US 'not politically ready’ for UFO, extraterrestrial contact: Top physicist

Congress holds landmark UFO hearing

Acclaimed American physicist and author Michio Kaku reacted on Wednesday to Congress’ first public hearing on extraterrestrial and unidentified flying objects in 50 years, claiming Americans are ready to understand the implications of making contact, but remain "not politically ready."

"I think we are mature enough to be able to understand the implications," Kaku told FOX Business’ Stuart Varney. "It would be one of the greatest turning points in the history of humanity if one day we find conclusive evidence of extraterrestrial civilizations in our backyard in the Milky Way galaxy."

"But," Kaku countered, "I think that we're not politically ready for it. I think our politicians are dragging their feet."

In Tuesday’s congressional hearing, the Pentagon acknowledged that while U.S. assets have never collided with anything the military categorizes as unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), this has almost happened on nearly a dozen occasions.

U.F.O. HEARING: PENTAGON SHOWS DECLASSIFIED PHOTOS AND VIDEOS, CLIP OF UNEXPLAINED FLOATING OBJECT

"There are a number of events in which we do not have an explanation, in which there are a small handful, in which there are flight characteristics or signature management that we can't explain with the data that we have," Deputy Director of Naval Intelligence Scott Bray testified.

Deputy Director of Naval Intelligence points at a screening during a congressional hearing

Physicist and author Michio Kaku says extraterrestrial life "potentially" exists on "Varney & Co." Wednesday, and admits while humans are ready for the implications of contact, we're "not politically ready." (Getty Images)

But Kaku believes the release of "hours" worth of surveillance footage signals something else.

"They're sitting on a pile of videotapes that they have not yet released," Kaku continued on "Varney & Co." "I think the government knows a lot more than they let on."

According to Kaku, the government couldn’t previously rely solely on eyewitness accounts of UFOs or UAPs.

"Fifty years ago, people concentrated on eyewitness accounts by members of the public who said they saw something in the sky – that's not enough," Kaku noted.

Now, evidence is revealing the capabilities of these unidentified objects, the physicist explained.

"They can zigzag and maneuver, creating G-forces several hundred times the force of gravity. They can drop 70,000 feet within a matter of seconds. And get this, they can even swim under water," Kaku said. "We don't have technologies capable of doing any of these things."

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While humans, and the federal government, remain "clueless" about the truth behind UFOs or aliens, Kaku confirmed the "possibility" that other-worldly life exists.

"Right now," the ace physicist said, "we are clueless as to what could be behind these objects, given the fact they seem to exceed the capabilities of our finest craft."

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Fox News' Ronn Blitzer contributed to this report.