From the High Desert

A cultural history of Art Bell and the world he broadcast into being.

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Episode Archive

2009 Episodes

Direct links to every Art Bell Archive episode from 2009, inside the Post-Millennium Coast (2000-2009) stretch of the archive.

12 episodes

Post-Millennium Coast

All years

2008 2010

Era context · 2000-2009

Post-Millennium Coast

The 2000s run: post-9/11 geopolitics, surveillance, disclosure arguments, science fringes, and recurring Coast voices.

644 era episodes

10 years

2009 · 12 2008 · 9 2007 · 55 2006 · 71 2005 · 60 2004 · 93 2003 · 38 2002 · 122 2001 · 143 2000 · 41

February 20, 2009: Economic Downturn - Michael J. Panzner | Wall Street Insider

Feb 202h 35mMichael J. Panzner

Art Bell welcomes financial analyst Michael J. Panzner to discuss the deepening economic crisis gripping the United States. Panzner, author of "Financial Armageddon" and "When Giants Fall," draws on his experience at firms like HSBC, JPMorgan Chase, and Soros Fund Management to assess where the economy is headed. Art opens by sharing his own conclusion that America is moving toward a depression, not merely a recession.Callers weigh in throughout the first hour, from a listener in Oak Harbor who believes this downturn will surpass the Great Depression due to modern debt instruments like credit cards and home equity loans, to a Connecticut caller who raises mark-to-market accounting and corporate tax holidays as potential remedies. Art takes unscreened calls, allowing ordinary Americans to voice how the crisis affects their daily lives and confidence in the future.The conversation touches on bank nationalization, the Obama homeowner rescue plan, and whether massive bailouts are merely delaying inevitable collapse. Art warns listeners to prepare their families while acknowledging he is only a talk show host offering his opinion. He urges those who believe in a higher power to make an appeal, as the situation demands action at every level.

#1253

May 17, 2009: Extinctions and Climate Change - Peter Ward

May 172h 35mPeter Ward

Art Bell welcomes paleontologist Peter Ward to discuss mass extinctions, climate change, and the search for extraterrestrial life. Broadcasting from the Philippines, Art opens with a personal immigration nightmare involving lost paperwork by USCIS that has left his wife unable to return to the United States.Professor Ward examines whether Earth is entering significant climate disruption, noting Art's observation of relentless cloud cover during what should be a sunny Philippine summer. The discussion turns to the deepest solar minimum in a century, raising questions about whether a cooling period could lull humanity into ignoring greenhouse gas emissions. Ward also addresses the Large Hadron Collider safety debate, revealing that new calculations have undermined previous assurances about miniature black holes decaying harmlessly.The conversation takes a provocative turn when Ward describes Craig Venter's creation of organisms with non-terrestrial amino acids, effectively producing alien life in a laboratory. Ward warns that biological manipulation poses a greater near-term threat than anything from space, comparing it to the uncontrolled spread of genetically modified crops. The discussion covers the rare Earth hypothesis, the moon's role in making Earth habitable, and whether humanity might be the first intelligence in the cosmos.

#1254

June 6, 2009: Anti-Gravity and Other Hi-Tech - Bob Koontz

Jun 62h 38mBob Koontz

Art Bell welcomes Dr. Bob Koontz, a nuclear physicist with a Ph.D. from the University of Maryland and former staff scientist at Lawrence Berkeley Labs, to discuss anti-gravity research and advanced energy technology. Art opens from the Philippines with an update on his ongoing immigration battle with USCIS, detailing how lost paperwork has left his wife stranded overseas.Dr. Koontz describes how photographing a disc-shaped object with a dome over central Pennsylvania in 2002 launched his investigation into anti-gravity propulsion. He explains the Biefield-Brown effect, in which a high-voltage capacitor loses apparent mass in the direction of its positive plate, and details his own laboratory confirmation of this phenomenon. The discussion covers the distinction between ion wind and true electrogravitic interaction, with Koontz noting that Townsend Brown conducted similar experiments in vacuum to eliminate atmospheric effects.The conversation broadens to address the implications of suppressed energy technology during economic crisis. Koontz argues that if anti-gravity propulsion exists, it points toward an electrogravitic connection that could revolutionize energy production. He references testimonies of nuclear missile silo operators who reported UFO interference and the implant research of Dr. Roger Leir as evidence for extraterrestrial visitation with technology far beyond our own.

#1255

June 26, 2009: Psi Research - Dean Radin

Jun 262h 33mDean Radin

Art Bell welcomes Dean Radin, senior scientist at the Institute of Noetic Sciences, for a wide-ranging discussion on the latest findings in psi research. The conversation centers on the Global Consciousness Project, where a network of random number generators placed around the world appears to respond to major events like earthquakes and acts of mass emotion. Radin reveals new evidence that these effects may be distance-dependent, with generators closer to events showing stronger correlations.Radin explains the surprising discovery that random number generators detect precursor signals two to eight hours before major earthquakes on land masses, while showing virtually no response to undersea quakes. He also shares his analysis of Las Vegas casino data, which suggests players win slightly more during full moons when the geomagnetic field is quieter, supporting a link between magnetic conditions and psi ability.The discussion extends to a commercially available random number generator from Psyleron that allows individuals to conduct their own field consciousness experiments. Art and Dean also explore the sheep-goat effect, where prior belief strongly influences experimental outcomes, and the challenge this poses for traditional scientific repeatability.

#1256

August 30, 2009: Artificial Intelligence - Dr. Bart Kosko

Aug 302h 36mDr. Bart Kosko

Art Bell sits down with Bart Kosko, professor of electrical engineering at USC and author of multiple books on fuzzy logic and neural networks, to explore the current state and future of artificial intelligence. The conversation ranges from nanotechnology and carbon nanotubes to the fundamental question of whether machines can ever achieve true consciousness.Kosko explains how fuzzy logic differs from traditional binary computing by thinking in shades of gray rather than strict yes-or-no categories. He describes its practical applications in everyday devices from camcorders to car transmissions. The discussion turns to neural networks and how they learn to recognize patterns through examples rather than rigid rules, drawing parallels to how the human brain processes information.Art presses Kosko on whether systems like Google are becoming genuinely intelligent and whether AI could eventually replace human experts in fields like medicine and law. Kosko draws on his own experience as a former LA County prosecutor to illustrate why emotional intelligence and real-time human judgment remain beyond the reach of current machines. He argues that without hormonal systems driving will, greed, and self-awareness, computers are unlikely to become the self-aware threats of science fiction.

#1257

September 25, 2009: Economic Meltdown and Spiricom Fraud - Stephen Rorke & Joseph Meyer

Sep 252h 27mStephen Rorke, Joseph Meyer

Art Bell broadcasts from Manila during a powerful tropical storm as he welcomes Stephen Rorke and Joseph Meyer for a two-part program covering the ongoing economic meltdown and a stunning expose of the Spiricom device. The first half addresses the cascade of over 100 American bank failures in 2009, the struggling housing market, and the broader financial crisis reshaping the global economy.The program shifts dramatically when Rorke presents his years-long investigation into the Spiricom, a device long celebrated as a breakthrough in spirit communication. Rorke reveals that operator William O Neill was a diagnosed schizophrenic with ventriloquist skills who possessed an electrolarynx device never disclosed in his equipment diagrams. Newly discovered high-fidelity audio from the MetaScience Foundation archives makes the electrolarynx signature unmistakable, and critical analysis shows the two voices on the recordings never actually overlap.Rorke traces the deeper connections between Spiricom and intelligence-linked figures like Andrija Puharich, suggesting the story may involve elements of psychological operations. Despite declaring the Spiricom a hoax, Rorke maintains that EVP as a broader phenomenon should not be dismissed based on this single fraudulent case.

#1258

October 23, 2009: Lunar-Landing Hoax Theory - Stephen Rorke | Research of Ralph Rene

Oct 232h 35mStephen Rorke, Ralph Rene

Art Bell welcomes Stephen Rorke for an examination of the lunar landing hoax theory, drawing heavily on the research of the late Ralph Rene, author of NASA Mooned America. Rorke presents a dispassionate analysis of anomalies in the Apollo record, emphasizing that Rene sourced his claims directly from NASA documents, press conferences, and official records.The discussion covers troubling questions surrounding the Apollo missions, including lethal radiation levels in the Van Allen belts, the paper-thin walls of the Lunar Excursion Module, and the puzzling absence of stars in astronaut testimony. A striking audio clip from the Apollo 11 post-flight press conference reveals Neil Armstrong and Michael Collins unable to recall seeing stars from the lunar surface, despite Collins later writing about observing them in his own book.Rorke also presents expert analysis from physicist David Groves, who identified converging shadows and anomalous lighting in Apollo photographs suggesting artificial light sources. Art reflects on his own conversation with an Apollo astronaut who could not recall how it felt to walk on the moon. The program raises pointed questions about radiation exposure, photographic evidence, and the mixed messages NASA has offered over the decades.

#1259

November 20, 2009: Time Anomalies - Starfire Tor & Whitley Strieber

Nov 202h 36mStarfire Tor, Whitley Strieber

Art Bell hosts researcher Starfire Tor and author Whitley Strieber for a discussion of time anomalies, time shifts, and parallel timelines. Starfire Tor introduces her theory of the Core Matrix, a framework she developed to explain how reality can shift and change in ways that leave physical evidence behind. She describes documented instances where buildings and objects have appeared or vanished within short time periods.Whitley Strieber shares a personal account from December 2007 in which he experienced movement through five simultaneous parallel lives in a single night, including versions where his wife had died, where they lived in poverty, and where he found himself in entirely unfamiliar rooms within his own home. His account underscores the disorienting nature of these experiences and their emotional weight.Starfire Tor presents what she considers hard evidence, including video footage from June 2001 showing an empty parking lot where a large Circuit City building later appeared, complete with signed affidavits from store employees confirming the building had been there for over a year. She describes sharing this documentation with approximately 50 academics and experts, many of whom were astonished but unable to publicly acknowledge the findings due to professional constraints.

#1260

November 27, 2009: Electromagnetic Pulse Attack - William R. Forstchen

Nov 272h 35mWilliam R. Forstchen

Art Bell welcomes Professor William R. Forstchen, a military historian and author of One Second After, to discuss the devastating threat of an electromagnetic pulse attack on the United States. Forstchen explains how a nuclear detonation high in the atmosphere generates a massive gamma ray burst that triggers the Compton effect, cascading free electrons downward and producing hundreds of volts per square meter across the surface below.The conversation traces the history of EMP discoveries, from the 1962 Starfish Prime test that blew out power grids in Hawaii to the declassified Soviet Test 184 over Kazakhstan, which fused automobile ignition systems and destroyed power stations 400 miles away. Forstchen describes the 1859 Carrington Event, a massive solar flare that melted telegraph wires and set railroad ties ablaze, warning that a similar solar storm today could collapse the global power grid for years.Art and Forstchen examine how nations like Iran and North Korea could use EMP-calibrated weapons as first-strike tools. A 2004 congressional study projected that 90 percent of Americans could die within a year of such an attack, not from the pulse itself, but from the total collapse of water, food, medical, and transportation systems that civilization depends upon.

#1261

December 18, 2009: EVP with GIS - Brendan Cook & Barbara McBeath

Dec 182h 36mBrendan Cook, Barbara McBeath

Art Bell welcomes Brendan Cook and Barbara McBeath of the Ghost Investigators Society, a nonprofit organization dedicated to researching electronic voice phenomena. The GIS uses cameras, tape recorders, sound meters, motion detectors, and infrared equipment to investigate haunted locations, deliberately avoiding psychics, seances, and Ouija boards in favor of measurable evidence.Cook and McBeath share EVP recordings captured during their investigations, presenting voices that appear to respond directly to questions and join casual conversations among the team. Art notes that of all the ghost-related programs he has hosted, EVP research stands as the most credible because the GIS has never accepted money, written books for profit, or sought publicity beyond sharing their findings. The voices captured range from elderly to childlike, seeming to reflect the age and gender of the deceased at the time of death.The discussion explores what it means for consciousness to survive bodily death and whether ghosts choose to remain in this realm. McBeath shares her belief that family grief and concern for loved ones can keep spirits tethered to the physical world, while Cook admits the work has raised far more questions than answers, driving him to investigate further with each new recording.

#1262

December 30, 2009: Predictions 2010 Part 1

Dec 302h 34m

Art Bell opens the phone lines for the first of two annual prediction shows, inviting listeners to share their psychic visions for 2010. Broadcasting from Manila, he begins with news that Rush Limbaugh has been hospitalized in Hawaii with chest pains, then sets the ground rules: one prediction per caller, no political wishes disguised as prophecy, no assassination predictions, and every forecast must come from a genuine psychic impulse.Before the calls begin, Art reviews predictions made for 2009, rating each as a ding or a bonk. Among the hits are a worsening economy, a more socialist direction for the U.S. and Canada, and Obama being tested early in his presidency. The misses include aliens landing in Memphis, Bigfoot proof, and a nuclear device on American soil. Art also discusses the erupting Mayon volcano in the Philippines and the Copenhagen climate summit.Callers deliver a wide range of forecasts, including an Israeli strike on nuclear facilities, a terrorist attack on the New York subway, a new U.S. currency based on barter, a breakthrough in autism treatment, and one of the coldest winters on record. Art assigns each prediction a number and seals them for review the following year.

#1263

December 31, 2009: Predictions 2010 Part 2

Dec 312h 32m

Art Bell hosts the second and final night of predictions for 2010, broadcasting from Manila on New Year's Eve as fireworks erupt across the Philippines. He describes the scene as sounding like a war zone. Before opening the lines, Art continues reviewing the previous year's predictions, dinging forecasts of worsening deflation and a meteor strike while bonking predictions of armed rebellion, the Hoover Dam breaking, and the U.S. fragmenting into regional countries.Callers bring an eclectic mix of visions for the new year. One listener predicts the discovery of extraterrestrial life in animal form. Another foresees a small tsunami off California revealing a new underwater species. A caller from Arizona claims Area 52 harbors Bigfoot being bred as military weapons. Other predictions include a major celebrity admitting to alien abduction, the return of time traveler Madman Markham, the sun taking center stage with dramatic weather changes, and a troubling decline in global fish populations.Art also fields predictions about a 51st U.S. state, continued sabotage of the Large Hadron Collider by forces from the future, and indictments related to the global warming email controversy. Each prediction is numbered and sealed in the Bell family vault for review at year's end.

#1264