American Alchemy with Jesse Michels

Episode: NASA Whistleblower: "We Systematically Suppress UFO Data!"
Release Date: January 18, 2026
Guest: Dr. Kevin Knuth (Physicist, University at Albany; former NASA scientist)

Episode Overview

In this episode, Jesse Michels interviews Dr. Kevin Knuth, a physicist at the University at Albany and former NASA scientist, known for his rigorous and open-minded approach to UFO studies. The discussion delves into the suppression of UFO data, credible incidents involving UFOs—especially around nuclear sites—material science related to alleged crash debris, academic taboos, government secrecy, and the realities (and rumors) behind NASA's involvement with UFO phenomena.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Knuth’s Background and Journey into UFO Research

• Interest Sparked by Real Incidents:
  Early curiosity in UFOs from childhood, further propelled by encountering the phenomenon of cattle mutilations tied to UFO sightings during graduate school (07:00–09:00).
• Malmsrom Air Force Base Nuclear “Shutdown” Legend:
  Initially dismissed as a joke by physics students, but later validated by official reports (Robert Hastings’ conference) — indicating 30 missiles disabled between 1966 and 1967 during UFO encounters (08:40–10:00).
• Quote:

  "Between September of '66 and March of '67, we lost 30 missiles to UFO activity." — Kevin Knuth (09:12)

2. The Nuclear-UFO Connection

• Pattern is Established:
  UFOs regularly appear at nuclear facilities globally (Soviet Union, France, England, Japan’s Fukushima, Malmstrom AFB) and are reported by credible personnel with strict psychological vetting (11:53–17:00).

• Quote:

  "This is happening in the Soviet Union, this is happening in France, this is happening in England." — Kevin Knuth (12:20)

• Multiple Independent Accounts:
  Even Knuth’s own family (in-laws’ uncle stationed at Malmstrom in the 1970s) confirms "it happened all the time." (14:37)

3. Claims of Reverse Engineering and Systematic Secrecy

• Insider Accounts of Craft Retrieval and Analysis:
  Knuth says he knows people who claim to have worked on, or observed, physical crafts but finds the most believable claim to be:

  "No, we don't know. We don't know what anything is or how anything works." (17:04)

• Academic and Institutional Resistance:
  Scientists who investigate anti-gravity or UFOs face professional backlash and even threats (19:00–19:12).

• Quote:

  "UFOs is one of them… There was some backlash when we started working on UFOs." — Kevin Knuth (18:48)

4. UFO Flight Dynamics and Technical Mysteries

• Insane Accelerations, Power Requirements, and Physical Impossibility:
  Tic Tac Nimitz UFO:

  • Dropped from 28,000 ft to sea level in <1 second (≈5,000 gs acceleration—far beyond fighter jets/missiles).
  • Requires power surpassing the entire US nuclear output (22:10–22:55).
  • No known material, propulsion, or energy signatures (no sonic boom, no atmospheric/water disturbance).

• Quote:

  "5,000 G's is insane...this Tic Tac maneuver took more power than the total nuclear power output of the United States." — Kevin Knuth (22:35, 22:55)

5. Scientific Analysis of UFO Debris

• Cutting-Edge Isotopic Studies:
  Colleague Matthew Shadagas using neutron activation (new, non-destructive) to analyze fragments—like “Art’s Parts” (alleged Roswell debris) and materials from Ukraine/Israel (27:00–30:00).
• Properties of UFO Materials:
  Layerings of paramagnetic & diamagnetic metals, possible implications for anti-gravity and electromagnetic waveguides (31:17–32:11).

6. NASA and Institutional Culture Around UFOs

• Culture of Suppression/Avoidance:
  NASA employees individually interested, but institutionally discouraged; some have authored remote viewing manuals for the CIA, but UFO and related “fringe” work mostly occurs on side projects or quietly (33:24–36:38).
• Example — Roswell Memo:
  Attempted secret analysis of Roswell’s "top secret" memo using NASA imaging systems (40:40–41:37).

7. Water Worlds & UFO Bases Hypothesis

• Underwater Bases Favored:
  Water offers stability, protection, and resources (temperature, radiation shielding, mineral access). Most USOs (Unidentified Submerged Objects) and UFO hotspots are around deep-sea locations (44:05–51:00).
  Example: Catalina Island research ("A Tear in the Sky" documentary)—FLIR cameras picked up objects, but caution offered on interpreting initial anomalies as genuine.

8. Methodological Challenges in UFO Research

• Instrumentation Advice:
  FLIR cameras suggested for temperature data, but “as many sensors as possible” best (56:00–57:00).
• Best Case File — Japan Airlines 1628:
  Giant walnut-shaped craft tracked by military radar, performed accelerations up to 11,000 gs, speed 250,000 mph (58:03–63:36).
  • US government (FAA's John Callahan) retained radar data, later made public (62:23–62:57).

9. The Systematic Suppression and Government Response

• Suppression is Systematic:
  NASA's public-facing commissions systematically omitted astronaut/cosmonaut encounters. Soviet and NASA astronauts witnessed unexplained objects, whose records were buried or sanitized (81:37–86:00).

• International Contrasts:
  France’s COMETA report (1999, 100+ pages) openly discusses UFO reality and US secrecy, while US government reports remain scant (87:13–87:27).

10. Mainstream Science, Skepticism, and Cultural Taboos

• Mainstream Resistance:
  Conventional scientists ignore or dismiss UFO data, frequently without investigation:

  "Why is it a scientist, when they come to this topic, they throw their brains out the window and then open their mouths?" — Kevin Knuth (107:45)

• Quote (on scientific integrity):

  "If you haven't done your homework, then you have nothing to say." — (paraphrased Stanton Friedman, 104:38)

11. Public UFO Photos, Plates, and Recent Discoveries

• Historic Plate UFOs (The VASCO Project):
  100,000+ transient, mirror-like objects found on Palomar Observatory plates (pre-Sputnik satellite era), with a strong correlation to nuclear test days (75:40–78:40). Calls for replication and open access to plates.

12. UFO Origin Theories

• Not Likely Interstellar (in the Traditional Sense):
  Events suggest UFOs/USOs originate locally (Earth, oceans, or at most, the solar system)—not distant stars (80:09–81:29).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Nuclear-UFO Connection

• “Oh yeah, this happened all the time. These things would come in and shut down the nuclear weap[ons].”
  — Uncle Matt (via Knuth), (14:37)

Scientific/Academic Taboos

• “Why is it a scientist, when they come to this topic, they throw their brains out the window and then open their mouths? It's, it's, it's maddening.”
  — Kevin Knuth (107:45)

On Reverse Engineering Efforts

• “No, we don't know. We don't know what anything is or how anything works.”
  — Kevin Knuth, on insiders' admissions about craft (17:04)

On Institutional Secrecy

• "They're not coming in from another star system every other Tuesday. They're present here."
  — Kevin Knuth (80:13)

Timestamps of Key Segments

• Malstrom AFB nuclear UFO shutdowns: 08:10–10:00
• Physical analysis & reverse engineering rumors: 16:41–18:09
• Scientific setbacks and taboo (anti-gravity backlash, threats): 18:49–19:12
• Tic Tac flight dynamics: 21:00–24:14
• Analysis of UFO "parts," magnesium-bismuth, isotopes: 27:00–32:00
• NASA’s insider UFO culture: 33:24–36:38
• Water world/undersea base hypothesis: 44:05–51:15
• Catalina/A Tear in the Sky case study: 51:15–55:45
• Best-case file: JAL1628: 58:03–63:36
• Discussion on international differences (COMETA, France): 87:13–87:27
• Plate transients & VASCO project: 75:40–79:37
• Scientific gatekeeping and frustration: 107:08–109:08

Additional Topics

• Historic astronaut/cosmonaut sightings (Gemini 11, Skylab): 81:37–85:10
• Suppression in NASA commissions: 85:48–86:00
• Comparison to international openness (France, Russia): 87:01–87:49
• Stigma, groupthink, and academic fashion: 107:54–108:37
• Undersea and nuclear motif, evolutionary angle (Stanton Friedman’s analogy): 74:02–74:40

Conclusion & How to Support

Dr. Knuth calls for support for open scientific research at UAlbany (112:08), emphasizing the importance of civilian, transparent investigation. The evolving Project X at UAlbany is now (thanks to gifts and endowments) one of the few academic institutions systematically investigating UFO phenomena.

For further, deeper dives, readers are encouraged to check American Alchemy's new Substack Magazine and to follow Dr. Knuth’s work directly via UAlbany’s Project X.