Northeastern US residents have been enthralled by an odd mystery: a bunch of drones floating overhead.
They’ve been asking all the usual questions: What are they doing? To whom do they belong? Are they harmful? Is it aliens?
Here’s what we know
There are 1m+ legally registered machines in the US, including commercial, hobbyist, and law enforcement drones.
The FBI has received 5k+ reports of drone activity in the northeastern US since Nov. 18, including 3k+ in New Jersey — but not all were drones.
- Some reports pertained to manned aircraft, helicopters, and even stars mistaken for drones, per a federal report.
Agencies including the Department of Homeland Security are investigating, but there’s currently no evidence of foreign surveillance or criminal activity.
It’s possible the uptick in reports relates to an FAA rule change that allows drones to fly at night.
So, why is everyone freaking out?
Despite drones’ use in everything from hobbyist videos to pharmacy delivery and “fireworks” shows, it’s still a relatively new technology.
Vijay Kumar, dean of engineering at the University of Pennsylvania, told CNN that people may have anxiety surrounding drones due to their association with military operations, terrorism, and surveillance.
And where there’s uncertainty, conspiracy theories and hoaxes follow: in this case, doctored images and talk of foreign attacks, chemtrails, and Project Blue Beam, a ‘90s theory that the government would fake an alien invasion to distract the public.
In the meantime, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy has asked residents to “calm down” and not attempt to shoot them down — dangerous for myriad reasons — or point lasers at them, as they could blind a pilot in a manned aircraft.
BTW: In 1938, Orson Welles’ radio broadcast of author H.G. Wells’ The War of the Worlds — a novel about an alien invasion — was so convincing, it created mass panic.
