American Cosmic

UFOs, Religion, Technology

By: D.W. Pasulka

Narrated by: Norah Tocci

More than half of American adults and more than 75 percent of young Americans believe in intelligent extraterrestrial life. This level of belief rivals that of belief in God. American Cosmic examines the mechanisms at work behind the thriving belief system in extraterrestrial life, a system that is changing and even supplanting traditional religions.

Over the course of a six-year ethnographic study, D. W. Pasulka interviewed successful and influential scientists, professionals, and Silicon Valley entrepreneurs who believe in extraterrestrial intelligence, thereby disproving the common misconception that only fringe members of society believe in UFOs. She argues that widespread belief in aliens is due to a number of factors, including their ubiquity in modern media like The X-Files, which can influence memory, and the believability lent to that media by the search for planets that might support life. American Cosmic explores the intriguing question of how people interpret unexplainable experiences and argues that the media is replacing religion as a cultural authority that offers believers answers about non-human intelligent life.

©2019 Oxford University Press (P)2019 Tantor

amazingly threaded together....

Couldn't stop listening to the research and the story of time. To me this is about Time.......

Information is fascinating. Narration is grating.

As others have noted, this is a well-written and fascinating book. However, the narration is mystifyingly stilted and slow. Ultimately, I listened to it at a speed of x1.1 and it changed the whole experience.

Well balanced and forthcoming

Having listened to and watched a few interviews of the author, I was not dissatisfied with this audiobook. If the gap between science and spirituality can be bridged, books like this may be the planks. Personally I would have preferred Diana do her own narration, as the narration took the tone of an AI voice program. I look forward to the next one from Diana Walsh Pasulka.

Fascinating exploration

A fascinating exploration of the intersection of science, religious belief and personal search for truth.

Creative ways to look at a problem.

I have experienced the randomness of solving a problem by linking events that have no apparent linkage to one another. Just like it was described by the author!