We are organizing a two-day interdisciplinary conference at Yale this December, bringing together professors and researchers from across the United States and internationally to discuss miracles, anomalous phenomena, UFOs, and related questions across history, sociology, anthropology, religious studies, philosophy, and science. The conference is organized by four Yale faculty members — Carlos Eire, Ivano Dal Prete, Philip Smith, and Etienne Caron.
A substantial part of the program treats UFO belief as American cultural history — how these narratives circulate, how they intersect with conspiracy and religion, and what they reveal about credibility and authority in postwar America. Speakers include Susan Lepselter, Associate Professor of American Studies at Indiana University, on the American uncanny; Matthew Bowman (Claremont Graduate University) on the Betty & Barney Hill case; and Diana Walsh Pasulka (UNC Wilmington) on religion, technology, and emerging belief.
Conference website: https://yaleimpossible2026.github.io/
If you’re interested in attending, volunteering, or just want to stay in the loop, please fill out our short interest form: https://forms.gle/yt1NnpDnkh7Yyb2R9. This is the best way to get more regular updates as the conference approaches.