{"id":19490,"date":"2016-01-22T18:16:05","date_gmt":"2016-01-22T10:16:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/the-return-of-the-x-files-brings-real-life-ufo-sleuths-out-of-the-shadows\/"},"modified":"2016-01-22T18:16:05","modified_gmt":"2016-01-22T10:16:05","slug":"the-return-of-the-x-files-brings-real-life-ufo-sleuths-out-of-the-shadows","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/the-return-of-the-x-files-brings-real-life-ufo-sleuths-out-of-the-shadows\/","title":{"rendered":"The return of \u2018The X-Files\u2019 brings real-life UFO sleuths out of the shadows"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Alien
Alien visitation is a big topic for \u201cThe X-Files.\u201d (Credit: Fox)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

UFOs are back in style, thanks in part to the return of \u201cThe X-Files\u201d to television this weekend, almost 14 years after the last episode had its original airing. And while Mulder and Scully are delving into new anomalies in prime time, the folks who deal with UFO reports in real life are gearing up for renewed attention as well.<\/p>\n

\"Seth
Seth Shostak, senior astronomer at the SETI Institute<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cX-Files, Y-Files, No-Files, I get calls from people who say they have evidence of alien visitation,\u201d said Seth Shostak, senior astronomer at the SETI Institute. \u201cEither they\u2019ve seen something, they\u2019ve photographed something or they\u2019re in touch with something.\u201d<\/p>\n

The calls generally come in at a regular rate, but Shostak does recall that there was a noticeable uptick while the original \u201cX-Files\u201d show was on TV.<\/p>\n

Don Lincoln, a physicist at Fermilab who\u2019s the author of \u201cAlien Universe,\u201d notes that attitudes toward UFOs tend to reflect depictions in popular culture, ranging from flying saucers and little green men to mysterious \u201cMen in Black\u201d and alien conspiracies. The original \u201cX-Files\u201d told tales of gray extraterrestrials and government coverups, and he\u2019s curious to see whether the new series will follow the same path.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt could well be that what the new X-Files will ultimately accomplish is to introduce a new generation to the mysteries of Area 51 and the unsettling idea of the Men in Black,\u201d Lincoln wrote in an email. \u201cI have said enough. They\u2019re watching<\/i>\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n