By Tim Binnall
In honor of April Fool's Day, a New Mexico college pulled a fast one on their social media followers with a cleverly crafted video announcing the launch of an 'Alien Communications' class. The amusing presentation (seen below) was released by New Mexico State University on Tuesday. In the well-produced video, a student reporter details how the college "has the academic world buzzing" with its new class wherein students will explore "extraterrestrial diplomacy and interspecies communication."
Featured in the video is a seemingly earnest testimonial from the course instructor who explains that "we're not saying that contact is guaranteed, but we need to be emotionally, morally and ethically ready in case it happens." That sentiment is echoed by a student marveling "we are getting hands-on experience for the future of global and interstellar relations." While their remarks sound genuine, the true nature of the video is revealed when the class is shown wearing tin foil hats and performing comical 'techniques' to induce otherworldly contact.
Lest one somehow misses the joke, the reporter closes out the announcement by informing viewers that enrollment for the course begins, of course, on April 1st. The fantastic video from New Mexico State University is, unsurprisingly, not the first time that the world of high strangeness has been fodder for an April Fool's prank. A pair of previously noteworthy instances were when, back in 2021, multiple national parks reported Bigfoot sightings on social media and, in 2017, Massachusetts State Police similarly cautioned residents about a legendary troll-like entity known as a 'Pukwudgie.'