Folks love to speculate about life on other planets, have aliens visited Earth, and UFOs in general. Science fiction movies are more popular than ever. Has the sci-fi caused more interest and reporting of possible contacts with ET's, or is it the other way around? You will have to make up your mind about this.

Is there life on other planets?

I think we can be certain that there is life on other planets. There may not be any life as we know and recognize it on the other planets in our own solar system, but I believe it would be foolish to think that we have the only place in the Universe suitable for life. With the incredible number of stars in the sky, it is hard for me to believe that there are no other planets out there that have fostered some form of life ( if not species just like us ). When you start thinking about the mathematics involved it becomes more than a just a possibility that life exists out there in the stars. I believe it is not even probable, but a certainty that the Universe is " alive " with other races ( all probably asking the same questions we mull over ). The question of life on other planets in our own solar system will undoubtedly be answered in the near future, though maybe not in our lifetime. The question of life outside our solar system will probably take a bit longer to answer because of the great distances involved. And that brings me to the next question...

Have Aliens Visited Earth?

My brother used to say that it was impossible, quoting Einstein's theory of relativity and the time involved in crossing the immense distances between stars that were in the correct stage of developement to have habitable Earth-type planets. He used the same argument that UFOs were terrestrial phenomena and not extraterrestrial in nature. I pretty much swallowed this argument when I was a kid. Now, after years of reading and watching science fiction, it kind of makes me think there could be a way to get around E=MC2. Okay, see; sci-fi has influenced my view over the years! I got so interested by books like the " Chariots of The Gods " series that I had to go see some of the ancient monuments and read the Bible passages myself, etc. Well, after seeing this stuff myself, I concluded that it was all open to one's own interpretation. Personally, I thought it was all a bunch of hype to sell books or fund research ( after carefully looking at what I could with my own eyes; nothing like seeing it for yourself in person ). Sorry if I have offended any religious folks out there, but I did find the Bible interesting reading.

Are U.F.O.s real?

Of course they are real. If folks are seeing them, that makes them real. But, are they extraterrestrial space craft? That's a different story. My sci-fi streak wants to say they are aliens interested in us ( would you be interested in a backward planet like ours if you were an alien? ). Man, I would want to blow this rock for greener pastures, if I came here from out there some place. Well, unless I'd " rather rule in hell than serve in heaven " like the guy from Dante's Inferno; because certainly anyone capable of extraterrestrial travel could be running this place after no time at all! Anyway, atmospheric phenomenon, secret government aircraft, or extraterrestrials...you make the call; but they are REAL.

Food for thought.

If aliens do show up are they going to be naughty or nice? Will they be Klingon-like warriors bent on conquering our pitiful planet? Will they be harmless like E.T. ? Will they be helpful or authoritarian like Klaatu from The Day The Earth Stood Still? Is there some conspiracy ala' The X-Files? People always seem to use the word " alien " when referring to possible extraterrestrial visitors; what if " they " were human beings from another planet? Would they still be aliens?

Lastly

If there is life in outer space, UFOs are real, and aliens have visited the Earth; then I believe they were robotic spacecraft like our interplanetary space probes. It's not so hard to imagine that one; it takes the time factor out of the equation!

- Bongo ( to be continued... )