It’s hard to find another “young gun” researcher on top of current UFO events more so than Danny Silva of the Silva Record. Silva, an expert on AATIP and the happenings To The Stars Academy of Arts and Science, has been an avid UFO fan since the Art Bell days, but jumped into the game for himself when the New York Times Pentagon UFO story broke. The Silva Record’s blog posts are detailed aggregations that really give his growing audience the big picture. Get to know more about Silva below, and what he thinks will be the big stories in 2020.
Q: What first got you interested into the subject/prompted the start of the Silva Report?
SILVA: “One night many years ago I was scrolling through the channels on my radio. I suddenly heard someone say ‘UFO.’ That voice was Art Bell. Since then, I’ve been hooked on the subject but only as a fan. My main purpose seemed to be to annoy those around me while taking about the UFO subject, which wasn’t very satisfying. Years and years later, the original AATIP NY Times article was released. It was fitting because I saw it shared on social media by Art Bell. That article changed everything for me. It was the confirmation I had been waiting for that this subject was legit. It actually caused me some anxiety at first and I had to digest what had happened, but I was all in. After the initial shock wore off, I took to social media looking for more information,and sharing my ideas about how important I thought this all was. I was tweeting so much that I quickly made friends in what would later become #UFOTwitter. Some of those friends wanted to start a website/blog, and basically convinced me to write for it. It had never occurred to me to do anything of the sort,so I will always be grateful to them. I then was hooked on sharing information with the world that I thought was interesting or newsworthy. That original website disbanded, and I started my own.”
Q: You’ve met Luis Elizondo. What were your impressions of him?
SILVA:” Luis Elizondo is a straight-shooter,and a modern day hero. It’s odd to see people get wrapped up in small details trying to disprove him. I think now in 2020 we’ve seen a turn where even some of his most staunch critics have come around. It’s a losing battle to try and prove he isn’t who he says he is, and people are realizing that. Plus, the world at large believes him,and isn’t concerned with the sub-sect of Ufology that wants to continue to drag this out. Many of us, myself included, can at times get wrapped up in trying to prove things (like technical details) to others in the UFO community, but the general UFO fan doesn’t really care. I’d like to see less of these questions asked during interviews and more questions about UFOs themselves. Lue is a great resource, and we are wasting time asking him questions to try to prove things to critics rather than asking him questions about UFOs! Isn’t that what we are here for? Elizondo is a genuine person who has navigated rough terrain to do what he did and what he continues to do. Not everyone is happy he came forward, and that’s why there has been some confusing comments from spokespersons. I’m confident future generations will understand how important Elizondo is,and how his work changed things for the better.
Q: Thoughts on the "Young Guns" moniker that you, and a few other researchers are called?
SILVA:” Grant Cameron coined the term about a certain group of people. Other legends started using it lovingly like George Knapp. To this day, I’m not sure who exactly Grant meant to include. The term then became a double-edged sword because it morphed into many different definitions, some negative. Some people use it as anyone who is a fan of TTSA. Some people use it as anyone new to Ufology. Some people use it to define some of the newer members of Ufology making waves. The negative connotations aren’t an issue anymore now that some time has passed. It’s an honor to be included in the group and you would be in that group also, Mike. What’s funny is now the term has made Ufology history. If there was an Ufology dictionary it would have to be in there. “
Q: Predictions for 2020?
SILVA: “I’ve moved away from making predictions somewhat, but I will try. In 2020, I hope we see metamaterial debris analysis, but I’m not holding my breath. If not 2020, then in 2021. There will be more big stories breaking this year I’m sure. I’ve written about people claiming the UFO military events are not stopping. I would love it if more of those came to light. Progress is being made by reporters asking politicians about the Navy events. Every season of ‘Unidentified’ is now a huge event for the UFO community, and we have season two on the way this year. James Fox’s ‘The Phenomenon’ documentary will hopefully be released and that should be a big deal. Specifically the inside look into how Vallee and Nolan are going about testing materials. I also think there will be continued rebuttals of inaccurate statements regarding ElIzondo, whether those statements come from spokespeople or reporters.”
-By MIKE DAMANTE