{
  "id": 17616242,
  "title": "Is the truth really out there? Studying UAP sightings",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/01/is-the-truth-really-out-there-studying-uap-sightings",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-01T14:28:02.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "CBS News",
    "slug": "cbs-news",
    "url": "https://www.cbsnews.com/news/is-the-truth-really-out-there-studying-uap-sightings/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In May 1950, Evelyn Trent, a farmer, reported seeing a slow-moving, metallic disk-shaped object hovering above her farm. Her sighting was part of a wave of unexplained events that ignited America's first UFO craze. At the McMenamins UFO Festival in McMinnville, Ore., attendees discussed various theories, including the possibility of time travelers or beings from alternate dimensions. A CBS News Poll indicated that nearly one in five Americans (17%) has reported seeing a UFO, fueling the surge in podcasts, documentaries, and interest in the subject. UFOs are now known as Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAPs) by scientists.\n\nMatthew Szydagis, a physics professor at the State University of New York at Albany, believes that some UFOs or UAPs could be evidence of non-human intelligence. He considers this discovery the greatest in human history, despite the need for extraordinary evidence to support such claims. Szydagis is part of a new Scientific Advisory Council, established by the Trump Administration, to investigate UAPs. Harvard professor Avi Loeb leads the council, emphasizing the importance of identifying mysterious objects and helping the Pentagon and intelligence community understand their origins.\n\nFormer U.S. Navy pilot Ryan Graves, who encountered a UAP during a training mission, shared his experience with Congress in 2023. He described a dark grey or black cube within a clear sphere that approached within 50 feet of his aircraft. Graves now participates in the Advisory Council, striving to uncover the truth behind these encounters. The council has received numerous first-person accounts, photographs, and videos, but Graves believes the released evidence is insufficient for a thorough investigation. According to Loeb, obtaining high-quality data requires significant effort, and the government must invest in gathering more conclusive evidence to support their claims. Concerns have arisen over the possibility of government possession of recovered UFOs and potential biological findings, further fueling speculation and skepticism within the UFO community.",
  "summary": "Seven decades after the first reported sightings of Unidentified Flying Objects, a scientific council is investigating records and video released by the government of Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAPs), to possibly answer the question: Are we alone?",
  "key_points": [
    "In May 1950, Evelyn Trent reported seeing a metallic disk-shaped object above her farm.",
    "17% of Americans have reported seeing a UFO, according to a CBS News Poll.",
    "A new Scientific Advisory Council, led by Harvard professor Avi Loeb, investigates UAPs."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}