In this Halloween-adjacent, tinfoil-hat episode of Hot Takes, Alysse Bryson and Tamar Routly go all in on the internet’s latest obsession: the mysterious third interstellar visitor dubbed 3I Atlas — and why it’s got TikTok convinced the aliens/UAPs/possibly-not-friendly-space-neighbors are here. They unpack what we actually know, why the NASA site went dark during the U.S. government shutdown at the exact wrong time, and — most importantly — whether sober people will use “the aliens are coming” as an excuse to drink. Spoiler: if you want to leave Earth with a clear head, this one’s for you. The throughline? We don’t control space, we barely understand the ocean, and yet we still get to choose sobriety today. “Getting sober matters. Staying sober matters more.”
Takeaways
“UFOs” are so 1997 — it’s UAPs now (unidentified anomalous phenomena), because of course it is.
A third interstellar object — 3I Atlas — was detected in July 2025, its path looks intentional, and it even “blinked out” for 19 seconds, fueling conspiracy culture.
Online footage is getting harder to trust thanks to AI, edits, and government sites conveniently going down — digital discernment is now a sober skill.
Anxiety about the unknown used to drive many of us to drink; now we choose clarity over chaos. Cosmic dread ≠ relapse trigger.
Bottom line: the universe is huge, we’re the ants, and we still only have today — so stay sober, stay playful, stay curious.
Key Timestamps
[00:00] Tinfoil-hat cold open: “Jesus, take the wheel” and why this episode is literally hot under the masks.
[02:30] What 3I Atlas allegedly is, why it matters, and why TikTok ran with it.
[04:30] NASA site down during the U.S. shutdown — coincidence or cover-your-UAP?
[05:30] Would you drink if aliens landed? Choosing to “die clearheaded.”
[08:30] Oceans, fallen angels, and “maybe space is actually underwater?” theories.
[11:30] Final sober mic drop: “Today I’m sober and you’re sober.”
Notable Resources or Guest Links
Watch this episode on YouTube for the full UAP costume chaos
Follow Alysse on The Sober Curator for more sober-pop-culture deep dives
Suggested sober homework: search “3I Atlas” on TikTok/YouTube but fact-check everything first
CTA 👉 Love weird news + sober takes? Share this episode with a friend who doom scrolls.
(Boilerplate — do not edit) Connect with Us: -Website: www.thesobercurator.com -Facebook: @The Sober Curator -Instagram: @thesobercurator -X: @thesobercurator -YouTube: @thesobercurator -Pinterest: @thesobercurator
Send Feedback: If you have a story, feedback, or just want to connect, email us at thesobercurator@gmail.com. We’d love to hear from you!
About: Sobriety isn’t the end of the party—it’s just the start of a better one. Hosted by Alysse Bryson, media powerhouse and sobriety’s ultimate hype woman, and joined by Sober Curator contributors, The Sober Curator Podcast* delivers bold convos, pop culture deep dives, and zero-proof living that doesn’t suck. Whether you're sober, sober-curious, or just looking for good vibes without the hangover, we’ve got you covered. Subscribe now—because getting sober matters, staying sober matters more.
The intro and outro music for this episode is proudly featured with permission from Avatari. All rights reserved to the original creators. For more of their work, check out his website: https://www.avatariworld.com/music.
*The Sober Curator Podcast is a space for open and honest conversations about sobriety, recovery, and alcohol-free living. While we celebrate all paths to a sober lifestyle, some topics discussed may be sensitive or triggering for certain listeners. This podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice. If you’re in recovery or exploring sobriety, please take care while listening and seek support from trusted professionals as needed.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
My Favorite Murder is a true crime comedy podcast hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. Each week, Karen and Georgia share compelling true crimes and hometown stories from friends and listeners. Since MFM launched in January of 2016, Karen and Georgia have shared their lifelong interest in true crime and have covered stories of infamous serial killers like the Night Stalker, mysterious cold cases, captivating cults, incredible survivor stories and important events from history like the Tulsa race massacre of 1921. My Favorite Murder is part of the Exactly Right podcast network that provides a platform for bold, creative voices to bring to life provocative, entertaining and relatable stories for audiences everywhere. The Exactly Right roster of podcasts covers a variety of topics including historic true crime, comedic interviews and news, science, pop culture and more. Podcasts on the network include Buried Bones with Kate Winkler Dawson and Paul Holes, That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast, This Podcast Will Kill You, Bananas and more.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com