The word foreign comes from the Latin word “aliēnus”, which means “not one’s own, that of others, foreign, strange”. It is derived from the Latin word alius, meaning “other”. The concept of extraterrestrials has been around for a long time, with each school of philosophy having different views on them. The earliest speculations about life existing beyond Earth can be found in discussions between the Epicurean philosophers of ancient Greece and their Roman disciples. In his book De Rerum Natura (On the Nature of Things), the Roman Epicurean poet Lucretius wrote: “Nothing in the universe is unique and unique and therefore in other regions there must be other inhabited lands by different tribes of men and races of beasts. »
Then enter Nicholas of CussGerman philosopher, theologian and cardinal, who put forward the idea of ​​extraterrestrials in the 15th century, but with a twist. Nicholas in his writings he stated that instead of the sun or even the Earth, God was the center of the universe (this was before Copernicus established the heliocentric model). But it was not that, he declares: “Rather than thinking that so many stars and parts of the sky are uninhabited and that our earth alone is populated – and that by beings perhaps of a lower type – we will assume that in each In this region there are inhabitants, different in nature according to rank and all owe their origin to God, who is the center and circumference of all the stellar regions.

The idea was well received and his contemporaries soon began to discuss the implications of such a possibility. Even though the concept of extraterrestrials had until now been considered through a scientific approach, medieval scholars had adapted it well enough to their religious beliefs. Today, extraterrestrials are a hot cultural topic, and they are being taken more seriously, with the Pentagon having created a dedicated office, Congress conducting hearings and NASA join investigative efforts. Despite the increasing attention and importance given to confirming the existence of extraterrestrial life, we know nothing substantial about them. Let’s see why, even in the absence of substantial evidence, the concept of extraterrestrials remains a topical debate.
The concept of UFOs

Until the 1940s, extraterrestrials were only an imaginary concept, whose existence was always confused with ideas from religion, fantasy and superstition. This changed quite early as technology evolved, and we saw the development of a new concept: unidentified flying objects or UFOs. Kenneth Arnolda private pilot, claimed to have seen nine high-speed flying saucers streak across the sky while flying over Mount Rainier on June 24, 1947. That same year, the Roswell Daily Record reported the capture of a “flying saucer.” on a ranch in the Roswell area. However, it was soon discovered that it was not an alien spacecraft but a high-altitude weather balloon with a radar reflection. This sparked a massive backlash among people obsessed with the concept of extraterrestrial life, so much so that a new subculture known as “ufology” was created.
Blue Book Project
The 1950s and 1960s were full of stories of sightings of suspicious flying objects that people immediately recognized as alien-related. However, they spread among people the belief that not only were aliens real, but they visited Earth from time to time. This belief was further fueled by the fact that the government’s investigative project known as Project Blue Book was top secret. Conspiracy theorists have taken advantage of this opportunity, each trying to make sense of the events in their own way.
Area 51 and alien abductions

Area 51, a classified US Air Force installation in Nevada, has become the center of conspiracy theories, including alleged encounters with extraterrestrials. Along with these rumors, the concept of alien abduction emerged, shifting public perception from curiosity to fear. Aliens have evolved from distant, ethereal beings to creatures perceived as technologically advanced, observing and potentially abducting humans, adding a disturbing layer to the mystery surrounding extraterrestrial life. This fear manifested itself in the early 1950s, when Antônio Vilas-Boas claimed to have been abducted by aliens while working nights on his family farm in Brazil. According to reports from “The Collector”, Anthony said he was captured by these beings, who wore gray jumpsuits and helmets. These beings then took him aboard their ship, after which they removed their helmets. They apparently had small blue eyes and communicated via a series of animal-like growls.
Another case of such kidnapping allegations was filed by a couple named Betty And Barney Hillwho believed that aliens were capturing them to study the human body. But as humans have been exposed to information through various media, including the Internet, the concept of extraterrestrials is seen in a new light, one that is more scientific and logical than simply feeding our fears. For example, the UFO has a new name. In accordance with government decrees, UFOs are now known as Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP). Physicist Enrico Fermiintroduced a new concept known as the Fermi Paradox, the idea that there is a high probability of the existence of advanced extraterrestrial life, but there is no conclusive evidence of this. The universe is so vast and immense that it is quite possible that extraterrestrial civilizations have evolved better than us to be undetectable by human intelligence.

SETI
When it comes to various organizations that are dedicated to the search for life on other planets, SETI is the most famous. SETI, or Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, is a branch of astronomy that uses various techniques to search for signs of technological activity on other planets. However, they too failed to find any signs of life outside of Earth.
Recently, NASA’s UFO briefing confirmed that there has been no change in our understanding of extraterrestrials or their existence. This briefing comes after NASA launched its first project to study the UAP in 2022. As technology advances and our understanding of the universe deepens, the mystery continues to spark curiosity, keeping the very lively search for answers. And like Carl Sagan he says, absence of evidence is not evidence of absence, so research must continue until proven otherwise.