Animal Welfare / Vanishing Stars

About the show

In the first half, animal welfare advocate Wayne Pacelle joined George Knapp to address the disaster response in the Los Angeles fires and its effect on animals, as well as a wider range of animal welfare issues, including bird flu. The rapid evacuations in LA left many residents with no choice but to leave their pets behind, but organizations like the Pasadena Humane Society and Animal Wellness Foundation are stepping up to help. He highlighted the emotional toll on those who lose their homes yet find solace in knowing their pets are safe. Pacelle also touched on the broader implications of climate change, noting the alarming decline in wildlife populations, with over 1,300 species listed as threatened or endangered, some due to habitat loss and urban sprawl.

A particularly controversial topic was the Biden administration's plan to cull 500,000 barred owls to protect the northern spotted owl. Pacelle condemned this initiative as "madness," arguing that it is impractical and harmful to the ecosystem. In discussing the spread of the H5N1 bird flu in the US, he emphasized the potential for this virus to mutate and become more transmissible, likening its threat to that of COVID-19. Yet he was critical of the USDA's response, stating, "They are killing millions of animals in a strategy to stamp it out when this disease is already in 200 different species." He suggested a more humane and effective response, advocating for vaccination efforts similar to those in other countries, as well as eliminating cockfighting operations, which may be a source of bird flu spread.

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Astronomer Beatriz Villarroel is the project leader for VASCO - Vanishing and Appearing Sources during a Century of Observations mission, which looks for vanishing stars in the Milky Way as a strong signature of extraterrestrial intelligence. In the latter half, she revealed cases where multiple star-like objects appeared and vanished within an hour. Featured in Netflix's "Investigation Alien" with George Knapp, she shared her unexpected path into the realm of UFO phenomena, and the pivotal moment when she examined archival images from the Palomar Observatory from July 1952. "I came across this example... There were nine stars in one image, and they were not there 70 years later," or even in later photos from 1952, she marveled, pointing out the rarity of such occurrences. Curiously, the images corresponded with the date of the famed 1952 UFO sightings over Washington, DC.

Addressing skepticism, she acknowledged the possibility of plate defects in the images but asserted, "I think it looks extremely unlikely to me," especially for nine separate stars. Despite the excitement from some astronomers about her findings, she experienced significant backlash due to her collaboration with Geoff Marcy, a pioneering astronomer known for his exoplanet discoveries. Villarroel recounted how the timing of her paper's acceptance coincided with Marcy's scandal resurfacing, which led to intense scrutiny and personal attacks against her. Reflecting on her journey, she mentioned that the adversity ultimately empowered her to pursue controversial topics without fear. She announced that the Swedish government had recently given her a grant to continue her research. For more, view her related journal article, co-written with Marcy and other scientists.