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Episode 1459 · Oct 23, 2015 · 2h 21m

October 23, 2015: Open Lines - Future 30 Year Prediction Line

Key Moments

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  1. Transcript

    KABC joins the networkArt announces that legendary Los Angeles station KABC is joining the show.

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    Thirty years into the futureArt frames the night's special line around imagining the world 30 years ahead.

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    Dead Air gets its nameArt reads the suggestion to call the Halloween special Dead Air and immediately likes it.

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    Listening from IraqA military listener calls from Al-Anbar province in Iraq and tells Art he has listened since his airborne days.

Art Bell opens Friday night open lines with a major announcement about KABC Los Angeles joining the network. He dedicates a special phone line to callers willing to predict what the world will look like 30 years from now, inspired by Back to the Future Day. Listeners share visions ranging from space elevators and self-driving cars to economic collapse and corporate feudalism.

The conversation weaves through technology predictions, the search for alien megastructures around star KIC 8462852, and a spirited debate about what the discovery of alien life would mean for religious faith. A blind caller from Nevada describes how he experiences dreams through sound and touch, while a military contractor phones in live from Iraq to share his appreciation for the show.

Callers also vote on a name for the upcoming Halloween special, with Art favoring the radio term Dead Air over other suggestions. A wide range of personalities contribute to the evening, from an eight-year-old Minecraft fan to a first-time caller with a tale about encountering a flying witch on a country road in the Deep South.