The recent alien discourse has been fascinating because, whether you believe in aliens or not, the way that we talk about and mythologize aliens tells us so much about ourselves. The alien phenomenon is a giant mirror back at us: what we value, what we fear, what we admire, what brings us pride, what brings us shame, etc. If I ever get back into academia, I'd definitely research the heck out of this. It hits that sweet spot between my occult and my sociological interests.
