 8.3.3 Disinformation Attempts Into this category fall special effects and montages, which are generally accompanied by a lot of media publicity. Some researchers believe that without necessarily lending themselves to the manufacture of ultramodern weapons, the performances of high-tech craft might serve to brainwash public opinion in the same way as other propaganda techniques. Of course, this point of view is a direct result of the cold war period. Any means were good at that time for destabilizing the other camp, including fear of an invasion by extraterrestrials or the instilling of doubt about leaders “who hide something manifestly very serious from us.” This type of hypothesis is even less satisfying than the preceding ones because it runs up against the objections to each of those. 8.3.4 Holographic Images At the junction between disinformation attempts and extraterrestrial hypotheses lies the technique of holographic images, whether they be the work of a superpower or extraterrestrial crews. In actual fact, this technique is difficult to employ. It requires considerable preparation because air is very transparent and diffuses light only very poorly. Therefore it is necessary to have large equipment covering the optical field used or at least to project an appropriate screen on it, for example, a film of water. The first method corresponds to theoretical holographic images, while the second is simpler and is frequently used for spectacular effects, but it obviously leaves traces behind... We can also envision using clouds or a curtain of rain, but this, of course, poses multiple hazards. Without necessarily being able to judge them at present, the method of holographic images and associated methods have only very limited use. 8.3.5 Unknown Natural Phenomena This hypothesis cannot be ruled out completely and must therefore be cited. However, it is difficult to support in cases where the UFO sighted behaves in an apparently intelligent manner (approach, pursuit, evasion, and escape maneuvers, etc.). 8.3.6 Extraterrestrial Hypotheses A large number of people today are convinced that UFOs are piloted by intelligent beings who have come from a very remote part of the universe and are tasked with watching us and even initiating contact with us. As appealing as they may be, these hypotheses run up against all sorts of huge difficulties. The hypothetical Martians only recently disappeared from the realm of possibility, and apart from earth, the solar system appears to be totally unable to have produced organized life and even more unable to have produced an advanced civilization. It is therefore necessary to look farther, to the stars, but the closest star is already one hundred million times further away than the moon. The only contacts that we may try to establish from such distances at present are radio