flubert

So there is a story running around about the ex-head of the Israeli space force saying that aliens exist, but want to keep their existence hidden for now.

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25337469

I'm personally doubting this story, but the more interesting question is what level of evidence would I personally need to see to believe. With Hollywood SFX, I've already "seen" all sorts of aliens and miraculous occurrences. Combine that with Deep Fakery, and the hurdle gets quite high for evidence needed to accept intelligent alien life, besides just the regular improbability of alien civilizations. What would you need to see or experience to be convinced? A single report in the NY Times (or your favorite mass media outlet or a paper in "Nature")? Multiple weeks/months/years of second hand reporting (e.g. stories in the popular or scientific media) of a "Contact" (the movie) like situation? Second-hand reports from someone you know and trust? Personally touching / witnessing a physical artifact built to alien specifications?