Score 1 for Occam; 0 for true believers

A story from Live Science underscores why the best approach to take to unexplained phenomena in the sky is skepticism.

Let's review some rules of science that keep one from looking like a complete moron when faced with the unexplained:

1) Occam's Razor - always choose the more simple explanation over the more complex. In this case, the confession of a hoaxer is the simpler explanation.

2) Confirmation Bias must be controlled for - this means that we prefer explanations that confirm what we already believe. We do it even when we consciously try to avoid it. In this particular case, one should not believe anything until the evidence has been examined. If there's insufficient evidence, stick with non-belief pursuant to # 1 above.

This should be enough to keep you from making an ass out of yourself.