The discovery of extraterrestrial life can be classified as a low probability, high impact event. Since we don’t have any empirical data to help us assess the consequences of ET contact, governments are largely unequipped to deal with the potential hazards it could pose. In recognition of the impact that such an event would have on society, a...

Nick Redfern is an alternative historian and author of a number of books on UFOs and government secrecy. Unlike a lot of conspiracy theorists, however, Redfern brings a thoughtful and critical eye to these questions and complements his speculation with methodical archival research. That’s why the title of his most recent book is likely misleading....

When we think of alien cover-ups, most people normally wouldn’t include SETI in the list of shadowy government organizations that could be sitting on the biggest secret in history. But although SETI potentially represents humanity’s best chance of making open contact with an extraterrestrial civilization, its members are surprisingly guarded...

Within the next decades, advances in scientific observation and technology will enable humanity to begin answering questions that have endured since the beginning of civilization. Among those, how did life first emerge on our planet, could the same process have happened elsewhere, and are we alone in the vast universe? Already, we’ve taken our...