Somewhere in Las Vegas, there's a warehouse containing debris from UFOs
Let's be clear: "U.F.O." is an acronym for "unidentified flying object." It doesn't necessarily mean aliens.
But it also might mean aliens. Sorry, Miriam.
A Saturday report in the New York Times lays out the details of a secret, Defense Department-funded "Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program," formed to investigate UFO reports. Among the more sensational details is the revelation that a number of buildings in Las Vegas were modified to house "metal alloys and other materials ... from unidentified aerial phenomena."
It's a seemingly minor detail in a much larger story about a program that was established in 2007 under the guidance of then-Senate majority leader Harry Reid. The Nevada Democrat turned an interest in space phenomena into a DoD-funded $22 million investigation.
Reid confirmed the existence of the program, as did Pentagon officials, though the latter claim that the program ended in 2012.
"It was determined that there were other, higher priority issues that merited funding, and it was in the best interest of the DoD to make a change," Pentagon spokesperson Thomas Crosson told the Times.
Still, the Pentagon's engagement here is a big surprise: This is one of the few times -- if not the first -- that an arm of the U.S. government confirmed the existence of a modern program designed to look into extraterrestrial events.
The Las Vegas storage location(s) were constructed by Robert Bigelow, a friend of Reid's and a NASA contractor who is currently working with the aerospace and aeronautics research agency on human habitats for outer space. The Times writes:
Under Mr. Bigelow’s direction, the company modified buildings in Las Vegas for the storage of metal alloys and other materials that Mr. Elizondo and program contractors said had been recovered from unidentified aerial phenomena. Researchers also studied people who said they had experienced physical effects from encounters with the objects and examined them for any physiological changes. In addition, researchers spoke to military service members who had reported sightings of strange aircraft.
Although the Pentagon confirms that funding for the program came to an end in 2012, former military intelligence official and program administrator Luis Elizondo claims that research efforts continue.
The Times unearthed a great deal more information about this program and its beginnings, supporters, and operations. Definitely give that story a look if you're interested in learning more. (This is about UFOs, folks: Are any of you not interested in learning more?)
Adam Rosenberg is a Senior Games Reporter for Mashable, where he plays all the games. Every single one. From AAA blockbusters to indie darlings to mobile favorites and browser-based oddities, he consumes as much as he can, whenever he can.Adam brings more than a decade of experience working in the space to the Mashable Games team. He previously headed up all games coverage at Digital Trends, and prior to that was a long-time, full-time freelancer, writing for a diverse lineup of outlets that includes Rolling Stone, MTV, G4, Joystiq, IGN, Official Xbox Magazine, EGM, 1UP, UGO and others.Born and raised in the beautiful suburbs of New York, Adam has spent his life in and around the city. He's a New York University graduate with a double major in Journalism and Cinema Studios. He's also a certified audio engineer. Currently, Adam resides in Crown Heights with his dog and his partner's two cats. He's a lover of fine food, adorable animals, video games, all things geeky and shiny gadgets.
