February 27, 1997: Open Lines

Art Bell opens the night by teasing tomorrow's guest on cloning, a Loyola University professor who is simultaneously a geneticist, Jesuit priest, and bioethicist. He dives into a flood of strange news, including over 50 UFO encounters across Australia since February 1st, a captured chupacabra near San Antonio with video footage on the way, and a sheep in Spain found with a fully jointed leg growing from its head.

Callers range across wildly diverse territory. A Gulf War veteran from Maine reveals he was told never to give blood again after service and has spent five years unable to obtain his medical records. A Seattle caller describes her roommate's uncanny ability to predict earthquakes weeks in advance. Art reads a Washington Post article on scientists discovering that intuition plays a measurable role in decision-making. A Peoria listener reports severe Illinois River flooding while another recounts a ghost encounter complete with an audible boo.

Art addresses the persistent internet rumor of his own death, fielding panicked calls from affiliates and reading bewildered emails from fans. He caps the night with an audience game, asking listeners to finish the sentence "If I were a dictator, I would..." with answers ranging from eliminating animal cruelty to commanding an army of chupacabras.