The Micah Hanks Program - Micah Hanks

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11.25.19. The Nimitz Witnesses Nov 27, 2019

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On this week's edition of The Micah Hanks Program, we continue our discussion of what is widely known as The USS Nimitz UFO Incident, involving events that transpired in 2004 as the U.S. Navy Carrier Strike Group 11 began detecting unusual radar returns during training operations off the Southern California coast.

Joining us in the first hour to discuss this is Emmy-Award winning producer and cinematographer David C. Beaty. Dave is a UFO researcher, journalist, and filmmaker, whose career in non-fiction television and documentary spans more than 25 years, with productions having aired on the Travel Channel, History Channel and PBS. Beaty's film, The Nimitz Encounters, features a culmination of his craft, including extensive use of 3D computer animation and graphics as well as electronic music and sound design all crafted by the filmmaker.

Then in the second hour, we are joined by Gary Voorhis and Ryan Weigelt, both of whom served with the Navy's Strike Carrier Group-11, which became involved in this unusual incident while sailing 100 miles off the coast of Southern California in 2004. Voorhis, a former Petty Officer 3rd Class Fire Controlman aboard the USS Princeton, was at the time of this incident one of the only system technicians for the Cooperative Engagement Capability and AEGIS Combat systems, which included the AN/SPY-1 Bravo radar system. Weigelt is former Leading Petty Officer and had been the power plant specialist of the SH-60B Seahawk helicopter.

Both men share facts and details with us about the systems they operated during their time in service with the US Navy Strike Carrier Group 11, and some of the possibilities they have considered about the famous USS Nimitz UFO incident of 2004.

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The Nimitz Encounters by Filmmaker Dave Beatty

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11.18.19. Interception: UFO Data and the Military Nov 19, 2019

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On this edition of the program, after opening with news in the world of zoology that includes the rediscovery of a species that had been unseen for decades, as well as what science says about the closest living modern relatives to a gigantic "Sasquatch" that lived during the Ice Age, we shift our attention to the anniversary of one of the most important UFO incidents in modern history: the strange case of the Japanese Airlines 1628 incident, where a former fighter pilot and his crew were pursued by a massive unidentified flying object while passing over Alaska. We also touch on incidents involving strange aerial objects observed over U.S. missile launch sites and nuclear facilities, with the recurring theme of government secrecy pertaining to such cases.

Then later in the program we are joined by Tim McMillan, a retired law enforcement officer who presently works as an investigative journalist and freelance writer, whose recent Popular Mechanics piece discussed testimony given my numerous servicemen who were present during the widely discussed USS Nimitz UFO incident of 2004. Here again, some of those witnesses have discussed how information pertaining to the incident was later retrieved by individuals appearing to represent some government agency. We look at the facts surrounding this case, and ask the fundamental question, "what branch of government is collecting data about UFO incidents?"

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11.11.19. Charles Fort: Prophet of the Damned Nov 12, 2019

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On this episode of The Micah Hanks Program, we lead off with the latest update in the ongoing search for Amelia Earhart, as well as an unusual planetary appearance as one of Earth's neighbors makes a rare transit across the sun. We also discuss moon rocks, mystery objects falling from the sky, and our study of deep space with probes like Voyager 1 and 2, which might eventually be discovered one day by other civilizations far beyond our solar system.

Then later in the program, we turn our attention to one of the most influential minds of the 20th century, Charles Fort. It was Fort's The Book of the Damned--published one century ago this year--that ushered in a new era of thought in relation to anomalous phenomena in nature, sparking renewed interest and a wave of like-minded "heretics" that would follow in his footsteps. However, while Fort has been called "the man who invented the supernatural," arguably his most prescient contributions of all had to do with his collection of data pertaining to aerial anomalies, which seemingly anticipated our coming to awareness of UFOs.

We examine Fort's writings that dealt with these cultural predecessors to modern UFO reports, comparing the similarities and differences, and studying the way that the discussion has changed in relation to the topic since the "pre-UFO" era when Fort wrote his magnum opus on "Forteana."

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11.04.19. The Airships: UFOs in the 1890s Nov 06, 2019

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This week on The Micah Hanks Program, we lead off with a story of odd magic and the strange disappearance of the famous "Wizard Rock" bolder in Arizona, and the even more unusual reappearance of the massive stone several days later. We also touch on the "secret" society known as Freemasonry, and why they aren't actually as mysterious (anymore) as many would think.

Then getting to the heart of our conversation, we turn our attention back to a familiar topic, but with new questions: a flap of sightings in the skies over America between 1896 and 1897 of odd "airships" of unexplained origin. What was the source of lights that were being reported in various parts of the country, first in Sacramento, California, and later further East and in other locales? Many alleged inventors were appearing in the popular press of that era, some of whom had actually published designs for flying vehicles with the U.S. Patent Office.

Is it possible that some of the strange reports of lights, and even large cigar-shaped aircraft resembling dirigibles, could have been the result of intrepid inventors who were ahead of the aviation innovation game over America by a few years? If so, what can we learn about the broader UFO phenomenon from taking a historic approach to the study of odd things seen in the skies over time?

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10.28.19. The Man in Black Oct 29, 2019

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This week on The Micah Hanks Program, as Halloween is just around the corner, we bring in the season with tales of haunted houses, mysterious monstrous eggs found deep in the ocean, and a whistleblower's story of searching for extraterrestrials.

Then for our "Unidentified October" segment, we look at eerie stories of "ghost lights", and how geophysics might hold the key to understanding strange lights seen in the night in various places around the world for centuries. James Waldo, a professional geologist with the Army Corps of Engineers, has seen them on many occasions in the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas, and gives us a few ideas on what their causes might be.

Then in the conclusion to our Halloween series for 2019, we look to one of the most frightening and ubiquitous terrors of all time: that of the "Man in Black." Since ancient times, our fear of darkness has led us to view mysterious, black-clad strangers as omens or harbingers of misfortune. This universal theme of a mysterious evil force embodied in an odd, and at times a mischievous stranger, has become a staple of the horror novels written by "The Master Storyteller" Stephen King over the years. What are the origins of this ultimate evil, and why does it so often take the form of a mysterious "Man in Black," whether in fiction, folk traditions from around the world, or even modern literature pertaining to UFO encounters?

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10.21.19. Frankenstein: Birth of a Monster Oct 22, 2019

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This week on The Micah Hanks Program, we lead off with a Halloween-themed news segment that looks at a pair of real "monsters" of nature, as well as a strange (and scary-looking) creature from Madagascar that locals call "cursed," and which has been keeping a remarkable secret. Also, we have the fright-inducing news about what constant exposure to blue light might actually be doing to us.

Then for our "Unidentified October" segment, we begin with a look at the news about Tom Delonge's To The Stars Academy's recent contract agreement with the U.S. Army, and what that means. We're also joined for a segment by author M.J. Banias, a writer for VICE and author of the book The UFO People. M.J. is a history teacher who offers both a historical and philosophical perspective on the UFO subject, as well as people's belief systems pertaining to it. You can learn more about M.J. at his blog Terra Obscura.

Then in the final half of the show, we continue our study of famous monsters of the horror genre with a look at one of the most famous horror novels of all time, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, which has frightened readers and inspired countless versions and spinoffs in film and other media. However, the message behind the story and its misguided protagonist, Victor Frankenstein--a man who attempted to "play God" with terrible consequences--remains as strong today. Especially as we look at news like that of scientists who may be growing sentient brain matter in the laboratory... at one point should we say that such experiments have gone too far?

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10.14.19. Wolf Man: Origins of the Werewolf Oct 15, 2019

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This week on The Micah Hanks Program, as the passing weeks bring us closer to the Halloween season, we lead off with the discussion of cricket swarms in Texas that some have compared to Biblical plagues; we also touch on a set of mysterious footprints found by a North Carolina man. Elsewhere, one scientist thinks we found life on Mars... all the way back in 1976.

On the subject of alien life, a former government insider recently had a lot to say on the subject of UFOs in an op-ed for The Hill; we discuss the significance of the article, and the broader need for serious discussion of the National Security implications of the UFO subject. Then joining us by phone for an update is Brett Tingley, a writer for The Warzone who has been covering the curious case of a series of U.S. Navy patents that boast remarkably UFO-like technologies.

Then in the final portion of the program, we turn our attention to the myth and superstition involving lycanthropy and werewolves. In addition to being one of our favorite monsters from the Silver Screen, the "wolf man" is a cultural motif found all over the world, which comes in many shapes and forms. We also look at famous historical cases involving alleged "real life" werewolves, such as Peter Stubb, the infamous Wolf Man of Bedburg, and perhaps most curious of all, France's Beast of Le Gevaudan, which for some time was believed to have haunted the French countryside. What was this animal; was it merely a wolf, or something more?

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10.07.19. UFOs and All That Jazz Oct 08, 2019

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On this edition of The Micah Hanks Program, we lead off with news of an exciting physics experiment where physicists caused a massive particle two appear in more than one place at the same time. Then we hear about China's success with growing plants on the far side of the moon, and why some researchers think pigs are displaying evidence of intelligence that was once reserved solely for humans. Meanwhile, mystery lights were filmed over the North Carolina coast... Micah gives us his thoughts about what their source might be, along with an update on the ongoing series of cattle mutilations being reported in Oregon.

Then we are joined by blogger Jazz Shaw, who shares his views on UFOs, the media, and what the shifting attitudes about the UFO subject mean in modern society. Although Shaw's background is in news, politics, and energy policy, he has more recently become one of the many commentators who has been introducing his audience to reporting on the UFO subject. He gives us a variety of perspectives on the topic, including discussion about the controversial claims made by Tom Delonge's To The Stars Academy, which says it may have samples of a substance that allegedly have exotic origins.

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09.30.19. Sasquatch: An Unnatural History Oct 01, 2019

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This week on the program, after recapping an excellent visit Micah had with Scott Philbrook of the Astonishing Legends podcast, we turn our attention to Elon Musk, the innovative (and at times erratic) inventor who is attempting to put humans on the Red Planet in the coming decades... and that may be precisely what one of his latest projects is aiming for.

Then getting to the heart of the discussion, the subject of Sasquatch is a perplexing enigma in American culture. Most would contend that the alleged creature is purely a staple of folklore, variants of which are found all around the world, in fact. It is true, after all, that there have been many high-profile hoaxes over the years, offered by some as "solutions" behind what little physical evidence for the Sasquatch does seem to exist. But are there some instances where the media may have leapt to conclusions prematurely about these hoaxes, rushing to judgment about their ability to explain the entire mystery?

In contrast to the hoax theories, we look at what archaeology, history, and some of the more reliable eyewitness encounters from over the years have to say on the matter. We also get the perspectives of former big game hunter and conservationist Peter Byrne, who spent several decades in search of Sasquatch in Oregon, California, and other Northwestern states. After presenting the "natural history" of what many would deem an unnatural subject, is there any case to be made for the existence of Sasquatch, despite its dismissal by modern science?

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Elon Musk Unveils His Gigantic Starship Prototype, Says It'll Be Flying Within Months

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09.23.19. Dyatlov Pass: Latest Evidence Sep 25, 2019

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This week, we lead off with reports from the Storm Area 51 Event outside of Rachel, Nevada which, fortunately, resulted in no actual attempts at infiltrating the high-security installation in the Nevada desert. We also report on how genetics is helping construct the clearest picture ever of a mysterious group of ancient human ancestors; also, Google has reportedly achieved "quantum superiority," but what does this actually mean, and what could it indicate for the future of computation?

Then later in the program, we turn our attention to one of the most chilling cold cases of all time: In the first days of February 1959, an experienced group of hikers from the Ural Polytechnical Institute were trekking along the slopes of Kholat Syakhl in Russia's Ural mountains. While the ultimate cause of their deaths remains unknown, investigators arriving on the scene days later found evidence that something had caused the group to cut their way out of their tent, rushing into heavy snowfall and sub-zero temperatures despite many being underdressed and even barefoot.

Known today as the Dyatlov Pass Incident, the case remains unsolved after sixty years. In February of 2019, Russian authorities announced that they planned to reinvestigate several possible solutions to the mystery, all of which were weather-related. But could there be more to this long-standing unsolved mystery, and what can be made of the many bizarre claims that have surfaced over the years about strange lights in the skies, and other haunting stories about the area known today as Dyatlov Pass?

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