The U.S. government has formed the UAP Science Advisory Council to study Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena, commonly referred to as UFOs. Established in June 2026, the council works closely with several key agencies, including the Pentagon’s All Domain Anomaly Resolution Office, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, and the FBI. The group is led by Avi Loeb, a Harvard astrophysicist and director of the Galileo Project, and its goal is to use scientific methods to better understand the nature of UAP. The council aims to provide the government with expert guidance on how to investigate these phenomena in a rigorous and evidence-based way. Recently, members of the UAP Science Advisory Council met in a private session on August 31 at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. Avi Loeb emphasized that the U.S. government is committed to using scientific data collection to understand UAP, though he did not reveal specific details from the meeting. Ben Lamm, co-founder and CEO of Colossal Biosciences and a member of the council, expressed confidence that the group could bring clarity to the investigation. He stressed that the council’s focus is on evidence, not belief, and that it plans to apply modern scientific standards to both historical reports and new observations. Lamm also highlighted the need for transparency and accountability in the study of UAP. A Gallup poll conducted in July 2026 revealed that public opinion on UFOs remains divided. About half of Americans, 49 percent, believe that all UFO sightings can be explained by human activity or natural phenomena. Around 37 percent think that at least some UFOs are alien spacecraft, while 13 percent have no opinion. The number of Americans unsure about UFOs has grown from 7 percent in 2019 to 13 percent in 2026, indicating an increasing sense of uncertainty. The same poll found that 78 percent of Americans believe the U.S. government is hiding information about UFOs, a belief that has risen from 68 percent in 2019 and 71 percent in 1996. These findings come as the Department of War continues to release UFO-related documents under an executive order from former President Donald Trump. In August 2026, the UAP Science Advisory Council announced its support for the Trump administration to offer legal protections, including immunity when needed, to current or former government employees and military personnel who wish to share information about alleged non-human technology with the council.