The truth is out there. A rising number of Americans believe we aren’t alone in the universe. A question on the popular Ask Reddit Forum sought to ask why.
Belief in Aliens on the Rise
According to a 2022 survey by Statitsa, a growing number of Americans believe in UFOs.
How Many Believe?
In 1996, only 20% believed that UFOs were alien lifeforms, but that number rose to 34% in recent surveys.
Even More Believe in the Existence of Life Elsewhere
More than half (57%) believe that aliens probably exist somewhere in the universe.
Why Do So Many Believe?
A thread on Ask Reddit thrust the question into the spotlight. A user asked, “Do you believe in the existence of aliens?” and the internet delivered fantastic responses.
Here’s why people believe.
The Immense, Vast Universe
The universe is vast and unknowable.
“Billions of galaxies with billions of stars and billions of planets. No way we’re alone” stated one user.
Human Hubris
“The universe is vast and far beyond human comprehension. It’s peak arrogance to think that we’re the only intelligent life that exists,” responds a sage Redditor.
Amino Acids
One user pointed out that amino acids, the building blocks of life, were discovered in the tails of comets and other celestial bodies. These discoveries prove that life is capable of evolving elsewhere.
Goldilocks Zone
Scientists say there’s a special zone that planets need to be in for life like ours to evolve. They call this the “Goldilocks zone,” which positions a planet in a perfect orbit around the sun for conditions to mirror Earth.
There are nearly 2000 planets in the “Goldilocks Zone” observable from Earth.
Senate Bill S 2226
A Senate Bill seeks to declassify what they call “unidentified anomalous phenomena,” highlighting that the government likely knows something.
Life vs. Intelligent Life
A lot of people admit that life likely evolved elsewhere. However, there’s a massive distinction between life and intelligent life. There may be planets dripping with wildlife, bacteria, plants, fungus, and other life forms we can’t even imagine, but that doesn’t mean they’ll ever develop the technology to visit us.
Time Scale
The astronomical time scale is so vast that intelligent life likely existed at one point and perished well before humans even looked to the stars.
Space vs. Dimensions
Some folks don’t believe in aliens as space travelers but theorize they’re interdimensional beings. This would explain the existence of both aliens and other paranormal phenomena like ghosts.
The Government Kind of Admitted It
In July, three high ranking intelligence officials testified, under oath, that they recovered non-human biological lifeforms from a UFO crash.
What Does Life Look Like?
Scientists describe Goldilocks zones, terrestrial landscapes, and water as if life elsewhere must mirror life on Earth. Of course, it’s easy to start with what we know, but the truth is we don’t even know where to start.
Does life need to be based on carbon? Could other elements support life? Our understanding of life may limit our discovery of different types of life in the universe.
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Sources: Reddit for people’s comments: Statista for stats on why they believe, and NPR for information about the hearings.