The Cosmic Closet: How Private Belief and Misperceived Norms Shape Discourse on Extraterrestrial Life
To the point
Jennice Vilhauer, Ph.D., shows that people privately believe intelligent life exists (about 67%), but think others would be only about 21% convinced, creating a "cosmic closet" where fear of social stigma keeps people silent and makes norms seem based on what others think.
