🕷️ Crawler Inspector

URL Lookup

Direct Parameter Lookup

Raw Queries and Responses

1. Shard Calculation

Query:

Response:

Calculated Shard: 143 (from laksa136)

2. Crawled Status Check

Query:

curl -X POST \
  'http://laksa143.int.ahrefs:8124/' \
  -H 'Content-Type: text/plain' \
  -H 'X-ClickHouse-Database: crawler3' \
  -H 'Authorization: Basic YXBpOg==' \
  -d 'SELECT getAhrefsURLFromUnparsed(src_unparsed) AS found_url, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(download_stamp), 0) AS crawl_time, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(props_url_first_seen), 0) AS first_indexed_time, download_http_code AS http_code, src_unparsed AS src_unparsed, src_root_hash AS src_root_hash, history_drop_reason AS history_drop_reason, meta_title AS meta_title, meta_descriptions AS meta_descriptions, attrs_boilerpipe_text AS attrs_boilerpipe_text, attrs_markdown AS attrs_markdown, attrs_readable_markdown AS attrs_readable_markdown, meta_canonical AS meta_canonical FROM crawler3.page_info_local FINAL PREWHERE (src_root_hash, src_unparsed) IN ((getAhrefsRootHashFromUnparsed(getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/ufos-aliens-harvard-uap-cryptoterrestrial-hypothesis/\')), getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/ufos-aliens-harvard-uap-cryptoterrestrial-hypothesis/\'))) FORMAT JSONEachRow'

Response:

{"found_url":"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/boston\/news\/ufos-aliens-harvard-uap-cryptoterrestrial-hypothesis\/","crawl_time":1775110864,"first_indexed_time":1719964123,"http_code":200,"src_unparsed":"com,cbsnews!www,\/boston\/news\/ufos-aliens-harvard-uap-cryptoterrestrial-hypothesis\/ s443","src_root_hash":"10008871826360721943","history_drop_reason":null,"meta_title":"Aliens could be \"walking among us\" on Earth, Harvard researchers suggest - CBS Boston","meta_descriptions":["Harvard researchers suggest intelligent beings concealed on Earth could be responsible for UFO sightings."],"attrs_boilerpipe_text":"By\nNeal  Riley\nDigital Producer, CBS Boston\nNeal J. Riley is a digital producer for CBS Boston. He has been with WBZ-TV since 2014. His work has appeared in The Boston Globe and The San Francisco Chronicle. Neal is a graduate of Boston University.\nRead Full Bio\nUpdated on:  July 2, 2024 \/ 11:55 AM EDT\n\/ CBS Boston\nAdd CBS News on Google\nCAMBRIDGE - Are we alone in the universe? A recent paper from researchers at Harvard University puts an interesting twist on one of humanity's biggest questions.\nThe paper\n, which is not affiliated with the university, addresses a\nresurgent interest in UFOs\n, known officially as Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena or UAPs by the government. The United States is tracking\nmore than 650 potential UFOs\n, a Pentagon official said last year.\nHarvard researchers Tim Lomas, Brendan Case and Montana Technological University professor Michael Masters put forward a \"cryptoterrestrial hypothesis\" for the UFOs, theorizing that there's a \"concealed earthly explanation\" for the sightings. They argue scientists should seriously consider this possibility, alongside explanations that pilots are actually seeing human-made technology or something from an advanced civilization in another part of space. \n\"We've seen these\ncockpit videos\nso many times ... but what's inside?\" Masters said\nin an interview\nwith CBS News Boston.\nWhat is the cryptoterrestrial hypothesis?\nThe trio explains that the cryptoterrestrial hypothesis suggests that the intelligent beings responsible for the UFOs may be \"concealed in stealth\" on Earth or nearby. That could mean they are underground, on the far side of the moon or \"even walking among us\" and passing as humans.\n\"We're not saying this is right, we're not saying that this is absolutely 100% the case, we're saying these are some potentialities, these are some possibilities to help explain the origin of these beings,\" Masters said.\nMasters is a biological anthropologist who said he was asked to help research potential explanations for UFOs. He said \"aliens\" may actually just be humans from far in the future who have figured out how to time travel. \nAre aliens just humans from the future?\nMasters said the beings in reported alien encounters are \"ubiquitously described as looking just like us.\" He argues it's highly unlikely that aliens looking just like humans would be from another planet. It \"may simply be that they're us,\" he said. \n\"We may go on to look like them,\" Masters said, referring to typical depictions of \"little green men.\" \"Based on our evolutionary characteristics over the last 6 to 8 million years, we are arguably going to have bigger heads, smaller faces, more advanced technology and a lot of these traits are described in association with these beings.\"\nHe speculates that the intelligent beings may have \"gone underground until we're ready for contact.\"\n\"We must seem extremely primitive to them based on what we see flying around in the skies,\" Masters said.\n\"Something that we should all be talking about\"\nA\nPentagon report\nreleased this year says there's no evidence that any UAP sighting \"represented extraterrestrial technology.\" And while the researchers acknowledge that their paper is \"a speculative thought piece,\" they say it still deserves serious consideration.\n\"It is something that we should all be talking about,\" Masters said. \nHe said technology from the future could help humans tackle the big problems they face today, such as\nclimate change\n.\n\"What if we all just opened our minds to the fact that there's this thing much bigger than us right now, and what could we learn from it?\" he said. ","attrs_markdown":"- [Latest](https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/boston\/news\/ufos-aliens-harvard-uap-cryptoterrestrial-hypothesis\/)\n  - 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Riley is a digital producer for CBS Boston. He has been with WBZ-TV since 2014. His work has appeared in The Boston Globe and The San Francisco Chronicle. Neal is a graduate of Boston University.\n\n[Read Full Bio](https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/team\/neal-j-riley\/)\n\n[Neal Riley](https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/team\/neal-j-riley\/)\n\nUpdated on: July 2, 2024 \/ 11:55 AM EDT \/ CBS Boston\n\n[Add CBS News on Google](https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=cbsnews.com)\n\nCAMBRIDGE - Are we alone in the universe? A recent paper from researchers at Harvard University puts an interesting twist on one of humanity's biggest questions.\n\n[The paper](https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/publication\/381405238_The_cryptoterrestrial_hypothesis_A_case_for_scientific_openness_to_a_concealed_earthly_explanation_for_Unidentified_Anomalous_Phenomena), which is not affiliated with the university, addresses a [resurgent interest in UFOs](https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/what-are-uaps-unexplained-aerial-phenomenon-ufos-new-name\/), known officially as Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena or UAPs by the government. The United States is tracking [more than 650 potential UFOs](https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/u-s-tracking-650-potential-ufos\/), a Pentagon official said last year.\n\nHarvard researchers Tim Lomas, Brendan Case and Montana Technological University professor Michael Masters put forward a \"cryptoterrestrial hypothesis\" for the UFOs, theorizing that there's a \"concealed earthly explanation\" for the sightings. They argue scientists should seriously consider this possibility, alongside explanations that pilots are actually seeing human-made technology or something from an advanced civilization in another part of space.\n\n\"We've seen these [cockpit videos](https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/pentagon-videos-unidentied-aerial-phenomena-ufo\/) so many times ... but what's inside?\" Masters said [in an interview](https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/boston\/video\/do-aliens-walk-among-us-on-earth-researcher-shares-cryptoterrestrial-hypothesis\/) with CBS News Boston.\n\n## What is the cryptoterrestrial hypothesis?\nThe trio explains that the cryptoterrestrial hypothesis suggests that the intelligent beings responsible for the UFOs may be \"concealed in stealth\" on Earth or nearby. That could mean they are underground, on the far side of the moon or \"even walking among us\" and passing as humans.\n\n\"We're not saying this is right, we're not saying that this is absolutely 100% the case, we're saying these are some potentialities, these are some possibilities to help explain the origin of these beings,\" Masters said.\n\nMasters is a biological anthropologist who said he was asked to help research potential explanations for UFOs. He said \"aliens\" may actually just be humans from far in the future who have figured out how to time travel.\n\n## Are aliens just humans from the future?\nMasters said the beings in reported alien encounters are \"ubiquitously described as looking just like us.\" He argues it's highly unlikely that aliens looking just like humans would be from another planet. It \"may simply be that they're us,\" he said.\n\n\"We may go on to look like them,\" Masters said, referring to typical depictions of \"little green men.\" \"Based on our evolutionary characteristics over the last 6 to 8 million years, we are arguably going to have bigger heads, smaller faces, more advanced technology and a lot of these traits are described in association with these beings.\"\n\nHe speculates that the intelligent beings may have \"gone underground until we're ready for contact.\"\n\n\"We must seem extremely primitive to them based on what we see flying around in the skies,\" Masters said.\n\n## \"Something that we should all be talking about\"\nA [Pentagon report](https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/pentagon-ufo-uap-report-full-text-march-2024\/) released this year says there's no evidence that any UAP sighting \"represented extraterrestrial technology.\" And while the researchers acknowledge that their paper is \"a speculative thought piece,\" they say it still deserves serious consideration.\n\n\"It is something that we should all be talking about,\" Masters said.\n\nHe said technology from the future could help humans tackle the big problems they face today, such as [climate change](https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/climate-change\/).\n\n\"What if we all just opened our minds to the fact that there's this thing much bigger than us right now, and what could we learn from it?\" he said.\n\n### More from CBS News\n- [South Shore Line opens new Monon Corridor extension in northwest Indiana ![ ](https:\/\/assets3.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2026\/03\/31\/4ad414ad-9a54-44c3-9180-cf348037933a\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/6cc86e8d306fba8bd621f18be767fd3b\/south-shore-line-expansion.jpg)](https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/chicago\/news\/south-shore-line-monon-corridor-extension-northwest-indiana\/?intcid=CNR-02-0623)\n- [Baltimore has a plan to pave 25 lane miles and fill 25,000 potholes ![ ](https:\/\/assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2026\/04\/01\/66369e1c-5eb3-43b1-a737-b1a66f60c84b\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/898375cf6c5752a7e024d3eb593b55cb\/roads.jpg)](https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/baltimore\/news\/baltimore-plan-pave-25-lane-miles-fill-25000-potholes\/?intcid=CNR-02-0623)\n- [Man shot, seriously injured inside apartment building on Northwest Side ![ ](https:\/\/assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2026\/04\/01\/b9051019-86bb-459b-b060-83df3cee3444\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/6b670222dfbf703f016878b6773066f1\/untitled-design-2026-04-01t060615-406.png)](https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/chicago\/news\/chicago-northwest-side-apartment-building-shooting\/?intcid=CNR-02-0623)\n- [Vegetarian restaurant chain in Boston could lay off 182 workers ![ ](https:\/\/assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2026\/04\/01\/4be2dd93-2481-44b9-8f89-0e74822d1dc0\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/343693a179e62da7b49db11189757190\/clover-food-lab.jpg)](https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/boston\/news\/clover-food-lab-layoffs-warn\/?intcid=CNR-02-0623)\n- [Dallas asks AG to allow withholding thousands of City Hall emails requested by CBS Texas ![ ](https:\/\/assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2020\/08\/14\/bc713751-9ecf-42b8-9be8-0038aa14f3dc\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/51b43f89c48d36af7a0e97c3d754760d\/F82725A252BA49968867029D323744C9.jpg)](https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/texas\/news\/dallas-attorney-general-withhold-city-hall-emails-requested-cbs-news-texas\/?intcid=CNR-02-0623)\n\n© 2024 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.\n\n### Featured Local Savings\n\nDo aliens walk among us on Earth? Researcher shares cryptoterrestrial hypothesis\n\n[Do aliens walk among us on Earth? Researcher shares cryptoterrestrial hypothesis 13:35](https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/boston\/video\/do-aliens-walk-among-us-on-earth-researcher-shares-cryptoterrestrial-hypothesis\/)\n\n#### Do aliens walk among us on Earth? Researcher shares cryptoterrestrial hypothesis\n(13:35)\n\n- [South Shore Line opens new Monon Corridor extension in northwest Indiana ![ ](https:\/\/assets3.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2026\/03\/31\/4ad414ad-9a54-44c3-9180-cf348037933a\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/6cc86e8d306fba8bd621f18be767fd3b\/south-shore-line-expansion.jpg)](https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/chicago\/news\/south-shore-line-monon-corridor-extension-northwest-indiana\/?intcid=CNR-01-0623)\n- [Baltimore has a plan to pave 25 lane miles and fill 25,000 potholes ![ ](https:\/\/assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2026\/04\/01\/66369e1c-5eb3-43b1-a737-b1a66f60c84b\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/898375cf6c5752a7e024d3eb593b55cb\/roads.jpg)](https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/baltimore\/news\/baltimore-plan-pave-25-lane-miles-fill-25000-potholes\/?intcid=CNR-01-0623)\n- [Man shot, seriously injured inside apartment building on Northwest Side ![ 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All Rights Reserved.\n\nView CBS News In\n\nCBS News App\n\n[Open](https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/app\/?ftag=CNM-16-10abd6g&url=https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/boston\/news\/ufos-aliens-harvard-uap-cryptoterrestrial-hypothesis\/)\n\nChrome\n\nSafari\n\n[Continue](https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/boston\/news\/ufos-aliens-harvard-uap-cryptoterrestrial-hypothesis\/#app)","attrs_readable_markdown":"By\n\n[Neal Riley Digital Producer, CBS Boston](https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/team\/neal-j-riley\/)\n\nNeal J. Riley is a digital producer for CBS Boston. He has been with WBZ-TV since 2014. His work has appeared in The Boston Globe and The San Francisco Chronicle. Neal is a graduate of Boston University.\n\n[Read Full Bio](https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/team\/neal-j-riley\/)\n\nUpdated on: July 2, 2024 \/ 11:55 AM EDT \/ CBS Boston\n\n[Add CBS News on Google](https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=cbsnews.com)\n\nCAMBRIDGE - Are we alone in the universe? A recent paper from researchers at Harvard University puts an interesting twist on one of humanity's biggest questions.\n\n[The paper](https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/publication\/381405238_The_cryptoterrestrial_hypothesis_A_case_for_scientific_openness_to_a_concealed_earthly_explanation_for_Unidentified_Anomalous_Phenomena), which is not affiliated with the university, addresses a [resurgent interest in UFOs](https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/what-are-uaps-unexplained-aerial-phenomenon-ufos-new-name\/), known officially as Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena or UAPs by the government. The United States is tracking [more than 650 potential UFOs](https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/u-s-tracking-650-potential-ufos\/), a Pentagon official said last year.\n\nHarvard researchers Tim Lomas, Brendan Case and Montana Technological University professor Michael Masters put forward a \"cryptoterrestrial hypothesis\" for the UFOs, theorizing that there's a \"concealed earthly explanation\" for the sightings. They argue scientists should seriously consider this possibility, alongside explanations that pilots are actually seeing human-made technology or something from an advanced civilization in another part of space.\n\n\"We've seen these [cockpit videos](https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/pentagon-videos-unidentied-aerial-phenomena-ufo\/) so many times ... but what's inside?\" Masters said [in an interview](https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/boston\/video\/do-aliens-walk-among-us-on-earth-researcher-shares-cryptoterrestrial-hypothesis\/) with CBS News Boston.\n\n## What is the cryptoterrestrial hypothesis?\nThe trio explains that the cryptoterrestrial hypothesis suggests that the intelligent beings responsible for the UFOs may be \"concealed in stealth\" on Earth or nearby. That could mean they are underground, on the far side of the moon or \"even walking among us\" and passing as humans.\n\n\"We're not saying this is right, we're not saying that this is absolutely 100% the case, we're saying these are some potentialities, these are some possibilities to help explain the origin of these beings,\" Masters said.\n\nMasters is a biological anthropologist who said he was asked to help research potential explanations for UFOs. He said \"aliens\" may actually just be humans from far in the future who have figured out how to time travel.\n\n## Are aliens just humans from the future?\nMasters said the beings in reported alien encounters are \"ubiquitously described as looking just like us.\" He argues it's highly unlikely that aliens looking just like humans would be from another planet. It \"may simply be that they're us,\" he said.\n\n\"We may go on to look like them,\" Masters said, referring to typical depictions of \"little green men.\" \"Based on our evolutionary characteristics over the last 6 to 8 million years, we are arguably going to have bigger heads, smaller faces, more advanced technology and a lot of these traits are described in association with these beings.\"\n\nHe speculates that the intelligent beings may have \"gone underground until we're ready for contact.\"\n\n\"We must seem extremely primitive to them based on what we see flying around in the skies,\" Masters said.\n\n## \"Something that we should all be talking about\"\nA [Pentagon report](https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/pentagon-ufo-uap-report-full-text-march-2024\/) released this year says there's no evidence that any UAP sighting \"represented extraterrestrial technology.\" And while the researchers acknowledge that their paper is \"a speculative thought piece,\" they say it still deserves serious consideration.\n\n\"It is something that we should all be talking about,\" Masters said.\n\nHe said technology from the future could help humans tackle the big problems they face today, such as [climate change](https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/climate-change\/).\n\n\"What if we all just opened our minds to the fact that there's this thing much bigger than us right now, and what could we learn from it?\" he said.","meta_canonical":null}

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Meta Title	Aliens could be "walking among us" on Earth, Harvard researchers suggest - CBS Boston
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Boilerpipe Text	By Neal Riley Digital Producer, CBS Boston Neal J. Riley is a digital producer for CBS Boston. He has been with WBZ-TV since 2014. His work has appeared in The Boston Globe and The San Francisco Chronicle. Neal is a graduate of Boston University. Read Full Bio Updated on: July 2, 2024 / 11:55 AM EDT / CBS Boston Add CBS News on Google CAMBRIDGE - Are we alone in the universe? A recent paper from researchers at Harvard University puts an interesting twist on one of humanity's biggest questions. The paper , which is not affiliated with the university, addresses a resurgent interest in UFOs , known officially as Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena or UAPs by the government. The United States is tracking more than 650 potential UFOs , a Pentagon official said last year. Harvard researchers Tim Lomas, Brendan Case and Montana Technological University professor Michael Masters put forward a "cryptoterrestrial hypothesis" for the UFOs, theorizing that there's a "concealed earthly explanation" for the sightings. They argue scientists should seriously consider this possibility, alongside explanations that pilots are actually seeing human-made technology or something from an advanced civilization in another part of space. "We've seen these cockpit videos so many times ... but what's inside?" Masters said in an interview with CBS News Boston. What is the cryptoterrestrial hypothesis? The trio explains that the cryptoterrestrial hypothesis suggests that the intelligent beings responsible for the UFOs may be "concealed in stealth" on Earth or nearby. That could mean they are underground, on the far side of the moon or "even walking among us" and passing as humans. "We're not saying this is right, we're not saying that this is absolutely 100% the case, we're saying these are some potentialities, these are some possibilities to help explain the origin of these beings," Masters said. Masters is a biological anthropologist who said he was asked to help research potential explanations for UFOs. He said "aliens" may actually just be humans from far in the future who have figured out how to time travel. Are aliens just humans from the future? Masters said the beings in reported alien encounters are "ubiquitously described as looking just like us." He argues it's highly unlikely that aliens looking just like humans would be from another planet. It "may simply be that they're us," he said. "We may go on to look like them," Masters said, referring to typical depictions of "little green men." "Based on our evolutionary characteristics over the last 6 to 8 million years, we are arguably going to have bigger heads, smaller faces, more advanced technology and a lot of these traits are described in association with these beings." He speculates that the intelligent beings may have "gone underground until we're ready for contact." "We must seem extremely primitive to them based on what we see flying around in the skies," Masters said. "Something that we should all be talking about" A Pentagon report released this year says there's no evidence that any UAP sighting "represented extraterrestrial technology." And while the researchers acknowledge that their paper is "a speculative thought piece," they say it still deserves serious consideration. "It is something that we should all be talking about," Masters said. He said technology from the future could help humans tackle the big problems they face today, such as climate change . "What if we all just opened our minds to the fact that there's this thing much bigger than us right now, and what could we learn from it?" he said.
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Riley is a digital producer for CBS Boston. He has been with WBZ-TV since 2014. His work has appeared in The Boston Globe and The San Francisco Chronicle. Neal is a graduate of Boston University. [Read Full Bio](https://www.cbsnews.com/team/neal-j-riley/) [Neal Riley](https://www.cbsnews.com/team/neal-j-riley/) Updated on: July 2, 2024 / 11:55 AM EDT / CBS Boston [Add CBS News on Google](https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=cbsnews.com) CAMBRIDGE - Are we alone in the universe? A recent paper from researchers at Harvard University puts an interesting twist on one of humanity's biggest questions. [The paper](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/381405238_The_cryptoterrestrial_hypothesis_A_case_for_scientific_openness_to_a_concealed_earthly_explanation_for_Unidentified_Anomalous_Phenomena), which is not affiliated with the university, addresses a [resurgent interest in UFOs](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/what-are-uaps-unexplained-aerial-phenomenon-ufos-new-name/), known officially as Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena or UAPs by the government. The United States is tracking [more than 650 potential UFOs](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/u-s-tracking-650-potential-ufos/), a Pentagon official said last year. Harvard researchers Tim Lomas, Brendan Case and Montana Technological University professor Michael Masters put forward a "cryptoterrestrial hypothesis" for the UFOs, theorizing that there's a "concealed earthly explanation" for the sightings. They argue scientists should seriously consider this possibility, alongside explanations that pilots are actually seeing human-made technology or something from an advanced civilization in another part of space. "We've seen these [cockpit videos](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/pentagon-videos-unidentied-aerial-phenomena-ufo/) so many times ... but what's inside?" Masters said [in an interview](https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/video/do-aliens-walk-among-us-on-earth-researcher-shares-cryptoterrestrial-hypothesis/) with CBS News Boston. ## What is the cryptoterrestrial hypothesis? The trio explains that the cryptoterrestrial hypothesis suggests that the intelligent beings responsible for the UFOs may be "concealed in stealth" on Earth or nearby. That could mean they are underground, on the far side of the moon or "even walking among us" and passing as humans. "We're not saying this is right, we're not saying that this is absolutely 100% the case, we're saying these are some potentialities, these are some possibilities to help explain the origin of these beings," Masters said. Masters is a biological anthropologist who said he was asked to help research potential explanations for UFOs. He said "aliens" may actually just be humans from far in the future who have figured out how to time travel. ## Are aliens just humans from the future? Masters said the beings in reported alien encounters are "ubiquitously described as looking just like us." He argues it's highly unlikely that aliens looking just like humans would be from another planet. It "may simply be that they're us," he said. "We may go on to look like them," Masters said, referring to typical depictions of "little green men." "Based on our evolutionary characteristics over the last 6 to 8 million years, we are arguably going to have bigger heads, smaller faces, more advanced technology and a lot of these traits are described in association with these beings." He speculates that the intelligent beings may have "gone underground until we're ready for contact." "We must seem extremely primitive to them based on what we see flying around in the skies," Masters said. ## "Something that we should all be talking about" A [Pentagon report](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/pentagon-ufo-uap-report-full-text-march-2024/) released this year says there's no evidence that any UAP sighting "represented extraterrestrial technology." And while the researchers acknowledge that their paper is "a speculative thought piece," they say it still deserves serious consideration. "It is something that we should all be talking about," Masters said. He said technology from the future could help humans tackle the big problems they face today, such as [climate change](https://www.cbsnews.com/climate-change/). "What if we all just opened our minds to the fact that there's this thing much bigger than us right now, and what could we learn from it?" he said. ### More from CBS News - [South Shore Line opens new Monon Corridor extension in northwest Indiana ![ ](https://assets3.cbsnewsstatic.com/hub/i/r/2026/03/31/4ad414ad-9a54-44c3-9180-cf348037933a/thumbnail/1200x630/6cc86e8d306fba8bd621f18be767fd3b/south-shore-line-expansion.jpg)](https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/south-shore-line-monon-corridor-extension-northwest-indiana/?intcid=CNR-02-0623) - [Baltimore has a plan to pave 25 lane miles and fill 25,000 potholes ![ ](https://assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com/hub/i/r/2026/04/01/66369e1c-5eb3-43b1-a737-b1a66f60c84b/thumbnail/1200x630/898375cf6c5752a7e024d3eb593b55cb/roads.jpg)](https://www.cbsnews.com/baltimore/news/baltimore-plan-pave-25-lane-miles-fill-25000-potholes/?intcid=CNR-02-0623) - [Man shot, seriously injured inside apartment building on Northwest Side ![ ](https://assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com/hub/i/r/2026/04/01/b9051019-86bb-459b-b060-83df3cee3444/thumbnail/1200x630/6b670222dfbf703f016878b6773066f1/untitled-design-2026-04-01t060615-406.png)](https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/chicago-northwest-side-apartment-building-shooting/?intcid=CNR-02-0623) - [Vegetarian restaurant chain in Boston could lay off 182 workers ![ ](https://assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com/hub/i/r/2026/04/01/4be2dd93-2481-44b9-8f89-0e74822d1dc0/thumbnail/1200x630/343693a179e62da7b49db11189757190/clover-food-lab.jpg)](https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/clover-food-lab-layoffs-warn/?intcid=CNR-02-0623) - [Dallas asks AG to allow withholding thousands of City Hall emails requested by CBS Texas ![ ](https://assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com/hub/i/r/2020/08/14/bc713751-9ecf-42b8-9be8-0038aa14f3dc/thumbnail/1200x630/51b43f89c48d36af7a0e97c3d754760d/F82725A252BA49968867029D323744C9.jpg)](https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/news/dallas-attorney-general-withhold-city-hall-emails-requested-cbs-news-texas/?intcid=CNR-02-0623) © 2024 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. ### Featured Local Savings Do aliens walk among us on Earth? Researcher shares cryptoterrestrial hypothesis [Do aliens walk among us on Earth? Researcher shares cryptoterrestrial hypothesis 13:35](https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/video/do-aliens-walk-among-us-on-earth-researcher-shares-cryptoterrestrial-hypothesis/) #### Do aliens walk among us on Earth? 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Readable Markdown	By [Neal Riley Digital Producer, CBS Boston](https://www.cbsnews.com/team/neal-j-riley/) Neal J. Riley is a digital producer for CBS Boston. He has been with WBZ-TV since 2014. His work has appeared in The Boston Globe and The San Francisco Chronicle. Neal is a graduate of Boston University. [Read Full Bio](https://www.cbsnews.com/team/neal-j-riley/) Updated on: July 2, 2024 / 11:55 AM EDT / CBS Boston [Add CBS News on Google](https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=cbsnews.com) CAMBRIDGE - Are we alone in the universe? A recent paper from researchers at Harvard University puts an interesting twist on one of humanity's biggest questions. [The paper](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/381405238_The_cryptoterrestrial_hypothesis_A_case_for_scientific_openness_to_a_concealed_earthly_explanation_for_Unidentified_Anomalous_Phenomena), which is not affiliated with the university, addresses a [resurgent interest in UFOs](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/what-are-uaps-unexplained-aerial-phenomenon-ufos-new-name/), known officially as Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena or UAPs by the government. The United States is tracking [more than 650 potential UFOs](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/u-s-tracking-650-potential-ufos/), a Pentagon official said last year. Harvard researchers Tim Lomas, Brendan Case and Montana Technological University professor Michael Masters put forward a "cryptoterrestrial hypothesis" for the UFOs, theorizing that there's a "concealed earthly explanation" for the sightings. They argue scientists should seriously consider this possibility, alongside explanations that pilots are actually seeing human-made technology or something from an advanced civilization in another part of space. "We've seen these [cockpit videos](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/pentagon-videos-unidentied-aerial-phenomena-ufo/) so many times ... but what's inside?" Masters said [in an interview](https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/video/do-aliens-walk-among-us-on-earth-researcher-shares-cryptoterrestrial-hypothesis/) with CBS News Boston. ## What is the cryptoterrestrial hypothesis? The trio explains that the cryptoterrestrial hypothesis suggests that the intelligent beings responsible for the UFOs may be "concealed in stealth" on Earth or nearby. That could mean they are underground, on the far side of the moon or "even walking among us" and passing as humans. "We're not saying this is right, we're not saying that this is absolutely 100% the case, we're saying these are some potentialities, these are some possibilities to help explain the origin of these beings," Masters said. Masters is a biological anthropologist who said he was asked to help research potential explanations for UFOs. He said "aliens" may actually just be humans from far in the future who have figured out how to time travel. ## Are aliens just humans from the future? Masters said the beings in reported alien encounters are "ubiquitously described as looking just like us." He argues it's highly unlikely that aliens looking just like humans would be from another planet. It "may simply be that they're us," he said. "We may go on to look like them," Masters said, referring to typical depictions of "little green men." "Based on our evolutionary characteristics over the last 6 to 8 million years, we are arguably going to have bigger heads, smaller faces, more advanced technology and a lot of these traits are described in association with these beings." He speculates that the intelligent beings may have "gone underground until we're ready for contact." "We must seem extremely primitive to them based on what we see flying around in the skies," Masters said. ## "Something that we should all be talking about" A [Pentagon report](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/pentagon-ufo-uap-report-full-text-march-2024/) released this year says there's no evidence that any UAP sighting "represented extraterrestrial technology." And while the researchers acknowledge that their paper is "a speculative thought piece," they say it still deserves serious consideration. "It is something that we should all be talking about," Masters said. He said technology from the future could help humans tackle the big problems they face today, such as [climate change](https://www.cbsnews.com/climate-change/). "What if we all just opened our minds to the fact that there's this thing much bigger than us right now, and what could we learn from it?" he said.
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