The Gray Area with Sean Illing

Best of: We need to talk about UFOs. Seriously.

Listen Later

Vox's Sean Illing talks with international politics professor and amateur ufologist Alex Wendt about why it's time to start thinking more seriously about the earth-shattering implications of discovering extraterrestrial life. They discuss the taboos against serious scientific inquiry into extraterrestrial existence, the US military's official UFO report and the inexplicable videos released by the Pentagon, and what the possible explanations might be for what's been seen.

Host: Sean Illing (@seanilling), Interviews Writer, Vox

Guest: Alexander Wendt, Professor of International Security and Political Science, The Ohio State University

References: 

  • "The Pentagon Released U.F.O. Videos. Don't Hold Your Breath for a Breakthrough" by Alan Yuhas (New York Times; June 3)
  • "Sovereignty and the UFO" by Alexander Wendt and Raymond Duvall (Political Theory; 2008)
  • "Wanted: A Science of UFOs" (TEDx Columbus; February 2020)
  • The Pentagon UFO Report: "Preliminary Assessment: Unidentified Aerial Phenomena" (June 25)
  • "Experts Weigh In on Pentagon UFO Report" by Leonard David (Scientific American; June 8)
  • "The Unexplained Phenomena of the U.F.O. Report" by Gideon Lewis-Kraus (The New Yorker; June 26)
  • "Those amazing Navy UFO videos may have down-to-earth explanations, skeptics contend" by Andrew Dyer (San Diego Union-Tribune; May 29)
  • Friedrich Nietzsche, Will to Power, Book One (1885-1886)
  • Update: "DoD Announces the Establishment of the Airborne Object Identification and Management Synchronization Group (AOIMSG)" (Nov. 23)


    • Enjoyed this episode? Rate Vox Conversations ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

    Subscribe for free. Be the first to hear the next episode of Vox Conversations by subscribing in your favorite podcast app.

    Support Vox Conversations by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts

    This episode was made by: 

    • Producer: Erikk Geannikis
    • Editor: Amy Drozdowska
    • Engineer: Paul Robert Mounsey
    • Deputy Editorial Director, Vox Talk: Amber Hall
    • Vox Audio Fellow: Victoria Dominguez

      Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

      ...more
      View all episodesView all episodes
      Download on the App Store
      The Gray Area with Sean IllingBy Vox
      • 4.5
      • 4.5
      • 4.5
      • 4.5
      • 4.5

      4.5

      10,505 ratings

      More shows like The Gray Area with Sean Illing

      View all
      On the Media by WNYC Studios

      On the Media

      9,131 Listeners

      Fresh Air by NPR

      Fresh Air

      38,189 Listeners

      The Political Scene | The New Yorker by WNYC Studios and The New Yorker

      The Political Scene | The New Yorker

      3,945 Listeners

      Gastropod by Cynthia Graber and Nicola Twilley

      Gastropod

      3,612 Listeners

      Switched on Pop by Vulture

      Switched on Pop

      2,628 Listeners

      Decoder with Nilay Patel by The Verge

      Decoder with Nilay Patel

      3,144 Listeners

      Explain It to Me by Vox

      Explain It to Me

      7,837 Listeners

      The New Yorker Radio Hour by WNYC Studios and The New Yorker

      The New Yorker Radio Hour

      6,670 Listeners

      Pivot by New York Magazine

      Pivot

      9,200 Listeners

      Channels with Peter Kafka by Vox Media Podcast Network

      Channels with Peter Kafka

      552 Listeners

      The Daily by The New York Times

      The Daily

      111,862 Listeners

      Good One: A Podcast About Jokes by Vulture

      Good One: A Podcast About Jokes

      1,457 Listeners

      Radio Atlantic by The Atlantic

      Radio Atlantic

      2,319 Listeners

      Today, Explained by Vox

      Today, Explained

      10,141 Listeners

      The Cut by Vox Media Podcast Network

      The Cut

      1,585 Listeners

      Interesting Times with Ross Douthat by New York Times Opinion

      Interesting Times with Ross Douthat

      6,751 Listeners

      Future Perfect by Vox

      Future Perfect

      584 Listeners

      Throughline by NPR

      Throughline

      16,034 Listeners

      Land of the Giants by Vulture

      Land of the Giants

      2,154 Listeners

      Unlocking Us with Brené Brown by Vox Media Podcast Network

      Unlocking Us with Brené Brown

      23,603 Listeners

      The Prof G Pod with Scott Galloway by Vox Media Podcast Network

      The Prof G Pod with Scott Galloway

      5,397 Listeners

      A Touch More with Sue Bird & Megan Rapinoe by Vox Media Podcast Network

      A Touch More with Sue Bird & Megan Rapinoe

      661 Listeners

      Hard Fork by The New York Times

      Hard Fork

      5,448 Listeners

      Celebrity Memoir Book Club by Vox Media Podcast Network

      Celebrity Memoir Book Club

      6,306 Listeners

      The Ezra Klein Show by New York Times Opinion

      The Ezra Klein Show

      15,237 Listeners

      Unexplainable by Vox

      Unexplainable

      2,205 Listeners

      Waveform: The MKBHD Podcast by Vox Media Podcast Network

      Waveform: The MKBHD Podcast

      5,926 Listeners

      The Interview by The New York Times

      The Interview

      1,463 Listeners

      Not Just Football with Cam Heyward by Cam Heyward

      Not Just Football with Cam Heyward

      140 Listeners

      Networth and Chill with Your Rich BFF by Vivian Tu

      Networth and Chill with Your Rich BFF

      1,709 Listeners

      Served with Andy Roddick by Served with Andy Roddick

      Served with Andy Roddick

      995 Listeners

      Prof G Markets by Vox Media Podcast Network

      Prof G Markets

      1,127 Listeners

      The Opinions by The New York Times Opinion

      The Opinions

      449 Listeners