These are the topline results of a YouGov/Huffington Post survey of 1000 US adults interviewed July 17 - 19, 2014 on intelligent life. The results show that most Americans think that there is intelligent life in another planet. The margin of error is 3.9%.
Click here to see full tables and demographic crossbreaks
Do you think there is intelligent life on other planets, or not?
Yes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50%
No . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19%
Not sure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31%
Do you think it would be possible for humans to make contact with intelligent life on other planets, or not?
Yes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46%
No . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23%
Not sure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31%
Do you think it is a good idea or a bad idea for scientists to try to make contact with intelligent life on other planets?
Good idea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37%
Bad idea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27%
Not sure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36%
Which comes closest to your opinion on why it’s a bad idea for scientists to try to make contact with intelligent life on other planets?
Asked of those who think trying to make contact is a bad idea
Thinks trying to make contact is a good idea or isn’t sure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73%
It would be a waste of time because intelligent life is unlikely to exist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8%
It would be difficult because we are unlikely to have the right technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2%
It would be dangerous because we might alert unfriendly aliens to our presence. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8%
It would be a waste of money even if it did work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5%
Something else . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2%
Not sure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1%
