How U.S. law defines it
The term "technologies of unknown origin" means any materials or meta- materials, ejecta, crash debris, mechanisms, machinery, equipment, assemblies or sub-assemblies, engineering models or processes, damaged or intact aerospace vehicles, and damaged or intact ocean-surface and undersea craft associated with unidentified anomalous phenomena or incorporating science and technology that lacks prosaic attribution or known means of human manufacture.
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 · Read it on Congress.gov
"Technologies of unknown origin" is the official government term for physical objects, materials, or craft connected to unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) that no known human science or manufacturing process can explain. Congress defined the term in law and used it to set rules about what the government must disclose to the public. The definition covers a wide range of physical things, from raw materials to intact vehicles, but it only applies when those things are linked to UAP or cannot be traced to any known human origin.
What kinds of things does this term cover?
The definition is broad. It includes materials and meta-materials, crash debris, machinery, equipment, engineering models, and even intact or damaged aerospace vehicles. It also covers ocean-surface and undersea craft. The common thread is that the object must either be associated with UAP or incorporate science and technology that has no known human explanation.
What does it leave out?
The term does not cover objects that can be traced to a known human source or explained by existing science. If something has a "prosaic attribution," meaning a straightforward, ordinary explanation, it falls outside this definition. The term is specifically about the unexplained.
Who defined it and why does it matter?
Congress wrote this definition into law as part of legislation that also created the Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Records Review Board, a body set up to oversee the release of government UAP records. Section 9010 of that legislation specifically calls for "disclosure of recovered technologies of unknown origin," which means this term has direct legal weight. It determines what the government is required to disclose.
How did lawmakers talk about this term publicly?
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer was quoted directly in the source records saying "the American public has a right to learn about technologies of unknown origins, nonhuman intelligence, and unexplainable phenomena." That quote was cited to show that interest in this topic reached the highest levels of congressional leadership and was not limited to any single administration.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the simplest way to understand this term?
It means physical objects or materials connected to UAP that no known human science or factory process can account for. Think of it as the government's official label for unexplained physical evidence tied to UAP.
Does this term only apply to crashed objects?
No. The definition is broader than crash debris alone. It includes intact vehicles, machinery, equipment, and engineering models, as long as they are associated with UAP or cannot be explained by known human science.
damaged or intact aerospace vehicles, and damaged or intact ocean-surface and undersea craft associated with unidentified anomalous phenomena
What makes something fall outside this definition?
If an object has a straightforward, ordinary explanation or can be traced to a known human manufacturing process, it does not qualify. The law uses the phrase "prosaic attribution" to describe that kind of explainable origin.
incorporating science and technology that lacks prosaic attribution or known means of human manufacture
Why did Congress create this specific term?
Congress needed a precise legal label so that disclosure rules would apply to a clearly defined category of objects. Section 9010 of the legislation uses the term directly to require the government to disclose recovered items that meet this definition.
Disclosure of recovered technologies of unknown origin and biological evidence of non-human intelligence
Did senior lawmakers publicly support disclosing information about these technologies?
Yes. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer was quoted in the source records saying the public has a right to learn about technologies of unknown origins. The source notes this interest has spanned many administrations.
The American public has a right to learn about technologies of unknown origins, nonhuman intelligence, and unexplainable phenomena
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