Episode Guide

Return to Antarctica

"Return to Antarctica" investigates whether the frozen continent has served as an extraterrestrial base for millennia, focusing on anomalous readings detected by NASA's Antarctic Impulsive Transient Antenna (ANITA) at Ross Island in May 2018. The instrument recorded high-energy particles erupting from the Earth rather than raining down from space—a phenomenon physicist guests describe as defying normal cosmic ray behavior. Ancient astronaut theorists including Giorgio Tsoukalos propose that nearly three miles of ice may conceal not only geological features but evidence of advanced civilizations or active alien installations. The episode promises testimony from military whistleblowers who claim firsthand knowledge of unexplained activity, with investigative journalist Linda Moulton Howe conducting interviews with former personnel willing to break silence about what they witnessed on the continent.

The Badlands Guardian

In 2005, Lynn Hickox discovered a striking geological formation near Alberta, Canada, while browsing satellite imagery—a massive face-like feature now called the Badlands Guardian. Ancient astronaut theorists argue this geoglyph, depicting what appears to be an indigenous person wearing a feathered headdress, shows too much deliberate detail to be natural. The formation includes not just basic features like a brow, nose, and lips, but secondary details like an eyelid, leading proponents to suggest it was intentionally carved to be visible from the sky, much like the Nazca Lines. Some theorists point to the absence of an ear—now the site of a gas installation and access road—as evidence of modern disruption to an ancient monument, questioning whether earlier archaeologists have mistaken other artificial structures for natural hills.

Element 115

This episode investigates Bob Lazar's 1989 claim that he worked at a facility called S4 near Area 51, reverse-engineering recovered alien spacecraft powered by "Element 115"—a substance he described years before moscovium (element 115) was synthesized and added to the periodic table in 2016. Ancient alien theorists, including filmmaker Jeremy Corbell, argue this timing validates Lazar's account and suggests the U.S. military possesses extraterrestrial technology capable of manipulating gravity and spacetime. The episode connects Lazar's claims to declassified documents, including a 1950 FBI memo mentioning multiple flying saucer recoveries, and explores whether crashed craft from incidents like the 1947 Roswell event could contain physics-defying propulsion systems waiting for human science to catch up.

The Star Ancestors

This episode investigates whether the Dogon people of Mali, studied by French anthropologist Marcel Griaule in 1931, possessed astronomical knowledge that could only have come from extraterrestrial visitors. Ancient astronaut theorists point to the Dogon's detailed understanding of Sirius B—a white dwarf companion star invisible to the naked eye and unknown to Western science until 1862—as evidence that amphibious beings called the Nommo arrived from that star system in antiquity. The episode expands this theory by proposing a global linguistic pattern: the syllable "do" or "dag" appears in the Dogon's Nommo, Japan's mysterious dogu figurines (which some say resemble spacesuits), and the Irish deity Dagda, said to reside in the Newgrange passage tomb. Theorists argue these phonetic similarities, combined with widespread myths of fish-like gods who brought civilization, suggest a single extraterrestrial source culture visited ancient peoples worldwide.

They Came from the Sea

This episode proposes that Earth's oceans may harbor evidence of extraterrestrial genetic engineering, pointing to creatures whose abilities seem to defy natural evolution. Ancient astronaut theorists highlight octopuses that can edit their own DNA, regenerative marine organisms, and biologically immortal jellyfish as potential proof of alien intervention. The episode draws connections between these organisms and ancient worldwide traditions of fish-like deities, suggesting aquatic beings may have seeded Earth's oceans as a "giant petri dish" for experimentation. The discussion extends to cryptids like the Ningen, a humanoid creature allegedly filmed off Antarctica in 2006, which theorists compare to historical sea monsters like the Kraken that were once dismissed but later validated by the discovery of giant squid.

Secrets of the Maya

When Spanish friar Diego de Landa arrived in the Yucatán Peninsula in 1549, he orchestrated the destruction of thousands of Maya codices and sacred texts during an auto-da-fé on July 12, 1562. Ancient astronaut theorists including Giorgio Tsoukalos and David Childress argue this mass burning may have obliterated evidence that the Maya had contact with visitors from across the globe—and potentially extraterrestrial beings who provided flying craft. They point to the Maya's advanced knowledge of astronomy and mathematics as potentially inexplicable without outside intervention, while Praveen Mohan highlights architectural similarities between Maya sites and Hindu carvings in South America as evidence of ancient global contact that conventional history cannot explain.

The Druid Connection

This episode argues that mysterious stone structures scattered across New York's Hudson Valley and New England may be evidence of ancient Druid presence in North America—and that these Druids carried knowledge from extraterrestrial beings known in Irish mythology as the Shining Ones. Theorists including William Henry claim these stone chambers exhibit electromagnetic anomalies and have been linked to modern UFO sightings in the region, most notably the Hudson Valley UFO wave of the 1980s. Author Whitley Strieber recounts his alleged 1985 abduction experience near the Hudson River, which became the basis for his bestseller *Communion*, and suggests the area represents an ongoing "place of power" where contact experiences cluster around these ancient sites.

Faces of the Gods

This episode explores the global prevalence of serpent deities and reptilian imagery in ancient cultures, suggesting they might represent encounters with extraterrestrial reptilian beings. Ancient astronaut theorists point to the Mesopotamian god Enki, the feathered serpent Quetzalcoatl of Mesoamerica, the Naga of Hindu and Buddhist traditions, and biblical references to the serpent in Eden as potential evidence of a worldwide reptile-like alien presence. The episode highlights Paul MacLean's 1960 triune brain model, which proposed a "reptilian brain" component in humans, and connects it to 2018 research by Gilles Laurent finding unexpected chemical similarities between reptile and human brains. Ancient astronaut theorists like William Henry and Michael Salla argue these neurological connections, combined with recurring myths of "lizard men" and underground serpent people, suggest an ongoing reptilian extraterrestrial influence on humanity.

The Reptilian Agenda

This episode pivots on a 2016 Stanford University study revealing that roughly 30 percent of human evolutionary adaptations since divergence from chimpanzees were driven by viruses rather than natural selection alone. Ancient astronaut theorists, including Giorgio Tsoukalos, argue this could indicate deliberate genetic engineering by extraterrestrials using viral agents from space. They point to syncytins—genes acquired from retroviruses 25 and 40 million years ago that enable the human placenta to sustain pregnancy—as evidence that viruses fundamentally shaped humanity. The episode also highlights a genetic bottleneck around 75,000 years ago when human populations collapsed to just a few thousand individuals, suggesting this could mark a moment of intentional extraterrestrial intervention through viral modification.

The Alien Infection

This episode argues that extraterrestrials may have engineered multiple human species throughout history and could currently be creating alien-human hybrids through abduction programs. Ancient astronaut theorists point to the 2019 discovery of Homo luzonensis in the Philippines—a 67,000-year-old hominin species isolated on Luzon island—as potential evidence of genetic experimentation. They interpret Sumerian texts describing the Annunaki as records of extraterrestrials performing hybridization experiments beginning around 6,000 BCE or earlier, creating various hominin branches as "prototypes." The episode connects these ancient accounts to modern reports of alien abductions involving genetic harvesting and cattle mutilations showing surgical precision, suggesting an ongoing program to populate Earth with hybrids that could eventually replace Homo sapiens.

The Trans-Dimensionals

This episode explores whether paranormal phenomena—ghosts, angels, and UFO sightings—might all be manifestations of beings traveling from parallel dimensions rather than distant planets. Ancient astronaut theorists point to mysterious light phenomena like the Brown Mountain Lights in North Carolina's Pisgah National Forest, documented since the 13th century in Native American accounts, as potential evidence of interdimensional visitors. Similar unexplained lights appear worldwide, from the Marfa Lights in West Texas to glowing orbs on the Mekong River, all seemingly displaying intelligent movement before vanishing without trace. The episode suggests these entities exist beyond our visible spectrum, explaining why alleged extraterrestrial encounters often leave no physical evidence and why ancient cultures might have interpreted the same phenomena as spirits or divine messengers.

Islands of Fire

Season 14's "Islands of Fire" asks whether Hawaii's remote volcanic islands served as an extraterrestrial outpost, drawing on native Hawaiian traditions that trace ancestry to the Akua—beings from the Pleiades star system. Ancient astronaut theorists, including those who appear in the episode, suggest the islands' extreme isolation made them an ideal "terrestrial laboratory" for engineering human species, while the volcanic activity of peaks like Mauna Kea—said to be the remnant of a lost continent called Lemuria—could generate enough energy to create portals through space and time. The episode points to modern UFO sightings, tiki carvings that some interpret as Grey aliens, and the annual Pleiades harvest celebrations as evidence that Hawaii remains a hotspot for otherworldly contact, with tribal elder Kimokeo Kapahulehua representing indigenous voices expecting the sky people's return.

The Constellation Code

This episode explores structures around the world that appear to mirror constellations when viewed from above, arguing they may have been designed as messages for—or by—extraterrestrial visitors. The most extensively featured example is the Glastonbury Zodiac in Somerset, England, a pattern of landscape features allegedly depicting all twelve zodiac signs across miles of terrain. Artist Katharine Maltwood first identified these shapes in 1927 aerial photographs, claiming rivers, roads, hills, and field boundaries form recognizable figures including a lion for Leo and twin fish for Pisces. Ancient astronaut theorists like those featured suggest that because these patterns are only visible from the air, ancient peoples without flight capabilities must have received guidance from beings with aerial technology. The episode highlights features like Ponter's Ball, a mile-long earthwork positioned precisely where Capricorn's horn would be, and Glastonbury Tor, a terraced hill some researchers believe conceals a pyramid and predates Celtic civilization.

The Nuclear Agenda

"The Nuclear Agenda" explores a pattern that ancient astronaut theorists find striking: UFO sightings at nuclear facilities worldwide, beginning immediately after the Trinity atomic bomb test in Alamogordo, New Mexico, on July 16, 1945. The episode features researchers like Nick Pope describing unexplained "green fireballs" seen nightly after Trinity, investigated by Air Force officers and physicists but never scientifically explained. Ancient astronaut theorists, including those who interpret these objects as extraterrestrial reconnaissance drones, argue that nuclear weapons triggered monitoring by non-human intelligence. The episode presents accounts from military personnel who claim UFOs have interfaced with nuclear warheads, even taking missiles offline, and suggests aliens may be either safeguarding humanity from self-destruction or assessing us as a threat.

The Alien Mountain

Mount Musinè, a 4,000-foot peak overlooking Turin, Italy, has reportedly been the site of strange lights and unexplained phenomena stretching back to the beginning of recorded history. Ancient astronaut theorists, including Nick Pope and William Henry, argue that the mountain's location on a purported ley line—an alignment of ancient sites first proposed by photographer Alfred Watkins in the 1920s—may attract extraterrestrial visitors due to concentrated Earth energies. The episode highlights how Bronze Age Celts called the Taurini, who inhabited the Susa Valley over 3,000 years ago, encountered Mediterranean civilizations including the Etruscans, Egyptians, and Greeks, all of whom revered Mount Musinè as sacred. Ancient astronaut theorists suggest these separate polytheistic traditions, which all featured gods descending from the heavens, may reflect actual contact with extraterrestrial beings who were drawn to this specific geological location.

The Alien Brain

This episode investigates whether the human brain harbors extraordinary abilities—telepathy, precognition, psychokinesis—that extraterrestrial beings may have intentionally implanted in our species. Ancient astronaut theorists point to figures like Nostradamus, who in 1555 allegedly predicted King Henry II's 1559 jousting death with "startling clarity" in *Les Prophéties*, along with later events including Napoleon's rise and the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Theorists including Mitch Horowitz suggest Nostradamus experienced a "psychic awakening" during six missing years after his family died of plague, proposing that trauma or external intervention "flipped a switch" in his brain. The episode argues that such abilities lie dormant in all humans, awaiting activation—a process extraterrestrials may be guiding to help humanity avert future disasters or achieve evolutionary advancement.

The Secrets of Stonehenge

This episode explores the 2018 DNA study showing that the Neolithic people who built Stonehenge around 3000 BCE mysteriously disappeared from the British archaeological record, a vanishing act that coincides with the arrival of the Bell Beaker culture. Ancient astronaut theorists, examining Stonehenge's famous Bluestone circle—stones transported some 150 miles from Wales—propose that the monument functioned as a portal or energy device that allowed its builders to return to their extraterrestrial origins. The episode connects this theory to modern UFO sightings in Wiltshire, including a 2009 Ministry of Defence photograph allegedly showing a disk-shaped craft above the monument, and suggests the area's concentration of crop circles and unexplained phenomena points to ongoing otherworldly activity at the site.

Food of the Gods

This episode explores accounts of mysterious foods in ancient texts and modern UFO encounters that theorists suggest may be evidence of extraterrestrial intervention in human development. David Childress points to the serpent's fruit in Eden as a transformative substance that fundamentally altered humanity, while Joshua Cutchin discusses mythological drinks promising immortality, and Giorgio Tsoukalos argues that the biblical manna—the substance that fed the Israelites in the desert—came from an extraterrestrial machine. The episode also examines the 1961 Eagle River, Wisconsin case, where plumber Joe Simonton claimed beings from a landed craft gave him food-like wafers in exchange for water. Ancient astronaut theorists like William Henry propose these "divine foods" were deliberately introduced to awaken human consciousness and bridge the gap between humans and gods.

Human Hieroglyphs

This episode explores whether modern body modification practices—from tattoos to extreme procedures like scleral tattooing—represent more than personal expression, potentially connecting us to ancient extraterrestrial contact. Ancient astronaut theorists point to shared body modification traditions across unconnected cultures, including ear stretching among the Dayak of Borneo, the Rapa Nui of Easter Island, and the Fulani of West Africa, as well as lip plates worn by Ethiopia's Mursi tribe and Brazil's historical Botocudo people. Giorgio Tsoukalos argues these practices aimed to imitate and gain strength from "the gods," while William Henry suggests that as our technology advances to match what ancient texts describe, humanity may transform itself to become god-like, implying our ancestors were mimicking extraterrestrial visitors.

The Storming of Area 51

In July 2019, college student Matty Roberts posted a tongue-in-cheek Facebook event inviting people to "storm Area 51," the highly classified Air Force facility in Nevada long associated with UFO conspiracy theories. What began as a joke among friends exploded within days into a viral phenomenon, attracting over a million RSVPs and prompting stern warnings from U.S. military officials about the use of deadly force to protect the base. Ancient astronaut theorists featured in the episode suggest this unprecedented public response reveals widespread frustration with government secrecy surrounding alleged extraterrestrial technology and crashed spacecraft rumored to be housed at the facility. The movement, they argue, represents a turning point where citizen demand for disclosure could finally crack open decades of classified information about an alien presence on Earth.

Countdown to Disclosure

This episode examines whether recent governmental acknowledgments of UFO encounters signal an intentional strategy to prepare humanity for extraterrestrial disclosure. Central to this argument is the July 2019 televised interview in which President Donald Trump gave an unexpectedly serious response to Fox News commentator Tucker Carlson's direct questions about Navy UFO encounters and alleged wreckage stored at Air Force facilities. Ancient astronaut theorists including Nick Pope, a former British Defence Ministry employee, argue that the shift from ridicule to mainstream media coverage represents a deliberate "soft disclosure" process, moving UFOs from fringe topic to legitimate news story. They point to the release of Navy videos showing unexplained aerial phenomena and suggest governments worldwide are coordinating to gradually acclimate the public to an extraterrestrial presence.

Secrets of the Exoplanets

The episode explores whether the thousands of exoplanets discovered in the past two decades—many potentially habitable—could harbor intelligent life that has visited Earth throughout history. Ancient astronaut theorists Giorgio Tsoukalos and William Henry argue that the sheer number of discovered worlds makes it statistically likely that advanced civilizations arose long before Earth formed, and that ancient aliens may have migrated from these distant systems to our planet. Physicist Michio Kaku notes that civilizations could have risen and fallen across billions of years, while the episode invokes the 16th-century fate of Giordano Bruno—burned at the stake in Rome for suggesting an "infinity of worlds"—as evidence that the idea of inhabited exoplanets has long been suppressed.