Why The U.S. Is Getting Serious About UFOs

For decades, much of the conversation around UFOs has been confined to science fiction movies and novels. In the absence of government commentary on the topic, conspiracy theories around the US concealing alien life and technology in secret compounds like Area 51 have run rampant. Investigation into UFOs in the United States can be traced as far back as the late 1940s, but much of this early information was classified to the public. This is changing. In response to mounting public pressure and potential national security questions, a flurry of government activity over the last few years has been aimed at demystifying UFOs, or unidentified anomalous phenomena as the military has rebranded UFOs. Chapters: 00:00 — Introduction 02:34 — UFO history 05:27 — Oversight of UFOs 09:25 — Further study Produced by: Magdalena Petrova Edited by: Evan Lee Miller Supervising Producer: Shawn Baldwin Animation: Mallory Brangan, Christina Locopo Additional Footage: Getty Images, NASA