King’s College London researchers have identified a shift in public perception. Aliens and their possible visits to Earth are being treated less as a quirky curiosity and more as a social issue. The study appears in a scholarly journal published by the International Astronomical Union, cited in research summaries under the Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union (PIAU) label.
In the United States, the share of people who believe in UFOs rose from 20 percent in 1996 to 34 percent in 2022. Roughly one in four Americans, about 24 percent, reported having seen a flying saucer with their own eyes.
The researchers argue that widespread belief in secret alien activity on Earth can fuel conspiracy theories and erode trust in public institutions. Over time, this erosion could contribute to crises reminiscent of the political upheaval seen at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.
Experts note that the intense focus on UFOs has drawn attention away from astrobiology, the field that examines all forms of life beyond Earth, including microbes.
The report urges the public conversation to move away from pseudoscience and sensational theories and toward real discoveries in astrobiology that are grounded in evidence and methodical inquiry.
Additionally, a former Serbian philosopher has proposed a fresh take on the Fermi paradox. The idea suggests that, from a statistical standpoint, Earth should have detected signals from other civilizations by now, yet such signals have not been observed.