The belief that UFOs are evidence of extraterrestrial visitors is gaining traction once again. While tales of mysterious objects in the sky have appeared in art and literature for centuries, the modern UFO phenomenon took off in the 1940s. During World War II, “foo fighters” were reported over Europe’s battlefields, and in 1947, Kenneth Arnold’s encounter with multiple flying objects coined the term “flying saucer,” bringing the concept into mainstream awareness. Though interest in UFOs waned slightly by the early 2000s, today more people than ever believe we might be visited by beings from other worlds. In the 1990s, polls suggested that around 20% of Americans believed UFOs were of alien origin. Today, that figure has risen to over 34%, reports The Week. It’s not just the general public expressing interest. High-ranking US government officials, including former heads of departments and members of Congress, have voiced their belief that we may not be alone. Some have pushed for greater transparency regarding what the government knows, and whistleblowers like David Grusch have claimed there are secret efforts to reverse-engineer “non-human” craft. Meanwhile, US Navy pilots have reported encounters with strange, tic-tac-shaped objects off the American coastline, and the Pentagon has confirmed the authenticity of leaked UFO footage, adding to the intrigue. The question of whether we are truly being visited by extraterrestrial beings remains a hotly debated topic, but UFOs continue to be a captivating part of modern culture. Whatever the truth may be, this mystery is not fading anytime soon. The post The Growing Belief in Extraterrestrial Visitors appeared first on Anomalien.com.