The UFO Conspiracy
by Jared Earles

	September 26 and 27 noted astronomer Richard C. Hoagland was in Seattle for a two-day conference on the origins of the universe, discoveries dealing with comets, and most notably the existence of extra-terrestrial life on Mars. Hoagland held the position of Curator of Astronomy and Space Science at the Springfield Museum of Science, has contributed to many scientific journals, and received the Angstrom Medal for excellence in science in 1993. Why does he believe that there is or was life on Mars?
	In 1976, the Viking mission to Mars uncovered an area of Mars called Cydonia. This is the sight of several controversial structures such as the pyramid of Mars and the "face." In 1989, Richard Hoagland and Erol O. Torun co-authored a paper named "The 'Message of Cydonia': First Communication from an Extraterrestrial Civilization?" The paper explained the continual occurrences of mathematical constants and their relation in the structure of Cydonia. The paper concludes that the relationship between the structures is often in the ratio of e/pi. Therefore, the structures present on Cydonia, according to Hoagland, are a mathematical message from the Martians suggesting the existence of hyperdimensional physics (the belief that more than one dimension exists and there are gateways between dimensions. Also note that Hoagland gives a more lengthy explanation). 
	Hoagland further explains the NASA cover-up of these dramatic findings in his book The Monuments of Mars: A City on the Edge of Forever. He argues that NASA has given the public false and misleading information. His critiques were confirmed by the 1993 McDaniel Report. McDaniel explains: "Instead of carrying out legitimate scientific inquiry, NASA has regularly sent false and misleading statements regarding landforms to members of Congress and their constituents." (McDaniel, 19) This raises an interesting question: why would NASA discredit, lie about, and cover up the existence of Cydonian structures if they had no relevance?
	The answer has significance to all of us. Hoagland, in Monuments of Mars, lays out a timeline for what he calls "first contact." He predicts that in 1998-2000, NASA will finally come clean to the American people, and reveal knowledge of either former or current life on Mars. He argues the by the year 2002, we will travel, utilizing hyper-dimensional physics.
The answer to the question may be that the structures do have relevance. NASA can only mask that for so long. Society must be prepared for the possible reality of contact with extra-terrestrials. Are we accepting enough to welcome an entirely new species? Are we, as UPS students-receiving a prestigious liberal arts education, prepared to live in an increasingly diverse world? It's time for us to stop viewing UFOs as a grocery store tabloid headline, and recognizing the enormous impact the possibility of extra-terrestrial life can have on our society.