Letter: Why space junk may explain UFO sightings

Lex reports that UFO sightings have increased dramatically, and concludes that this may be in large part explained by mass hysteria; a not unreasonable hypothesis in a nation that was once upon a time paralysed by Orson Welles’ radio play of War of the Worlds (“UFOs: close encounters of the statistical kind”, Lex, May 28).

Then again, Lex writes, there just might be something to it, like a “breakthrough technology developed by foreign adversaries”. Now, who would be the usual suspects?

Russia? Its military’s performance in Ukraine doesn’t make it a likely candidate. China? Last time I checked, it was busy with a nationwide Covid lockdown. North Korea? Donald Trump visited there a few years back; I’ll bet he has an opinion and he’d just love to share it.

More probable is that the UFOs are bits and pieces of the 10,000 or so satellites shot heavenwards since that poor little stray dog, Laika, was sacrificed back in 1957. An awful lot of this space junk is boomeranged right back at the terrestrial litterbugs who did the unauthorised dumping.

Lex dismisses the little green men from outer space with a sneer. Fine. But what if some extraterrestrial visitors have indeed decided to tidy things up on Mother Earth? After all, the planet has potential.

Job one would be to eliminate the human population. I mean, they’ve made such a mess of things.

Harvey Clark Greisman
Wilmington, DE, US