The Paracast Newsletter
February 6, 2022
www.theparacast.com
History Professor Greg Eghigian Explores the Culture of UFOs and the Curious Characters and UFO Groups in Ufology Over the Years on The Paracast
The Paracast is heard Sundays from 3:00 AM until 6:00 AM Central Time on the GCN Radio Network and affiliates around the USA, the Boost Radio Network, the IRN Internet Radio Network, and online across the globe via download and on-demand streaming.
SUPPORT THE SHOW AND ENJOY THE ULTIMATE PARACAST EXPERIENCE AT A SPECIAL LOW PRICE! We have another radio show and we’d love for you listen to it. So for a low subscription fee, you will receive access to an exclusive podcast, After The Paracast, plus an enhanced version of The Paracast with the network ads removed, when you join The Paracast+. We also offer a special RSS feed for easy updates of the latest episodes on your device. Flash! Use the coupon code ufo20 to receive a 20% discount on five-year or lifetime subscriptions. And PayPal now accepts cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin, in payment, so act now! For the easiest signup ever, please visit: https://www.theparacast.plus
This Week's Episode: Gene and special guest cohost Curt Collins present Greg Eghigian. Greg is a Professor of History at Penn State University. In his research and teaching, he specializes in the history of science and medicine. He regularly teaches a course entitled “The History of Monsters, Aliens, and the Supernatural.” And he is presently finishing a book on the social history of the UFO and alien contact phenomena. Greg's chief interest is in the human side of the paranormal – in other words, how individuals and societies in history have tried to make sense of these matters over time. During this interview, he'll focus on the flying saucer field, and some of the fascinating characters who were deeply involved.
After The Paracast — Available exclusively for Paracast+ subscribers on February 6: History professor Greg Eghigian returns to discuss with Gene and special guest cohost Curt Collins what the UFO mystery might be all about. Should it be treated strictly as a black box with the main focus on the more fascinating people involved in the field and how the media has treated the phenomenon? What, if anything, does the government know? Greg's chief interest is in the human side of the paranormal — in other words, how individuals and societies in history have tried to make sense of these matters over time. As of this episode, Greg is writing a book about the history of UFO sightings and claims of alien contact throughout the world.
Reminder: Please don't forget to visit our famous Paracast Community Forums for the latest news/views/debates on all things paranormal: https://www.theparacast.com/forum/. Visit our new online shop for great branded merchandise at: https://www.theparacast.shop/, and check out our new YouTube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheOfficialParacastChannel
Does the Military Care About UFOs? Really?
By Gene Steinberg
I will make no apologies for the title, even though many of you suspect that the military in various countries must without a doubt be deeply interested in the presence of UFOs. Or UAPs. How could it possibly be otherwise?
But consider the mission of the latest attempt by the Pentagon to look into the matter. There is an emphasis on national security, something often overlooked by people who lust for government disclosure that ET is here. While they aren’t dismissing an offworld explanation for the phenomenon, that is not front and center.
Regardless of the answer, you can’t forget why the Pentagon is there, which is all about national defense. Unknown craft are being reported around the world; they are frequent visitors within the borders of the United States. They have been here for decades, and possibly far longer.
What are they?
While there are theories that the authorities know the answer, that we are being visited by spacecraft from an advanced civilization on another planet — perhaps orbiting another star system — there isn’t any proof that this is so. It’s just a theory, or a hope, that the military could not possibly have ignored all the solid evidence of UFO reality all these years.
Yet the public-facing investigation programs in the early days of the UFO field were mostly public relations stunts. They were set up to deflect attention with sometimes silly explanations for most of the sightings that came to their attention.
But consider all those compelling sightings. Consider the pinpoint turns and sudden appearances and disappearances, the incredible maneuverability that far exceeds what Earthly aircraft is supposedly able to handle.
If these are solid aircraft, it would not appear to make any sense that the military isn’t paying attention.
If you follow the conspiracy theories, there may indeed be a secret Black Project agency that takes a hefty portion of the arcane bloat in the military budget to keep tabs on UFOs. If it exists, this alleged Silence Group has, in its possession, absolute proof positive of alien visitation.
What kind of proof? Well, if the Roswell, NM crash of 1947 involved a disabled spaceship, the wreckage would the smoking gun. If there were bodies found — and that testimony has been highly disputed — we would know something of the biology of our visitors.
Or maybe, other than being smaller with larger heads, they are close cousins to the human race.
The ship? If it came here from another star system, or was even a scout ship that is normally stored within a larger vessel, a mother ship, it would contain advanced technology perhaps hundreds or thousands of years ahead of us.
Those in charge might have worked for decades to parse alien technology. Maybe it’s akin to giving an iPhone or an Apple Watch to someone in the fifteenth century. Even our greatest scientists and engineers can’t make heads or tails of it, or are, at best, able to work with just a few things that can be reverse engineered.
Regardless of the reality behind Roswell — and I remain skeptical after all these years and reams of contradictory testimony — one thing appears to be certain: UFOs are not presumed to be hostile. Their purpose in visiting us may be quite benign. They are explorers, they want to grab soil samples and learn about our, to them, primitive civilization.
But you can’t say they have a noninterference policy. After all, their very presence has changed people’s lives. If they do occasionally abduct humans for medical testing, and perhaps for genetic manipulation, however, they are indeed a potential threat.
And then there are those reports of UFOs seen in and around nuclear installations possibly engaging in feats of mischief.
For example, the 1967 encounter at Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana, where a large glowing and pulsating red oval-shaped object may have disabled a number a missiles. That doesn’t sound very friendly, and it’s not the only example. Researcher Robert Hastings cataloged a number of such sightings in his 2008 self-published book, “UFOs and Nukes.”
Taking Hastings’ evidence at face value, it does paint a troubling picture of an unknown force taking steps to hurt the U.S. defense. A prelude to an invasion, or just to satisfy their curiosity about our capabilities?
That sort of questionable behavior would surely involve a national security issue. And there are cases more recent than Malmstrom. So according to Robert Salas, who was on duty at the base during the Malmstrom incident, some 50 Minuteman nuclear missiles malfunctioned during an incident at Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming in 2010.
I suppose one can look for and find possibly conventional explanations for these strange episodes. But when UFOs are part of the picture, there are serious questions that cry out for answers.
True, one might suggest that another country, presumably China or Russia, might be experimenting with technology to disable or damage nuclear missiles. It would surely give them a huge leg up in any theoretical conflict that would involve such weapons.
That’s one of the possibilities that has been considered — and apparently abandoned — for the Tic Tac UFO reported by Naval personnel in 2004. The eyewitness testimony and the blurry videos included in that report have become core elements of the reasoning behind the recent upsurge in interest in UFOs by U.S. authorities.
But UFOs have been here for decades, and surely any major country that had perfected such technology would be exploiting it somehow, if only to threaten its presumed rivals.
That, however, hasn’t happened. While possible interference with nuclear installations is troubling, I suppose it could be a normal byproduct of their technology. In other words, the mere presence of a UFO triggers such reactions.
People who are near UFOs might sometimes be affected too, not just with symptoms of sunburn, but quite possibly with severe illnesses, such as in the 1980 Cash-Landrum encounter.
Still, the authorities might still proclaim there is no threat because they haven’t seen final evidence of what UFOs are, or that they are deliberately hostile. Assuming they don’t know the answer already, it would be reason enough to keep on spouting the same excuses.
And that is that UFOs do not represent a threat to national security. Close closed. And, gentle reader, I don’t expect any more to come of the latest efforts by the Pentagon to consider the matter.
Copyright 1999-2022 The Paracast Company. All Rights Reserved.
Privacy Policy: Your personal information is safe with us. We will positively never give out your name and/or e-mail address to anybody else, and that's a promise!
February 6, 2022
www.theparacast.com
History Professor Greg Eghigian Explores the Culture of UFOs and the Curious Characters and UFO Groups in Ufology Over the Years on The Paracast
The Paracast is heard Sundays from 3:00 AM until 6:00 AM Central Time on the GCN Radio Network and affiliates around the USA, the Boost Radio Network, the IRN Internet Radio Network, and online across the globe via download and on-demand streaming.
SUPPORT THE SHOW AND ENJOY THE ULTIMATE PARACAST EXPERIENCE AT A SPECIAL LOW PRICE! We have another radio show and we’d love for you listen to it. So for a low subscription fee, you will receive access to an exclusive podcast, After The Paracast, plus an enhanced version of The Paracast with the network ads removed, when you join The Paracast+. We also offer a special RSS feed for easy updates of the latest episodes on your device. Flash! Use the coupon code ufo20 to receive a 20% discount on five-year or lifetime subscriptions. And PayPal now accepts cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin, in payment, so act now! For the easiest signup ever, please visit: https://www.theparacast.plus
This Week's Episode: Gene and special guest cohost Curt Collins present Greg Eghigian. Greg is a Professor of History at Penn State University. In his research and teaching, he specializes in the history of science and medicine. He regularly teaches a course entitled “The History of Monsters, Aliens, and the Supernatural.” And he is presently finishing a book on the social history of the UFO and alien contact phenomena. Greg's chief interest is in the human side of the paranormal – in other words, how individuals and societies in history have tried to make sense of these matters over time. During this interview, he'll focus on the flying saucer field, and some of the fascinating characters who were deeply involved.
After The Paracast — Available exclusively for Paracast+ subscribers on February 6: History professor Greg Eghigian returns to discuss with Gene and special guest cohost Curt Collins what the UFO mystery might be all about. Should it be treated strictly as a black box with the main focus on the more fascinating people involved in the field and how the media has treated the phenomenon? What, if anything, does the government know? Greg's chief interest is in the human side of the paranormal — in other words, how individuals and societies in history have tried to make sense of these matters over time. As of this episode, Greg is writing a book about the history of UFO sightings and claims of alien contact throughout the world.
Reminder: Please don't forget to visit our famous Paracast Community Forums for the latest news/views/debates on all things paranormal: https://www.theparacast.com/forum/. Visit our new online shop for great branded merchandise at: https://www.theparacast.shop/, and check out our new YouTube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheOfficialParacastChannel
Does the Military Care About UFOs? Really?
By Gene Steinberg
I will make no apologies for the title, even though many of you suspect that the military in various countries must without a doubt be deeply interested in the presence of UFOs. Or UAPs. How could it possibly be otherwise?
But consider the mission of the latest attempt by the Pentagon to look into the matter. There is an emphasis on national security, something often overlooked by people who lust for government disclosure that ET is here. While they aren’t dismissing an offworld explanation for the phenomenon, that is not front and center.
Regardless of the answer, you can’t forget why the Pentagon is there, which is all about national defense. Unknown craft are being reported around the world; they are frequent visitors within the borders of the United States. They have been here for decades, and possibly far longer.
What are they?
While there are theories that the authorities know the answer, that we are being visited by spacecraft from an advanced civilization on another planet — perhaps orbiting another star system — there isn’t any proof that this is so. It’s just a theory, or a hope, that the military could not possibly have ignored all the solid evidence of UFO reality all these years.
Yet the public-facing investigation programs in the early days of the UFO field were mostly public relations stunts. They were set up to deflect attention with sometimes silly explanations for most of the sightings that came to their attention.
But consider all those compelling sightings. Consider the pinpoint turns and sudden appearances and disappearances, the incredible maneuverability that far exceeds what Earthly aircraft is supposedly able to handle.
If these are solid aircraft, it would not appear to make any sense that the military isn’t paying attention.
If you follow the conspiracy theories, there may indeed be a secret Black Project agency that takes a hefty portion of the arcane bloat in the military budget to keep tabs on UFOs. If it exists, this alleged Silence Group has, in its possession, absolute proof positive of alien visitation.
What kind of proof? Well, if the Roswell, NM crash of 1947 involved a disabled spaceship, the wreckage would the smoking gun. If there were bodies found — and that testimony has been highly disputed — we would know something of the biology of our visitors.
Or maybe, other than being smaller with larger heads, they are close cousins to the human race.
The ship? If it came here from another star system, or was even a scout ship that is normally stored within a larger vessel, a mother ship, it would contain advanced technology perhaps hundreds or thousands of years ahead of us.
Those in charge might have worked for decades to parse alien technology. Maybe it’s akin to giving an iPhone or an Apple Watch to someone in the fifteenth century. Even our greatest scientists and engineers can’t make heads or tails of it, or are, at best, able to work with just a few things that can be reverse engineered.
Regardless of the reality behind Roswell — and I remain skeptical after all these years and reams of contradictory testimony — one thing appears to be certain: UFOs are not presumed to be hostile. Their purpose in visiting us may be quite benign. They are explorers, they want to grab soil samples and learn about our, to them, primitive civilization.
But you can’t say they have a noninterference policy. After all, their very presence has changed people’s lives. If they do occasionally abduct humans for medical testing, and perhaps for genetic manipulation, however, they are indeed a potential threat.
And then there are those reports of UFOs seen in and around nuclear installations possibly engaging in feats of mischief.
For example, the 1967 encounter at Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana, where a large glowing and pulsating red oval-shaped object may have disabled a number a missiles. That doesn’t sound very friendly, and it’s not the only example. Researcher Robert Hastings cataloged a number of such sightings in his 2008 self-published book, “UFOs and Nukes.”
Taking Hastings’ evidence at face value, it does paint a troubling picture of an unknown force taking steps to hurt the U.S. defense. A prelude to an invasion, or just to satisfy their curiosity about our capabilities?
That sort of questionable behavior would surely involve a national security issue. And there are cases more recent than Malmstrom. So according to Robert Salas, who was on duty at the base during the Malmstrom incident, some 50 Minuteman nuclear missiles malfunctioned during an incident at Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming in 2010.
I suppose one can look for and find possibly conventional explanations for these strange episodes. But when UFOs are part of the picture, there are serious questions that cry out for answers.
True, one might suggest that another country, presumably China or Russia, might be experimenting with technology to disable or damage nuclear missiles. It would surely give them a huge leg up in any theoretical conflict that would involve such weapons.
That’s one of the possibilities that has been considered — and apparently abandoned — for the Tic Tac UFO reported by Naval personnel in 2004. The eyewitness testimony and the blurry videos included in that report have become core elements of the reasoning behind the recent upsurge in interest in UFOs by U.S. authorities.
But UFOs have been here for decades, and surely any major country that had perfected such technology would be exploiting it somehow, if only to threaten its presumed rivals.
That, however, hasn’t happened. While possible interference with nuclear installations is troubling, I suppose it could be a normal byproduct of their technology. In other words, the mere presence of a UFO triggers such reactions.
People who are near UFOs might sometimes be affected too, not just with symptoms of sunburn, but quite possibly with severe illnesses, such as in the 1980 Cash-Landrum encounter.
Still, the authorities might still proclaim there is no threat because they haven’t seen final evidence of what UFOs are, or that they are deliberately hostile. Assuming they don’t know the answer already, it would be reason enough to keep on spouting the same excuses.
And that is that UFOs do not represent a threat to national security. Close closed. And, gentle reader, I don’t expect any more to come of the latest efforts by the Pentagon to consider the matter.
Copyright 1999-2022 The Paracast Company. All Rights Reserved.
Privacy Policy: Your personal information is safe with us. We will positively never give out your name and/or e-mail address to anybody else, and that's a promise!