Neil deGrasse Tyson Says Evil Alien Trope Projects Human Behavior Onto Extraterrestrials
"This trope of evil alien that's been around us since the original OG evil alien story, War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells. Um, the evil alien— we don't have evidence that aliens are evil, but you know what we do have evidence of? That humans are evil. Yes, to other humans when there's a mismatch in technology. So it's pretty clear to me, not that I'm a psychologist or anything, But we might be projecting our own behavior on these alien stories."
About this episode
On this episode of Piers Morgan Uncensored, host Piers Morgan explored the intersection of science fiction, ufology, and reality in light of Steven Spielberg's new alien film Disclosure Day. The episode opened with astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson discussing his new book Take Me to Your Leader and addressing how humanity might communicate with extraterrestrials through mathematics rather than language. Tyson argued that discovering humanoid aliens would shock scientists more than any other scenario, given evolutionary biology suggests true alien life would be incomprehensible in form. He critiqued the 95 years of alien storytelling in Hollywood, suggesting the evil alien trope projects human colonial violence rather than reflecting evidence about extraterrestrial behavior. The conversation then shifted dramatically to Gary Shufield and John Humphreys, the creators behind the infamous 1995 Roswell alien autopsy footage, alongside documentary filmmaker John Dower. Shufield defended the footage as a recreation of genuine 1947 film that had degraded, while admitting they hired a homeless man to impersonate the military cameraman when networks demanded proof. He made the explosive claim that a posthumously discovered CIA email authenticated their work, though Dower expressed deep skepticism about the entire narrative. The most striking revelation came from Dower's interview with former Air Force intelligence officer Richard Doty, who claimed the US government kept a live Roswell alien in captivity for two to three years. The episode concluded with YouTube film critics The Critical Drinker and Nerdrotic discussing Spielberg's new film and the cancellation of Doctor Who, which they attributed to alienating core audiences. Throughout, Morgan pressed guests on the balance between belief, evidence, and the commercial incentives driving UFO narratives.
Key takeaways
- Former Air Force intelligence officer Richard Doty claimed the US government held a live Roswell alien captive for two to three years with Area 51 access confirming similar footage.
- Gary Shufield claims a posthumously discovered CIA email from an astronaut's files authenticated the controversial 1995 Roswell alien autopsy footage as real.
- Shufield admitted hiring a homeless Los Angeles man to impersonate the military cameraman when TV networks demanded proof, paying him to read scripted statements in a motel.
- Neil deGrasse Tyson stated discovering humanoid aliens would shock science most, arguing evolutionary biology suggests true alien life would appear incomprehensible to humans.
- Tyson argued Hollywood's evil alien trope projects documented human colonial violence onto extraterrestrials rather than reflecting evidence about alien behavior or intentions.
- John Humphreys confirmed building the alien autopsy creature from sheep brains, pig organs, and Smithfield Market butcher supplies over three weeks in a Camden flat.
- Fox paid between 150,000 and 250,000 dollars for US broadcast rights to the alien autopsy footage with creators retaining lucrative home video rights globally.