The Human Elements of an Alien Encounter - Presentation by Lois Rosson

The Human Elements of an Alien Encounter: Archiving Budd Hopkins and the Alien Abduction Narrative at the American Philosophical Society – Presentation by Lois Rosson

In August of 1964, Budd Hopkins reported a daytime UFO sighting to the National Guard and significantly altered the future course of his life. Hopkins, at the time a well-known New York painter associated with a high-profile clique of Abstract Expressionists, grew increasingly preoccupied with the plausibility of extraterrestrial encounters after the sighting. He spent roughly the next fifty years experimenting with new research formats, interviewing hundreds of people who claimed to have been abducted by aliens. By the 1990s, Hopkins had published several books, collaborated with Hollywood on film and TV adaptations, and made periodic rounds on well-known talk shows.

This lecture examines Budd Hopkins’ work and its impact on the UFO abduction narrative in American popular culture. Hopkins recorded thousands of interviews with purported alien abductees over the course of his career, shaping many of the cultural tropes associated with depictions of extraterrestrial life. This talk sets aside debates over the existence of alien visitors, focusing instead on how the abduction phenomenon represents novel intersections between the physical sciences, psychiatry, popular media, and American folklore. The bulk of Hopkins’ tapes were recently acquired by the American Philosophical Society, a Philadelphia research library that functions as the country’s oldest learned society. This lecture, in addition to featuring never-before-used material fresh from the APS’s collection, will focus in part on the acquisition of controversial material into a preeminent research institution and examine recent debates over the term pseudoscience in scholarly circles.

Bio: Lois Rosson is a historian of science and technology based in Los Angeles. Her current book project traces the impact of Los Angeles' art and special effects industry on the look of the space environment in planetary science and popular culture. She has held the Guggenheim Predoctoral Fellowship at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum, and the Octavia E. Butler Fellowship at the Huntington Library. Her work has been supported by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, NASA, the Berggruen Institute, the University of California at Berkeley, and the University of Southern California.

Special thanks to: Bernardo Rondeau.

Ticket price: $10 (in-person event only).

Please email [email protected] or phone 323-663-2167 with any questions.

ACCESSIBILITY

PRS wants all guests to be able to enjoy our events safely and comfortably. If you require any accessibility accommodation, please reach out to [email protected] before showtime and we will be happy to assist you.

REFUND POLICIES

All sales are final. There are no refunds or exchanges for PRS events, except in the event of a medical emergency, including but not limited to a positive COVID-19 test.

In the event that PRS is forced to cancel an event entirely, tickets will be refunded or vouchers offered for a rescheduled event.

PARKING

Limited parking is available onsite at PRS in both the front lot (entry from Los Feliz Blvd. when heading east) and back lot (entry from first alley way, off Griffith Park Blvd. from intersection with Los Feliz Blvd.), as well as street parking on Griffith Park Blvd. and on Los Feliz Blvd after 7pm. We encourage attendees to consider carpooling, walking or biking to events if possible, and please be considerate of our Los Feliz neighbors when parking.

PRS EVENT POLICIES

• We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone.
• Events are subject to change without notice, including guest speakers and/or performers.
• We encourage you to arrive at least 30 min. before the scheduled event start time to find parking, enjoy the Bookstore and take your seats.
• Please turn off all mobile devices before the show. Talking and texting are not allowed during the events.
• No filming, audio recording or mobile phone recording of events, screenings, concerts or other programs by audience members is allowed without permission.
• There is no smoking permitted on PRS grounds.
• We strongly encourage guests to wear masks to PRS events to prevent the spread of infectious diseases.
• PRS allows Service Animals into the facility under ADA and state guidelines. For further details please visit www.ADA.gov. No animals permitted whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support, under ADA guidelines and CA Health Code.
• Please do not bring outside food or drink into PRS events.
• Weapons are strictly prohibited at PRS events.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Philosophical Research Society, 3910 Los Feliz Boulevard, Los Angeles, United States