experience in arriving at probability estimates . . . " In a summation of the conference which expresses very nicely science's position on this matter Mr. Fine says, "We would judge that the concept of subjective probability is at present the only basis upon which probability statements can be made about the extraterrestrial intelligent life."

     In conclusion, the shortness of the UFO section may seem strange but that is not for lack of written reports; on the contrary, this kind of literature is available in enormous quantities and there are even specialty book stores that deal in UFO writings exclusively. Nevertheless, the two samples used are typical and explanatory; space people can be talked about but their existence cannot be proven as yet, they have to be seen in order to be believable.

The religion section is somewhat longer but fairly poor in religion per se. The reason is very similar; a creator's existence cannot be proven yet either, and existing evidence can at best be described as circumstantial and given to different interpretations. In addition to that, the mystery is what makes God, a God and not just another ET. Also, one of the basic requirements of most religions is faith without inquiry.

And thus, again, we come back to the Scientific Method; it may not be the best possible system of thinking, but it is the best humanity has so far devised for coping with natural phenomena. Also, it is the one that can devise working models, of situations and events, which are taking into consideration all the known factors that are relevant. And most important, it is the only method of basing conclusions on evidence that is measurable, and on experiments that can be duplicated. As we have seen, is on the verge of proving the existence of life in outer space and it has certainly accepted the possibility of extraterrestrial life. The search for it is an ongoing task and the proof may not be that far in the future.