+Carolynn Markey He didn't really do that. He hinted at her "sexyness". This doesn't necessarily "objectify the entire show", it only means that he finds the actress attractive.
+Carolynn Markey Wow, now people can't even mention a female character? He didn't even mention the show, nor her body. He is addressing her as a person directly and he even implies that he is submitting himself to her. Damn it why am I even trying to talk to you, you are completely gone.
That "vague yet menacing government agency" line sounded familiar to me... Then I realized it's said countless times on Welcome to Night Vale, which also capitalizes on the unfamiliar and the unknown, among other things. I think the popularity of X-Files in the 90s gave way for media like WTNV to exist, and the fact that X-Files is coming back in 2016 and coexisting with the media it inspired is our fascination/anxiety around the paranormal and/or the unexplained coming full circle.
I personally hate how "democracy and capitalism" supposedly go hand in hand. They really don't. Pure capitalism actually hates democracy cause democracy, true democracy, often gets in the way of profit.
+The God Emperor The issue with that is that line of thought is that a pure capitalism, true democracy, or true communism, or whatever, are impossible to achieve. When he says that democracy and capitalism go hand in hand, he's not talking about the idealised, 'pure' form of these things, he's talking about the realistic versions that exist.
Onjit This is true, the pure systems are often impossible, but they are also rarely ideal. Regulated capitalism is far better. Regulated so workers, consumers, shareholders, and businesses aren't abused by one another. IN a pure system, no regulations would exist (as all tend to get in the way of profits) and abuse runs rampant. We saw a closer pure capitalist system in the late 1800s, early 1900s and it was disastrous for our drinking water, foods, consumers, workers, etc.
I thought you were going to discuss the fact that some people still "want to believe" things that have been proven false. I want to believe that you're going to do so in the future. Keep up the good work, I love your show.
One of my favorite vids from this channel! Very "V-Saucey." :D Not that I want you guys to change formats - just temporarily quenched my thirst for a long-overdue vid from Michael.
"It's not so much space futurism as space presentism." I like that a lot. On that note I want to point out that our search for alien life is about to become significantly more sophisticated. In the past, we looked for evidence of ADVANCED civilizations by looking for their communications via radio waves. But very soon we'll be able to look for evidence of ANY organic life by doing spectroscopy on alien atmospheres and looking for chemicals that signify living things: www.space.com/31519-alien-life-hunt-biosignatures-exoplanet-atmospheres.html Does this have anything to do with "wanting to believe?" I'm not sure. But feels like it's part of the... "space presentism" that Mike mentioned.
This just makes me think of an urban legend around these parts. In the nearby town of Scotia back in the '70s, supposedly a number of people witnessed an unidentified flying object. Shortly after that, some mysterious men in black showed up to ask questions and seemingly discourage any discussion about the whole thing. There were also supposedly some unexplained disappearances while the men in black were in town. Of course, it's just a legend.
If you want another angle on this topic, I suggest the anime/manga Planetes. The whole series tries to tackle questions regarding the morals and ethics of space exploration and weighing the risks/rewards as we reach further into the final frontier.
+PBS Idea Channel Vague yet menacing government agencies, NIGHT VALE FAN CONFERMED. Being a little serious the thing about our time is that as religion fazes out of normality some people still feel a need to believe in the supernatural and also there is a scepticism and distrust in governments and various old powers.
I highly recommend J.J. Kripal's "Mutants & Mystics," which argues that science-fiction and ufology/paranormal esoterica exist in a relationship of mutual influence. I don't agree with his metaphysical explanation for this relationship, but the book is worth reading on the basis of its history of sci-fi alone.
I know this wasn't actually part of the meat of your video, but I have to speak up about something you said at the end, about the IOTBS video: "whether or not science can prove if something *doesn't* exist" This is the wrong question to be asking. The question we SHOULD be asking is "why should we suppose this thing exists if we have no credible evidence to suggest it does?" In other words, nonexistence is the null hypothesis, and should be assumed until we have reason to think otherwise.
+DanThePropMan I didnt even finish watching this video. Paused and checked the comments. That question in the second part of your comment is how i feel about this topic. Interesting yes, i love discussoin on space, but once aliens is thrown in, i lose interest.
I feel that another major reason for the return of the X-Files is that we are in another age of American paranoia. In the post-Watergate era of the 90s (after a brief resurgence of confidence in the 80s), the idea of the New World Order was something that conspiracy theorists thought was running the world. Today, we don't need those conspiracy theories; we're living in a post-Snowden world, where we have proof that the government is keeping tracks on us at all times. At the very least, we're more aware of the various going-ons that most people aren't able to see.
I think what's also important to note is our improving understand of the universe. In the last decade, we found hundreds of planets outside our own solar system. We finally made pictures of pluto, took a serious look at warp drives, the emDrive spawned some discussion and a new era of space flight began when private companies first delivered cargo to the ISS. And the hungry 24/7 news-cycle gladly picked up EVERYTHING and spat it out into the public consciousness.
My biggest complaint with the X-Files is that there is never any doubt about "extraordinary" phenomena. You're always shown that Eugene Tooms can stretch his body, or the arsonist can light himself on fire. It removes the tension about the X-files themselves. The show is less about discovering extraordinary phenomena and more about Scully and Mulder's relationship, which is fine, but really turned me off as I was expecting a different type of show.
woooah!! that picture that u used to show a community in ruins was my house!well actually, everything got destroyed about 15 years ago and new buildings have since taken its place and the neighborhood is actually becoming popular, but that corner is my corner! id like to believe that this is a sign that u want to make me youtube famous
One of the things I always found compelling about the X-Files stemmed from that phrase, "I Want to Believe", and it ties into everything you talked about. Growing up in the 90's and surrounded (much as we still are) by the idea and maybe the reality of an increasingly secular and less religious America, it always struck me that "wanting to believe" was a very timely theme for a decade still characterized by this attitude of skepticism and cynicism. Both Scully and Mulder, in different ways, are people of reason; they believe that things happen for a reason, that there are explanations to be discovered, that "the truth is out there". Scully begins as the ultimate skeptic, and can't accept the paranormal because it goes against her orderly world view, yet Mulder's skepticism is equally pronounced except that he has gone one step further down the rabbit hole - accepting the existence of the paranormal, but ever searching for an underlying structure to validate his suspicions (the government cover-ups, hidden agendas, etc). Both "want to believe" because in some way, their world is dark and terrifying and confusing without the belief in some grand logic or power at work. And that absolutely fits for the time; after the Cold War, after nearly a century of believing that the world was fundamentally divided into the forces of East VS West, capitalism VS communism, etc., now what did Americans have to believe in? The cause was unclear, and the faith in the American way shaken, along with its religions and culture and everything associated with that diametric conflict that had suddenly evaporated. But people will always "want to believe". And if its not God or nations that supply the structure for the world as they understand it, they search for something else, or remix what they already have into some new shape - aliens, terrorism, neo-globalism. The X-Files, to me, is about that 90's American crisis, about lost people searching for new structure, for something at the center of it all that explain EVERYTHING because nothing yet has, and the persistent faith that such a thing exists.
There is absolutely nothing new in our belief of something "out there" we cannot see and don't understand. That's practically part of the existence of being human. But it was cool you made an X-Files themed chat and of course, RIP David Bowie as well, nice touch at the end.
I have narcolepsy and suffer from frequent sleep paralysis hallucinations and one time I actually did see a space man. (This was right after Mass Effect 3 had come out and I had been playing it a lot, his space suit looked a lot like one you might find in the game, not by coincidence) I awoke and opened my eyes, unable to move as always, and he was floating above me with a bright light behind his head obscuring his face. He had his hand outstretched, shaking it, as if begging me to grab it. This went on for probably 20-30 seconds before I woke up. The thing about sleep paralysis hallucinations, like dreams, is that they seem real while they're happening. Every time. No matter how many times it happens it always feels like it is actually happening. Since that morning I definitely understand how some people having a sleep paralysis hallucination could think they were being abducted.
First off and most importantly, thank you for this REALLY well written and concise review and explanation of both "the why" and "the how" the paranoia instilling era that is the Cold War effected us as it has, as well the cultivation of the Sci-Fi genre as we now know it. Personally, I think that the fear mongering and paranoia instilling propagation that was the U.S. during the Cold War is one the occurrences that has had the worst effect on the American people and is a major reason for our current cultural condition, along with the way Prohibition was handled and the glamorization of the use of drugs in our culture (especially cocaine). To address the recent increase in paranormal and alien discussion, I'd like to add that it isn't just the filling of the paranoid void, or the common critique of it being a ploy for attention, but something else as well. We currently live in the information age. These last few years (speaking from an American stand point) we started seeing the wide(r) spread results of that through social change and discourse gaining a much bigger presence. Issues of gender, sexism, racism, social equality, and even economics and international relations, have all come forward into common discussion. That's all because we are collectively becoming much more informed and, dare I say, educated. We're thinking more and possibly becoming more conscious of the word around us, and that world includes the cosmos. We're starting to comprehend the universe, the cosmos are becoming (more and more) reachable. I will say one more thing before answering what is asked by the title of this video. You mentioned that space "provides some hope of escape from a deteriorating planet". That is the most terrifying aspect to me about our progression into the cosmos. Its not that we may or may not find life out there that may or may not be hostile towards us. Its not the possibility of space viruses, or even something going wrong and the great pioneers of space dying. Its that if we are able to colonize Mars, if we are able to make it (and in turn other planets in the future) hospitable then that will be taken as an excuse to continue treating (abusing) our planet Earth as we currently are in the present. THAT is terrifying. Mars and red is great and all, but I prefer the Earth with its gorgeous blues and greens. As for answering directly what was asked by this video; I do believe. I cannot phantom the possibility that we are alone in the universe. Or to put it more accurately, the possibility that there is other life in the universe, alien life, is more believable (to me) than the possibility that there isn't. If I was to be more assertive in my position then I'd state that I firmly believe that there is life out there in the cosmos, and where I don't particularly agree or believe it is what we've imagined it to be (entirely), I disagree with the notion that we are alone in the universe. The universe is simply too massive of a space and variable for us (the planet Earth) to be the sole "conscious"/complicated life forms. I think that way of thinking to be too egotistical, though I understand how the thought of there being unknown life in indiscernible and inaccessible space can be frightening. - Dennis Danelia
Phewh, I had a lot to say on this one. I mean really, the discussion of the effects the Cold War had on the American mentality is a topic of its own. I'd say there are three or four topics in this video that could have been separated into their own videos, then again many things are interconnected. This was a good episode!
Perhaps part of this wave of bringing back shows and movies from the 80s and 90s is because the main players/consumers in society now (late 20-30+year olds, including me) were kids back then. These iconic stories played such a huge part in the pop culture we grew up with. We consumed their well marketed shows and movies and they became an inseparable part of our collective childhood, whether we enjoyed it or not. There weren't major sources of alternative media or entertainment for the majority of us, I think. Our generation was probably the last vulnerable group and also one of the last to not completely grow up with a massive, accessible internet like we have today. Now is just a the ripe time for companies to milk our newly found purchasing powers and our nostalgic tendencies, and boy, do we love romanticizing our past. I don't know if this trend would be as prevalent with the later generations. Just my thoughts on this subject.
The location was badass!!! I am a tad to young for the X-File (they horrified me as a child) I watched it a bit later and thought the episodes with actual aliens were the most boring ones. And when I think about the series returning, I unfortunately do not see your (very cool an insightful!) interpretation, but just executives thinking "what can we dig out now?". But this reboot served as a vehicle for one amazing episode that touched on many subjects. I actually had the poster and still think it is a great way of justifying creative and not factual as well as critical but not always accurate thinking. I WANT to believe that there is more out there, because I am optimistic. Having grown up and having lost so much of the awe inspiring mysteries of this world I happily embrace the possibilities of all the things unseen to us, filling the world with magic and mystery. Reclaiming an imaginative thought process and convincing myself that the universe and even this planet is too unfathomable to be made boring by "understanding" and "knowing" it.
+PBS Thank you for Educating the public! If we learn from history, maybe we can stop making the same mistakes expecting different results. I just subscribed today, I hope this helps and am also a monthly contributor to my local NPR station. Go Public Media!
Scully was not there to debunk Mulder's work. She was there to keep him on task and not chasing fairies in flower fields. She was the counterbalance to keep Mulder from literally going off the deep end. She fails eventually but not before actually getting some evidence of unnatural events (locked away in that big warehouse).
Oddly, I have been talking about this a lot this week. MY general feeling is that as much as I'd like to believe in the idea of super cool alien interaction NOW, I am more likely to believe that my grandchildren will be the first ones to make the contact. As well, I am on the mind that while sentient life is not totally rare, it is rare enough that within infinity, the chances of bumping into someone else are equality as infinite. if you're in the Mall of America with just you and a stranger, but neither of you know the other is there. Your chances of running into each other are pretty good, but not perfectly great. Expand that outward to the city, and state, the country, and eventually the planet. Keep scaling up, and the idea of meeting anyone gets further away. I want to believe, but I don't think I can suspend my disbelief in the scale of us as a race.
+Kai Takeda This is a great way to imagine it. If there were only two people in the entire state of, say, Texas, and they had to find each other before death using only the power of their voices, would they be able to succeed?
The phrase "I want to believe" nails the problem perfectly. Truth has nothing to do with what we want, or what we believe. The early seasons of the 90's X-Files was actually pretty good at making that distinction, and it's a big part of why I loved it so much. Scully's scepticism had more to do with fallacies like appeals to authority and problems of inductions (ie, there are no black swans), and Mulder had already written an entire lexicon and history in his head that didn't always relate very well to reality. The show dissected the problems with both viewpoints, and in the end neither Scully or Mulder was ever "right." At it's best the show had some great lessons on critical thinking. But it got worse as it went. At it's worst it just played out like it was written by conspiracy theorists.
![Diggy Graves - Red Vineyard [Official Lyric Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/8Ro085T0mnQ/mqdefault.jpg)
Welcome to… the PBS Files.
Great video, guys! Glad we could play X-Files together.
I assume you released your videos at the same time on purpose.
Because that's good.
I assume you released your videos at the same time on purpose.
Because that's good.
+It's Okay To Be Smart the Propoganda Bullsh1t System Files?
I want to believe...
that jar jar is a sith lord.
Darth Darth Binks confirmed
i want to believe it guy touch Shyamalan
+AdellRedwinters have you seen the actors new interview? his voice acting at the end omg so creepy and evil perfect for a sith lord.
mee too
Haha. I immediately thought of Night Vale when he said, "-vague yet menacing government agencies."
Glad I'm not the only one!
+Sans I suspect that was the intention, plus the emphasis on the word helicopters :3
Caitlin Corbin oh wow, good point. I didn't even notice that.
+Sans no doubt a direct ref. Love night vale and undertale ~
Ghost of Zeeko same here.
As long as 90s Skully is real then I will believe whatever she wants me to believe.
Thank you for objectifying the entire show based on the female body
+Carolynn Markey He didn't really do that. He hinted at her "sexyness". This doesn't necessarily "objectify the entire show", it only means that he finds the actress attractive.
+Carolynn Markey Wow, now people can't even mention a female character? He didn't even mention the show, nor her body.
He is addressing her as a person directly and he even implies that he is submitting himself to her. Damn it why am I even trying to talk to you, you are completely gone.
+Carolynn Markey Would you prefer if he objectified the female body based on a show?
Hella triggered.
Oh man, mooooooore of these on-location episodes, please!
That "vague yet menacing government agency" line sounded familiar to me... Then I realized it's said countless times on Welcome to Night Vale, which also capitalizes on the unfamiliar and the unknown, among other things. I think the popularity of X-Files in the 90s gave way for media like WTNV to exist, and the fact that X-Files is coming back in 2016 and coexisting with the media it inspired is our fascination/anxiety around the paranormal and/or the unexplained coming full circle.
3:08 aliens middle right your welcome
+Peter Belliveau Dangit, I was hoping I was the first to see it XD
+Peter Belliveau Oh that's quite good.
+Peter Belliveau Well well well two points
+Peter Belliveau There's also a ufo at the far upper left at about 1:52
+Peter Belliveau Also one at 10:42 ;)
As usual, you present your thoughts in a most cohesive and comprehensible manner. I feel like listening to a good academic paper.
The void stares back...
How can one give you money? You are truly renewing yourself lastly, and it is seen and appreciated.
In a very bizarre coincidence, for completely unrelated reasons, I was actually studying up on aliens yesterday, specifically the Fermi Paradox.
I personally hate how "democracy and capitalism" supposedly go hand in hand. They really don't. Pure capitalism actually hates democracy cause democracy, true democracy, often gets in the way of profit.
+The God Emperor The issue with that is that line of thought is that a pure capitalism, true democracy, or true communism, or whatever, are impossible to achieve. When he says that democracy and capitalism go hand in hand, he's not talking about the idealised, 'pure' form of these things, he's talking about the realistic versions that exist.
Onjit This is true, the pure systems are often impossible, but they are also rarely ideal. Regulated capitalism is far better. Regulated so workers, consumers, shareholders, and businesses aren't abused by one another. IN a pure system, no regulations would exist (as all tend to get in the way of profits) and abuse runs rampant. We saw a closer pure capitalist system in the late 1800s, early 1900s and it was disastrous for our drinking water, foods, consumers, workers, etc.
+The God Emperor
many aspects of our society are actually socialists when you think about it.
BattousaiHBr A lot are, and there's nothing wrong with it.
The God Emperor
yeah, not saying there is anything wrong, just expanding the conversation :)
Nice Welcome to Nightvale reference!
I thought you were going to discuss the fact that some people still "want to believe" things that have been proven false. I want to believe that you're going to do so in the future. Keep up the good work, I love your show.
One of my favorite vids from this channel! Very "V-Saucey." :D
Not that I want you guys to change formats - just temporarily quenched my thirst for a long-overdue vid from Michael.
I believe that this is one of the BEST Idea Channel videos ever!
Crazy good audio, especially considering the wind that's obvious in the footage!
Hahaha love the Flying saucer in the background 3:07 XD
+Trekobius Whoever edits these videos is great
"It's not so much space futurism as space presentism."
I like that a lot.
On that note I want to point out that our search for alien life is about to become significantly more sophisticated. In the past, we looked for evidence of ADVANCED civilizations by looking for their communications via radio waves.
But very soon we'll be able to look for evidence of ANY organic life by doing spectroscopy on alien atmospheres and looking for chemicals that signify living things:
www.space.com/31519-alien-life-hunt-biosignatures-exoplanet-atmospheres.html
Does this have anything to do with "wanting to believe?" I'm not sure. But feels like it's part of the... "space presentism" that Mike mentioned.
I think it's really just that 90's nostalgia is in with Full House, Boy meets girl, and other shows that are trying to get an aging audience
This just makes me think of an urban legend around these parts. In the nearby town of Scotia back in the '70s, supposedly a number of people witnessed an unidentified flying object. Shortly after that, some mysterious men in black showed up to ask questions and seemingly discourage any discussion about the whole thing. There were also supposedly some unexplained disappearances while the men in black were in town. Of course, it's just a legend.
there is just so much information in all of these video man... sometimes I just space out and have to rewind to catch what he said
If you want another angle on this topic, I suggest the anime/manga Planetes. The whole series tries to tackle questions regarding the morals and ethics of space exploration and weighing the risks/rewards as we reach further into the final frontier.
we do want to believe
which is precisely why we need to be at our most skeptical.
10:43 Top Left of the screen camera pans up towards the sky & catches an object in the atmosphere is a fun touch.
A road trip with Craig? That must have been awesome!
This was my favorite episode.
love the little ufo/lights in the background, nice touch!
Ugh, after all those years, I still automatically perk up when I hear that X-Files theme : )
Did having to shout this entire episode bother you?
+rowtow13 YES. IT WAS VERY WINDY. THE VOICEOVER PORTIONS WERE A WELCOME RESPITE.
+PBS Idea Channel Vague yet menacing government agencies, NIGHT VALE FAN CONFERMED. Being a little serious the thing about our time is that as religion fazes out of normality some people still feel a need to believe in the supernatural and also there is a scepticism and distrust in governments and various old powers.
+PBS Idea Channel have you noticed your voiceover audio is always distorted? try taking the input gain down a bit ::::)
3:06 UFO effect on right side
+Morgan Crossley ...
+Sure "effect". Nice try, Obama.
pbs just spotted an alien space craft lol
+Sure there is also shadows walking behind him sometimes
Spooky Mulder approves
Also, proud to say I have "I want to believe" and "The Truth is Out There" posters in my room
lol UFO disappearing at 3:11 was a nice touch
Wheezy has been kidnapped by aliens and you just keep right on talking!!! DO SOMETHING!
Hehe, there was little ring of lights faintly flashing in the background, when he was talking about the sign, by the entrance. Cute, guys. ;p
I was waiting for X-files to download so i went on youtube and found this video on my recomendations.
I highly recommend J.J. Kripal's "Mutants & Mystics," which argues that science-fiction and ufology/paranormal esoterica exist in a relationship of mutual influence. I don't agree with his metaphysical explanation for this relationship, but the book is worth reading on the basis of its history of sci-fi alone.
Yay! A new episode for my birthday! :D
"Vague yet menacing government agency" - shout out to Night Vale!
I don't want to believe.
I want to KNOW!!
huge x files fan...this video was 12 minutes of my life I'll never get back
"Vague yet menacing government agencies" nice night vale reference there Mike😎
Is that +WeezyWaiter at 5:02?
+M.W. Vaughn Nah, i think it was Vsauce.
+M.W. Vaughn Yeah,I think so.
DAVID BOWIE
1947 - 2016
RIP STARMAN
And here I though this would be an episode about the problems of "wanting to believe", in contrast to following what is proven :3
I know this wasn't actually part of the meat of your video, but I have to speak up about something you said at the end, about the IOTBS video: "whether or not science can prove if something *doesn't* exist"
This is the wrong question to be asking. The question we SHOULD be asking is "why should we suppose this thing exists if we have no credible evidence to suggest it does?" In other words, nonexistence is the null hypothesis, and should be assumed until we have reason to think otherwise.
+DanThePropMan
I didnt even finish watching this video. Paused and checked the comments. That question in the second part of your comment is how i feel about this topic. Interesting yes, i love discussoin on space, but once aliens is thrown in, i lose interest.
+DanThePropMan Science isn't static, just because current tools and knowledge can't prove something doesn't mean future advancements won't.
awww, man, i didn't feel like remembering but thanks anyway.
my feels!!! they hurt!
On September 10, 1993, those glasses were officially considered pre-historic...........
I feel that another major reason for the return of the X-Files is that we are in another age of American paranoia. In the post-Watergate era of the 90s (after a brief resurgence of confidence in the 80s), the idea of the New World Order was something that conspiracy theorists thought was running the world. Today, we don't need those conspiracy theories; we're living in a post-Snowden world, where we have proof that the government is keeping tracks on us at all times. At the very least, we're more aware of the various going-ons that most people aren't able to see.
That was a gread video. Loved it! Congratulations, guys!
I think what's also important to note is our improving understand of the universe. In the last decade, we found hundreds of planets outside our own solar system. We finally made pictures of pluto, took a serious look at warp drives, the emDrive spawned some discussion and a new era of space flight began when private companies first delivered cargo to the ISS. And the hungry 24/7 news-cycle gladly picked up EVERYTHING and spat it out into the public consciousness.
My biggest complaint with the X-Files is that there is never any doubt about "extraordinary" phenomena. You're always shown that Eugene Tooms can stretch his body, or the arsonist can light himself on fire. It removes the tension about the X-files themselves. The show is less about discovering extraordinary phenomena and more about Scully and Mulder's relationship, which is fine, but really turned me off as I was expecting a different type of show.
This is my new fav channel. Good job with this one pbs
I use to be terrified of the X-files as a child, even now the theme gives me chills...
who else saw the UFOs in the background while he was talking
Nice upload
ALL HAIL the reference to Welcome to Night Vale
Wow, really creepy second shadow at 7:10.
Plus all the shadows or the crew off course, but there is one directly behind him walking towards him.
the starman mini-tribute at the end aww
Looking sharp!
woooah!! that picture that u used to show a community in ruins was my house!well actually, everything got destroyed about 15 years ago and new buildings have since taken its place and the neighborhood is actually becoming popular, but that corner is my corner!
id like to believe that this is a sign that u want to make me youtube famous
One of the things I always found compelling about the X-Files stemmed from that phrase, "I Want to Believe", and it ties into everything you talked about.
Growing up in the 90's and surrounded (much as we still are) by the idea and maybe the reality of an increasingly secular and less religious America, it always struck me that "wanting to believe" was a very timely theme for a decade still characterized by this attitude of skepticism and cynicism.
Both Scully and Mulder, in different ways, are people of reason; they believe that things happen for a reason, that there are explanations to be discovered, that "the truth is out there". Scully begins as the ultimate skeptic, and can't accept the paranormal because it goes against her orderly world view, yet Mulder's skepticism is equally pronounced except that he has gone one step further down the rabbit hole - accepting the existence of the paranormal, but ever searching for an underlying structure to validate his suspicions (the government cover-ups, hidden agendas, etc). Both "want to believe" because in some way, their world is dark and terrifying and confusing without the belief in some grand logic or power at work.
And that absolutely fits for the time; after the Cold War, after nearly a century of believing that the world was fundamentally divided into the forces of East VS West, capitalism VS communism, etc., now what did Americans have to believe in? The cause was unclear, and the faith in the American way shaken, along with its religions and culture and everything associated with that diametric conflict that had suddenly evaporated.
But people will always "want to believe". And if its not God or nations that supply the structure for the world as they understand it, they search for something else, or remix what they already have into some new shape - aliens, terrorism, neo-globalism. The X-Files, to me, is about that 90's American crisis, about lost people searching for new structure, for something at the center of it all that explain EVERYTHING because nothing yet has, and the persistent faith that such a thing exists.
I heard the theme song as soon as I seen the thumbnail.
I hope that someday, somewhere I will be listed in end credits as the Space Boffin
That Welcome to Night Vale reference though
"I want to believe" that Mike isn't reading a script when he looks to the right of the camera
2:14 sweet Night Vale reference
Anyone else spot the irony in using a fire extinguisher to save the polar bears?
clocked that Night Veil reference at 2:17
There is absolutely nothing new in our belief of something "out there" we cannot see and don't understand. That's practically part of the existence of being human. But it was cool you made an X-Files themed chat and of course, RIP David Bowie as well, nice touch at the end.
I have narcolepsy and suffer from frequent sleep paralysis hallucinations and one time I actually did see a space man. (This was right after Mass Effect 3 had come out and I had been playing it a lot, his space suit looked a lot like one you might find in the game, not by coincidence) I awoke and opened my eyes, unable to move as always, and he was floating above me with a bright light behind his head obscuring his face. He had his hand outstretched, shaking it, as if begging me to grab it. This went on for probably 20-30 seconds before I woke up. The thing about sleep paralysis hallucinations, like dreams, is that they seem real while they're happening. Every time. No matter how many times it happens it always feels like it is actually happening. Since that morning I definitely understand how some people having a sleep paralysis hallucination could think they were being abducted.
First off and most importantly, thank you for this REALLY well written and concise review and explanation of both "the why" and "the how" the paranoia instilling era that is the Cold War effected us as it has, as well the cultivation of the Sci-Fi genre as we now know it.
Personally, I think that the fear mongering and paranoia instilling propagation that was the U.S. during the Cold War is one the occurrences that has had the worst effect on the American people and is a major reason for our current cultural condition, along with the way Prohibition was handled and the glamorization of the use of drugs in our culture (especially cocaine).
To address the recent increase in paranormal and alien discussion, I'd like to add that it isn't just the filling of the paranoid void, or the common critique of it being a ploy for attention, but something else as well. We currently live in the information age. These last few years (speaking from an American stand point) we started seeing the wide(r) spread results of that through social change and discourse gaining a much bigger presence. Issues of gender, sexism, racism, social equality, and even economics and international relations, have all come forward into common discussion. That's all because we are collectively becoming much more informed and, dare I say, educated. We're thinking more and possibly becoming more conscious of the word around us, and that world includes the cosmos. We're starting to comprehend the universe, the cosmos are becoming (more and more) reachable.
I will say one more thing before answering what is asked by the title of this video.
You mentioned that space "provides some hope of escape from a deteriorating planet". That is the most terrifying aspect to me about our progression into the cosmos. Its not that we may or may not find life out there that may or may not be hostile towards us. Its not the possibility of space viruses, or even something going wrong and the great pioneers of space dying. Its that if we are able to colonize Mars, if we are able to make it (and in turn other planets in the future) hospitable then that will be taken as an excuse to continue treating (abusing) our planet Earth as we currently are in the present. THAT is terrifying. Mars and red is great and all, but I prefer the Earth with its gorgeous blues and greens.
As for answering directly what was asked by this video; I do believe.
I cannot phantom the possibility that we are alone in the universe. Or to put it more accurately, the possibility that there is other life in the universe, alien life, is more believable (to me) than the possibility that there isn't.
If I was to be more assertive in my position then I'd state that I firmly believe that there is life out there in the cosmos, and where I don't particularly agree or believe it is what we've imagined it to be (entirely), I disagree with the notion that we are alone in the universe. The universe is simply too massive of a space and variable for us (the planet Earth) to be the sole "conscious"/complicated life forms. I think that way of thinking to be too egotistical, though I understand how the thought of there being unknown life in indiscernible and inaccessible space can be frightening. - Dennis Danelia
Phewh, I had a lot to say on this one. I mean really, the discussion of the effects the Cold War had on the American mentality is a topic of its own. I'd say there are three or four topics in this video that could have been separated into their own videos, then again many things are interconnected.
This was a good episode!
3:01 Rotating ring of lights appears to the right. Funny.
I so badly wish that the Fermi paradox will be resolved in my lifetime.
Perhaps part of this wave of bringing back shows and movies from the 80s and 90s is because the main players/consumers in society now (late 20-30+year olds, including me) were kids back then. These iconic stories played such a huge part in the pop culture we grew up with. We consumed their well marketed shows and movies and they became an inseparable part of our collective childhood, whether we enjoyed it or not. There weren't major sources of alternative media or entertainment for the majority of us, I think. Our generation was probably the last vulnerable group and also one of the last to not completely grow up with a massive, accessible internet like we have today. Now is just a the ripe time for companies to milk our newly found purchasing powers and our nostalgic tendencies, and boy, do we love romanticizing our past. I don't know if this trend would be as prevalent with the later generations. Just my thoughts on this subject.
Oh dang, you already elaborated so much more eloquently and sophisticatedly on your previous episode! Don't mind me then.
The location was badass!!! I am a tad to young for the X-File (they horrified me as a child) I watched it a bit later and thought the episodes with actual aliens were the most boring ones. And when I think about the series returning, I unfortunately do not see your (very cool an insightful!) interpretation, but just executives thinking "what can we dig out now?". But this reboot served as a vehicle for one amazing episode that touched on many subjects.
I actually had the poster and still think it is a great way of justifying creative and not factual as well as critical but not always accurate thinking. I WANT to believe that there is more out there, because I am optimistic. Having grown up and having lost so much of the awe inspiring mysteries of this world I happily embrace the possibilities of all the things unseen to us, filling the world with magic and mystery. Reclaiming an imaginative thought process and convincing myself that the universe and even this planet is too unfathomable to be made boring by "understanding" and "knowing" it.
I want to believe that those sunglasses are awesome
"The truth is out there" becomes a more plausible statement with each new discovery,
I want to believe that the Twin Peaks revival will merit similar Idea Channel attention. Damn fine RUclipsry!
+PBS Thank you for Educating the public! If we learn from history, maybe we can stop making the same mistakes expecting different results. I just subscribed today, I hope this helps and am also a monthly contributor to my local NPR station.
Go Public Media!
All this Mars talk is alright, I guess, but when will there be an episode on AFC Wimbledon?
YESSSS the suit and glassesssssss amazing
I was abducted by aliens and missed the first run so I'm glad they're back.
At 1:53-1:54, in the sky to the left of the sign... why did you tease us with an added in post UFO effect?
Good cellphone notification is good.
Thanks for scaring the crap out of me Mike!
When I was a kid, I couldn't even watch the theme song bc the show scared the bejesus out of me.
Scully was not there to debunk Mulder's work. She was there to keep him on task and not chasing fairies in flower fields. She was the counterbalance to keep Mulder from literally going off the deep end. She fails eventually but not before actually getting some evidence of unnatural events (locked away in that big warehouse).
Oddly, I have been talking about this a lot this week. MY general feeling is that as much as I'd like to believe in the idea of super cool alien interaction NOW, I am more likely to believe that my grandchildren will be the first ones to make the contact. As well, I am on the mind that while sentient life is not totally rare, it is rare enough that within infinity, the chances of bumping into someone else are equality as infinite.
if you're in the Mall of America with just you and a stranger, but neither of you know the other is there. Your chances of running into each other are pretty good, but not perfectly great. Expand that outward to the city, and state, the country, and eventually the planet. Keep scaling up, and the idea of meeting anyone gets further away.
I want to believe, but I don't think I can suspend my disbelief in the scale of us as a race.
+Kai Takeda This is a great way to imagine it. If there were only two people in the entire state of, say, Texas, and they had to find each other before death using only the power of their voices, would they be able to succeed?
"The truth is that our race survived ignorance; it is our scientific genius that will do us in."
--Stephen Vizinczey
I appreciate the Craig Benzine cameo.
vague yet menacing government agencies, I am in nightvale! :D
The phrase "I want to believe" nails the problem perfectly. Truth has nothing to do with what we want, or what we believe. The early seasons of the 90's X-Files was actually pretty good at making that distinction, and it's a big part of why I loved it so much. Scully's scepticism had more to do with fallacies like appeals to authority and problems of inductions (ie, there are no black swans), and Mulder had already written an entire lexicon and history in his head that didn't always relate very well to reality. The show dissected the problems with both viewpoints, and in the end neither Scully or Mulder was ever "right." At it's best the show had some great lessons on critical thinking. But it got worse as it went. At it's worst it just played out like it was written by conspiracy theorists.
I want to believe Rose is Pink Diamond.
The idea for the X-Files reboot sounds like the original Star Trek. Personally, I'm looking forward to it.
My grandfather was an Army Photographer stationed at Area 51 when the craziness went down. He always told us he would have to kill us if he told us.
Between 3:05-3:15 on the right side of screen infront of the hill
2:16 "A vague, yet menacing government agency"
What about the Sheriff's Secret Police?
Five points to Idea Channel for the Videodrome clip! :)
It's called NOSTALGIA...
"It stands to reason that aliens became one symbol, one object of this difficult to direct anxiety." (5:08) Interestingly said.