EPISODES

THE FERMI PARADOX: Where are the aliens?

The fact that we do not have tangible evidence of alien life is proof that it does not exist -- at least, that’s what Nobel Prize-winning physicist Enrico Fermi believed when he asked his now famous question: “Where is everybody?” Today, this theory is known as “The Fermi Paradox”, and it still sparks debates between scientists, skeptics and believers the world over. Special guests Douglas Vakoch, president of METI (Messaging Extraterrestrial Intelligence), and Shubham Kanodia, co-author of How Much SETI Has Been Done?, join us to discuss Fermi’s Paradox as well as diving into where alien life may exist, and ways we may detect them in the future.

INTERVIEW: president of meti - Douglas vakoch

Douglas Vakoch, president of METI (a non-profit organization that is dedicated to Messaging Extraterrestrial Intelligence), dives deep with Strange Phenomenon on theories of why we haven’t made contact with alien life, METI’s mission and what they’re doing to establish communication with life outside our planet.

INTERVIEW: CO-AUTHOR HOW MUCH SETI HAS BEEN DONE? - SHUBHAM KANODIA

Shubham Kanodia, graduate student in Astronomy at the Pennsylvania State University and co-author of How Much SETI Has Been Done? Finding Finding Needles in the n-Dimensional Cosmic Haystack, dives deep into his work conducting quantifiable research in the field of searching for extraterrestrial life. 

SNALLYGASTER: Political monster

Headlines about the terrifying Snallygaster, a winged beast known for eating people it snatched off the street, has startled in the pages of Maryland newspapers since the 1900’s. Reports of the monster have attracted the attention of the Smithsonian Institute, Washington Post, and even President Teddy Roosevelt. Special guest Patrick Boyton, historian and author of Snallygaster: The Lost Legend of Frederick County, joins us to discuss how nothing is ever as it seems with this politically-charged beast. 

INTERVIEW: AUTHOR Snallygaster: The lost legend of frederick county - Patrick BOYTON

Patrick Boyton, historian and author of Snallygaster: The Lost Legend of Frederick County, speaks with Strange Phenomenon about the origins of the Snallygaster, it’s brutal attacks throughout history and how the legend has evolved with the times.

INSTRUMENTAL TRANSCOMMUNICATION: The Dead Speak!

People have been trying to communicate with the dead since the beginning of human history. Since entering the industrial age, technology has opened new avenues to attempt to make connections with the spirit world. Instrumental Transcommunication is the belief that people can use electronics, such as radios and televisions, to communicate with those who have passed. Anabela Cardoso, career diplomat and founder of ITC Journal.org, and Diana Deutsch, Professor of Psychology at UC San Diego, join us to discuss the history, possible scientific explanations, and the still lingering mysteries.

INTERVIEW: founder of ITC Journal - Dr. Anabela Cardoso

Dr. Anabela Cardoso, career diplomat and founder of ITC Journal, dives deep into her experiments with Instrumental Transcommunication, and her history with important figures in the field. 

INTERVIEW: study on “Phantom Words” - Dr. Diana Deutsch

Dr. Diana Deutsch, Professor of Psychology at UC San Diego, digs into her study of the “Phantom Word” phenomenon, and how it relates to ITC and electronic voice phenomena. 

JOHN MURRAY SPEAR: Father of the Mechanical Messiah

When John Murray Spear, a man of extreme faith, began receiving messages in 1853 from the spirits of some of the greatest minds of all time, he believed himself to be chosen as the father of these geniuses' greatest invention: THE NEW MOTIVE POWER. A machine of perpetual motion that would not only supply  energy to the world, but free people of the shackles that came with work. It was to be the new messiah. John Benedict Buesher, Doctor of Religious Studies and author of The Remarkable Life of John Murray Spear: Agitator for the Spirit Land, joins us to discuss Spear’s truly bizarre life, beliefs, and inventions.

INTERVIEW: AUTHOR The Remarkable life of john murray spear - JOHN BENEDICT BUESCHER

John Benedict Buescher, Doctor of Religious Studies and author of The Remarkable Life of John Murray Spear: Agitator for the Spirit Land, dives deep into the life and projects of John Murray Spear. Learn more about Spear’s early prison reform work as well as other fantastical inventions like psychically powered telegraphs and much more. 

ORANGE PENDEK: Indonesian Bigfoot

For over a century, people have been leaving the forests of Sumatra, Indonesia telling tales of immense fear taking hold of their body at the sight of a short bipedal ape with thick hair and a human-like face. It’s named the Orang Pendek. Despite sightings and expeditions funded by international organizations, nobody has been able to capture proof of this creature. With mass deforestation taking place, some worry this ape-cousin may be eradicated before we have the chance to study it. Alex Schlegel, member of a National Geographic camera trapping team, Jeremy Holden, a naturalist who spent years searching for the Orang Pendek, and Dally Sandradiputra, Indonesian cryptozoologist, speak about the efforts to research this unique animal.