Horn connects these ancient narratives to contemporary developments in transgenics and biotechnology. He explains how his earlier fiction novel, The Ahriman Gate, required deep research into genetic modification, which led him to discover striking parallels between modern species-blending experiments and the ancient stories of gods creating hybrid creatures. He notes that a significant portion of federal research funding was already going toward transgenic science, raising questions about what is being developed behind closed doors.
The discussion also touches on potential political and prophetic dimensions, including references to Masonic symbolism and inaugural speeches. Horn presents his theory that stargates or portals described in ancient mythology may represent actual mechanisms through which non-human entities entered the physical world. The first hour features unscreened open lines with callers discussing current events.
Key Moments
A quarter of federal grants going to transgenics: Horn says when he started research, he found that fully one-fourth of federal research grants that year were going to transgenics. He defines it: inserting a gene from one species into the DNA of another, in theory enabling, for example, a snake-human.
Pentagon super-soldier programs: Horn ties Saruman's Uruk-hai to the Pentagon's Extended Performance Warfighter program: injecting troops with neurological and genetic concoctions to fight all night, control internal organs, deaden the fear of death, and reduce reluctance to kill.
Stanford's first human-enhancement conference: Horn cites Stanford's first Human Enhancement / Human-Tech conference: 200 futurists, transhumanists, legal scholars, and bioethicists debating the legal rights of post-humans. Birkbeck Law School added a course called Interrogating the Post-Human Subject.
Quail brain in a chicken: Horn cites Evan Balaban's experiment transplanting sections of quail brain into developing chicken embryos: the chickens then exhibited the vocal trills and head bobs unique to quail, proving complex behavior can be transferred across species.
Horn's sister and the shaking bed: Horn finally describes his sister's most recent encounter, three months prior: bed started shaking at 2 a.m., she thought "they're here," then four hours vanished. She lost all feeling in her legs and had to relearn to walk. Doctors ruled out stroke.