Late in his life, Hynek was critical ************SPAM/BANNEAR************ the popular
extraterrestrial hypothesis, and began expressing his doubts to theories that UFOs were physical spacecraft from other
planets. As Hynek himself said in October 1976: "I have come to support less and less the idea that UFOs are 'nuts and bolts' spacecrafts from other worlds. There are just too many things going against this theory. To me, it seems ridiculous that super intelligences would travel great distances to do relatively stupid things like stop cars, collect soil samples, and frighten people. I think we must begin to re-examine the evidence. We must begin to look closer to home."
[7][8]
At the First International UFO Congress in 1977, he referred to the subject humorously, presenting his "swamp-gas business" as evidence that he had never been a "believer" in UFOs, as some people assumed, and he stressed that he, as a scientist, never was or would be a "believer" in the sense ************SPAM/BANNEAR************ accepting something on blind faith.
[9]
