Thread by @hauntedmagazine

1. A study of 2,000 adults found 37% reckon they’ve witnessed something out of the ordinary although 35% put it down to an optical illusion. While 45% have thought UFOs & aliens exist for as long as they can remember, 23% say they are true believers of extra-terrestrial life.

2. A third admit they want to believe that there are alien beings out there – despite not always being fully confident in the myth or theory. The research was commissioned by @BeavertownBeer to celebrate #WorldUFODay on Saturday July 2nd.

3. “You often hear stories out there that people have spotted sightings of aliens/UFOs & we've always wondered just how many Brits believe in aliens so it’s been really interesting to look at the research this World UFO Day & find out how people feel about extra-terrestrial life"

4. Documentaries 36%, reading online materials 24% & friends & family 22% are where people typically learn about aliens & unusual sightings. 43% are alien fans because they would like to think there’s more beyond what we know & 21% say its what they’ve always grown up to believe.

5. A third actively go out to look for unusual sightings & 33% have even come up with their own story about them. When quizzed on their own city, 26% claim where they live is a ‘hot spot’ for unusual sightings. Londoners believe this the most, then those living in the North East.

6. Three in 10 openly talk about UFOs & unusual sightings without any shame while 40% would rather keep their theories to themselves.

TV documentaries 27%, non-fiction books 20% and university papers 20% are the top resources most likely to make people believe UFOs are real.

7. Despite this, 48% agree they don’t trust in anything they can’t find an obvious answer for. Lack of evidence 42%, thinking people are just making it up 31% and being designed to scare people 24% are the top reasons for not always believing in something that can’t be explained.

8. However, 41% say UFOs & aliens are interesting to learn about even if they don’t always think they are real. The study via @OnePoll found 61% admit there are certain events in history, such as how the 1st person landed on the moon, that baffle them & they are yet to understand

9. The Bermuda Triangle 23%, the Illuminati 17% are among the other theories or myths people like to think are true & 26% think Area 51 is secretly used to investigate UFOs and aliens.

10. The @BeavertownBeer spokesperson added: “There are lots of strange happenings in the sky & people should feel encouraged to share their stories, especially on days like #WorldUFODay. There are more believers out there than we think & we want to celebrate them over a pint.”