The Cosmic Closet: Pluralistic Ignorance and the Silence Around Extraterrestrial Life

To the point

Led by Avi Loeb, the study finds that many privately believe intelligent extraterrestrial life exists but think others don’t, creating a “cosmic closet” that quiets discussion and is only weakly moved by expert opinion, so conversations about UFOs/UAP may be shaped more by perceived norms than by evidence, and making shared curiosity visible could foster open dialogue with broader implications for mental health, politics, and public discourse.