Sprinkled amongst headlines about COVID-19 and politics, our news has recently featured an extraterrestrial topic: UFOs (Unidentified Flying Objects). While alien visitors have been a staple of sci-fi in Hollywood and popular culture, Washington has now come to view UFOs as a security threat. For some more context, here is a link to an article from the Washington Post and an explanation from the Seattle Times.

This week, reflect on these recent events and what they mean for the United States. Use the following questions to help guide your thought process:

Is considering life from other planets a priority at the moment?
Should we begin talking about extraterrestrial life in science classes at school?
Will these recent developments affect the emphasis we put on science education moving forward?
What would be the social and/or cultural impacts of knowledge of extraterrestrial life?
Can you think of a cultural phenomenon or trend that might emerge if the UFO sightings were proven true?

Additionally, think about what the word “alien” has come to mean in America as a term for immigrants. In fact, it’s mentioned under U.S. law: In the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), it is written that “[t]he term 'alien' means any person not a citizen or national of the United States.”

Back in January, President Joe Biden stated that he wanted to replace the word “alien” for immigrants with a less “dehumanizing term.” This article from NBC news explains Biden’s assertion. Based on this, also refect on the following questions:

Will this term change anytime soon? What words should we use instead?
Will the recent news about UFOs have any effect on the use of this term?

This prompt was written by Jayna Wadhwa , a Words Alive volunteer.