The Micah Hanks Program

The Micah Hanks Program

The Micah Hanks Program is a weekly podcast covering science and the mysteries of our universe. The show takes a critically-minded approach to the study of our world, and each week Micah presents commentary and discussions with guests on subjects that include space and astronomy, the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI), UFOs, myths and folklore, archaeology and ancient mysteries, artificial intelligence, futurism, cryptozoology, science fiction, and entertainment. Every week, we take our listeners to the boundaries of human knowledge, in search of the most fascinating and unusual topics our world has to offer.

Episodes

October 21, 2025 59 mins

Recently, a United Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 en route from Denver to Los Angeles was forced to make an emergency landing in Salt Lake City after colliding with an unidentified object over Utah. The impact shattered the cockpit windshield, injuring one of the pilots and prompting the crew to announce that the aircraft had “collided with an object.” Early investigations seem to rule out space debris or meteors, and while investigator...

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In an odd turn of events, officials have revealed unusual new details about an aircraft crash that occurred near Area 51 in late September. The crash, initially described as minor and non-fatal, has since taken a strange turn after investigators reportedly discovered “tampering” at the site, which includes the discovery of objects that included an “inert training bomb body” and aircraft material of "...

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On July 1, 2025, a mysterious object was detected within our solar system. Soon afterward, it was confirmed by NASA as the third known interstellar object ever observed by astronomers, and given a formal name: 3I/ATLAS. Since that time, the object's unusual trajectory, massive size, and anomalous behavior have captured the fascination of the scientific community, leading to questions about whether it is indeed simply an interstella...

Recently, the legendary Area 51 has been making headlines again, after a mysterious incident involving an aircraft crash in the desert near the famous and secretive high-security facility. Elsewhere, sightings of "mystery drones" over NATO member countries in Europe are raising concerns among officials, as questions remain over who may be behind the mysterious incursions. 

This week on The Micah Hanks Program, we delve into what is...

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In January 1948, Kentucky Air National Guard pilot Captain Thomas Mantell died while pursuing an unidentified flying object near Fort Knox, after his P-51 Mustang went into a fatal climb. The U.S. Air Force later suggested he had been chasing a high-altitude Skyhook balloon, but many still regard the Mantell incident as one of the first major UFO cases of the modern era.

This week on The Micah Hanks Program, we are joined by filmma...

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Last week, the Task Force on the Disclosure of Federal Secrets held a hearing entitled “Restoring Public Trust Through UAP Transparency and Whistleblower Protection,” during which witnesses and members of Congress criticized government secrecy and dismissiveness around unidentified anomalous phenomena. With participation from military whistleblowers, some of whom expressed concerns over repercussions for speaking out, the hearing's...

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On an unassuming evening in March 1997, thousands of witnesses in Arizona and surrounding states observed strange lights in the sky. The famous incident, known today as "The Phoenix Lights," remains a staple of modern UFO studies... but is there a deeper story behind this classic "best evidence" encounter?

This week on The Micah Hanks Program, we take a careful look at the Phoenix Lights mystery, as well as recent sightings of "mys...

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Since the dawn of the space age, scientists have been scouring the universe for evidence of alien life and possible attempts at communication by intelligent civilizations in the far reaches of the cosmos. While frustratingly little evidence has been found supporting the existence of intelligent life on other worlds, a handful of strange incidents from over the years point to a tantalizing possibility: that attempts at contact have ...

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For centuries, humans have wrestled with the mysteries of the cosmos, from the invisible dark matter and dark energy that shape the universe, to hidden dimensions, parallel universes, and the ultimate fate of all cosmic structures. Such questions force us to consider not only the physics of the universe, but the possibility that non-human intelligence—whether biological or artificial—could exist f...

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For centuries, sailors have shared baffling stories of phantom vessels found adrift with their crews missing. Such mysterious occurrences have helped give rise to famous legends like that of the "Flying Dutchman," a ghost ship said to have been observed during severe maritime storms since at least the eighteenth century.

This week on The Micah Hanks Program, we explore several historical cases of ships at sea and aircraft whose cre...

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At 9:23 p.m. on April 14, 1953, the crew aboard a U.S. Navy patrol plane conducting a classified ELINT (Electronic Intelligence) operation during Korean War had an unsettling encounter with the unexplained. Moving silently through the air at nine thousand feet, the aircraft initially noticed a light in the distance that appeared to be signaling to them using Morse Code. Over the hour that foll...

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In a rare public interview, Jon Kosloski, Director of the Pentagon’s All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) joined astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson on StarTalk Radio to pull back the curtain on the U.S. government's investigation into Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAPs). From law enforcement sightings of black triangles and glowing orbs to the challenges of AI-generated hoaxes and classified sensor tech, Kosloski offered...

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In 1996, a NASA space shuttle mission meant to study microgravity’s effects on electromagnetism may have recorded one of the most puzzling and controversial encounters ever filmed in Earth orbit—dozens, and eventually hundreds, of luminous, pulsating objects seemingly reacting to high-voltage electromagnetic fields in space. What were the strange objects, and could they be related to mysterious plasmas that are believed to manifest...

  • This week, sudden news of the firing of former AARO Deputy Director Tim Phillips has sparked controversy following a series of interviews in which he discussed UAPs—particularly black triangle craft exhibiting silent flight, low heat signatures, and advanced maneuverability. Though Phillips emphasized these objects are likely terrestrial in origin, possibly foreign adversary technology, although his sudden departure now raises ques...

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    Since the story of a remarkable 2004 U.S. military UAP incident involving the USS Nimitz Carrier Strike Group first came to widespread public attention, speculation has ensued about whether anomalous aerial vehicle popularly known as the "Tic Tac" might be a secretive U.S. technology. Now, new claims have come to light that argue the unusual vehicle could belong to American defense contractor Lockheed Martin, but how credible are t...

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    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 jo...

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    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 anym...

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    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 St...

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    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, alon...

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    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 carr...

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