And now it's time for Who Smarted?
Hey, smarty pants, listen up.
Right now, we're in the year 1947 on a small plane piloted by a businessman named Kenneth Arnold.
We're flying in the northwestern United States above Washington State near Mount Rainier.
Wow, did I sure luck out.
It's a beautiful day.
Visibility is great.
I can literally see for miles and there's hardly any wind.
A perfect day for flying.
It sure is.
I mean, was.
After all, we're visiting from the future.
And why have we gone back to this particular day and this particular flight?
Well, it's because something extraordinary is about to happen.
Something that will grip the imagination of people everywhere for years to come.
Really?
I thought I was just going to an air show in Oregon.
Yes, yes, that's what you planned to do, Kenneth.
But what you're about to see along the way will influence some of the greatest minds in science and science fiction and will lead to numerous investigations, including some top-level US congressional hearings.
Oh?
I don't suppose you're talking about the cool things I'm going to see at the air show, right?
No, no, it has nothing to do with the air show.
But you do become a national celebrity because of what you see along the way.
What I see along the way?
Uh, you mean down below?
No.
In the air?
Yes.
Something like that?
Uh, no.
That's just a goose.
Ah, yes.
But how about that?
That's just another plane.
Ah, right.
Then maybe the thing I see is over there.
Over where?
There.
That triangle thing over there.
Triangle thing?
More like a trapezoid, really.
That thing with the snow all over it.
You mean Mount Rainier?
No, you don't get famous for seeing Mount Rainier from an airplane.
Then what can you possibly be getting at?
I have flown for thousands of miles and I haven't seen anything out of the ordinary that could have.
Oh my
So, Smarty Pants, what do you think Kenneth Arnold saw during his flight in 1947?
I heard some of you say it.
It's something that came to be known as a UFO.
So what exactly are UFOs?
What do we know about them?
Could they really be visitors from outer space?
Get ready for an unidentified flying whiff of history and science on... The Smart Egg!
Who's smarted?
Who's smart?
Is it you?
Is it me?
Is it science?
Or history?
Listen up, everyone.
We make smarting lots of fun on Who's Smarted?
Smarty Pants, do you believe in space aliens?
If you do, you're not alone.
Since ancient times, the people of Earth have seen things in the sky they don't recognize.
And many have believed we are not alone and that intelligent life, or just any life, might exist somewhere else in the universe.
I believe the truth is out there.
That belief has only grown stronger ever since Kenneth Arnold claimed to see a UFO back in 1947.
But first, Smarty Pants, do you know what UFO stands for?
Is it A, ultra-fast orbiter, B, unidentified flying object, or C, unethical farting ostrich?
If you guessed B, unidentified flying object, you're right.
And if you said C in unethical farting ostrich, you're my kind of smarty pants.
Believe it or not, UFO sightings happen all the time.
Smarty pants, would you say there are more or less than 10,000 UFOs reported each year?
If you said more, you're right.
In fact, tens of thousands of UFOs are reported each year in the United States alone.
Whoa.
Exactly started all of this?
Hey, was it me?
It might have been.
So what exactly did Kenneth Arnold see?
Well, I'll tell you what I saw.
There was a bright flash at first.
At first I thought it was the sun reflecting off a military plane, but the more I looked, the more I realized it was something unusual.
There were shiny objects flying in the sky!
Nine of them in an echelon formation, which means diagonally...
They were moving faster than any plane I'd ever seen before.
And they were doing all kinds of acrobatic stuff.
Flipping, weaving, banking.
It was even crazier than Top Gun.
Smartypants, do you know what these particular objects came to be known as?
Is it A, TIE Fighters?
B, Space Balls?
Or C. Flying saucers.
If you said flying saucers, you're right.
Except I didn't call them flying saucers.
You didn't?
Nah.
I said I saw crescent-shaped objects moving across the sky like saucers skipping on water.
The media misquoted me and came up with flying saucers.
This is Chet Nickerson defending the news media by reporting that Kenneth Arnold in later interviews called what he saw pie pans, discs and yes, even saucers.
In fact, didn't you co-write a book called The Coming of the Saucers?
No comment.
Moving on, what Kenneth Arnold saw is still a mystery to this day.
Investigators found Arnold credible, but believed his eyes had played tricks on him and that he didn't actually see spaceships.
Regardless, the event and news coverage that followed triggered a bit of a UFO madness in the United States.
Arnold became a celebrity overnight, and suddenly people everywhere were reporting UFO sightings.
This is Chet Nickerson reporting a rash of UFO sightings taking place across the nation.
Wait, this was just handed to me.
It seems a flying disc allegedly crashed near Roswell, New Mexico in July of 1947.
Could it be a UFO?
The truth is out there.
Um, not likely.
The less exciting and more probably true explanation was that the wreckage came from a weather balloon.
But people didn't want to believe that.
Nope.
It was definitely aliens.
All this commotion led the U.S. government, among others, to investigate thousands of UFO sightings.
Smarty Pants, can you guess how many of these sightings are no longer a mystery?
A. Less than half of them.
B. Half of them.
Or C, more than half?
The answer is C, more than half.
Way more, in fact.
Over 90 or 90 out of every 100 reported UFO sightings have been caused by atmospheric activity, human-made objects or astronomical phenomena such as meteors.
But that hasn't stopped people's imaginations.
Are the flying saucers real?
What are they?
Where do they come from?
In the 1950s, our friends in Hollywood also went UFO crazy with science fiction movies such as Flying Saucers, The War of the Worlds and The Day the Earth Stood Still.
And really hasn't stopped since.
Smarty Pants, have you seen any movies recently with aliens from another planet in them?
Go ahead, shout out your answers.
Let's see.
I heard Thor Transformers, Sonic the Hedgehog, the new Avatar movie, not to mention the Guardians of the Galaxy movies.
But there are lots more, not to mention TV shows, books, and video games.
With all that sci-fi out there, it's no wonder many people believe that space aliens really exist.
Smarty Pants, about how many people do you think believe in intelligent life on other planets?
Half the world's population, less than half, or more than half?
According to a recent survey, the answer is about half the world.
Whoa.
But when asked if aliens have actually visited Earth, the answer is... Are you kidding?
Of course.
Not only have they visited, the aliens are still here.
Not everyone believes that and there's been no proof.
No proof?
Ha!
You know where they're hiding all the proof.
Well, there is a location in the United States that's long been a mystery.
Go on, say it.
And it's been a part of science fiction for years as a top-secret base connected to UFOs appearing in movies and shows like Independence Day, Doctor Who, several Marvel features and a cool TV show called The X-Files.
The truth is out there.
It sure is, Agent Moxfolder.
Go ahead, trustee.
Say it.
Hang on.
The U.S. government didn't even acknowledge this place existed until 2013.
Well, I always believed it.
Smartypants, do you know what this mysterious place is called?
The answer is... Yes?
Coming up right after this quick break.
I don't believe it.
This show is sponsored by IXL.
You know that, as the trusty narrator, I'm always eager to learn new things, even if I prefer to do it from the comfort of my own home.
That's why I'm excited to share a fantastic resource for homeschool families looking to start the new year with confidence.
IXL.
IXL is an award-winning online learning platform that adapts to each child's level, making it the perfect companion for homeschooling.
With interactive practice across math, language arts, science and social studies from pre-K through 12th grade.
IXL offers a personalized and flexible learning experience.
What I love most about IXL is how it keeps kids motivated with challenges, awards and moments of celebration.
Plus, the real-time feedback and progress tracking give parents peace of mind, knowing their children are learning effectively.
My niece used it to stay on top of subjects that she found challenging, and it was incredibly helpful to her.
So if you're looking to make an impact on your child's learning this year, get IXL now.
And as a special offer for our listeners, you can get an exclusive 20 off an IXL membership when you sign up today at IXLcom.
Slash smarted.
That's 20% off an IXL membership at IXL.com slash smarted.
Now back to Who Smarted?
So, Smarty Pants, what do you think?
Are UFOs alien spacecraft?
Or just other objects and phenomena that can be explained with a little bit of science?
Oh, oh, I know.
Alien spaceships.
And you know exactly where they're hiding them.
And by they, I'm guessing you mean the government.
Who else?
They don't want us knowing the truth.
Okay, smarty pants, it's time to name the secret location in America that's been connected to UFOs.
Is it A, Area 51, B, Fort Knox, C, Cape Canaveral, or D, Springfield?
If you guessed C, you're close.
Cape Canaveral has its own spaceships, but they're made by humans and launched from there.
The place associated with UFOs is A, Area 51.
It's a military base located in Nevada, about 120 miles or 200 kilometers northwest of Las Vegas.
And that's where they hide the aliens.
According to the... some people.
Remember that crash in Roswell, New Mexico?
You mean the weather testing machine with high-tech sensors?
Mm-hmm.
That's what they want you to believe.
But I know it was a flying saucer.
No, not a saucer for a teacup.
A real-life flying saucer alien spaceship.
The U.S. military recovered the spaceship and brought it to Area 51.
Smarty pants.
That right there is what's known as a conspiracy theory.
It's not based on facts, just what some people believe.
Um, hmm.
How do you explain the guy who worked there and said he saw photos of alien bodies inside Area 51?
He even worked on technology from outer space.
Right.
Smarty Pants.
Back in 1989, a man named Robert Lazar made those very claims, but he didn't provide much proof.
He was also accused of lying about his own background and he got caught up in some illegal activity.
There's a good chance he might have lied about Area 51, too.
But if he was lying, why is the base still so secretive?
Good question.
Smarty Pants, any ideas?
The truth is, Area 51 had been used as a testing site for spy planes.
And the US military, like every country's military, doesn't want its enemies knowing what it's doing.
Thus, the secrecy.
But people love a good mystery and even though most of the scientific community doesn't believe the claims about Area 51, it's certainly a favorite subject of the science fiction community.
False.
UFOs are real.
Congress even had a hearing on them this year.
That's true.
The United States Congress did listen to the U.S. military's reports of UFOs.
Simply put, there's still a lot of mystery surrounding what Kenneth Arnold and others have seen in the skies.
But it's hard to prove anything.
Many people believe the flying objects that remain unidentified must come from another world.
Smarty Pants, do you think UFOs are alien spaceships?
As for whether scientists actually believe in visitors from outer space well, search our Who Smarted library for the episode on space aliens to find out.
Look, in the sky, a UFO.
That thing over there?
Yes, it's a spaceship.
Nope, that's just Chet Nickerson playing frisbee with his dog.
Yes, great catch, Thor.
We'll have you playing ultimate frisbee in no time.
A sky-high shout out to Miles Eden and Indy in Bend, Oregon.
According to my sources, you love all the funny jokes, your favorite episode is about elves and you want to learn about Mayan culture.
We love that curiosity.
Keep laughing, learning, and looking up.
This episode UFOs was written by Dave Beameyup Beaudry and voiced by Beau Spaceman-Marie Adam ET.
Davis, Max the Martian Kamaski, and Jerry Kolber.
Technical direction and sound design by Josh Jovian-Hahn.
Who Smarted is recorded and mixed at the Relic Room Studios.
Our associate producer is Max Kamaski.
The theme song is by Brian Saucer Suarez, with lyrics written and performed by Adam Tex-Davis.
Who Smarted was created and produced by Adam Tex-Davis and Jerry Kolber.
This has been an Atomic Entertainment production.
