Chasing Aliens, with Jon Ronson and Daniel Lavelle (Part Two)

Intelligence Squared

News, Society & Culture, Arts, News Commentary

4.2 • 1.2K Ratings

🗓️ 21 May 2026

⏱️ 37 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Are we really alone in the universe? The question of whether there is extraterrestrial life is one of our oldest questions. And few nations on Earth are more captivated by the prospect of life on Mars than the United States. President Barack Obama recently made headlines by stating he believes aliens are real. And around 41% of Americans believe aliens have made contact with planet Earth. In May 2026, Orwell Prize-winning journalist Daniel Lavelle joined acclaimed filmmaker and podcaster Jon Ronson to discuss why humans, and Americans in particular, are so obsessed with encountering aliens. Drawing from Lavelle’s new book, Chasing Aliens, they explored an extraordinary road trip through America’s UFO heartlands – a journey that led Lavelle from fringe believers and interdimensional crystal rituals at the clandestine Skinwalker Ranch, all the way to Harvard astrophysicists and the corridors of government itself. He revealed what he found: not just the truth about UFOs, but something far more unexpected – a deeply moving story about loneliness, belief, and our unshakeable need not to be alone in the cosmos. --- If you'd like to become a Member and get access to all our full ad free conversations, plus all of our Members-only content, just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. For £4.99 per month you'll also receive: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared episodes, wherever you get your podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series - 15% discount on livestreams and in-person tickets for all Intelligence Squared events ... Or Subscribe on Apple for £4.99: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series … Already a subscriber? Thank you for supporting our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations! Visit intelligencesquared.com to explore all your benefits including ad-free podcasts, exclusive bonus content and early access. … Subscribe to our newsletter here to hear about our latest events, discounts and much more. ⁠https://www.intelligencesquared.com/newsletter-signup/⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	This episode is sponsored by Indeed. Hiring isn't just about finding someone willing to take the job.
0:06.0	You need the right person with the right background who can move your business forward.
0:11.0	If you're looking for candidates who match exactly what you're looking for, trust Indeed sponsored jobs.
0:17.0	Hiring, Indeed is all you need. Stop struggling to get your job posts seen on other sites,
0:23.6	give your job the best chance to be seen with Indeed's sponsored jobs.
0:27.6	They help you stand out and hire quality candidates who can drive the results you need.
0:32.6	Sponsored jobs boosts your post for quality candidates, so you can reach the exact people you want
0:38.5	faster.
0:39.7	And it makes a big difference.
0:41.6	According to Indeed data, sponsor jobs posted directly on Indeed are 90% more likely to report
0:48.3	a hire than non-sponsored jobs, because you reach a bigger pool of quality candidates.
0:54.3	Join the 1.6 million companies that sponsor their jobs with Indeed.
0:59.1	When we were recently hiring for a role, it could at times feel draining and overwhelming.
1:04.1	Indeed would have streamlined the process, getting us straight to the people who can actually
1:08.6	do the job.
1:09.9	Plus, with Indeed sponsored jobs, you only pay four results.
1:13.6	No monthly subscriptions, no long-term contracts,
1:16.6	just a boost whenever you need to find quality talent fast.
1:20.6	People are finding quality hires on Indeed right now.
1:23.6	In the minute I've been talking to you,
1:25.6	companies like yours made 27 hires on Indeed,
1:29.4	according to Indeed data worldwide. Spend more time interviewing candidates who check all your
	...

Transcript will be available on the free plan in 10 days. Upgrade to see the full transcript now.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Intelligence Squared, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Intelligence Squared and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.