UFOs Exist, Say 36 Percent in National Geographic Survey

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in It's a Conspiracy!

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Grand Master

Hum

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If you believe in UFOs, you may be in better company than you think.

Thirty-six percent of Americans -- about 80 million people if the survey applied to the whole country -- believe UFOs exist, and a tenth believe they have spotted one, a new National Geographic poll shows.

Seventeen percent said they did not believe in UFOs, or Unidentified Flying Objects, and nearly half of those surveyed said they were unsure. Perhaps reflective of today's political climate, there appears to be near-universal skepticism of government ? nearly four-fifths of respondents said they believe the government has concealed information about UFOs from the public.

The study, commissioned in anticipation of National Geographic Channel's "Chasing UFOs" series premiering Friday night, was not all serious, said Brad Dancer, National Geographic's senior vice president for audience and business development. Respondents were asked whether President Barack Obama or Republican challenger Mitt Romney would handle an alien invasion better (Obama won 65 percent in that contest) and which superhero they would call in to fight off the attack (the Hulk beat out Batman and Spider-Man).

"We were trying to have a little fun and see if pop culture references have had an impact on people's beliefs," Dancer said. "It's intended as a fun survey of public opinion."

Hollywood, he added, may have contributed to the belief ? held by 55 percent of Americans, according to the study ? that Men in Black-style agents threaten people who report UFO sightings. As movies portraying aliens become increasingly convincing, they may subconsciously affect people's attitudes, he said.

A growing number of Americans have come to believe that Earth is not the only planet in the universe hosting life, he said.

The study showed that 77 percent of Americans believe there are signs that aliens have visited Earth.

While the study may be used as ammunition by the vocal minority of UFO enthusiasts, Dancer said that it leaves open the precise definition of the term UFO.

"UFO doesn't necessarily mean alien spacecraft," he said. "There are things that are unexplained. They're interesting because they're unknown. People love a mystery." :shiftyninja:

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Grand Master

Hum

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Respondents were asked whether President Barack Obama or Republican challenger Mitt Romney would handle an alien invasion better (Obama won 65 percent in that contest) :laugh: .... quite a chuckle.

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Grand Master

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about 80% of the world believes in a god, the statistic about belief in aliens doesn't mean to much

I read somewhere not long ago that the Catholic Church actually acknowledged that there could be aliens on other worlds.

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Grand Master

theyarecomingforyou

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about 80% of the world believes in a god, the statistic about belief in aliens doesn't mean to much

Exactly. Once you take that statistic into account all the rest really are meaningless. Same with the polls suggesting that most people don't believe / know that Obama is a Christian. There's just something about Americans and conspiracy theories though - the moon landings, 9/11, JFK assassination, evolution, climate change, the Illuminati, birthers, Area 51, etc. For some reason Americans seem to gravitate towards the least plausible, the least scientific and most ignorant conclusion.

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