In the 1996 black comedy film Mars Attacks!, the aliens take advantage of humanity’s naïveté. When the US President makes a stirring plea for peace, the Martian leader is seemingly moved, before killing him. If the Martians attack in 2026, they may find a more cynical world, and decide to approach with an offer not of peace but of “rare Mars” elements. When former US President Barack Obama was asked on a podcast this weekend whether aliens were real, he replied, “They’re real but I haven’t seen them.” He also said aliens weren’t being kept in Area 51 — the classified facility at the centre of many UFO enthusiasts’ theories. It sent the internet into a tizzy for a few hours, until Obama clarified that he was only speaking in terms of statistical probabilities.

Source: Indian Express February 17, 2026 05:57 UTC