There are at least 12,000 people out there who really, really believe in the power of a petition.
Think the government has been covering up information about alien visitors for decades? No problem. Just file a petition — then they'll have to say it's true. Bound to work, right?
Or not.
More than 12,000 people signed an online petition demanding that President Barack Obama "formally acknowledge an extraterrestrial presence engaging the human race."
The petition was submitted to the White House, which responded with a pretty straightforward statement. Here's the gist:
"The U.S. government has no evidence that any life exists outside our planet, or that an extraterrestrial presence has contacted or engaged any member of the human race. In addition, there is no credible information to suggest that any evidence is being hidden from the public's eye."
"However, that doesn't mean the subject of life outside our planet isn't being discussed or explored. In fact, there are a number of projects working toward the goal of understanding if life can or does exist off Earth."
Sadly for UFO hunters, that statement doesn't do much to help make others believe. And it didn't come from Obama — it came from Phil Larson on space-policy communications for the White House.
