The Why Files: Operation Podcast

In 1901, Nikola Tesla had the most terrifying experience of his life. As he worked alone in his laboratory at night, he felt a presence. He created a device to see if he could hear, or pick up any signals from whatever it was that he felt. He called it the “spirit radio”, and it worked. Tesla wasn’t alone. Throughout history, famous scientists, who helped shape the technology we used today, have spoken of ghosts and hauntings that shook them to their core. And while you might think these are nothing more than ghost stories, you’re right. But there is scientific data that supports the existence of ghosts. Data that has been suppressed… until now. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thewhyfiles/support

Cultures around the world have myths that speak of a mysterious underground kingdom that exists deep within the earth, hidden away from the primitive and violent surface-dwellers: which is us. Picture a society untouched by time, unscathed by war, and unaffected by natural disasters. A culture thriving in the vast open spaces inside the Earth. Throughout history, many have looked for physical evidence of its existence, tempted by stories of a peaceful but powerful subterranean civilization with advanced technology and ancient knowledge long forgotten by modern man. This is the story of the underground Kingdom of Agartha and the explorers who’ve said that - not only is it a real place - but they know where it is. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thewhyfiles/support

September 14th, 1994 was a quiet night in Zimbabwe. Then suddenly, boom! An explosion startled people all over the country. Windows rattled. Doors shook. Shocked and confused, people sheepishly stepped outside to see what happened. Everything looked fine. They went back inside. But one woman wasn't satisfied. Cynthia Hind drove around the capital city of Harare, searching for the source of the sound but, nothing seemed unusual. But back at home, Cynthia's phone rang relentlessly. She was a UFO investigator and witness reports were coming in one after another. The news claimed the sound was a sonic boom caused by a meteor shower. But Cynthia wasn't so sure. Eyewitnesses near Lake Kariba described bizarre lights in the sky earlier that week. Lights in a row that moved erratically: fast then slow. First north to south. Then east to southwest. Meteors don't do that. Cynthia suspected there was much more to the story. And two days later, she'd find out that she was right. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thewhyfiles/support

Stanley Kubrick is considered one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. Of his 13 movies a few are considered classics in their respective genres. Including the black comedy Dr. Strangelove, the highly-quotable anti-war commentary of Full Metal Jacket, and one of the most disturbing and enduring horror films of all time, The Shinning. But in 1968, Kubrick released "2001 – A Space Odyssey". This is more than a classic. It's a masterpiece. And widely regarded as one of the best science-fiction films of all time, and probably the most influential. This collaboration with science fiction author Arthur C. Clarke tells the story of an alien intelligence that visited Earth in the distant past, and left behind artifacts in the solar system. The movie features groundbreaking special effects, which still hold up today. In fact, the effects looked so good, that the movie gave the American government an idea. Billions of tax dollars were invested in the space program but the Soviets were still years ahead of the United States. NASA desperately needed to get to the moon before Russia, but they knew it was impossible. So they turned to one of the world's best filmmakers for help. Because when it came to the moon: if they couldn't make it, they'd fake it. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thewhyfiles/support

On November 2nd, 1966, Woody Derenberger was driving home from a business trip when he encountered an extraterrestrial being named Indrid Cold. Cold communicated with Woody telepathically, and the two went on to be lifelong friends. Other people close to Woody, including family, friends, and even his therapist claimed that they, too, had experiences with Indrid Cold. Woody wrote and published a detailed account of his experiences, and never went back on his story. Since the 1960s, the legend of Indrid Cold has become one of the most famous in all of UFO lore. Taken at face value, this story sounds strange. But the *real* story … is even stranger. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thewhyfiles/support

The story of humans began a long time ago. Three and a half billion years ago protein molecules floated around the ooze called the primordial soup. Then something happened and a molecule made a copy of itself. And then another copy and another. Soon these molecules arranged themselves into something called a cell. Then cells clumped together and multiplied. Organisms were created. Over the next three billion years, the organisms became more complicated and more diverse. 375 million years ago one of those organisms crawled out of the sea. 4 million years ago hominids emerged. Hominids had large brains and advanced cognitive abilities. They could reason, communicate and cooperate. 200,000 years ago, homo sapiens, modern humans appeared. They developed agriculture, organized into civilizations and became masters of the planet. The story of humans began a long time ago. But all stories end. And according to many leaders in business, science and technology: we're in the final chapter. The part of our story where we finally go extinct. And there's nothing we can do to stop it. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thewhyfiles/support

In 1886, mining engineer John T. Reid was told the Paiute legend of a giant people defeated by the natives near Lovelock, Nevada. The last of the giants met their fiery end deep within the bowels of a cave. Reid’s belief in this legend stirred great interest in the secrets held within Lovelock Cave. Official excavations were undertaken in both 1912 and 1924 by the University of California, with reports telling of thousands of artifacts being recovered. Of these artifacts, the most puzzling were human remains. Well, they were *almost* human. Skeletons measuring between eight and ten feet tall were said to be found during the dig. Skeletons belonging to who are now known as “The Lovelock Giants.” Legends of people of enormous size are told across a myriad of cultures, And despite what we’ve been told by *mainstream* science, there *is* evidence to suggest they really existed. The remains of giants have been found all over the United States; and all over the world. So why aren’t these amazing finds on display in any museum? Or taught in any classes? Or mentioned in any history books? Because the existence of giants, for some reason, has been covered up. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thewhyfiles/support

It was a sunny afternoon on June 24th, 1947, and Kenneth Arnold was flying his small aircraft over Mineral, Washington. He was heading to Yakima but took a slight detour to look for a lost US Marine Corps plane. If he could find it, he’d collect a nice reward. Flying near Mount Rainier, he spotted a shiny object in his plane's mirror. Then, he saw multiple flashes of light. It looked like a group of aircraft, flying in formation. But something was wrong - these 'aircraft' didn't have tails. And they were flying faster than anything he’d ever seen. After about two minutes, the objects vanished near Mount Adams. When Kenneth landed in Yakima, he immediately told his friends and airport staff about his bizarre experience. By the time he reached Pendleton, Oregon, his story had spread. Reporters were eager to hear it. In describing the odd movement of these objects, Kenneth said it was like a teacup saucer skipping across a lake. At that moment, the term “flying saucer” was born. And over the next two weeks, events would unfold that would affect every person on Earth. And change the course of history. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thewhyfiles/support

On April 30, 1943, in the middle of World War II, a body washed up on the shore of Huelva, Spain. The deceased man was wearing a British military uniform. There was a briefcase strapped to his body containing British and American military secrets. The man was Major William Martin, a British Royal Marine who was the single victim of a fatal plane crash at sea. He had just returned from temporary leave in London, where he had gone to the theater and purchased an engagement ring for his fiancee, Pam. But there was something very strange about Major William Martin. He didn’t exist. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thewhyfiles/support

In December 1990, in a remote village above the Arctic Circle, two Russian scientists embarked on a daring experiment. Their goal was to enhance human “super-perception” or ESP. They built a device that could shield subjects from electromagnetic interference and amplify their biological energy. The device was a large tube of rolled aluminum with a chair inside. As soon as the device was built, strange phenomena occurred around the village. Disc-shaped lights hovered around the lab. Balls of energy appeared and disappeared. The Northern Lights became so bright and vivid that they seemed to take physical shape. Inside the lab, anyone who approached the device felt an unexplainable sense of dread. It took a while to persuade anyone to try it. When the first subject finally sat in the chair, a flash of energy erupted that stunned everyone in the lab. The device worked. But it maybe worked a little *too* well. Not only did it boost people’s psychic abilities, it also enabled them to view any place in the world. And soon, they could view any place in time. In fact, these experiments confirmed a theory first proposed in the 1950s. That time, as we know it, doesn’t exist. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thewhyfiles/support