Trust Magazine

Most Americans Believe in Intelligent Life Beyond Earth

Endnote

In this Issue:

  • Fall 2021
  • How a New Program Is Restoring Oyster Populations
  • A Framework for Success
  • A Worker Tends to the Ceiling Inside the Statue of Liberty Museum
  • African Descendants' Stake in Saving Southeast Salt Marshes
  • Beware the Moon's Wobble
  • Deep Divisions in Views of America's Racial History
  • Exploring Faith and Black Churches in America
  • How Denver Tackled Homelessness While Saving Money
  • Into the Deep to Study Krill
  • Investments Toward the Public Good
  • Land Use and Community Planning Strategies Can Promote Health Equity
  • Most Americans Believe in Intelligent Life Beyond Earth
  • Most Americans Have Traveled Abroad
  • Noteworthy
  • Return On Investment
  • Student Debt in the Time of COVID-19
  • View All Other Issues
Most Americans Believe in Intelligent Life Beyond Earth
The Pew Charitable Trusts

About two-thirds of Americans (65%) say their best guess is that intelligent life exists on other planets, according to a June Pew Research Center survey. That survey was conducted just before the government released a report saying it could not “draw firm conclusions” about aerial phenomena witnessed by Navy pilots from 2004 to 2021. A sizable share of the public (51%) says that UFOs reported by people in the military are likely evidence of intelligent life outside Earth. Most of this sentiment comes from people who say that military-reported UFOs are “probably” evidence of extraterrestrial life (40%), rather than “definitely” such evidence (11%), according to the survey of 10,417 U.S. adults.

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37 Scientists Pioneering the Future of Biomedical Research

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Biomedical researchers are at the heart of nearly every medical advancement. From cutting-edge cancer treatments to breakthrough discoveries about emerging viruses, these scientists use creativity and ingenuity to explore new horizons in human health and medicine. And for nearly 40 years, The Pew Charitable Trusts has supported more than 1,000 early-career researchers committed to this work.

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The relationship between science and religion is often viewed in a Western context and through a Christian perspective. We turned to Muslims, Hindus, and Buddhists for a different view.

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How does broadband internet reach our homes, phones, and tablets? What kind of infrastructure connects us all together? What are the major barriers to broadband access for American communities?