Mick West
PersonResearcherMick West
PersonResearcherMick West — Science writer, skeptic investigator, creator of Metabunk.org & Contrail Science.
Mick West — Science writer, skeptic investigator, creator of Metabunk.org & Contrail Science.
ResearcherMick West is a science writer and skeptical investigator known for applying rigorous technical scrutiny to claims of unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) or UFO sightings. Creator of Metabunk.org and Contrail Science, West draws upon a background in video game programming, optical physics, aerospace tracking, and sensor artifacts to parse out mismatches between popular narratives and what imagery or data support. He treats claims of alien spacecraft or exotic craft as hypotheses needing repeated testing, modeling, and falsification, often using tools like camera geometry, sensor metadata, flight path reconstructions, or interactive recreations of scene dynamics.
In analyzing interactions involving the Tedesco Brothers’ 4K orb footage, West applied his typical methods. He scrutinized whether the visuals represented genuine orb anomalies or artifacts of camera optics, sensor saturation, or simple lens effects. He has countered claims that their footage documents unknown phenomena, offering prosaic alternatives such as reflections, glare, or misaligned coordinate data. These exchanges indicate how his investigations often become contested public debates, especially when others interpret ambiguous evidence differently.
When political signals enter the UAP arena—such as directives to release UFO or alien files—West examines what those moves do and do not disclose. He assesses whether released documents actually provide definitive proof of extraterrestrial origins, or whether they simply document unidentified reports devoid of weighty corroborative witness or instrumental data. His skepticism is not disbelief in UAP; it is primary emphasis on evidential rigor—patterns, reproducibility, and transparency in data.
Secondary controversies have arisen around his editing choices and selective inclusion or exclusion of details, particularly audio or metadata that might push interpretations in another direction. These are often reported by other researchers or community members. West has defended most decisions as necessary for clarity or framing while critics argue some cuts could skew the public interpretation of evidence.
What makes West a polarizing figure is the fine line he walks: between open-minded investigation and conservative criteria for what counts as anomalous. He does not rule out UAP phenomena but holds a high standard for declaring something unexplained. Observers looking at West’s work should watch for enumeration of sensor data, measurement of camera or detection system artifacts, and when he denotes where ambiguity remains—because those are markers for where uncertainty is still active, not where issues are resolved.
Garry is wrong here. Firstly, the root problem is that Nandal and Loeb used poorly conditioned data. Their tight cluster of points is super sensitive to small pixel inaccuracies. Thousands of meters from a few pixels. The result they got for height was essentially random. Secondly, the result of that is that IT DOES NOT FIT THE DATA - specifically the video, which is the only real data we have. The angle is wrong, the horizon is off the screen, the terrain does not line up. Put the camera in...
RT @grok: @mesaman3386 @MickWest @ProfAviLoeb Mick is correct on the core error. MTS-B (standard on these IR feeds) maxes at 45° HFOV. Avi’…
There is nothing wrong with a standard planar camera pose reconstruction, as used by Nandal and Loeb. (I use a more accurate 3D solver, but the results are similar here) The problem is with the input data. They used a tight cluster of points that were poorly conditioned to resolve to a camera position. So they got inaccurate results. GIGO. Doing lots of work is great. It’s just not a guarantee of accuracy. Here the video is ground truth. Nandal’s altitude does not match the video, so it’s wro...
RT @ProfAviLoeb: To appreciate how much more work was invested in our calculation compared to Mick’s superficial tweets, please check the f…
In case my post got lost in the replies, a thread on how I demonstrated the Avi had the wrong altitude in his analysis of the PR043 UFO video. Basically, bad data. https://t.co/WrUJ2QeGzJ [Quoted] @ProfAviLoeb I used terrain points that were not all clustered in the bottom 25% of the screen. Your point selection was very sensitive to small changes, and impossible to get the correct altitude from. Same issue with your homography or my 3D solver. The input data is bad. https://t.co/0n2kKnEUlq
RT @ProfAviLoeb: Mick does not explain how he arrived at his altitude estimate. A serious scientific critic should show the calculation and…
RT @michaelshermer: Is There a UFO Base on the Moon? Betteridge's law of headlines: "Any headline that ends in a question mark can be answ…
Or, hear me out here: maybe verbal testimonies are just not very good evidence, and hence their significance is more an issue of normal human failings. Interesting, sure. Let's research that. But good video evidence is what you need. The absence of that is a big clue. https://t.co/FaniT2Uuky [Quoted] The most remarkable anomalies in today’s fifth UAP data release are delivered as verbal testimonies. They make a strong case for follow-up scientific research. Skeptics who deny the significance...
RT @MickWest: Some logistical problems with the UFO story of whistleblower-to-Congress, Dylan Borland.
Some logistical problems with the UFO story of whistleblower-to-Congress, Dylan Borland. https://t.co/MB5TJxQffx [Quoted] @Unit0x @Desmo_V4 @SaraBondink @AmericanALCHMY @YouTube @AlchemyAmerican Indeed. If he's in the unaccompanied mens barracks on Cedar Ave, then there's a gazebo outside. From there you can't see the NASA hanger. You would not be able to see something ABOVE that hanger until it was >1000ft up. https://t.co/ttCvNGWKe5
