Very well put, thanks for posting.

The answer to the question of what is it that drives science to sometimes appear to be almost afraid of new information that might upend previous scientific "Foundation", not only on the question of UFOs, but on many other things currently outside our understanding, is (In my opinion), that it tends to hit funding.

Science funding is largely profit driven, by investors and corporations looking to profit from science. In their quest for a good return on their cash, they are notoriously nervous about uncertainty; they almost always run from it, pulling funds in a stampede. So a previously well funded project, or individual, can suddently find themselves out of work, if they admit to even a little uncertainty. Financially successful (famous!) scientists know this better than any; they just don't take the risk, quickly getting into the habit of avoiding risk/uncertainty automatically, even subconsciously, I believe.

We see this all the way through all profit driven industry, funded by investment, every employee in any endeavour, and all the way throughout profit driven society, and politics, is generally afraid to express uncertainty, expecially in the system of profit itself, in case it affects their financial position.

We all do it, even many writers, I think :)