Phil Plait

Biography:

Philip Plait works at the physics and astronomy department at Sonoma State University, which is part of the California State University system. Currently he is working on a NASA-sponsored public outreach program for a satellite named GLAST (Gamma Ray Large Area Space Telescope). Previously, Plait worked at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center on the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS). He received his PhD in astronomy at the University of Virginia in 1994. Nicknamed "The Bad Astonomer," one of his missions is to clear up misconceptions about astronomy which he does through his website, badastronomy.com.

Past Shows:

	Ghosts & Spirits
	Tuesday August 11, 2009

Ghost hunter John Kachuba, who's investigated more than 100 haunted locations throughout the U.S., discussed his most recent work examining how various religions and cultures explain the ghostly realm. First hour guest, astronomer Phil Plait shared updates on space-related topics. ... More
Host: George Noory

	Alternative Energy
	Monday March 2, 2009

Alternative energy advocate David Blume shared updates on alcohol fuel and related topics during the second half of the show. First hour guest, author Marc Seifer, spoke about the life and work of Nikola Tesla, and astronomer Phil Plait commented on the near miss asteroid in the second hour. ... More
Host: George Noory

	Astronomical Catastrophes
	Tuesday October 21, 2008

Astronomer and author Phil Plait discussed his new book Death from the Skies!, which outlines various ways the human race could die from astronomical events.An asteroid or comet impact could wreak havoc on the planet. For instance, a one-mile-long object that hit the ocean could create a 1000 ft. high tsunami, moving at 500 mph. It could literally scour clean the coastlines, killing millions, he detailed. The B612 Foundation is working on ways to prevent asteroid impacts, such as by sending out probes that could alter asteroids' orbits, he reported. Another dire situation he pondered involved the death of the universe. While theoretical, and billions of years in our future, the continued expansion of the universe could lead to "The Big Rip" in which matter is torn apart. More likely, our galaxy would just move further and further away from other galaxies until we could no longer see them, he said.Gamma Rays, a kind of "cosmic blowtorch" sent out by a certain type of su ... More
Host: George Noory

	Past & Future Lives Recalled
	Wednesday August 27, 2008

Psychiatrist Dr. Brian Weiss discussed his therapeutic work conducting past-life regressions and future-life progressions. Having seen more than 4,000 patients in this context, he's found this approach can help people overcome phobias & psychological problems and sometimes even medical illnesses. He recounted the case of a woman who had a fear of sharp corners and people touching her neck. After her recall of a past life where she hit her head on a rock, and a different past life where she was strangled, her phobias disappeared. Weiss spoke about his regression of Patrick, who revisited a lifetime from 60,000 years ago. He described migrating to Earth from a dying planet--- his job was to bury his civilization's advanced knowledge (such as how to detach consciousness from the body) until humans were ready for it. Weiss had a suicidal patient named Gary who opted not to kill himself after being progressed to a future life, in which he was faced with the same issues he had in his ... More
Host: George Noory

	Astronomy & Asteroids
	Thursday December 27, 2007

Astronomer Phil Plait spoke about various space-related news and stories. An asteroid, 2007 WD5, has a 1 in 75 chance (possibly 1 in 25) of hitting Mars on Jan. 30th. Scientists are hopeful that the collision will occur as it would give them the opportunity to study the effects of such an event, he noted. ... More
Host: George Noory

	Edgar Cayce & Dreams
	Tuesday October 24, 2006

Kevin Todeschi, spokesperson for A.R.E., the organization which Edgar Cayce founded, talked about Cayce's life and work as well as dream interpretation. Known as the Sleeping Prophet, Cayce gave out thousands of readings while in a trance state, and those concerning medical issues had a 93% accuracy rating, Todeschi reported. (Many of Cayce's treatment overviews are featured on A.R.E.'s site.)Cayce believed that Atlanteans saved records of their advanced civilization in three locations-- in the Yucatan, on the Bimini Islands and in the right paw of the Sphinx. Buried at the Sphinx is a written history of the world from the time of Atlantis to our current era, he predicted.A University recently got the OK to do some underground tunneling to study parts of the Sphinx, Todeschi announced. You can write out a question before going to sleep, and often receive answers in your dreams, which impart subconscious knowledge from within yourself, Todeschi suggested. Cayce believe ... More
Host: George Noory

	Alien Experiences
	Thursday August 24, 2006

Author Whitley Strieber discussed his experiences with alien entities, some of which were incorporated into his new novel The Grays. By making the book fiction he was able to present material he believes to be true, yet did not have the documentation to present as non-fiction, such as secret U.S. technology advances. For instance, he suggested that the military has developed large triangular shaped craft modeled after the aliens'. Featured in the book are different types of aliens, all of which Strieber said he has had personal encounters with. Among them were two types of Grays-- 4 ft. tall creatures, with long thin arms and hands, with big black eyes wrapped around the side of the head (which he suspects may be a type of covering like dark glasses), and a smaller version of this type, which operates in groups of three. There were also the Blonde/Nordics, one of whom revealed to him that his race had been at war with the Grays for millennia. A third category was composed of blue ... More
Host: George Noory

	Mind Parasites
	Monday August 14, 2006

Philosopher and paranormal investigator Jonathan Zap presented the concept that "mind parasites" (a term first coined in a sci-fi novel by Colin Wilson) could be feeding off the energy of humans and instigating their baser instincts. There are more parasites than any other type of species, and Zap pointed out that the mind parasites could exist in a dimension we aren't ordinarily aware of.Presenting his personal encounter with mind parasites was the visionary artist Alex Grey who joined the show for a half-hour. During a group LSD experience in the 1970's, he vividly saw beings from above feasting on their energy. The beings, he believed, were actually orchestrating chaotic behavior from the group. The incident led Grey to see humans as part of "an energetic food chain." Humans aren't even at the top of the food chain-- the mind parasites are, added Zap. Grey made the painting Deities and Demons Drinking from the Milky Pool (see below) based on the episode.The ancient ... More
Host: George Noory

	Space Update
	Sunday March 26, 2006

Filling in for Art Bell, George Noory welcomed astronomer Phil Plait, who gave a run down on recent developments in NASA's exploration of space and shared examples of "bad astronomy" that have been circulating.Plait expressed excitement about the recent Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) images. He said as the MRO gets closer to the Red Planet image resolution will increase dramatically, making it possible to see two people standing next to each other (if people actually lived on Mars, of course). He mentioned a total solar eclipse scheduled to take place on March 29th, but noted that only people in parts of South America, West and North Africa, South East Europe and Central Asia to will be able to see it.Plait waxed philosophical about religion and science, the Big Bang and Multiverse theories, as well as discussed the importance of humans returning to the moon. He commented on the International Space Station, which he called a "colossal waste of money" because astronau ... More
Host: George Noory

	Rebroadcast: Open Lines, Phil Plait & Richard C. Hoagland
	Friday September 9, 2005

In this rebroadcast from 7/29/05 George Noory discussed recent planetary discoveries with Phil Plait and Richard C. Hoagland, as well as hosted 'Strange Karma' Open Lines. ... More
Host: George Noory

	Strange Karma
	Friday July 29, 2005

Open Linesfeatured a special "strange karma" line, where callers shared stories of unusual circumstances that had befallen them recently. Other calls included a man who said he purchased an inexpensive radio from Walgreens, and when he turned it on, he would hear an odd sounding voice that seemed to say the name of Bob, in a high-pitched drone. He played the radio live on the air, and it did produce an eerie sounding voice. The "Goddess of Oddness" also called in to tell how she raised a possum in her home-- it used a litter box and never bit her. ... More
Host: George Noory

	Scariest Moments
	Friday April 29, 2005

During Open Lines George provided a special topic line for callers who wanted to share their scariest moments. A caller from California described seeing a glowing red, metallic sphere about the size of a soccer ball gliding towards him while on a camping trip. Linda from Portland, Oregon recounted the time she and her sister were walking along a trail and encountered "demonic people" dressed black robes. She claims four members of the group chased after them, but they eluded capture and eventually found their way home. After telling their mother, Linda said she went looking for the black-clad cult and could not find them.Recently freed from a demon named Oscar, Rachel called in to thank Coast listeners for their prayers, which she believes liberated her from the Son of Satan. She said Oscar will always be watching her, but has targeted a radio announcer in Bismarck, North Dakota for his next possession. Curiously, Mike from KFYR-AM in Bismarck also called in to let Geor ... More
Host: George Noory

	Aliens, UFOs & Biblical Interpretation
	Thursday February 17, 2005

Author of Alien Intrusion, Gary Bates (website) presented his analysis of UFOs & alien abductions, as seen through a strict Biblical interpretation. He also discussed creationism, and laid out his case that Earth and the universe itself are only 6,000 years old. He backed up this assertion by citing genealogical records in the Bible, as well as mentioning the work of Dr. Russell Humphreys.Bates contends that aliens are actually fallen angels who are not extraterrestrial in nature, but rather interdimensional. He said he is troubled by the idea of "benevolent ETs," that has been propagated in the UFO literature, and questioned how aliens could be abducting people for any helpful purpose. He noted that some people had been able to stop alien abductions from taking place (as described at alienresistance.org) by invoking the name of Christ. He suggested that this lends credence to the idea that the aliens are demonic in nature, and thus susceptible to invocations that run counter ... More
Host: George Noory

	La Palma & Titan
	Friday January 21, 2005

In the first hour, reporter and editor for Earthfiles.com, Linda Moulton Howe, provided an update on the "mega-tsunami" potential of the Cumbre Vieja volcano on the island of La Palma.According to geologist Dr. Simon Day, "it's almost certain" the 4-mile high Cumbre Vieja volcano will erupt this century, though no one knows how many eruptions will occur before it collapses into the ocean, triggering a "mega-tsunami" (see La Palma Simulation article below). The La Palma collapse could produce waves as high as a 15-story building that would reach North and South America within 8 to 11 hours, Day said. Read Linda's full report at Earthfiles.com.Linda also reported on the latest data from the Huygens probe that shows evidence for weather on Titan. She said it rains methane on Titan, but the rain there does not require the formation of clouds like on Earth. Linda suggested the methane on Titan could provide the precursors to life. Astronomer Dr. Lyn Doose described Titan as ... More
Host: George Noory

	Ancient Mysteries
	Wednesday December 22, 2004

Historical detective Graham Phillips explored the possibility that the biblical account of the ten plagues of Egypt could have been caused by a volcanic eruption. According to his research, the Exodus from Egypt may have been occurring at the same time as a violent eruption on the island of Thera in the Aegean, around 1400 B.C. The ash from the volcano might have created several days of "darkness" (one of the plagues) in Egypt, he theorized. Additionally, he suggested that the plagues of frogs, locusts and flies, may have come about because their natural predators were all killed off by the fallout from the volcanic ash. Also, the incident at the Red Sea might have been related to tidal waves set off by the volcano, he added. Phillips also discussed the unusual discoveries at Tomb 55 in Egypt where amulets were set up to trap a spirit inside his coffin. He speculated that this may have been the tomb of a Pharaoh who was born at the time of the volcano/plagues and was thus consi ... More
Host: George Noory

	Astronomy Issues
	Monday July 5, 2004

Astronomer Phil Plait returned to the show to discuss such recent missions as the Cassini Probe at Saturn and the Mars Rovers, as well as to debunk what he considers to be "pseudoscience" and hoaxes. He discredited the "Aussie Bloke" case, in which an alleged astronomer was claiming in Internet postings that the Earth's orbit would be passing through the tails of several comets that would send calamitous meteors our way.Plait enthused that the Mars Rovers had lasted well past their primary mission, and discussed the strange lumpy rock photographed there recently which has been dubbed the "Pot o' Gold." He also expressed excitement over NASA's SWIFT observatory which is planned to be launched in October 2004 to study gamma ray bursts. For a detailed rundown on Plait's views and comments related to the topics in this program visit this page he created for his website. ... More
Host: George Noory

	The Ghosts of Roswell
	Thursday February 26, 2004

Author Jim Marrs (jimmarrs.com)shared his research into the "alien" ghosts of Roswell, as told to him by the employees of the New Mexico Rehabilitation Center. The Center, Marrs explained, sits on the site of the former Roswell Army Air Field Hospital, where alien bodies were allegedly taken after the 1947 UFO crash. A current worker from the Center named Josie came on the air to share her account of witnessing one of these "alien" ghosts. Described as a solid 5 ft. tall form, with an egg shaped head, oblong black eyes, a long neck, and no hands, Josie said she experienced a form of brief paralysis both times she saw the apparition. More details of Marrs' investigation are posted in this article on his website.Marrs also shared his research into a number of other topics which included the unexplained "satellites" that were seen circling Earth in the mid-1950's before Sputnik was launched, and the amazing properties and lore of monatomic elements or white gold. ... More
Host: George Noory

	Astronomical Misconceptions
	Monday November 17, 2003

Phil Plait (website), who works in the physics and astronomy department at Sonoma State, has made it his mission to clear up misconceptions about astronomy. One of his targets, as the main guest on Monday's show, was the work of maverick physicist James McCanney. He's just plain wrong about comets not being made mostly of ice and rock and in his assertion that comets can be as large as planets, Plait said. He cited a probe that measured Halley's Comet and found it to be only 10 miles long back in 1985/6. He also took aim at the recent Harmonic Concordance, which was considered by many to be a celestially significant event as the Sun, the Moon, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and Chiron formed into a Star of David pattern over a two-day period. But Plait noted that the pattern doesn't hold up if it's taken into account that these objects are at vastly different distances from the Earth. For more on his comments on these and other "bad astronomy" topics view the specialpage he created for ... More
Host: George Noory

	The Great Planet X Debate
	Tuesday May 13, 2003

A debate was held on Tuesday night with astronomer Phil Plait (badastronomy.com) and alien contactee Nancy Lieder (zetatalk.com). Lieder believes that in the next couple of weeks a 'Planet X' will pass close enough to the Earth to cause a pole shift and spur many disasters, while Plait sees no evidence for it. The two debated the accuracy of Lieder's previous predictions, as well as the photographs she has posted on her site that purport to show Planet X, which Plait said were misidentifications and "sun dogs" (reflections). "There's really no way to hide an object the size of a planet," he said, adding that if something that large had entered our solar system, astronomers would be abuzz about it rather than remaining silent as Lieder claimed. Additional links provided by the debaters include Lieder's refutation of Plait's analysis, and Plait's page about Lieder and her work. In the last half of the show Plait chatted with George and callers about various astronomical t ... More
Host: George Noory

	Disaster in Space
	Saturday February 1, 2003

This past Saturday evening Coast to Coast held an unprecedented 9 hour program devoted to looking at the crash of the space shuttle Columbia which had occurred that morning. George Noory hosted the first half of the show, followed by Barbara Simpson in her regular time slot. "The only thing we can be thankful for is they got to fulfill their dreams," Richard C. Hoagland (enterprisemission.com) said of the seven astronauts who died in the accident. Hoagland offered his insights in both halves of the marathon. He was joined by his colleague Mike Bara (lunaranomalies.com), in the latter part of the show, who stated that he thought the Shuttle program has been phenomenally successful, with a good safety record over its more than twenty year history. Phil Plait (badastronomy.com), nicknamed "The Bad Astronomer," who has served to dispel myths about outer space, praised the Shuttle missions for their successful launching of such astronomical satellites as the Chandra Observatory. ... More
Host: George Noory

	Philip Plait
	Monday July 22, 2002

Dr. Plait works in the physics and astronomy department at Sonoma StateUniversity in California. He maintains the Web site badastronomy.com andwrites monthly articles on astronomy for the German newspaper DieFrankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. His work has appeared in the EncyclopediaBritannica Yearbook of Science and the Future and Astronomy magazine.He also writes a monthly column for astronomy.com. ... More
Host: Art Bell

	Philip Plait
	Sunday June 9, 2002

Dr. Plait works in the physics and astronomy department at Sonoma StateUniversity in California. He maintains the Web site badastronomy.com andwrites monthly articles on astronomy for the German newspaper DieFrankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. His work has appeared in the EncyclopediaBritannica Yearbook of Science and the Future and Astronomy magazine. ... More
Host: George Noory