When fruit flies flip out UFO report: No sign of aliens but . . .
Humans and fruit flies may seem dissimilar in almost every regard, but research has found we have at least one thing in common — we both get hangry.
When scientists trapped fruit flies and deprived them of nutrition, they found they became aggressive and started fighting with one another.
The researchers also observed that the longer the flies were hungry, the more combative they became, until 24 hours passed, at which point their behaviour steadied.
Dr Jen Perry, senior author from the University of East Anglia’s School of Biological Sciences, said: “On the one hand, going hungry might lead to a weakened state, such that hungry individuals are less likely to win fights and so they display aggression less often.
“On the other, hungry individuals might be more motivated to fight to compete for food, leading to displays of aggression or ‘hanger’.
“The hungrier they get, the more combativeness they display.”
The study is published in Animal Behaviour.
Whatever or whoever they are, they’re still out there. US intelligence is after them, but its upcoming report won’t deliver any full or final truth about UFOs.
The tantalising prospect of top government intel finally weighing in — after decades of conspiracy theories, TV shows, movies and winking jokes by American presidents — will instead yield a more mundane reality that’s not likely to change many minds.
Investigators have found no evidence the sightings are linked to aliens — but can’t deny a link either. Two officials briefed on the report due to Congress later this month say the US government cannot give a definitive explanation of aerial phenomena spotted by military pilots.
The report also doesn’t rule out that what pilots have seen may be new technologies developed by other countries. One of the officials said there is no indication they are from secret US programmes.
The report examines multiple sightings from recent years that in some cases have been captured on video of pilots exclaiming about objects flying in front of them.
Congress in December required the Director of National Intelligence to summarise and report on the US government’s knowledge of unidentified aerial phenomena, or UAPs — better known to the public as UFOs. The effort has included a Defense Department UAP task force established last year.
White House Press Secretary Jen
Psaki, when asked about the report, said of the question at first, “It’s always a little wacky on Fridays” but added, “I will say that we take reports of incursions into our airspace by any aircraft — identified or unidentified — very seriously and investigate each one.”
But the report’s lack of firm conclusions will likely disappoint, given many Americans’ longstanding fascination with UFOs and the prospect of aliens having reached humankind.