Forteana

"Belief in aliens is nothing new – reports of UFOs can be found in fourth-century Chinese texts – but over the last few years, there has been a sharp increase in the numbers who truly think the truth is out there.

In fact, reported Newsweek, the idea is gaining "unprecedented traction" in the US and elsewhere, leading to concerns about the impact it could have.

In the late 1990s, only 20% of people in the US believed UFO sightings were proof of alien life, said the magazine. That had risen to 34% by 2022, at which time 24% of 1,000 Americans polled also said they had seen a flying saucer.

Tony Milligan, a senior research fellow at King's College London, told Newsweek the rise was a "political tsunami" that had even caught the attention of US politicians.

"You don't worry about this stuff when it's 2% of the population... but you don't expect it to be reaching the floor of Congress," he said.

Depending on the results of November's presidential elections, the topic could go even further, as Donald Trump has vowed to declassify videos of alleged UFOs if he wins. The Republican nominee has had a "decade-long fascination" with the topic, said The Sun.

The UK is not immune to the growth, Milligan wrote in The Conversation, with around 20% of citizens believing extraterrestrials have visited and an estimated 7% saying they have seen a UFO..."