Once upon a time, UFO conventions or seminars primarily attracted the lunatic fringe crowd -- those who arrived wearing alien costumes, tin foil hats and hoping to meet the alien man or woman of their dreams. Certainly, it was not the kind of event where serious scientists showed up.
That's all changing now, as evidenced by this week's 23rd annual 2014 International UFO Congress near Scottsdale, Ariz.
While there still exists a "purchase-an-ET-trinket" mentality fostered by an ever-present vendors room, the overall credibility climate has evolved where the topics presented during the week include government coverups, conspiracy theories, crop circles, alien abduction and former NASA scientists speaking out on how close we are to extraterrestrial contact.
The IUFOC -- the biggest UFO conference in the world -- is presented each year by the Arizona-based Open Minds Productions, which offers the whole spectrum of UFOs and related unexplained phenomena through radio and television programs and their OpenMinds magazine.
"We have a lot more credible speakers than what the general public would expect for a UFO event," said Alejandro Rojas, one of the co-organizers and the master of ceremonies at this year's IUFOC.
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