The Pentagon just released 162 now declassified UFO files held by the government for decades. The files include videos and images that have been a source of intrigue and fascination for generations of skeptical Americans wondering if we are alone in the universe.
OK, here are the answers to questions everyone has been waiting for: YES, the existence of UFOs is now SUBSTANTIATED or confirmed by the U.S. government. But NO there is no evidence SUBSTANTIATING the existence of aliens, alien spacecraft, or extraterrestrial technology. While the vast majority of the cases are explained by balloons, drones, or atmospheric conditions, a small percentage of cases still remain unexplained.
Don’t expect to see UFOs and aliens in an SAT vocabulary in context question. But do expect to see SUBSTANTIATED and UNSUBSTANTIATED. In a previous Substack post I warned students to “pay special attention to SUBSTANTIATE and UNSUBSTANTIATE. SAT test writers have used these words as both correct and incorrect answers for a number of vocabulary in context questions.”
My warning proved to be prescient. SUBSTANTIATING appeared as an answer for a very challenging question on the May 2026 SAT. It turns out that recent research SUBSTANTIATES anecdotal observations that pollinators visit zygomorphic flowers less frequently than actinomorphic flowers. Who knew!
SUBSTANTIATED – proven or supported by evidence
UNSUBSTANTIATED – not proven or supported by evidence