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
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