AARO Historical Record Report Volume 1

39
Differences between 20th and 21st Century UAP Investigations
Decreased Public Trust
Polling data on public trust reflects Americans’ changing views over time. According to
the Pew Research Center, polling on this topic began in 1958, when about 75 percent of
Americans trusted the USG “to do the right thing almost always or most of the time.” Since
2007, however, that figure has not risen above 30 percent. This lack of trust probably has
contributed to the belief held by some subset of the U.S. population that the USG has not been
truthful regarding knowledge of extraterrestrial craft.128
Popular Culture
Though there were waves of public interest in UAP in popular culture during the Cold
War, especially during the 1950s, AARO assesses that UAP content in popular culture is more
pervasive now than ever. The speed of discovery, and the ubiquity of information available
through the internet on the topic is unprecedented. Frequent exposure to the topic though
traditional and social media has increased the number of Americans who believe that UAP are of
extraterrestrial origin, based on a 2021 Gallup poll.129
Aside from hoaxes and forgeries, misinformation and disinformation is more prevalent
and easier to disseminate now than ever before, especially with today’s advanced photo, video,
and computer generated imagery tools. Internet search and content recommendation algorithms
serve to reinforce individuals’ preconceptions and confirmation biases just as much as to help
educate and inform.
SECTION VIII: Testing and Development of U.S. National Security and Space Programs
Most Likely Accounted for Some Portion of UAP Sightings
Summary
We assess that the majority of UAP sightings in the earlier decades of UAP investigations
were the result of misidentification of ordinary phenomena and objects, based on AARO’s
findings of its own cases to date and the findings of all past investigatory efforts. However, we
assess that some portion of these misidentifications almost certainly were a result of the surge in
new technologies that observers would have understandably reported as UFOs.
Along with these systems, a broad and varying technology industry emerged along with a
network of highly secretive national laboratories across the United States to support these efforts.
AARO’s review of Project BLUE BOOK cases shows a spike in reported UAP sightings from
1952-1957 and another spike in 1960.130 These reporting spikes most likely are attributed to
observers unknowingly having witnessed new technological advancements and testing and
reporting them as UFOs. The below examples represent formerly classified and sensitive
programs that involved thousands of test flights, rocket launches, and extensive experimentation
which AARO assess most likely were the cause of many UAP reports. AARO assesses that this
common and understandable occurrence—the misidentification of new technologies for UAP—