Each episode of Why It Matters breaks down an issue that is shaping our world’s future. Join host Gabrielle Sierra as she speaks with the leaders and thinkers who are facing these questions head on. Fueled by the minds at the Council on Foreign Relations, Why It Matters brings some of the world’s most compelling stories home to you.
Episodes
Wednesday Mar 27, 2024
Wednesday Mar 27, 2024
Unidentified flying objects (UFOs) are real. And the truth about them is often hidden from the public, for reasons related to national security. That secrecy has fed conspiracy theories about the possibility of alien life on Earth, creating a stigma around the legitimate scientific search for life on other planets. Why are UFOs considered a defense concern? And does a defense framing of UFOs inhibit scientific research?
Featured Guests
Philippe Ailleris (Copernicus Programme Project Controller, European Space Agency)
Shane Harris (Intelligence Correspondent, Washington Post)
Kai-Uwe Schrogl (President, International Institute of Space Law)
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/ufos-close-encounters-national-security-kind