Club Random with Bill Maher: Dan Farah | Age of Disclosure, Aliens & The Power of Movies

Date: January 26, 2026
Guests: Bill Maher (host), Dan Farah (filmmaker, producer, "Age of Disclosure")

Overview

This episode features a lively, in-depth conversation between Bill Maher and filmmaker Dan Farah about UFOs (now UAPs—Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena), government secrecy, and society's readiness for the potential disclosure of extraterrestrial life. Sparking off Farah’s new groundbreaking documentary "Age of Disclosure," they weigh credible testimonies, ponder the cultural evolution on the subject, and debate how movies (especially an upcoming Steven Spielberg film) influence public openness to these ideas. The dialogue meanders through serious concerns and comic relief—very much in Club Random’s signature tone.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The UFO/UAP Terminology & Cultural Shifts

[05:01-05:54]

• Rebranding UFOs as UAPs: Farah explains the shift from "UFO" to "UAP" (“Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena”) intended to remove the "giggle factor" and social stigma so that discussions are taken seriously within government and scientific circles.

  • Quote [05:30]:

    "So UAP allows it to be looked at differently. Also, a lot of the activity is happening in our oceans, and these things aren't flying like UFO stands for flying."
    — Dan Farah

• Maher agrees but jokes about the confusion and resistance people may feel with new acronyms.

2. Farah's Documentary and Its Unique Approach

[07:10-07:46]

• "Age of Disclosure" Documentary: Farah deliberately only interviewed credible sources with direct knowledge from government service, shunning sensationalism and speculation to uphold credibility.

  • Quote [07:46]:

    "I wanted to make the most credible doc ever made on the topic... Just set the bar—like real, credible people who actually have direct knowledge of this."
    — Dan Farah

• Maher notes this wasn't possible a decade ago due to a lack of credible, public testimony—a shift that signals changing times.

3. Are Aliens a Threat or Just Observers?

[10:16-12:14]

• Maher observes that if aliens were malevolent, their advanced technology would have allowed them to destroy or harm humanity already.
• Farah cautions that while they seem to just be monitoring, rapid technological evolution (like nuclear capabilities) may force a confrontation or decision from extraterrestrial observers.
  • Quote [10:19]:

    "...the point a lot of the people in my film make is that we're kind of barreling towards a crossroads..."
    — Dan Farah

4. The Nuclear Age as a Trigger for Alien Attention

[11:16-14:25]

• Discussion connects the post-1945 increase in UFO sightings to humanity's entry into the nuclear era.

  • Quote [11:35]:

    "One compelling piece of evidence...they did seem to appear right after the nuclear age began...to me, that's quite a coincidence."
    — Bill Maher

• Farah and Maher agree that advanced propulsion (possibly fusion or beyond) distinguishes the technology behind UAPs from anything humanity possesses.

• Farah suggests the greatest current risk is an adversarial power (like China) cracking alien technology first.

5. The Technology Race and Global Secrecy

[21:25, 27:47-28:24]

• U.S., China, and Russia all reportedly have programs to retrieve and reverse-engineer crashed alien tech—described in the film as a “Manhattan Project on steroids.”

  • Quote [27:52]:

    "...our country and Russia and China all have these hidden programs...trying to reverse engineer them. And it's a technology race."
    — Dan Farah

• The secrecy persists partly to avoid adversaries learning what the U.S. knows, compounded by a culture of compartmentalization (CIA, DOE, Defense, etc., not sharing fully even among themselves).

6. Stigma, Disclosure, and Public Readiness

[18:45-20:31, 32:03-36:13]

• Farah details how CIA and other agencies actively created stigma in the mid-20th century to keep the public from seriously investigating. He notes the generational and societal shift: in 2026, mass panic is unlikely, but there will be a diversity of public reactions.
• Maher and Farah agree popular media—especially an upcoming Spielberg movie "Disclosure Day"—is likely to play a major role in advancing public consciousness, as past films have with other social issues.

7. The Power of Movies and Cultural Change

[36:39-38:02]

• Farah credits his interest in the topic to "Close Encounters," ET, and The X-Files; Maher jokes that everything movies depict comes to life eventually. Both agree on the immense influence of Hollywood in shaping views and opening people’s minds.
  • Quote [36:13]:

    "Movies have a unique power to open people’s eyes to thoughts."
    — Dan Farah

8. Deep Dives: UAPs in the Oceans & Multiple Alien Species

[38:14-41:41, 49:38-50:40]

• Farah elaborates on credible reports of UAPs operating underwater at impossible speeds.
• He reveals through interviewees that recovered alien bodies are of different "types," implying multiple alien species have visited or are visiting Earth.
  • Quote [50:14]:

    "...the crash sites have included the bodies of non humans and that the bodies were not all the same type, implying different species..."
    — Dan Farah

9. Will Disclosure Unite Humanity?

[66:33-69:28]

• Both are skeptical that confirmation of alien life would unite humanity. Maher jokes the American left and right would immediately try to recruit aliens for their side.
  • Quote [68:57]:

    "As soon as the aliens landed, the Republicans and the Democrats would try to get them to be on their side against the other party."
    — Bill Maher

10. Abductions, "Men In Black," and On-the-Ground Evidence

[70:19-81:35]

• Farah says his film intentionally avoided abduction phenomena so as not to lose credibility with skeptics, but confesses he interviewed military personnel and politicians who shared close encounter and abduction stories.
• He distinguishes credible government cover-up ("Legacy Program") from sci-fi ideas of aliens in human disguise (as in "Men in Black"), calling the latter “probably science fiction.”
• Farah further references psychiatrist John Mack, whose research posited that abductees genuinely believed in their experiences.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the force of disclosure:
  "It would be the greatest moment a leader could possibly have. I mean, there's no bigger moment in the history of humanity."
  — Dan Farah [16:05]

• On stigma and government secrecy:
  "Elements of the intelligence community, including the CIA, created the stigma around this early on...to get people thinking it's crazy."
  — Dan Farah [18:52]

• On mass cultural change via movies:
  "When Hollywood addresses an issue, it does change minds. And it's mostly been for the better..."
  — Bill Maher [46:03]

• On the mental shift about alien visitation:
  "If you're the person who really thinks we're alone in the universe, you're kind of on the side of ... not flat earthers..."
  — Bill Maher [34:31]

• On multiple alien species:
  "He says on camera that the recoveries have included ... bodies of non humans and that the bodies were not all the same type, implying different species..."
  — Dan Farah [50:14]

• On the future and the race to alien technology:
  "My hope is there's people out there who start looking into this topic because they watch this documentary or because they watched Steven's movie in June and they start thinking about it differently, taking it seriously."
  — Dan Farah [39:56]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Defining UAPs; why not just 'UFO'? [05:01-05:54]
• The problem with old alien stereotypes & seriousness of the new documentary [07:46-08:45]
• Speculations on alien intentions and morality vs. technology [10:16-12:14]
• Post-nuclear era and increased sightings; historical correlation [11:16-14:25]
• Crash retrievals and the clandestine technology race [21:25, 27:47-28:24]
• On secrecy and interagency rivalry [28:24-31:16]
• The power of movies to drive social change—historical analogies [36:39-38:02, 46:03]
• Undersea UFO sightings and the idea of underwater alien bases [38:14-39:56]
• “We are not alone”; Spielberg’s 'Disclosure Day' and a cultural tipping point [31:37-36:13]
• Multiple alien species confirmed by government sources [49:38-50:40]
• Men In Black, abductions, and 'too weird for the mainstream'? [70:19-81:35]

Tone and Takeaways

The episode is a balance of open-minded seriousness and signature Maher snark. Both men show willingness to entertain extraordinary notions while clinging firmly to reputable, evidenced claims. Farah’s documentary is positioned as historic, riding a cultural wave just ahead of the mass exposure Spielberg’s upcoming movie will bring.

The conversation leaves listeners with the sense that the “Age of Disclosure” is imminent: The evidence and testimony are more credible and voluminous than ever, the technology race is real, and the cultural tide is turning. But—true to Maher’s worldview—humanity’s ability to handle the truth, work together, and rise to the occasion is still in deep question.

For a deeper dive, check out Dan Farah’s "Age of Disclosure" documentary, and watch for Spielberg’s "Disclosure Day"—this could indeed be a hinge moment in how humanity contemplates its place in the universe.