In the first half, author and publisher of Skeptic Magazine, Michael Shermer, discussed why he doubts the evidence presented about UFOs and UAPs and why he is skeptical about alien contact. Statistically, intelligent extraterrestrial life is a very likely possibility, he conceded, but he does not find the evidence convincing that aliens have visited Earth. Eyewitness testimony cannot be considered entirely trustworthy, especially for something utterly extraordinary like spaceships from outer space, he commented. "From a scientific perspective, for us to say 'we know we've been visited,' it has to be unmistakable-- here's an actual spacecraft or body...the National Academy of Science can study it" with reports published in peer-reviewed journals, he argued. Grainy videos and anecdotes are simply not enough, he added.

Regarding the military UAP footage, it seems unlikely that aliens would be flying super-fast drones, he said. "If we make contact with aliens, they're not just going to be 50-100 years ahead of us," but thousands or millions of years more advanced and capable of things we can't conceive of, he continued. If we rule out military and ET explanations for the mysterious footage, we might look at terrestrial causes like camera artifacts and effects like zoom, mylar balloons, and jet engine heat signatures, he offered (view related paper). Shermer is also presenting a $1000 challenge to believers in UFOs to wager that the government will disclose alien contact by 12/31/23.

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Dr. James V. Hardt, founder of Biocybernaut Institute, joined the latter half of the show to discuss the role of forgiveness in personal well-being, and the beneficial connection between high alpha wave brain activity and effective forgiveness. A Gallup poll showed that most people favored forgiveness though the majority felt they were incapable of doing so. Those that could forgive tended to use meditative prayer-- a technique that increases the brain's alpha waves, Hardt pointed out. He cited an instance where a person who endured a traumatic incident was able to practice effective forgiveness, and through this, their countenance lightened, and they radiated positive vibes.

Brainwaves rule our lives, and all our emotions and experiences have corresponding brain states, he noted. "With the Biocybernaut brainwave feedback technology, you can learn how to change your brain waves, which means you can profoundly change your life," he remarked. Hardt reported on a Japanese study with Zen masters, which measured the brainwaves of the monks. There were significant differences in the brainwaves between the beginners, intermediate practitioners, and the advanced, he said, adding that his technology enables people to jump quickly to the advanced states. According to Hardt, those who are contemplating suicide have very low rates of alpha waves, and when they can forgive themselves, their alpha waves explode into higher reaches, and they experience increased creativity and happiness. For more, he invited listeners to download a free PDF of his book "The Art of Smart Thinking."

News segment guests: Mish Shedlock, Howard Bloom