Lighting Up UFOS

- 1 February 1997

A conversation off the Skeptics newsgroup.

First writer: How many UFO believers does it take to change a lightbulb?

• none — lights in the sky are alien craft, and skeptical talk of white hot tungsten filaments is typical fringe debunkery.
• four — one to change the bulb in the model, one to hold the camera, one to shake it so the photo is blurred, one to call the press conference.

Second writer: So how many UFO debunkers does it take to change a light bulb?

Twenty-two:

• Two to determine that there is sufficient evidence that the bulb is no longer shining.
• Two to replicate the observations that there does indeed appear to be an absence of illumination.
• Two to recommend that they must test the hypothesis that bulb replacement will result in a renewed source of light.
• Two to explain why bulb replacement will result in a renewed source of light.
• One to actually do the physical changing.
• Six teams of four apiece to replicate the bulb changing under controlled conditions.
• Six referees at two peer-reviewed journals who will review the bulb-changing findings for publication.
• One debunker to note that the entire event was _anecdotal and may not have ever happened; and even if it did happen, the bulb-changing may hav_e contained an undetected flaw.