Eyes in the Skies: Spy Balloons, AARO, and UAPs on Capitol Hill | MHP 05.05.25.
In 2023, a massive Chinese spy balloon drifted through U.S. airspace before being shot down off the South Carolina coast. Since that time, much has been learned about the notorious incident, which prompted some to consider whether a majority of the unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) observed by military personnel could be similar, relatively simple technologies used for surveillance of our warfighters. But is that really the case? This week on The Micah Hanks Program, we dive into surprising new revelations about the spy balloon incident, and why the mission of the DoD's All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) involves far more than just tracking the balloons and drones of U.S. foreign adversaries. Finally, we also take a look at recent controversies surrounding the latest UAP event on Capitol Hill, and why a few developments behind the scenes are raising red flags within the UAP research community. Have you had a UFO/UAP sighting? Please consider reporting your sighting to the UAP Sightings Reporting System, a public resource for information about sightings of aerial phenomena. The story doesn't end here... become an X Subscriber and get access to even more weekly content and monthly specials. Want to advertise/sponsor The Micah Hanks Program? We have partnered with the AdvertiseCast to handle our advertising/sponsorship requests. If you would like to advertise with The Micah Hanks Program, all you have to do is click the link below to get started: AdvertiseCast: Advertise with The Micah Hanks Program Show Notes Below are links to stories and other content featured in this episode: NEWS: "I Thought I Was Witnessing End Times." Massive Green Fireball Spotted by Hundreds ASRS: NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System May Be Doomed Federal Register Volume 90, Number 85 (Monday, May 5, 2025) SPY BALLOONS: 'Things got really crazy.' The shocking untold story of the Chinese spy balloon GRAVES: Spy balloons, drones and advanced UAP pose a clear and present danger AARO: The mission of the DoD’s All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office UAP on Capitol Hill: Understanding UAP: Science, National Security & Innovation BECOME AN X SUBSCRIBER AND GET EVEN MORE GREAT PODCASTS AND MONTHLY SPECIALS FROM MICAH HANKS. Sign up today and get access to the entire back catalog of The Micah Hanks Program, as well as “classic” episodes, weekly “additional editions” of the subscriber-only X Podcast, the monthly Enigmas specials, and much more. Like us on Facebook Follow @MicahHanks on X. Keep up with Micah and his work at micahhanks.com.
--------
1:02:15
Echoes of the Ancients: Denisovans, Genetic Ghosts, and Relicts from the Past | MHP 04.29.25.
Recent advances in genetics and paleoanthropology are revealing a complex world where multiple hominin species coexisted, interbred, and left behind their DNA in modern populations. Fossils like the Denisovan jawbone Penghu-1 found in Taiwan and enigmatic remains from Red Deer Cave suggest that some archaic humans may have survived into the Holocene, much later than previously thought. Meanwhile, studies of modern genomes have uncovered “genetic ghosts”—traces of unknown ancient populations for which no physical remains have been found, particularly in Africa and Southeast Asia. This week on The Micah Hanks Program, we look at these and other recent discoveries challenging our past thinking on ancient humans, which point to a tangled web of migrations and ancient interactions. We look at global folklore and indigenous traditions that describe reclusive, bipedal, humanlike creatures that bear striking similarities across cultures, which raise profound questions about how many kinds of humans once walked the Earth—and whether some still might. Have you had a UFO/UAP sighting? Please consider reporting your sighting to the UAP Sightings Reporting System, a public resource for information about sightings of aerial phenomena. The story doesn't end here... become an X Subscriber and get access to even more weekly content and monthly specials. Want to advertise/sponsor The Micah Hanks Program? We have partnered with the AdvertiseCast to handle our advertising/sponsorship requests. If you would like to advertise with The Micah Hanks Program, all you have to do is click the link below to get started: AdvertiseCast: Advertise with The Micah Hanks Program Show Notes Below are links to stories and other content featured in this episode: NEWS: Trump and Zelensky hold war talks inside St. Peter’s Basilica ahead of pope’s funeral A carnivorous 'bone collector' caterpillar dresses in the remains of its prey New Findings Cast Doubt on Spectral Evidence of Life on Distant Exoplanet K2-18b The National Archives needs your help transcribing UFO and JFK files Ross Coulthart says Ashton Forbes' MH370 theories aren't credible PENGHU-1: A Mysterious Fossil from an Unknown Humanlike Species Once Baffled Scientists Discovery of “Lost” Species, 'Homo Juluensis,' Challenges Accepted Ideas on Early Hominin Evolution A Genetic Ghost Hunt: What Ancient Humans Live On In Our DNA? A Humanlike “Living Fossil” Could Still Be Alive in Indonesia, This Anthropologist Says The Relict Hominoid Inquiry: Idaho State University BECOME AN X SUBSCRIBER AND GET EVEN MORE GREAT PODCASTS AND MONTHLY SPECIALS FROM MICAH HANKS. Sign up today and get access to the entire back catalog of The Micah Hanks Program, as well as “classic” episodes, weekly “additional editions” of the subscriber-only X Podcast, the monthly Enigmas specials, and much more. Like us on Facebook Follow @MicahHanks on X. Keep up with Micah and his work at micahhanks.com.
--------
1:00:05
The UFO Conspiracy: Aliens, Bias, and the Myth of the UFO Expert | MHP 04.22.25.
This week, the potential discovery of signs of biosignatures in the atmosphere of a distant planet has aliens on the minds of many scholars. Meanwhile, a recently published study, “Exploring expert figures in alien-related UFO conspiracy theories” investigates how “expert figures”—including scientists, self-proclaimed researchers, and UFO witnesses—are used to legitimize alien-related conspiracy theories online. But what do these findings really indicate about conspiracy theories about UFOs, as well as academic views toward the UAP subject? This week on The Micah Hanks Program, we look at how key findings in the new study point to concerning trends that have recently emerged in the UAP research community, as well as potential biases in academic ideas toward the subject. We also look at the myth of the "UFO expert," NASA's lack of progress in UAP, and much more. Have you had a UFO/UAP sighting? Please consider reporting your sighting to the UAP Sightings Reporting System, a public resource for information about sightings of aerial phenomena. The story doesn't end here... become an X Subscriber and get access to even more weekly content and monthly specials. Want to advertise/sponsor The Micah Hanks Program? We have partnered with the AdvertiseCast to handle our advertising/sponsorship requests. If you would like to advertise with The Micah Hanks Program, all you have to do is click the link below to get started: AdvertiseCast: Advertise with The Micah Hanks Program Show Notes Below are links to stories and other content featured in this episode: NEWS: Pope Francis, first Latin American pontiff who ministered with a charming, humble style, dies at 88 Joe Nickell, Paranormal Investigator and ‘Real-Life Scully,’ Dies at 80 Hegseth shared detailed military plans in second Signal chat that included his wife and brother The White House has begun process of looking for new secretary of defense ALIENS? Strongest hints yet of biological activity outside the solar system UFO CONSPIRACY: Exploring expert figures in alien-related UFO conspiracy theories New Film The Age of Disclosure Alleges Government Cover-Up of UFOs, but BU Expert Is Skeptical BECOME AN X SUBSCRIBER AND GET EVEN MORE GREAT PODCASTS AND MONTHLY SPECIALS FROM MICAH HANKS. Sign up today and get access to the entire back catalog of The Micah Hanks Program, as well as “classic” episodes, weekly “additional editions” of the subscriber-only X Podcast, the monthly Enigmas specials, and much more. Like us on Facebook Follow @MicahHanks on X. Keep up with Micah and his work at micahhanks.com.
--------
59:41
Return of the Tic Tacs: The USS Jackson UAP Incident | MHP 04.15.25
In 2004, an incident involving an unidentified aerospace vehicle encountered by personnel serving aboard the USS Nimitz carrier strike group off the Baja California coast gave rise to one of the most widely-discussed UAP incidents in modern history. Now, new information has come to light about a similar 2023 incident, reported by personnel aboard the USS Jackson who say they observed—and filmed—four similar objects, one of which was allegedly tracked as it emerged from the water. This week on The Micah Hanks Program, we dive into the latest news about the USS Jackson UAP case, how it came to light, and what independent analysis of the video footage showing two of the objects has revealed. We also look at recent claims involving UAP made public by the Skywatcher team, and what all these newly released UAP images and video reveal about the current debate over anomalous objects in our skies. Have you had a UFO/UAP sighting? Please consider reporting your sighting to the UAP Sightings Reporting System, a public resource for information about sightings of aerial phenomena. The story doesn't end here... become an X Subscriber and get access to even more weekly content and monthly specials. Want to advertise/sponsor The Micah Hanks Program? We have partnered with the AdvertiseCast to handle our advertising/sponsorship requests. If you would like to advertise with The Micah Hanks Program, all you have to do is click the link below to get started: AdvertiseCast: Advertise with The Micah Hanks Program Show Notes Below are links to stories and other content featured in this episode: NEWS: NASA science budget faces massive cuts in Trump proposal James Webb Space Telescope Captures a Planet Being Consumed by Its Star for the First Time Viral CIA file about aliens attacking soldiers takes off with UFO intrigue TIC-TACS: Navy crew reports dramatic encounter eerily similar to iconic 'Tic Tac' incident The USS Jackson "Tic-tac" UAP Discussion Thread (via Metabunk) BECOME AN X SUBSCRIBER AND GET EVEN MORE GREAT PODCASTS AND MONTHLY SPECIALS FROM MICAH HANKS. Sign up today and get access to the entire back catalog of The Micah Hanks Program, as well as “classic” episodes, weekly “additional editions” of the subscriber-only X Podcast, the monthly Enigmas specials, and much more. Like us on Facebook Follow @MicahHanks on X. Keep up with Micah and his work at micahhanks.com.
--------
59:53
Resurrection: Genetic 'De-Extinction' and Life Not as We Know It | MHP 04.08.25.
In what is likely to be one of the major science stories of the year, Texas-based Colossal Biosciences has brought the dire wolf—or at least something very close to this ice age canine—back from extinction, with the help of genetic engineering. The remarkable achievement has been met with awe, praise, and also controversy, as experts debate the exact nature of the "dire wolves" the company has created, as well as the implications of the breakthrough and the creation of what some might call life not as we know it. This week on The Micah Hanks Program, we take a look at the remarkable news, as well as the current state of genetic science, and whether it could one day be used on humans. Finally, we also turn our attention toward popular science fiction and bizarre theories regarding alien life, and whether questions about human contact with non-human forms of intelligence might involve advanced genetic engineering. Have you had a UFO/UAP sighting? Please consider reporting your sighting to the UAP Sightings Reporting System, a public resource for information about sightings of aerial phenomena. The story doesn't end here... become an X Subscriber and get access to even more weekly content and monthly specials. Want to advertise/sponsor The Micah Hanks Program? We have partnered with the AdvertiseCast to handle our advertising/sponsorship requests. If you would like to advertise with The Micah Hanks Program, all you have to do is click the link below to get started: AdvertiseCast: Advertise with The Micah Hanks Program Show Notes Below are links to stories and other content featured in this episode: NEWS: US stocks whipsaw on tariff uncertainty, social media rumors Perseverance Rover Witnesses One Martian Dust Devil Eating Another Groundbreaking Discovery at “Unusual” Ancient Burial Site Rewrites Neolithic History Camera set up to catch Loch Ness Monster unearthed COLOSSAL: The Dire Wolf, an Extinct Canine that Roamed Prehistoric America, Has Been Resurrected RISE OF ‘HOMO SUPERIOR’: Could we make a superhuman? NEW FRONTIERS: Could CRISPR be used to Cre ate New Species? BECOME AN X SUBSCRIBER AND GET EVEN MORE GREAT PODCASTS AND MONTHLY SPECIALS FROM MICAH HANKS. Sign up today and get access to the entire back catalog of The Micah Hanks Program, as well as “classic” episodes, weekly “additional editions” of the subscriber-only X Podcast, the monthly Enigmas specials, and much more. Like us on Facebook Follow @MicahHanks on X. Keep up with Micah and his work at micahhanks.com.
The Micah Hanks Program is a weekly podcast that covers science and the mysteries of our universe. Taking a critically-minded approach to the study of our world, each week Micah presents commentary and discussions with guests on subjects that include mysteries of physics and astronomy, the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI), UFOs, myths and folklore, archaeology and ancient mysteries, artificial intelligence, futurism, cryptozoology, science fiction, and entertainment. Each week we journey to the boundaries of human knowledge, in search of the most unusual things our world has to offer.
New Zealand