Mick West
Mick West
Science Writer, Skeptical Investigator
Founder, Metabunk.org
Fellow, Committee for Skeptical Inquiry
Photo: Sgerbic/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Mick West is a British-American science writer, skeptical investigator, and retired video game programmer. He is the founder of Metabunk.org, a website dedicated to debunking conspiracy theories and analyzing claims of paranormal phenomena, including UAP sightings. West co-founded Neversoft Entertainment, the video game studio behind the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater and Guitar Hero series, before retiring in 2003 to focus on skeptical investigation.
West has become one of the most prominent skeptical analysts of the Pentagon UAP videos released in 2017. He has proposed conventional explanations for the FLIR1, GIMBAL, and GOFAST footage, suggesting that camera artifacts, parallax effects, and infrared glare may account for the apparent unusual flight characteristics. His analyses have been published on Metabunk, covered by major news outlets including the New York Times and Popular Mechanics, and discussed in scientific forums.
In 2020, West was elected a Fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (CSI), a nonprofit organization that promotes scientific inquiry into extraordinary claims. He is the author of "Escaping the Rabbit Hole: How to Debunk Conspiracy Theories Using Facts, Logic, and Respect" (2018, revised 2023). West has stated that he approaches UAP claims with the same methodology he applies to other conspiracy theories: seeking prosaic explanations before considering exotic ones.
On-Record Analyses
West's technical breakdown of the GIMBAL UAP video, examining camera rotation artifacts and infrared characteristics. Demonstrates how the apparent rotation may be a gimbal lock effect.
Analysis of the GOFAST video using on-screen data to calculate object altitude and speed. West argues the object may be a balloon at conventional altitude appearing fast due to parallax.
On-Record Statements
"Any time something unidentified shows up in restricted airspace, then that's a real problem. But believers in alien disclosure are encroaching on these real issues of UAPs."
The Guardian, 2021
"What we've got to go with here is the simplest explanation and really the simplest explanation is that it's just a plane. It moves like a plane, it acts like a plane."
On the USS Omaha "transmedium" video, 2021
"The report suggests the majority of cases, if solved, would turn out to be a variety of things like airborne clutter or natural atmospheric phenomenon. A lack of data does not mean aliens are the likely answer."
On the 2021 ODNI UAP report
Role in Nimitz Case Analysis
West has published detailed analyses of the FLIR1 video from the 2004 USS Nimitz encounter on Metabunk. His work examines the infrared signature, tracking pod behavior, and on-screen telemetry to propose that the object may be a distant aircraft with its apparent characteristics explained by camera effects. He has also analyzed the pilot testimony, noting areas where recollection may differ from contemporaneous records.
West's analyses have been both praised for their technical rigor and criticized by some military witnesses who argue he lacks direct experience with the sensor systems. Commander David Fravor has publicly disagreed with West's conclusions, stating that visual observation by trained pilots cannot be explained by camera artifacts alone.
UAPI includes West's analyses as part of the case record because rigorous skeptical examination is essential to credible UAP investigation. His proposed explanations are documented alongside witness testimony and official findings, allowing readers to evaluate competing interpretations of the available evidence.