Forty Percent of Americans Believe Aliens Have Visited Earth
A recent survey conducted by Gallup found that 40% of Americans believe extraterrestrial beings have visited Earth in the past. This shocking statistic indicates that a quarter of the adult population ascribes to conspiracy theories asserting that alien spaceships have made contact with humanity. But what underlying factors drive such widespread belief in Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs) and extraterrestrial encounters among the general public? A Complex History of High-Profile Sightings A key element sparking belief in alien visitations is the long history of prominent UFO sightings shrouded in intrigue. One of the most famous occurred on July 8, 1947 when a rancher discovered mysterious debris near Roswell, New Mexico . The Roswell Army Air Field issued a press release claiming they had recovered the remains of a " flying disc " only to retract the statement soon after, saying the debris was merely a weather balloon . In the 1970s , UFO researchers uncove...