Welcome back to Dr. Ben Gross in our ongoing series of talks about conspiracy theories. This week we talk about alien conspiracy theories. How and where did they originate? How long have people believed in aliens? Is it a problem that what was once a conspiracy now has some truth to it - or may have some truth to it? We discuss why people may believe in aliens from distrust of government to narcissism, to a need to belong, to a need for answers and certainty. We also have a message for aliens....if they are listening.

Shout out to @BillMaher @DavidDuchovny for a theory we are calling Duchovian.

We reference the following in our discussion:

UFO Sightings in the U.S. GIS Map

Mental Floss: https://www.mentalfloss.com/posts/ufo-facts-history-sightings

NPR Article: https://www.npr.org/2021/06/04/1003262749/how-ufo-sightings-went-from-conspiracy-theory-to-a-serious-government-inquiry

The Hill Article: https://thehill.com/opinion/3610916-congress-implies-ufos-have-non-human-origins/

Vice Article: https://www.vice.com/en/article/3adadb/congress-admits-ufos-not-man-made-says-threats-increasing-exponentially

NBC News Story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZA-h3dIeD_A&ab_channel=NBCNews

60 Minutes Story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBtMbBPzqHY&ab_channel=60Minutes

Media Logic & Social Interaction (David Altheide): https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1525/si.1987.10.1.129

Self-Perception Theory (Wiki): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-perception_theory

Echo Chamber Media Effect (Wiki): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Echo_chamber_(media)#:~:text=The%20echo%20chamber%20effect%20occurs,declining%20exposure%20to%20other's%20opinions.

Boomerang Effect (Wiki): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boomerang_effect_(psychology)

Spiral of Silence (Wiki): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiral_of_silence

Confirmation Bias (Wiki): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confirmation_bias