The hottest National Security Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Top U.S. Politics Topics

In the Pentagon Battle with Anthropic, We All Lose

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 315 implied HN points • 02 Mar 26
🕹 Technology National Security
  1. The Pentagon's dispute with Anthropic is more than a contract fight — it's a stress test of how the United States governs frontier AI.
  2. Our current methods for regulating advanced AI models are collapsing, and we don't have a good replacement ready to fill the gap.
  3. The informal principles that once guided AI companies and the government toward progress and safety are under threat, and political pressure — for example from figures like Pete Hegseth — is pushing firms like Anthropic out of defense work.

The Ends and Means of Tucker Carlson. Plus. . .

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 510 implied HN points • 23 Feb 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics National Security
  1. Tucker Carlson has been pushing narratives that blame Israel and Jewish people for America’s problems, mixing religious arguments with political attacks and deepening antisemitic divisions on the right.
  2. The Supreme Court struck down part of Trump’s tariff plan, a major legal setback that doesn’t fully end the tariff fight and highlights a larger battle over institutions while causing real harm to farmers and parts of the economy.
  3. Major current stories include debate over possible alien disclosures, Iran’s online propaganda reframing domestic protests, and urgent breaking news like the Mar‑a‑Lago shooting, the killing of a cartel leader, East Coast blizzards, and attacks on Ukraine’s power grid.

Op-ed in Foreign Policy: ‘Made in America’ Should Accept Chinese Investment

Pekingnology • 98 implied HN points • 17 Mar 26
🌍 World Politics National Security
  1. The U.S. should allow tightly constrained Chinese investment that protects national security through legal ringfencing, governance safeguards, robust audits, and a clear link to American production and jobs.
  2. Broadly excluding Chinese participation is counterproductive and inconsistent with other U.S. economic goals, because it raises costs, slows manufacturing scale-up, and conflicts with efforts that deepen China’s reliance on U.S. supply.
  3. Policy should use a precise risk test focused on control or privileged data access, favor structured partnerships and minority stakes with governance concessions, and press Beijing to make data-security rules legible and enforceable to enable limited cooperation.

America's Lunatic Weekend

TK News by Matt Taibbi • 6152 implied HN points • 01 Dec 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics National Security
  1. The White House and political actors are openly labeling and shaming news outlets, turning journalism into a partisan weapon and making public debate more about scoring points than truth.
  2. The administration is stretching old counterterror laws and making blunt, aggressive statements to justify military actions, raising serious legal and moral questions about unchecked executive war powers.
  3. Fast, polarized media coverage and anonymous sourcing turn complex shootings and foreign interventions into blame games, obscuring root causes like prolonged wars and evacuation policies and fueling public fear.

Trump’s Rules of War

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 255 implied HN points • 04 Mar 26
🌐 International National Security
  1. He set clear rules for using U.S. military power — no ground troops, no nation‑building, and quick “one‑and‑done” strikes.
  2. In the current Iran confrontation he’s breaking those rules, moving away from brief strikes toward a potentially multi‑week campaign.
  3. His approach to war is changeable: in recent days he has broken some rules, kept others, and abandoned a long American taboo, showing his tactics shift with circumstances.
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The State of Trump’s Presidency. Plus. . .

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 449 implied HN points • 24 Feb 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics National Security
  1. The State of the Union is being treated as a high-stakes moment, but its actual impact on Trump’s standing may be limited and will likely try to win back Republicans who have cooled on him, especially over immigration.
  2. The newsletter spotlights heated cultural debates, from a provocative defense of fraternity hazing to worries about screen-driven anxiety and how to handle stress after unplugging.
  3. Major policy and legal developments are unfolding: a U.S. lawsuit over payments tied to Palestinian terror, military warnings about striking Iran, and a Supreme Court case that could reshape climate litigation.

How the US Won Back Chip Manufacturing

ChinaTalk • 504 implied HN points • 17 Feb 26
🕹 Technology National Security
  1. A focused mix of big incentives (like an investment tax credit and targeted grants) plus a small, execution‑focused team is what actually accelerated a large semiconductor fab buildout in the U.S., not just market demand alone.
  2. Effective industrial policy needs the right balance of simple market tools and discretionary powers for urgent problems, and it must be governed with transparency and insulation from politics or public trust breaks down.
  3. To make this repeatable, the country needs durable state capacity that can attract talent, deploy capital, accept some failures, and differentiate between defensive fixes for chokepoints and offensive bets on future enabling R&D.

America is being sold out by its leaders

Noahpinion • 53471 implied HN points • 21 Feb 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics National Security
  1. There is a concern that America's leaders are making choices that could weaken the country, particularly in foreign relations. If the U.S. were to focus on itself and ignore global involvement, some believe it could hurt its standing in the world.
  2. Some political figures think their vision aligns better with countries like China and Russia than with traditional allies. This shift could lead to a more isolationist approach, where the U.S. limits its international influence.
  3. People worry that the U.S. might reduce military strength and abandon industrial policies, which could harm the economy. Cutting defense spending and focusing on raw materials rather than manufacturing could make the country rely more on other nations.

Encouraging News: Lindsey Graham Looks HEARTBROKEN About Iran

Caitlin’s Newsletter • 2132 implied HN points • 16 Jan 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics National Security
  1. Lindsey Graham’s facial expressions are presented as a shorthand indicator of how eager US leaders are for military action.
  2. Reports that airstrikes on Iran are unlikely are viewed skeptically because past misleading statements have sometimes preceded real attacks.
  3. Many find it hopeful when hawkish politicians look discouraged, and satire (like a joking "Graham-o-Meter") is suggested to track and mock warmongering.

The U.S.-China competition is on pause

Noahpinion • 17235 implied HN points • 18 Aug 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics National Security
  1. The U.S. and China seem to have paused their rivalry to deal with their own internal issues. Both countries are currently focused on what’s happening at home rather than competing with each other.
  2. In the U.S., there's a mix of public tiredness and political distractions that are shifting attention away from international competition. It seems like the officials aren't really pushing the competition right now.
  3. China is also struggling with its own economic problems, which may be why it’s not as focused on competing with the U.S. at this moment.

Yao Yang: the post-2018 evolution in China's political economy

Pekingnology • 128 implied HN points • 13 Mar 26
🌍 World Politics National Security
  1. Since 2018 China has entered a "new era" where the government is correcting reform-era excesses. It is cracking down on corruption, deleveraging finance, shrinking property speculation, and curbing oversized platform and tutoring industries to reassert state control and redirect resources.
  2. The leadership is doubling down on manufacturing and pushing for technological self-reliance, emphasizing "zero-to-one" breakthrough innovation and building a complete, independent tech ecosystem by around 2035.
  3. Those domestic priorities are closely tied to geopolitics: China aims to win tech competition with the U.S., build military strength from industrial and tech capacity, and press for eventual reunification with Taiwan. Possible bilateral outcomes range from stabilized competition and limited investment openings to a peaceful settlement over Taiwan.

The Father Battling Palestinian Terror in Court

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 384 implied HN points • 24 Feb 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics National Security
  1. The Palestinian Authority’s “Martyrs Fund” pays money to people who carried out or were imprisoned for attacks on Israel, amounting to hundreds of millions a year and reportedly reflected in a proposed constitution despite claims it would end.
  2. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the PA and PLO can be held civilly liable for sponsoring terrorism, opening a new legal path for American victims to sue.
  3. Taylor Force’s father has filed a lawsuit in New York alleging the PA’s payment program induced the 2016 stabbing, making his case one of the first to test the new ruling.

New Issue Of JOHNSTONE: The System Is Working Exactly As Intended

Caitlin’s Newsletter • 973 implied HN points • 05 Feb 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics National Security
  1. People split into two camps over the Epstein revelations: reformers who think the system is broken and can be fixed, and revolutionaries who believe the system is working exactly as intended and must be dismantled.
  2. The abuses tied to Epstein are presented as products of a capitalist, imperial system that protects elites, so real accountability or high-level prosecutions are unlikely under the current institutions.
  3. Genuine change requires popular radical politics and pressure, not mainstream parties, and growing awareness of elite corruption may push more people from wanting reform to demanding systemic overthrow.

The Final Showdown With Tehran?

Fisted by Foucault • 174 implied HN points • 05 Mar 26
🌍 World Politics National Security
  1. Iran is unusually vulnerable right now—internal protests, recent strikes, and waning support from Russia and China make it a tempting moment to try to decisively weaken or topple the regime.
  2. Removing or altering Iran’s government would eliminate the region’s main state challenger to U.S. influence and could significantly blunt Iran-backed groups like Hezbollah and the Houthis.
  3. U.S. strategy in the Middle East has long focused on securing oil supplies, using energy as geopolitical leverage, and protecting Israel, and ousting Iran would be seen as completing that long-running project.

Trump Is Back-Door Begging Iran to Talk Peace

God's Spies by Thomas Neuburger • 65 implied HN points • 17 Mar 26
🌍 World Politics National Security
  1. Though publicly boasting of military success, the administration quietly asked Iran for talks, with special envoy Steve Witkoff sending messages to Tehran.
  2. Iranian officials say they ignored those outreach efforts and that only the Supreme Leader can authorize negotiations, effectively closing the door to direct talks.
  3. The contrast between loud public rhetoric and private pleas highlights mixed signals and suggests the conflict may continue until one side falters, raising doubts about the coherence of the strategy.

Insane Clown Pentagon

TK News by Matt Taibbi • 4427 implied HN points • 04 Dec 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics National Security
  1. The boat-bombing operations risk being war crimes, especially if forces fired on shipwrecked survivors, which could create serious legal exposure for commanders and political leaders.
  2. Blustery, inconsistent public remarks by top officials have politically self-sabotaged the administration and may provide evidence that leaves military leaders exposed.
  3. Treating drug cartels as terrorist enemies and relying on broad legal theories to justify lethal strikes has blurred legal norms, unsettled military lawyers and troops, and risks normalizing extrajudicial killings.

$3000 Essay Contest on Economic Security

ChinaTalk • 741 implied HN points • 05 Feb 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics National Security
  1. Economic security is a rising bipartisan priority, with both parties backing a more active government role in markets to protect U.S. power and long-term growth.
  2. ChinaTalk is running an essay contest to prompt concrete thinking, asking for high-level KPIs for economic security and proposals for where to invest $10–50 billion, including defensive and offensive ideas.
  3. The contest offers a $3,000 prize pool, features prominent judges, requests 2,500–4,000 word essays, and has a submission deadline of March 1.

CROSSPOST: DAN DREZNER: There Is No U.S. Plan on Iran

Brad DeLong's Grasping Reality • 130 implied HN points • 03 Mar 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics National Security
  1. The U.S. joined Israel’s strikes on Iran with maximalist goals but no coherent strategy, and senior officials appear to be improvising rather than managing a planned campaign.
  2. Political optics and alliance pressure — wanting to look strong and not be outflanked by Netanyahu — helped drive the decision more than careful strategic planning.
  3. The strikes have hit military and civilian sites and caused casualties, but Iran’s coercive apparatus remains largely intact, so hopes for quick regime change are unrealistic.

American Apotheosis, Lustration, and Conciliatism

Dr. Pippa's Pen & Podcast • 33 implied HN points • 17 Mar 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics National Security
  1. A hidden transnational power structure of cartels, shadow financiers, and kompromat makes courtroom justice ineffective, so the public’s expectation of simple legal reckonings clashes with a much deeper, systemic problem.
  2. A political strategy aims for 'apotheosis by outcome'—becoming an untouchable icon by delivering undeniable global results like reintegration and stability, using insider knowledge rather than moral purity.
  3. Rather than regime change or courts, the approach relies on economic incentives and forensic audits—choking off cash flows and seizing server data and witnesses from foreign partners—to expose and dismantle covert systems of influence.

March 15, 2026

Letters from an American • 31 implied HN points • 16 Mar 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics National Security
  1. The president appears to have launched and escalated a war without a clear endgame or serious planning. He claims Iran’s military was destroyed while also asking other countries for help and saying he was surprised by Iran’s responses.
  2. Iran can claim victory simply by surviving and can leverage control of the Strait of Hormuz to pressure the world through oil disruptions. The U.S. remains tied to global oil markets because its refineries and the types of oil it produces mean it can’t easily use all the oil it makes.
  3. The administration is pushing to reshape and punish the media, including threats to broadcasters and praise for friendly ownership, which undermines press freedom. Mixed messages and misleading claims from officials show internal turmoil and widespread misinformation.

American Apotheosis, Lustration, and Conciliatism: Part Three

Dr. Pippa's Pen & Podcast • 32 implied HN points • 17 Mar 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics National Security
  1. The Epstein saga points to a sprawling, institutionalized machine of elites rather than a lone actor, with Epstein serving as a public face and operational node and that apparatus continues even if the individual is gone.
  2. The machine is shifting from physical honeytraps to digital leverage, where AI and data‑mining can automatically find private debts, health issues, or opinions to create permanent, invisible blackmail.
  3. States are pushing back with sanctions, choke‑point strategies, and AI‑driven cybersecurity, which could produce apotheosis, lustration, conciliation, or a prolonged struggle as agentic AI maps and contains these networks.

NATO's War on Russia

Glenn’s Substack • 1099 implied HN points • 19 Aug 24
🌍 World Politics National Security
  1. NATO's involvement in Ukraine started with the 2014 coup, which led to increased tensions with Russia. This has shaped the current conflict, making it more than just a territorial dispute.
  2. Russia's responses to NATO's actions have been cautious, as they fear escalating to nuclear war. They are carefully considering how to react without triggering a larger conflict.
  3. The narrative in Western media portrays Russia as the sole aggressor, ignoring the complexities of NATO's role. This can limit discussions on diplomatic solutions and foster more hostility.

Trump is enabling Chinese power

Noahpinion • 18059 implied HN points • 16 Jul 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics National Security
  1. Trump's administration is acting in ways that may weaken America's ability to counter China's growing power. This includes reversing some important policies meant to limit China's technology advancements.
  2. There seems to be confusion and inconsistency in Trump's foreign policies, especially regarding China and Russia. This makes it difficult to clearly understand America's stance in global conflicts.
  3. By focusing more on domestic issues and culture wars, the administration is neglecting important international relationships. This could harm America's alliances and reduce its influence in the face of China's rise.

U.S. federal judge retroactively seals court documents, hiding joint American-British covert action in Iran

All-Source Intelligence Fusion • 834 implied HN points • 03 Feb 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics National Security
  1. A federal judge retroactively sealed four sections of previously public court filings that listed codenames, target countries, date ranges, and other details of covert information-collection programs.
  2. The filings tie a UAE-based contractor (IAS) and U.S. firms to work for U.S. Special Operations Command, describing programs like BEOWULF that targeted multiple Iranian cities and had a roughly $4.5 million price tag.
  3. Counsel moved to seal after the material was publicly disclosed, and the judge ordered redactions and re-filing within seven days, although the sensitive charts had already been circulated.

Ex-convict and former CIA operative denied bail in narcoterrorism case

All-Source Intelligence Fusion • 691 implied HN points • 06 Feb 26
📰 News National Security
  1. A 75-year-old ex-CIA operative was denied bail and faces charges of conspiring to commit narcoterrorism, distributing cocaine, and laundering about $12 million with a person he believed was linked to the CJNG cartel.
  2. Prosecutors submitted evidence like WhatsApp screenshots alleging he coordinated money laundering, discussed procuring weapons and explosives, and involved family members and business associates in the scheme.
  3. The defendant’s past includes a 1990s fraud conviction and ties to a convicted pyramid scheme and lobbying firm, details that were highlighted in court and public records.

How It’s Done

Doomberg • 15215 implied HN points • 16 Jul 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics National Security
  1. The U.S. is recognizing its competition with China over rare earth metals, which are essential for many industries and military needs. They realize they need to act to secure resources that China currently controls.
  2. China has been able to dominate the rare earth market by ignoring environmental regulations, allowing it to produce materials cheaper than countries with stricter rules. This makes it hard for others to compete.
  3. To reduce dependence on China, the U.S. is now investing in domestic production of rare earth metals. This includes the Pentagon buying a significant stake in an American mining company to help build local processing facilities.

The US Empire Needs Men Like Trump

Caitlin’s Newsletter • 1909 implied HN points • 06 Jan 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics National Security
  1. The US power structure values leaders who will carry out long-term imperial goals, and Trump has proven useful as the "bad cop" who can use overt force when needed.
  2. His recent actions and rhetoric around Venezuela, Cuba, and Iran show a willingness to use direct military intervention and extra-legal tactics to achieve regime change.
  3. Trump has moved from earlier anti-intervention posturing to openly allying with hawkish politicians, signaling continued aggressive foreign policy if he stays in power.

American Apotheosis, Lustration, and Conciliatism: Part Two

Dr. Pippa's Pen & Podcast • 28 implied HN points • 17 Mar 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics National Security
  1. A populist leadership is trying to neutralize entrenched bureaucratic elites by gathering and exposing foreign-held evidence and using intelligence and declassification tools instead of relying on ordinary criminal trials. This approach aims to undermine institutional legitimacy and produce geopolitical outcomes that sideline the old guard.
  2. When the legal system stalls, societies face two main alternatives: lustration, a surgical institutional vetting and exclusion, or conciliatism, a truth-for-stability bargain that reintegrates rivals after confession. Both paths carry big risks—lustration can become a witch-hunt while conciliatism may force the public to accept compromised elites back into power.
  3. The mass release of compromising records and possible pardons for whistleblowers could trigger a widespread public unveiling that breaks trust in institutions. That revelation could push the country toward a triumphant reordering, a targeted purge, negotiated reconciliation, or a deeper systemic fracture.

THE FEAR THAT DROVE TRUMP TO WAR

Seymour Hersh • 28 implied HN points • 19 Mar 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics National Security
  1. Fear of a nuclear Iran — even if exaggerated — was presented as the main justification for the recent war and the resulting slaughter.
  2. Senior U.S. military figures engaged in highly secret contacts with Iran’s military leadership, including indirect dealings with the supreme leader, showing intense behind-the-scenes engagement before open conflict.
  3. A pointed joke about the supreme leader captures how officials saw him as inscrutable and suggests that dark humor and misperception played into serious decision-making.

Leaving the IPCC and UNFCCC is Bad for the United States

The Honest Broker Newsletter • 1521 implied HN points • 08 Jan 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics National Security
  1. Leaving the UNFCCC may not change binding U.S. obligations, but it surrenders American influence; that loss of influence could let other countries adopt trade, technology, or supply-chain rules that hurt U.S. workers and the economy.
  2. The U.S. helped create the IPCC to ensure international climate assessments stayed balanced; staying engaged helps protect the IPCC’s scientific integrity and prevents the body from being weaponized against U.S. interests.
  3. Multilateral institutions — including scientific ones — are important sources of U.S. soft power and tie directly to economic and security issues like trade and critical minerals, so the U.S. should work to improve and lead them rather than withdraw.

MAGA’s new excuse for Iran war: Israel made us do it

Aaron Mate • 209 implied HN points • 03 Mar 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics National Security
  1. Top Republican leaders argued the US struck Iran preemptively because Israel was going to attack and a US strike was needed to prevent Iranian retaliation against American forces.
  2. The president publicly contradicted that claim, saying he acted on his own judgment that Iran would attack first rather than being forced by Israel.
  3. Independent reporting indicates the US and Israel had planned attacks on Iran for months, suggesting the strikes were part of a coordinated push for regime change rather than a purely defensive move.

Trump's State of the Union Address--He Is Reading the Polls And Seems Scared

Phillips’s Newsletter • 315 implied HN points • 25 Feb 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics National Security
  1. He’s clearly reading the polls and acting scared, so he toned down his usual confrontational style.
  2. He deliberately minimized or avoided formerly central issues—like attacks on the Supreme Court, tariffs, ICE/immigration, and mentions of Russia or China.
  3. He pushed the economy (prices and inflation) and highlighted selective foreign-policy “wins” like the Venezuela operation and a claimed Iran strike to sell achievements and distract from unpopular policies.

Predictions and Prophecies for 2026

Contemplations on the Tree of Woe • 1606 implied HN points • 26 Dec 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics National Security
  1. Advances in AI will split people into two growing camps: optimists who expect big benefits and doomers who fear economic or existential harm.
  2. AI-driven investment will boost GDP and markets while creating a “jobless boom” that worsens inequality and increases energy demand; governments and the military-industrial complex will back AI, making a major market crash in 2026 unlikely.
  3. The 2026 midterm elections are predicted to flip Congress, with Democrats winning narrow majorities in both the House and Senate.

Our Unserious President

Slack Tide by Matt Labash • 203 implied HN points • 02 Mar 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics National Security
  1. The president is acting unserious, focusing on gold drapes and ballroom plans instead of treating a new military action with the solemnity it requires.
  2. The administration’s reasons for the war keep shifting while people are dying—U.S. service members and innocent civilians, including schoolgirls—showing real consequences behind the rhetoric.
  3. This mix of vanity and shifting justifications exposes misplaced priorities and hollow patriotism, and true patriotism should involve honestly questioning leaders and policies.

Trump Told Iranian Protesters Help Was on the Way. What Happened?

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 565 implied HN points • 06 Feb 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics National Security
  1. Trump publicly warned Iran the U.S. was "locked and loaded" if the regime shot protesters, but no U.S. strike followed the subsequent deadly crackdown.
  2. Officials say a key practical reason for not striking is that U.S. missile defense and strike resources are depleted, which limits options for rapid retaliation.
  3. Instead of punishing the regime for the massacre, U.S. envoys are meeting with Iranian officials to negotiate about the nuclear program and support for terrorism rather than the protesters' fate.

Selling H200s to China Is Unwise and Unpopular

Don't Worry About the Vase • 2553 implied HN points • 09 Dec 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics National Security
  1. Selling Nvidia H200 chips to China would hand China a big, immediate compute advantage and weaken America’s lead in AI, which is a core national security concern.
  2. The H200 is much more powerful than previous exportable chips and China won’t make rivals for years, so large exports would let Chinese labs train frontier models and build cheaper data centers — and every chip sold to China is one fewer for U.S. users.
  3. The move is broadly unpopular with experts and lawmakers, may be limited or reversed, and probably delivers little lasting benefit to the U.S. or Nvidia beyond short-term revenue.

China Caught

Diane Francis • 1218 implied HN points • 01 Aug 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics National Security
  1. China has been cheating in trade by stealing ideas and lying about its deals. This has been hurting businesses and countries that rely on China.
  2. NATO has accused China of supporting Russia by giving them supplies, even after China promised not to. This shows that China can't be trusted in international agreements.
  3. China is also involved in the drug trade, providing materials to Mexican cartels. Despite their denials, evidence shows they continue to help with drug problems.

Trump + AI = ?

Nonzero Newsletter • 463 implied HN points • 14 Feb 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics National Security
  1. AI progress is accelerating faster than most people realized, and that sudden speed is raising public anxiety and the need for urgent policy responses.
  2. Many big AI risks are international in nature, so managing them will require cooperation between the US and China rather than only national rules.
  3. It’s plausible that political incentives — a high-profile AI scare, the promise of political credit, and a willingness to make deals — could push Trump to back international AI governance and accept regulation he’d previously resisted.

The Truth About Aliens Is Hiding in Plain Sight

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 227 implied HN points • 23 Feb 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics National Security
  1. The government is being pushed to release its files on aliens, which will likely spark more public questions than clear answers.
  2. High-profile figures have made eye-catching comments about aliens, but officials say there’s no verified evidence of extraterrestrial contact.
  3. Many people think life elsewhere in the universe is probable, but that doesn’t mean aliens have visited Earth across vast space distances.