Balestrieri expects the government's looming report to only bolster pop culture's alien craze. "This idea that the government knows and won't tell us, it's an essential part of the UFO ...

In popular culture, we've gotten used to aliens speaking English, or being instantly understandable with the help of a seemingly magical universal translator. In real life, it might not be so easy.

The trouble starts when you pick a single attribute that overlaps with a stereotype about a real-life culture here on Earth. So how do you create an alien civilization that feels distinct ...

Griff Griffin is a Newsweek pop culture writer based in London ... Languages: English Alien: Earth is the all-new original series expanding the Alien mythos - and it just got a new teaser.