USA: Survey of 1,400+ professors on UAP research
A 2022 survey of over 1,400 U.S. university professors found few believe UAPs are extraterrestrial, but 37% deem further academic research very important or essential.
Background
Survey Results
A survey of more than 1,400 professors at US research universities in May 2022 found that the majority do not assume an extraterrestrial origin for UAP. Even so, 37 % rated the need for additional scientific analysis as very important or essential. The researchers Marissa E. Yingling, Charlton W. Yingling, and Bethany A. Bell of Louisville sent the survey to 39,984 academics across 144 universities in 14 disciplines, with a response rate of 4 %.
Participants and Background
Respondents included full, associate, and assistant professors, mainly from political science, physics, psychology, and engineering. Around 19 % reported UAP observations of their own or known to them, despite the stigma. Only 4 % had already carried out UAP-related studies, but 36 % expressed interest in doing so. 64 % considered academic involvement essential.
Significance
The results suggest growing openness within the sciences, influenced by US government reports and the hearings of 2022. Curiosity outweighs scepticism; many would conduct research if colleagues or funding followed. This could normalise UAP discussion within the academy. The study appeared on June 13, 2023 in Humanities and Social Sciences Communications.