Marketing UFOs and mysteries in New Mexico

Roswell in 1947; Aztec in 1948…

America's 47th state represents itself in many different ways and some are not as straightforward as this. Photos: Rashmee Roshan Lall

There’s a reason “the world’s most famous, most exhaustively investigated, and most thoroughly debunked UFO claim” belongs to and in New Mexico.

As Benjamin Radford writes in his book Mysterious New Mexico, America’s 47th state is dubbed the Land of Enchantment because “mystics, artists, outlaws, dreamers, explorers, and scientists have been drawn to New Mexico for centuries…”

Hoaxers too, trading off the world’s fascination with folklore, accounts of paranormal phenomenon, ghosts, mass hysteria and miracles.

So to the 1947 Roswell incident, the alleged recovery of debris from a flying saucer and claims of a US government cover-up in this New Mexico city. The incident worked its magic — on mass imagination and the mass market — enabling Roswell to heavily market itself off the world’s fascination with aliens. In fact Roswell’s official seal still features …