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The Micah Hanks Program

Micah Hankswww.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.
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Episodes

Shadows in the Sky: UAPx and the Scientific Study of Anomalous Phenomena | MHP 07.08.25.

In July 2021, researchers conducted a week-long scientific expedition off California's Catalina Island to study unidentified aerial phenomena using visible, infrared, and radiation sensors. While most anomalies were resolved through analysis, one unexplained event—captured around 4 a.m. on July 16—remains outstanding, marked by a dark object and possible coincident ionizing radiation. This week on The Micah Hanks Program, we are joined by Dr. Matthew Szydagis is a member of the physics faculty a...

Jul 09, 20251 hr

Wiki Wars: The Stigma Strikes Back | MHP 070125

A long time ago, in a galaxy far away... there was once an effort to construct "the largest encyclopedia in history, both in terms of breadth and in terms of depth," which its co-founder said should also fundamentally "be a reliable resource." That site, of course, is Wikipedia, and today, that same co-founder, Larry Sanger, has his doubts about the success of its mission, saying in 2021 that whether or not it can be relied on anymore "depends on what you think the truth is," and more importantl...

Jul 02, 202559 min

UAP Indications: Analysis and Intentions of the Operators | MHP 06.25.25.

Since the Second World War, sightings of anomalous phenomena near U.S. strategic sites have been logged, pointing to what some interpret as a serious national security for not only America, but for militaries around the world. What are these objects, and what are the intentions of their operators? This week on The Micah Hanks Program, we are joined by researchers Ian Porritt and Larry Hancock of the Scientific Coalition for UAP Studies, who discuss their latest published report "UAP Indications ...

Jun 25, 20251 hr

The Pentagon's UFO Problem: Truth, Lies, and Anomalies | MHP 06.17.25.

Following a recent "bombshell" report by the Wall Street Journal revealing the Pentagon's secretive disinformation efforts involving UFOs since the Cold War, controversy has erupted over the extent of the long-running deception, whether the new "revelations" are actually just more disinfo, and what this means in terms of investigation of "real" UAP incidents. This week on The Micah Hanks Program, we wade into the controversy, along with an examination of recent statements by the Deputy Director ...

Jun 17, 20251 hr

Operation Deception: The Pentagon's UFO Disinfo Campaign | MHP 06.11.25.

Throughout the Cold War, the Pentagon secretly produced fake images, documents, and other materials related to alleged UFO programs, which were leaked through covert placement in public areas, dissemination through the UFO community, and even shown during fake briefings provided to members of the U.S. military. Today, the full extent of the secretive disinformation campaign remains unknown, and questions linger over why it was carried out. All of this, according to recent explosive allegations p...

Jun 11, 202558 min

The Tic Tac Report: BAASS Document Leaks and AAWSAP Secrets | MHP 06.02.25.

Between 2008 and 2010, a secretive program within the Defense Intelligence Agency investigated several high-profile UAP incidents, exploring their national defense implications and the possibility of whether new technologies could be derived from their study. Known as the Advanced Aerospace Weapons Systems Application Program (AAWSAP), the program was the catalyst behind a resurgence in interest in mysterious aerial phenomena that would occur several years later once The New York Times revealed ...

Jun 03, 20251 hr

The Mystery Spheres: A Case History of Spherical UAP Curiosities | MHP 05.27.25.

A mysterious metallic sphere allegedly discovered near Buga, Columbia, has recently made headlines, after viral videos appeared online which claim to show the object in flight prior crashing into the ground. While some mainstream outlets have picked up the story, what are the actual details about this purported "mystery sphere"? This week on The Micah Hanks Program, we examine the recent claims involving the "Buga Sphere," along with an exploration of similar cases involving alleged mystery sphe...

May 27, 20251 hr

UFOs and Intelligence: FBI Briefings, Japan's 'AARO', and DoD UAP Videos | MHP 05.20.25.

Recently on Capitol Hill, lawmakers were provided a classified briefing on UAP by the FBI, and now several U.S. Representatives are saying the Bureau needs to be more involved in the Pentagon's investigations into anomalous phenomena. We take a look at what members of Congress have had to say about the FBI's briefing, and where things may go from here. Also in this week's episode of The Micah Hanks Program, we look at why a group of former Japanese officials are pushing for the country to have i...

May 20, 20251 hr

Immaculate Confusion: Truth, Lies, & UAP Media Controversies | MHP 05.12.25.

In recent days, a bombshell NewsNation's special, "Hunting UFOs: The Desert Sky Mystery," hosted by Ross Coulthart, told the story of Border Patrol agent Bob Thompson and his claims of anomalous aerial sightings along the U.S.-Mexico border. However, while the program presented the story as being "the first time" Thompson had come forward, that's not quite the case... Also in this week's installment of The Micah Hanks Program, we dive into the intriguing revelations involving Matthew Brown, who ...

May 13, 202559 min

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 surprisin...

May 07, 20251 hr 2 min

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 ...

Apr 29, 20251 hr

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 ...

Apr 23, 20251 hr

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 Th...

Apr 16, 20251 hr

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 ...

Apr 09, 20251 hr

The Anomaly Files: The U.S. Government's Pursuit of the Unexplained | MHP 03.31.25.

For many decades, agencies within the United States government have collected information on a range of different unexplained phenomena. From military encounters involving UFOs, to possible evidence of ancient mysteries collected during reconnaissance missions by spy planes, several examples of the U.S. government's "anomaly files" have been made public through inquiries under the Freedom of Information Act. This week on The Micah Hanks Program , we look at the Defense Department's current inves...

Apr 01, 202559 min

The JFK Files: The CIA and the Birth of the Deep State | MHP 03.25.25.

On November 22, 1963, John F. Kennedy, the 35th president of the United States, became the victim of an assassin's bullet during a motorcade visit through Dealey Plaza in Dallas, Texas. Although the Warren Commission later concluded Kennedy's assassination had been the work of one man, Lee Harvey Oswald, questions have remained about what other information might remain in holdings of the intelligence community. Last week, the latest in an ongoing declassification of records related to the assass...

Mar 25, 20251 hr

Non-Human Intelligence: A Strategy for Research | MHP 03.18.25

It is one of the greatest questions humankind has ever faced: are we alone in the cosmos? If alien life on other worlds exists, are there intelligent forms that may be capable of communication? Or is it even possible that some form of non-human intelligence might already be present closer to Earth than we realize? This week on The Micah Hanks Program, in our ongoing discussions about the possibility of exotic life forms and the possibility of non-human intelligence, we discuss a potential strate...

Mar 19, 20251 hr 1 min

The Dark Age of Science: Avi Loeb and the Search for Alien Life | MHP 03.11.25.

Are we entering a "Dark Age of Science?" Recent controversies involving phenomena in our universe that include the ongoing debate over dark matter and dark energy, as well as the existence of what some astronomers call "dark comets", have led to controversy about our perspectives on the cosmos... but to what end? Further, are recent cultural and societal events in the world spelling doom for science, including efforts to determine whether we're alone in the universe? Joining us this week on The ...

Mar 11, 20251 hr

The Colorado Drone Mystery: The 'Obscurum' Files | MHP 03.03.25.

In late 2019, residents of Colorado and Nebraska were perplexed by a sudden wave of mystery drone sightings that, to date, remain unexplained. The bizarre incidents led to widespread concern among locals in many rural midwestern communities, which bore an undeniable similarity to recent sightings of mystery drones in the skies over New Jersey that captivated the nation. Joining us this week on The Micah Hanks Program is Gabe Lenners, a television and radio host, journalist, podcaster, and host o...

Mar 04, 20251 hr 2 min

Jacques Vallée: In Pursuit of Forbidden Science | MHP 02.25.25.

Few have worked longer and with more passion toward understanding the unexplained than astronomer, computer scientist, and internet pioneer Jacques Vallée, who for most of his life has pursued the "forbidden science" of unidentified aerial phenomena. A scientist, researcher, and author of an impressive number of non-fiction and fiction offerings, Vallée's latest work, Forbidden Science 6: Scattered Castles , represents the most recent installment of his personal journals. This week on The Micah ...

Feb 25, 20251 hr 5 min

The UFO Messengers of Deception | 02.18.25.

For decades, belief in unidentified aerial phenomena has found its way into the ideas espoused by a number of religious and political groups, as well as other organizations with unusual backgrounds. In his landmark analysis of this aspect of modern UFO-related beliefs, computer scientist Jacques Vallee argued in his 1979 book Messengers of Deception that such beliefs could play a key role in understanding both the phenomenon itself, as well as how it may be used by such groups as a control mecha...

Feb 18, 202559 min

The Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets | MHP 02.11.25

On Tuesday, Florida Representative Anna Paulina Luna announced the formation of a new government task force that aims to investigate and declassify U.S. government information on some of America's most perplexing secrets. Dubbed the Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets, the new effort will examine the assassinations of John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, and Martin Luther King, as well as questions involving UAP and USOs, the client list of Jeffery Epstein, COVID-19, and informa...

Feb 12, 20251 hr

The FBI's UFO X-Files | MHP 02.05.25.

Controversy is brewing in Washington, and recent reports indicate that the jobs of potentially large numbers of FBI agents may be in jeopardy resulting from a shake-up involving the Justice Department. However, in the midst of the controversy, new reports of an alleged "UAP Working Group" within the FBI has renewed attention on the Bureau's UAP investigations; does the FBI have its own real-life UFO X-Files? This week on The Micah Hanks Program, we look into the deeper history of the FBI's invol...

Feb 06, 20251 hr

The Summoners: Whistleblower Claims and the 'CE-5 Protocol' | MHP 01.28.25.

Claims involving an alleged secret government retrieval program continue to dominate the UAP discussion following the recent airing of an interview with Jacob Barber, a former USAF serviceman who alleges that he participated in a covert government operation that employed "psionics" to assist in summoning UAP. How much, if any, of Barber's claims are legitimate, and can be verified? This week on The Micah Hanks Program , in our continuing analysis of Barber's claims, we look at new details that h...

Jan 29, 20251 hr

Covert Controversy: The Jacob Barber UAP Allegations | MHP 01.21.25.

On Saturday, an exclusive interview aired on News Nation in which Jacob Barber, a retired U.S. Air Force serviceman, made a bombshell claim to Australian journalist Ross Coulthart: that he had served for years as part of an alleged covert program that recovered spacecraft of non-human origin. Amid claims of encounters with UAP, Barber also told of alleged "psionics" employed by the U.S. government, who assist in summoning these craft... but are the claims simply too outrageous to be true? This w...

Jan 22, 20251 hr

Sightings III: Anomalous Encounters and Secret Technologies | MHP 01.14.25.

Witnesses from all parts of the world spanning several decades have reported sightings of mysterious phenomena in our skies. Currently, these phenomena are being investigated by the U.S. Department of Defense, which formally refers to them as unidentified anomalous phenomena. What are these objects, what are their origins, and could some of the mysterious sightings point to the existence of secretive military technologies? This week on The Micah Hanks Program, new information has come to light a...

Jan 14, 20251 hr

Incident in Las Vegas: New Year's Attacks, UAP Secrets, & Conspiracy Claims | MHP 01.07.25.

As 2025 kicks off, U.S. officials have been on high alert following a pair of New Years Day attacks that occurred in separate American cities only hours apart. One of the incidents, a suicide bombing involving a Tesla Cybertruck outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas, has also become the focus of controversy for reasons few might have predicted: new allegations that the bomber had possessed knowledge of U.S. war crimes, secret propulsion technologies being used by China, and a suppos...

Jan 08, 202559 min

2025 Predictions: A New Year of UAP and AI Revelations? | MHP 12.30.24.

From humanity's interstellar ambitions, to the rise of quantum computing, AI, and the U.S. government's investigations into UAP, 2024 has been another groundbreaking year for science. But what might await in the new year, and what kinds of 2025 predictions indicate developments that could potentially reshape life on Earth, and perhaps even beyond? This week on The Micah Hanks Program, we take a look at the year ahead and how how artificial intelligence and other technologies are unlocking answer...

Dec 31, 20241 hr

The Curious Case of 'Navy X' and 2024 UAP Revelations | MHP 12.23.24.

In recent days, following the release of "The Program," the latest documentary offering by filmmaker James Fox, an alleged U.S. government whistleblower identified only as "Navy X" released a statement online that makes allegations that are now all-too-familiar to those who closely follow the UAP mystery. Who is this alleged source, and can their claims of long-running UAP secrecy from within the U.S. government be verified? This week on The Micah Hanks Program, in addition to a "mystery drone" ...

Dec 25, 20241 hr

Drones: The Making of a Modern UFO Flap | MHP 12.16.24.

Since November, American East Coast residents and U.S. officials have demanded clarity after a wave of drone sightings occurring over New Jersey and New York, with their origins and intent still shrouded in mystery. While the FBI and others have activated specialized drone detection systems to help assess the situation, Pentagon officials have reassured the public that most of the sightings are misidentifications, although many local leaders and residents remain unconvinced and increasingly anxi...

Dec 17, 20241 hr
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