Ask Mike: Area 51
Hey Guys,
I love a good conspiracy theory as much as the next paranoid nutcase. And, if you ask me, few conspiracy theories are as juicy as Area 51. That’s the infamous location believed to be near Roswell, New Mexico, (but is actually located closer to Las Vegas, Nevada) where many believe the U.S. government has proof that UFOs exist.
Like all good conspiracy theories, the lack of definitive evidence is beside the point. After all, if there was proof, there wouldn’t be a conspiracy, right? No, what’s cool about Area 51 are the theories and explanations. Heck, even the name “Area 51″ is bit steeped in secrecy.
According to HowStuffWorks.com, one theory surrounding the name “Area 51″ is more popular than the rest. The facility apparently borders the Nevada Test Site (NTS), a testing ground for atomic bombs. The NTS divided this land into a grid, numbered one to 30. The theory states that Area 51 (while not part of the actual grid), borders on Area 15. “Many say the site got the name Area 51 by transposing the 1 and 5 of its neighbor.” Side note: not everybody called it Area 51. Some higher-ups called it “Paradise Ranch” in an effort to make it sound more appealing to military employees who didn’t want to leave their families for weeks at a time.
The debate over Area 51 started back in 1947 after “something” crashed near Roswell. In the years since, news agencies like the Los Angeles Times and ABC have interviewed former employees about what really went down. One ex-engineer, Thornton “T.D.” Barnes, used to work on spy planes, one of which traveled at 2,000 mph. As it zoomed through the sky, the plane would cause light flashes. He believes that’s how the rumors of E.T. and ALF living at Area 51 got their start.
What do you guys think about Area 51 and aliens? Is the government hiding something? Personally, I have my doubts. I just don’t think the government would be able to keep a big secret for so long. Disagree? Feel free to write a comment below.
Thanks for reading,
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Area 51 is a nickname for a military base that is located in the southern portion of Nevada in the western United States, 83 miles (133 km) north-northwest of downtown Las Vegas.
Roswell, NM is over 13 hours from Area 51.
You’re about as authoritative as a wikipedia.
Hey Mike,
I have to agree with you for the most part. Our government is great at keeping things secret [as evidenced by the Cold War] but I would think that now, especially in “The Information Age” any kind of secret, government or otherwise would be exposed through our vast media outlets. Also, it’s kind of naive to think that any kind of “alien technologies” that were superior to our own would not have made their way into various outlets in terms of national defense, communications or some other type of technological outlet. Still, it’s an interesting thing to talk about and, if nothing else, gives alien afficianados and conspiracy theorists a fun place to visit because of all the bizarre souvenir shops and restaurants located in and around Roswell.
They were using Area 51 to conduct sound channel tests during the war. If the Soviets didn’t know it would be a game changing discovery for the US. It wasn’t a weather balloon, it was a testing device.
There’s a physics professor at Berekley with a great lecture about this.
Hey Mike,
As you can see, my name is also Mike! and I too, highly doubt that there are actually ALIENS at Area 51. I would really love to believe that there was, because not only would it make life more interesting, but it would also prove to me (and many others, obviously) that we were not alone and that there was a very good chance that our technology would be accelerated at an amazing rate to create, possibly, a “New Renaissance”.
With all the evidence, it is still a highly debated subject, so I don’t expect that my comment to change anything, but I believe that Drake’s equation is right, and that the self demolition variable never comes into play. Meaning that there is probably thousands of intelligent life forms out there waiting to be discovered. Or possibly, there are thousands, that already have been discovered.
-Mike
15, Canada
I think its just a facility where they make and test planes like the Sr-71 blackbird or the B2 stealth bomber, which were made there. Would you want some spy coming in and using your plans against you?
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Well, most opinions on Area 51 and conspiracies of the government hiding an alien from us would have to be based on religion for the most part.
For instance, if you are a Christian, you believe in God, and Jesus Christ, perhaps Adam & Eve, stuff like that. If you do believe in that stuff, you most likely believe God created Earth. There is only one God according to Christians. Well, then say there’s one God. And guess what, God created OUR world, so therefore aliens can’t exist, no other planet or star can have life forms on it.
HOWEVER…
If you are not necessarily a Christian, maybe you believe in EVOLUTION, because we have proof of it(such as bones, fossils, skeletons, DNA, caveman hieroglyphics, and old weapons such as arrows with sharpened obsidian tips). If you follow evolution theories (AKA History), then you believe in the Big Bang (theory which explains how the universe originated). If you believe in the Big Bang, you believe in actual evidence, such as the stars at night that we’ve ALL seen , Planets we see, Galaxies that we’ve seen, and bigger and bigger galaxies engulfing smaller galaxies!
And you most likely even believe in Black Holes, which are: [[Definition in my own words]] – “giant masses of concentrated forces of enormous gravitational pull so extreme that NOTHING — not even light — CAN ESCAPE!”
Now, if you believe in this, or don’t even know about it you just have common sense, you can almost certainly guarantee there are billions and trillions of other planets and galaxies similar to ours, some bigger & some smaller. You can assume that just by observing the night time sky when no clouds are present.
Now, could it be that Human could have an unknown ancestor or extra terrestrial “alien” life form from other planets? Now whether or not you’re Christian, there’s no such thing! It CAN’T be possible. Reason for this:
If you’re Christian: the Holy Bible did not mention Adam & Eve’s brothers and sisters which were dropped off on another giant rock circling the sun with an atmosphere so perfectly inhabitable as Earth’s and a surface which contains plenty of natural resources such as water and oil and trees, even lava; all of which can support life.
If you believe in Evolution: Humans can’t have a related life form on a different planet, because scientific studies show that our planet is the one with the perfect atmosphere and other resources (as mentioned above) required to maintain life. BUT, you also know that Earth was not always how we know it today. We’ve had Ice Ages, where all life struggled to survive, and had to adapt to the extreme cold, and then there was the time of the dinosaurs, during which all the living things on Earth had weird “alien-like” features which helped them stay alive. And then a giant rock hit the Earth, and messed up everything! After that, life slowly started coming back, little by little, evolving from sea water creatures to whales to…. well, human (skipped the Neanderthal era).
With that said Mike, what do you think seems more realistic? God, or evolution? Assuming you choose evolution, then alien life form is definitely possible. What are the chances that we’re the ONLY planet in the vast universe that sustains life? I do definitely believe in alien life forms, don’t get me wrong. I am also fascinated with Area 51, and Roswell, New Mexico.
However, the chances of the government holding the corpse of an alien is pretty slim. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not supporting the government, nor am I saying they’re not capable. But, realistically, you would expect SOMEONE in the world would spill the beans. All it takes is for a guy who examines the alien there tells his fascinated daughter the facts, and she obviously won’t believe him. So therefore, he’d probably take a picture home to her. Stunned beyond belief, this man’s daughter would go tell her friends and relatives about this and then it would end up on the internet, pretty much like it is now… Only there would be evidence. More than one picture would be obtained, because there’s no way the government had already built security guard control to the extent that it is at now, and people would definitely sneak in to the facility and snap a picture or two, run home and post them online. Be honest here…
And as far as I’m concerned (and trust me, I’ve read hundreds of pages about it, and watched dozens of documentaries/myths about it), Area 51 is just a US. Government protected Top Secret Military Base of Operations. And based on evidence gathered, their main mission is to build the leader in state-of-the-art hi-tech stealth crafts. So I definitely don’t believe Area 51 has a hidden Alien, and all the “weird lights” people report around Area 51 are simply the lights on the stealth crafts, such as LANDING LIGHTS???
As far as Roswell, I have looked into that quite a bit and what I believe (based on evidence, not conspiracy) is that the so-called “alien space craft” which crash landed there was simply a weather balloon. Only ONE person was there first, and that one person who was there is the only one who could convince us that there was an alien in the crash. But that one person never said anything. People who are so into science fiction movies and UFOs probably saw the light reflected off of whatever crashed, and their hopes were up that it actually was an alien. So they are the ones who feel that the person who got there first is magical and got the alien to a safe spot before investigators got involved.
It’s also preposterous to believe that a human being was sitting on his porch at night, saw a UFO crash in the woods a few miles away from his house, jumped in his truck, arrived to the scene first, and came prepared with the necessary safety equipment required to pick up an Alien body, transfer it in to his truck, and leave the scene without getting spotted. Someone would see his tracks, and k-9 units would be able to track down the scent of an Alien too. All it would have to do is follow the scent that the Alien put off. And once that happens, the secret would be revealed, and there would be no conspiracy. The news coverage would be all over it, and everyone could find pictures of an alien on a random website for free.
So Mike, I hope that could help you make up your mind on whether or not the government is indeed hiding a secret. =)
(I don’t even know how long it took to type this…)
Area 51 is almost 1000 miles from Roswell.
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personally, I think that there ARE some things that we are clueless about. I think that there are extra terrestrials in the universe, but they haven’t visited earth, because, why? if there is other life, than there must be more interesting life than us! I think that the government is testing things there, why else do they have a 5 mile long runway? or 20 small hanger bays, 5 big ones, and several underground bunkers? they are doing something there, but NOT with aliens
Area 51 is located on an old lakebed near Fallon,Nevada, not New Mexico. The area is noted for UFO sightings presumably because it was the test site for the development of the stealth aircraft now being used by the military. Hopefully they are progressing on the next evolution so that our freedom can be protected.
Mike, It’s “steeped” not “stooped.” One steeps tea by letting it sit for a couple minutes with the tea leaves in the water in the pot. “Stooped” meaning bent over was pronounced as two syllables in the old days, and thus got mixed up with “stupid” which sounds nearly identical.
Area 51 was closed some time ago because of pollution. The object that crashed was a weather balloon, identified as such by a fellow who worked on some oddball project using them. Roswell seized on the opportunity to create a tourist attraction, there being almost no other visible means of support for the community. That helped to make the ufo/alien thing a minor industry.
“And, if you ask me, few conspiracy theories are as juicy as Area 51. That’s the infamous location near Roswell, New Mexico…”
The Nevada Test Site is about 875 miles from Roswell, New Mexico. “Near” is a subjective term, I suppose.
Mike, Area 51 is no where near Roswell, its north of Las Vegas in Nevada.
Area 51 is outside Las Vegas, not Roswell
Say what you want about Area 51. Why did 1Cav Div have to spend a month guarding it if nothing is there? That was in the late 80’s.
First of all, it is irrefutable that UFO’s do exist. What is a UFO? An Unidentified Flying Object.
Personally, I think it’s far more likely that such events, which became common beginning in the 1940’s, were the result of classified military R&D tests, rather than visits by extraterrestrial civilizations.
That said, this post is appalling in its insulting demeanor and a logical atrocity in its vapid appeals to authority. You might as well just say: “C’mon man, just trust the government! It’s not like they’ve ever lied to us before! It’s not like they based the entire Vietnam war on a false-flag operation, or lied about Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction!”
In short, if you wish to be a mindless, boot-licking drone, that’s on you, but please spare the rest of us the condescending nonsense. EPIC FAIL.
Area 51 is where the government is constructing it’s giant Care-Bear army. These massive machines, once built, will deal the striking blow to our enemies. First by using the cuddliness of these furry robotic creatures to soothe and comfort all the baddies of the world, and once we have thrown them off their guard, they will strike with ninja-like precision.
It’s very ingenious, actually.
I think that it would take a very naive person to think we are the only intelligent life in the entire universe. Look up at the sky, every star you could potentially have a habital zone, where a planet could potentilly harbour life – be it intelligent or not. With literally billions of stars in our sky, the odds are that quite a few would have an orbiting planet capable of supporting life. That is not to say of course that said life has visited, or crashed on our planet. I am a logical person, I believe what I see, and I have not seen extraterrestial life on our planet. Although I admit it plausible that the government is capable of covering up an event, such as that reported in Roswell.
I talked to my friend about this. According to him, he was on that same space flight over Area 51. He said they landed in the desert because it did not make sense to go to some area where they might actually want to explore things, but made more sense to land some place where there is nothing. He also said something about avatars and there are now quite a few of them in Area 51. Also Area 52 and 53
I think a good question would be if the government would disclose information or evidence about extraterrestrial beings in general. The lore of Area 51 is definitely insteresting and all, but I’d rather have transparency regarding proof and actual encounters. Is our government allowed to with hold information about e.t.? And if so, should we privatize the cataloging and investigations of alien encounters?
-Tony
hahahahahaha. Mike you are so silly. Area 51 is nowhere near Roswell. Roswell is in NEW MEXICO. Area 51 is in NEVADA. Two different states buddy. What a hoot.
funniest documentary i ever watched, sorry i forget the name, explored the attraction people have to area 51. they interviewed former guards who said they had a “good neighbor” policy with their neighbor, a rancher. he allowed them to patrol his land near the property line if they saw something suspicious, they allowed him to cross over the line to recover stray cattle. because of this, they aways ran into each other. the guards explained how they would see the crowd that hung out nearby, expecting to see the government walk by with an alien, suddenly get all excited and start taking pictures. they would look over onto the neighbors ranch and see some strange light or floating object, when they would investigate, they would find the rancher throwing flashlights in the air, swinging the chemical light sticks on a string, etc, to annoy the crowd because they kept stealing his mail box thinking it was a top secrete government mailbox containing mail from mars, or something.
the guards explained how most of what you see out there is happening on the ranch, not area 51.
I also found it very funny when they interviewed the crowds of wackos, they said how they knew there was aliens on the site because if you get too close, security chases you away, and the area is not on a map and the government wont admit it exists.
Us normal people know, even if the only thing they test out there is the president shoes, to make sure they will not fall apart while walking, they will still seal off the base, as that is what the government does.
finally, the same government that could not keep presidents Clinton’s sex life with the intern quite, is going to hide an alien?
Good point, although there are many weird theories surrounding stuff like this. If you really are looking for a mystery, look up area 51 runway, and some conspiracy theorist wrote that there is a runway made of caked mud,which can only be seen with sprinklers turned on.
You would be surprised what the government can do. There’s probably a secret handbook hidden in the oval office on it, how to keep it hidden, and how to be, well, presidential. XD
Although I do not know much about the apparent area 51 and have opposing views about the existence of aliens “personally feeling we are actually aliens that found some way back in time” (weird I know but none the less probably possible with all the other whacked out theories out there right?) And if you think about it…why have we not had time travel yet? Its in movies, its been a conceptual theory for some time but maybe we knew we would want to figure it out and it may mess with some natural order of some sort and therefore we created a type of failsafe so to speak (stupidity)
lol… but really I could go on cause it is almost potentially pointless. Seriously tho….Has anyone out there seen Terminator? I mean c’mon you people! You figure out those mechanics and all you need is sum synthetic skin graph easy to do it yourself at home kinda crap. Boom! Aliens. It is simple for the government to hide because it is suspicion and theory. Unless they come out and say ok it is official we have aliens and fancy robots no one will truly belive it and therefore try less and want less to actually have it. Time will tell. They are just waiting for the right billionaire thats all. 
ha…well I am sleepy…Thanks for the blog I enjoyed flooding my mind with some supernatural conspiracy theory… “Heres to good dreams 
” “cheers”
Think about it. All this universe, and earth is the only planet that supports life. I dont think its even possible.
How can I delete the In Private browsing from my page menu?
A huge alien-research complex can’t be free. Do I see this in government spending? No? Good.
I saw a flash in my window, it was a UFO until I realized it was a snowball. We see UFO’s everyday.
If Area 51 is the secret place where they keep stuff hiden from the public, why don’t you take your Buddy Obama and go stay there for…say 30 years or so!
A simple question like Area 51 and religion pops up. Suspected as much. If the Christian/Jewish God is in fact real then He is more then just God of his planet. And it is possible Aliens do exist. Why would it say it in the earth bible? It would have been pointless to mention it. Personally, as I do think life is possible somewhere in the universe other then earth, most likely the UFO’s are exactly that except by the government officials flying them.
If that were so then why would the goverment try to cover it all up, they found a triangle bar like a gold bar but 2 times longer and it was metal and had wierd inscriptions on it and they released the picture to the public and after a day they removed it it was on the discovery channel so it means its right
i hate to say it but i’m a total conspiracy theorist i also belive there has to be life out there. i don’t think they are going to envade Earth or something, but i do belive they are hiding something supernatral at Area 51.
There used to be an original blog about 12 years ago by a guy who called himself the “Desert Rat” who lived in the neighborhood and visited and progressively spent time in Area 51 who had some pretty interesting experiences, but his old website has been dismantled. You could e-mail him and see if he has published his old blog or not (http://www.desert-rat.com/index.html).
I have a friend whose dad used to work at Area 51. He was an aeronautic engineer who worked on top secret stuff like the Stealth Bomber and the the Space SHuttle back in the day.There is or was a documentary on the History Channel about declassified files from Area 51 that clearly explain about 90% of the UFO rumors, including the “aliens” actually being chimpanzees in space suits piloting the craft in the initial crash. It might be worth watching that documentary to separate truth from fiction. Then you can focus on the 10% really unexplained phenomena.
I believe that they r hiding things not necesarily aliens but a machine or wut ever…but they don’t show it to us cuz as humans we tend to panic or get over excited when it comes to things like this…we can not handle the truth and that’s why they keep it a secret…what evr that secret ma be…like if we were going to war they would not tell us right away because we would all panic…they would wait and tell us as they where ready to do something
Sorry Mike,
but Roswell is NEVER referred to as Area 51… except by people who get the facts confused… apparently, people like you.
Area 51 is the area surrounding Groom Lake, the “hidden’ military base in Nevada.
Area 51 is not just a random name. The whole country is mapped in a grid pattern by our military. There are other “areas” not just 51. 52, 53, 54, etc.
People who are from Nevada refer to different areas by their military labeled area numbers.
Mike this is a great blog..really liked it. I dont think that the government is hiding anything tho….yet…. ._.