Aliens: The Truth Among Us

When someone mentions the word ‘alien,’ you probably create a mental image of a tall, green creature with a huge head and black, bug-like eyes. However, this is probably not how aliens would look if we were to actually see them. Sightings of aliens all began back in the 1940’s, more specifically 1947, when a man by the name of Kenneth Arnold spotted multiple strange, flying objects in the sky over Washington, and had claimed them to be almost crescent-shaped. A newspaper report had soon followed the sighting, which Kenneth soon admitted that the object appeared to be moving as if you skipped a ‘saucer’ over a body of water, hence the modern term “flying saucer.”

How are UFO’s and aliens tied?
Ever since Kennedy made his discovery of the ‘flying saucer,’ more and more reports had begun appearing, which had led to a cultural phenomenon. Sightings of unidentified flying objects in the sky became the perfect building block for Hollywood to create visions of potential extraterrestrial threats to our world. Posters for movies such as ‘The Flying Saucer’ (1950) had influenced fear within Americans, which had convinced them more that the flying objects were a threat. More ongoing ideas flooded America, one big idea being the idea of life outside of our own world. It was unknown where the flying saucers had come from, so the idea of a different form of life controlling them from somewhere other than Earth, somehow made a lot more sense to those who were eager to learn what their purpose was.

What Proof Do We Have That Aliens Exist?
Alien life forms have never been discovered clearly, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t actually exist. According to NASA’s astro-biologist Lindsay Hays, “we’ve only explored a tiny fraction of Mars. And that’s only one of the promising bodies to look for in our solar system.” Some people tend to believe that UFO’s (Unidentified Flying Objects) are clear proof of extraterrestrial intelligence. The only actual intelligence we have so far are sightings of flying objects, NASA’s statements, and supposed experiences from random citizens. Astronauts that have actually been to space have often claimed that the government has knowledge of alien life, but they cover it up from the public. Astronaut Buzz Aldrin, one of the first people to ever set foot on the Moon, claimed to have his own experience with extraterrestrial life. Aboard Apollo 11, Buzz Aldrin claimed to have spotted something flying alongside the ship. He first thought it was one of the detached rockets, but his mission control team had confirmed to him that it was over 6,000 miles away from Apollo 11.

What is Area 51 and How is it Connected to Extraterrestrials?
Area 51 is a secret United States Air Force military base located in the Nevada desert near a salt flat called “Groom Lake.” The base has been the focus of many conspiracies involving extraterrestrial life, though it has been stated that it is only for testing flights. Whether that is true or not, we do not know just yet. For many years, there has been speculation about the growing reports of UFO sightings within the vicinity of the facility. The conspiracy theories gained support around the late 80’s when an alleged man working at the installation claimed that the government itself was examining spacecraft that had been owned by aliens. Due to the alleged sightings of UFOs, Area 51 became a hot spot for alien activity. Unfortunately, the best you’re going to get is The Alien Research Center gift shop in Hiko, Nevada, where you can get souvenirs, mugs, shirts, and a lot more.

Are There Really Aliens Out There?
So far, no one truly knows if there are extraterrestrials outside of our planet. The only evidence we have is the kind they would want us to see. Perhaps, there’s more out there that we just have not discovered yet, leading us closer to their ‘world.’ If there truly are aliens living in our galaxy, would we be able to accept it, or would we live in fear. No one knows if there are aliens out there, so why do so many people believe even though we have no way of knowing?

“I believe in extraterrestrials because it seems very unlikely that we are the only planet in the entire universe with a civilization,” says Joley. “I think people believe in aliens because it is realistic to do so. If our planet is capable of sustaining life, then obviously, other planets can do so too.”

We have so much evidence, but it’s still not enough to confirm their existence. They could be fake, but how do we have so much proof? Are we really alone out there?

“I do believe in extraterrestrials,” states Emma. “I think it would be very sad if the Earth was the only place in the whole universe that had life. I just think it’s not very likely that we are the only ones.”

All we can do is hope.