The era of “little green men” is over. We have moved past the campfire stories and blurry Polaroids into a new age of data-driven investigation. One thing is for sure, despite government, and increasingly corporate, secrecy, one thing is for sure: the universe is crowded, and humanity is far from the only tenant in this neighborhood.
There are more galaxies in the universe than there are grains of sand on earth. Each galaxy has an average 100 billion stars. In our home galaxy, there are as many as 400 billion stars, with an average two planets orbiting them, meaning that earthlike planets are fairly common in our neighbourhood. There could also be alternative universes and multiple dimensions. The cosmos is unfathomably large; even from a purely chance point of view, the likelihood of life existing only on earth is as tiny as the universe is large.
For those new to the controversial field of Ufology, the leap from “Are we alone?” to “which species are visiting us?” is a long one. But if we are to understand our place in the cosmos, we must look at the facts. It is quite likely we aren’t just being visited; we are under observation. To understand where these beings come from, you have to discard the idea that they all simply “flew here in a rocket.” The origins of the visitors generally fall into three categories. First are Extraterrestrials (ETs) who are biological entities from other star systems within our physical universe (e.g., Zeta Reticuli or the Pleiades). These are travelers of the “nuts and bolts” variety and, yes, they flew here.
Second are the interdimensional beings (IDs) that do not travel across space, but through it. They exist in dimensions parallel to our own, “sliding” into our perception like a needle through fabric. Think of them as aliens on a whole new unknown, perhaps unknowable, level. Third but not least, are Ultra-terrestrials: A more controversial theory suggests some “aliens” have been here as long as we have—hidden in our oceans or subterranean pockets—acting as silent stewards of the planet. It has been pointed out that Nasa is out investigating distant galaxies when humanity knows relatively little about the depths of the oceans and certain regions of Antarctica. The Americans went to the moon once – with spaceships powered by computers with less power than the average iPhone – and they have never been back even though the technology exists for safer, cheaper and faster moon missions. What did they see there?
There are reports of dozens of types of aliens, three primary groups dominate the more credible literature and eyewitness accounts. The Grays (The Ebens) are the iconic and most frequently reported aliens. Standing 3–5 feet tall with oversized heads and almond-shaped black eyes, they are often described as clinical, almost robotic. They are primarily associated with “abduction” phenomena. Many researchers believe they are biological drones or “bio-robots” created by a more advanced race to perform the heavy lifting of genetic sampling.
The Nordics (Pleiadians) are strikingly human in appearance—often tall, blonde, and athletic— and are frequently reported by “contactees” who claim to have received telepathic messages. Their presence is usually described as benevolent or paternal. They seem concerned with our nuclear proliferation and ecological stability, often warning that our technological “reach” is exceeding our moral “grasp.”
The Reptilians (Alpha Draconians) are the nasties of the alien lot; lizard-like with intense, predatory intelligence. Reports involving Reptilians are often heavy on power dynamics and control. Some ufologists argue they have influenced human history and hierarchies for millennia, operating from the shadows of our political and financial systems. If there is one class of aliens to steer away from, it is these lizards.
So, if these creatures are all over the place, why haven’t they rocked up to State House and politely asked to be taken to Mr Ruto? The answer lies in the Prime Directive logic: an advanced civilization has nothing to gain from a formal “hello” to a species that is still primitive and violent. Instead, their interaction is subtle, in the shadows and distant. It involves such things as nuclear disarmament; when they think we are about to hurt ourselves, they move in with restrained disgust to keep us safe. Countless military whistleblowers have documented UAPs (Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena) hovering over missile silos and remotely deactivating nuclear warheads. They are keeping the “children”, adamantly playing with matches, from setting their eyes on fire. Secondly, they exercise genetic Stewardship: The long-standing theory of “Ancient Astronauts” suggests that human DNA was seeded or manipulated by these visitors. If so, their interest in us is less “scientific curiosity” and more “inventory management.”
So is Ufology still a fringe hobby of long haired and saucer-eyed nuts, or is there more to it? Are we talking about our impending future, one in which aliens are an open and ever-present fixture of our lives? To answer this question, you inevitably have to take into consideration the size and scale of the universe and compute the likelihood of our being all alone, in the darkness. When you start talking about the scale of the cosmos, the numbers become so large they almost lose their meaning. To grasp how truly crowded the universe, we have to look at it in layers: the observable universe, the star systems within it, and the timeline of their birth.
The Galactic Inventory
Based on the very latest data, the census of the universe is staggering.
Galaxies: There are between 100 billion and 2 trillion galaxies in the observable universe. The higher estimate comes from deep-field surveys (counting tiny, faint galaxies), while the lower estimate focuses on more developed, visible structures.
Stars: Each galaxy, on average, contains about 100 billion stars. Doing the math, that places the total number of stars in the observable universe at roughly 10 to the power of 22 to 10 to the power of 24. That is more stars than there are grains of sand on every beach on Earth.
Planets: Statistically, almost every star has at least one planet. Current estimates suggest there are about 1.6 planets per star, bringing the planetary total to roughly 3.2 sextillion (3.2 times 10 to the power of 23 in the observable universe alone.
Systems Older Than Ours: The “Senior” Neighborhoods
Our Solar System is approximately 4.6 billion years old. While that sounds ancient, we are actually relatively late to the party. The universe itself is roughly 13.8 billion years old, meaning there were billions of years for star systems to form before our Sun was even a cloud of gas.
How many systems are older?
In our own galaxy, the Milky Way, we are actually on the “younger” side of the spectrum.
The 75% Rule: Research into the Galactic Habitable Zone (the region of the galaxy most likely to support life) suggests that 75% of the stars in that zone are older than our Sun.
The Head Start: On average, these stars are about 1 billion years older than the Sun.
Ancient Planets: Earth-like planets in our galaxy are estimated to be, on average, 1.8 billion years older than Earth.
If 75% of the systems in our neighborhood had a one-billion-year head start on us, the implications for Ufology are profound. Imagine where human technology will be in just 10,000 years, let alone a million or a billion. If we see UAPs (Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena) performing maneuvers that defy our understanding of physics, we aren’t necessarily looking at “magic”—we are likely looking at the technology of a civilization that reached our current level of development while the Earth was still a molten rock.
You do the mazmatik, cousin. Is Ufology the preoccupation of loonies in spandex or the serious study of our impending future?