The Why Files: Operation Podcast

Here’s the scene. You’re driving down a secluded road. The only lights come from your headlights. The only sounds you hear are crickets and the hum of the engine.

Suddenly, a mysterious orb of light…

Your world is an illusion. Your choices are irrelevant. Your friends, your family, and everyone around you are just manifestations of your mind.

You’re a trapped animal in a cage: a virtual reality c…

For thousands of years, the world has been captivated by the mystery of Atlantis. The concept of an ancient city hidden beneath the ocean is fascinating.

But what if there was not just a city, but an…

Early in the morning of January 4th 2012, a strange message appeared on the internet. Just a few lines of text on an image, posted anonymously.

Hello. We are looking for highly intelligent individua…

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 si…

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.

Pictur…

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 step…

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 hi…

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 tw…

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 c…

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 …

In 1974 a group of scientists beamed a message into space. The message, meant to be received by an intelligent alien species, described life on Earth.

Written in simple binary code, and using the mos…

Of all the species that have ever existed on Earth, 99% of them are gone. Most of those were wiped out during what are known as "Mass Extinction Events".

Since life emerged on our planet, there have …

The North American Air Defense Command, known as NORAD, was established in 1958. It was to provide early warning and defense against Soviet bombers and missile launches.

But it wasn't long before NO…

Even though UFOs are seen everywhere: over the desert, over the ocean, over cities; there's no way to predict when and where they'll show up.

Well, no way except for one: build or detonate a nuclear …

On July 25th, a NASA scientist was studying images of a region of Mars called "Cydonia" when something caught his eye.

He had to take a second to process what he was seeing. He grabbed a magnifying g…

This legend beings as so many do.

Three gravediggers, working in a cemetery hear something overhead. They look up and see a creature: almost ten feet tall with massive wings perched on a high tree b…