UFOs In American Culture: A History Of Intrigue And Denial

UFOs have been reported in America since the 1600s. And in all that time our government has largely dismissed the objects as being of Earthly origin. But this culture of dismissal in the U.S. is not indicative of how sightings are handled around the world. Some foreign governments readily discuss the possibility of extraterrestrials having visited Earth, and others go so far as to openly support the possibility.

As reports of UFO sightings in America have skyrocketed since the 1940's, we ask why the phenomenon isn't given a more serious look. We'll examine some of the most compelling cases of all time and ask what it is about these unidentified objects that captivates the imaginations of so many. This hour we speak with believers and skeptics about UFO's.

GUESTS:

• Peter Davenport - UFO lecturer, broadcaster and Director of The National UFO Reporting Center
• Leslie Kean - Investigative journalist and author of The New York Times bestselling  UFOs: Generals, Pilots and Government Officials Go on the Record and SurvivingDeath: A Journalist Investigates Evidence for an Afterlife
• George Noory - Weekday host of the late-night radio talk show Coast to Coast AM and creator of Paranormal Date, a dating site for paranormal enthusiasts
• Benjamin Radford - Deputy Editor of Skeptical Inquirer Magazine and author of Mysterious New Mexico: Miracles, Magic, and Monsters in the Land of Enchantment.

You can join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.

Colin McEnroe and Chion Wolf contributed to this show.

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