Signals from the Deep: Radio Hour

The Silurian Hypothesis

What if mankind were not the first advanced civilization on Earth? Would we be able to detect the remnants of a culture a million years before our own? A 2018 paper authored by an astrophysicist and a climate scientist asked these questions and presented the evidence we might look for. Massive carbon spikes in the geological record from industrial emissions. Atomic signatures of nuclear activity from a billion years ago. Both sound impossible, except that we have found both of those exactly. We’ll cover the men behind the paper, the hypothesis itself, how the evidence lines up with the biggest anomalies in the geological record, and try to decide if an advanced pre-human civilization really walked the earth. Join us as we examine The Silurian Hypothesis!

The Van Meter Visitor

Tune in for our next exciting episode! In the fall of 1903, the town of Van Meter, Iowa, was plagued by a menacing creature. It was 8 feet tall, bat-winged, with a beak and a glowing horn that could emit dazzling beams of light. Multiple witnesses fired upon the strange interloper, to seemingly no effect, save for an intense disarming odor that it seemed to use as a defense. With little recourse left, the residents of Van Meter organized and went on the offensive. We’ll tackle one of the most bizarre pieces of American Cryptozoology, covering the sightings, the creature, the local response, and the theories. Join us this week as we examine The Van Meter Visitor!

The Cash Landrum UFO Incident

Tune in for our next exciting episode! In December of 1980, two women and a child drove along a rural highway in east Texas, when they saw a bright light. They thought it was a star until they rounded a bend and were face to face with a glowing diamond shaped craft. The craft put off extreme heat and after a few minutes, took off over the trees, followed by military type helicopters. Over the next few weeks the witnesses experienced symptoms of radiation exposure, such as blistered and burned skin, vomiting, muscle weakness and hair loss. They were convinced the government knew something about the craft, and took them to court. Join us this week as we examine The Cash Landrum UFO Incident!

The Flannan Isles Lighthouse

In December of 1900, three men were tasked with manning the remote lighthouse of Eilean Mor in the Flannan Isles off the northwest coast of Scotland. When a passing ship reported the light to be out, a team was sent to investigate. They discovered the lighthouse in neat order, nothing out of place, and with no sign of a struggle, yet completely abandoned. The disappearance of the three men became one of the most enduring mysteries in Scottish history. We’ll look at a timeline of the events, the men, how they were found to be missing, and the theories about their ultimate fate.

The Beast of Gevaudan

We are back! From 1764 to 1767, a large wolf-like creature prowled the rural French countryside. Witnesses described it as being much larger than a normal wolf and having characteristics not typical of native species. By the time it was hunted down and killed, it had attacked and devoured more than 100 victims. We’ll look at the timeline of attacks, the efforts to hunt the beast, how the military got involved, and the theories as to what it could have been. Join us as we examine The Beast of Gevaudan!