Intelligence Squared Chasing Aliens, with Jon Ronson and Daniel Lavelle (Part Two)
12 snips
May 21, 2026 
Daniel Lavelle, journalist and author of Chasing Aliens, recounts a road trip through America’s UFO heartlands and his reporting on military psychic programs. Short, vivid stories range from Skinwalker Ranch rituals to Project Jedi and the mysterious Tic Tac incidents. Conversations probe why belief persists, the role of loneliness and community, and how UFO culture intersects with politics and power.
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Distance Makes Visitation Implausible Without Exotic Physics
- The universe may host trillions of civilizations but interstellar distances make visitation unlikely without exotic physics.
- Lavelle explains Proxima Centauri B is four light years away and our ships would take ~100,000 years unless wormholes or dark energy are usable.
Government Disinformation Keeps Ufology Alive
- Governments have used UFO narratives as cover or disinformation to hide secret projects.
- Lavelle cites Roswell and Richard Doty feeding false UFO evidence to people to disguise spy-plane and weapons testing.
Aliens Serve As Secular Saviors For Loneliness
- Many prefer the possibility of extraterrestrials because it offers meaning or an external savior, but it can also be frightening.
- Lavelle admits he'd rather be alone than face colonialist aliens and links belief to loneliness and meaning-seeking.
