The Global Threat (Full Episode) | UFOs: Investigating the Unknown

National Geographic・2 minutes read

UFO sightings and encounters have been more widespread than realized, with various governments, organizations, and individuals actively investigating and reporting on these phenomena. Advocates for UFO research, transparency, and formal investigations have sparked global interest and prompted questions about the existence and nature of unidentified flying objects.

Insights

  • UFO sightings have been documented worldwide, with governments like the US, France, Chile, and Costa Rica taking them seriously, pointing to a global interest in investigating these phenomena for aviation safety and national security.
  • High-profile cases like the Japan Airlines incident and the O'Hare Airport sighting have raised concerns about aviation safety, leading to calls for increased transparency and further investigation into UFOs, even prompting former government officials to advocate for a serious pursuit of understanding these events.

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Recent questions

  • What is the National Aviation Reporting Center on Anomalous Phenomena (NARCAP)?

    A confidential reporting center for UFO sightings in aviation.

  • Who advocated for scientific scrutiny of UFOs?

    Dr. J. Allen Hynek.

  • What event prompted calls for the US government to reopen its UFO investigation?

    Witnesses observing a majestic triangle craft under intelligent control.

  • What was the focus of Leslie Kean's book on UFO sightings?

    Featuring firsthand accounts of UFO sightings.

  • What prompted global interest in the Pentagon's UFO research program?

    Launching a program in 2007 and coinciding with a press conference.

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Summary

00:00

UFO Encounter on Japan Airlines Flight

  • Japan Airlines encountered a bright light following them during a flight from Paris to Tokyo.
  • The pilot described the light as several times larger than their airplane.
  • UFO sightings were more widespread than realized, with reports of unidentified objects flying over aircraft.
  • The US government closed its formal study of UFOs in 1969, leading civilians to take up research.
  • Dr. J. Allen Hynek advocated for scientific scrutiny of UFOs, leading to civilian researchers documenting sightings.
  • The National Aviation Reporting Center on Anomalous Phenomena (NARCAP) was founded to report UFO sightings confidentially.
  • NARCAP focused on aviation safety hazards posed by UFOs, with cases of pilots needing to maneuver to avoid collisions.
  • The Japan Airlines case in 1986 involved radar data and pilot testimony of a UFO following their aircraft.
  • The FAA publicly dismissed the UFO sighting as a radar anomaly, but internally, there was interest from high-level government officials.
  • Investigative journalist Leslie Kean and filmmaker James Fox worked to bring UFO evidence to mainstream attention, highlighting cases like the Phoenix Lights event in 1997.

18:50

Global UFO Investigations and Government Secrecy

  • French agency studies UFOs at the Space Studies Center in France, involving specialists from various fields for investigations.
  • Similar UFO incidents reported in China, Russia, Africa, Australia, and South America.
  • Compelling UFO incident in Iran in 1976 involving pilot Parvis Jafari trying to shoot down a UFO.
  • Governments of Chile and Costa Rica take UFO reports seriously, with Costa Rica having a notable UFO photograph.
  • UFO prevalence during the Cold War led to secrecy in the US, viewing it as a national security issue.
  • Advocate for open government transparency, John Podesta, urged for UFO investigations to be disclosed.
  • Information from various countries' UFO agencies compiled into a dossier for John Podesta.
  • Major UFO event at O'Hare Airport in 2006 raised aviation safety concerns, with witnesses reporting a disc-shaped object.
  • FAA initially denied knowledge of the UFO sighting, later acknowledging reports and attributing it to weather phenomena.
  • Efforts to explain away the UFO sighting at O'Hare Airport were debunked, highlighting the need for further investigation and transparency.

35:29

UFO Sightings Prompt Government Investigation Reopening

  • Witnesses observed a majestic triangle craft under intelligent control, leading to a call for the US government to reopen its UFO investigation shut down in 1969.
  • A group of former high-level government and military officials shared their UFO sightings at a press conference in Washington, aiming to engage the government in a serious pursuit of facts.
  • Leslie Kane's book, featuring firsthand accounts of UFO sightings, became a New York Times bestseller, adding credibility to the topic and prompting calls for a formal investigation.
  • The Pentagon secretly researched UFOs, launching a program in 2007, coinciding with a press conference on the same topic, sparking global interest and questions about the program's findings and potential public disclosure.
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