Podcast
Miles Ahead
Hosted by Miles O'Brien · EN
Join Emmy award-winning journalist, PBS collaborator, and CNN analyst Miles O'Brien as he explores the biggest stories in science, technology, aviation, space, and the environment. With each episode of Miles Ahead, Miles brings his unique perspective, signature clarity, and a lifetime of curiosity to each episode, striving to make the future accessible, understandable, and fascinating.
For even more of Miles's insights, subscribe to his Substack: https://milesobrien.substack.com/
15episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Episode 52: The Hunt for the White Bird, part 3
Mar 2000:20:09Tap to summarizeIn the final chapter of this three-part series, Miles O'Brien and aviation historian Ric Gillespie examine the physical evidence suggesting that the lost French aircraft L'Oiseau Blanc may lie beneath a remote pond in Newfoundland. From chemically analyzed engine fragments to newly understood magnetic anomalies, the case for Gull Pond comes into focus—along with a clear path forward to finally solve the mystery before the centennial of Lindbergh's flight in 2027.
Transcribe →Episode 51: The Hunt for the White Bird — Part 2
Mar 1200:25:31Tap to summarizeDid the first transatlantic flight nearly happen two weeks before Lindbergh? In Part 2 of this special Miles Ahead series, Miles O'Brien follows the trail of eyewitnesses in Newfoundland who reported seeing a white aircraft on May 9, 1927 — the day after French aviators Charles Nungesser and François Coli vanished while attempting to fly nonstop from Paris to New York. Sworn affidavits, eyewitness accounts, and decades-old clues suggest the aircraft may have reached North America — and possibly crash-landed in a remote pond. Aviation historian Ric Gillespie explains why the mystery of the White Bird may be closer to being solved than ever before.
Transcribe →Episode 50: The Hunt for the White Bird - Part 1
Mar 700:38:04Tap to summarizeMiles Ahead: The Hunt for the White Bird is a three-part investigative podcast exploring one of the greatest unsolved mysteries in aviation history: the disappearance of French aviators Charles Nungesser and François Coli during their 1927 attempt to fly nonstop from Paris to New York. Hosted by Miles O'Brien and featuring aviation historian Ric Gillespie, the series traces the evidence suggesting the aircraft may have reached Newfoundland — and examines the ongoing effort to locate its wreckage before the centennial of Lindbergh's flight in 2027.
Transcribe →Episode 49: We Have No Money, So We Have To Think - with Peter Beck
Jan 200:45:28Tap to summarizeRocket Lab founder Peter Beck is often mentioned alongside billionaire space entrepreneurs — but his motivations are strikingly different. In this episode of Miles Ahead, Miles O'Brien speaks with Beck about building a multigenerational space company, the discipline required to survive in commercial space, and why the most important impact may come long after a founder is gone. The conversation was recorded remotely before Miles traveled to New Zealand and then boarded an Antarctic icebreaker to report on climate science.
Transcribe →Episode 48: Titan Unfinished: A Conversation With OceanGate Co-Founder Guillermo Söhnlein
Nov 1900:46:08Tap to summarizeIn this conversation, Guillermo Sohnlein, co-founder of Ocean Gate, shares his journey from military service to entrepreneurship in the marine and space exploration sectors. He discusses the founding of Ocean Gate with Stockton Rush, the challenges of deep-sea exploration, and the tragic implosion of the Titan submersible during a Titanic expedition. Sohnlein reflects on the media coverage surrounding the incident, the importance of crisis management, and the balance between innovation and safety in extreme environments. He also talks about his motivations for writing Titan Unfinished as a personal catharsis and a way to provide context to the events that transpired. Chapters 00:00 Guillermo's Journey to Ocean Gate 01:53 Exploring the Connection Between Space and Ocean 02:59 Meeting Stockton Rush: A Partnership Begins 04:31 The Vision Behind Ocean Gate 06:21 Learning from Antipodes: The First Submersible Experience 08:18 The Evolution of Ocean Gate's Business Model 09:50 Designing the Future: Cyclops and Titan 11:14 Departure from Ocean Gate: A New Chapter 13:40 The Titanic Expeditions: A Controversial Decision 16:39 The Moment of Crisis: Learning About the Implosion 17:10 Understanding the Loss of Columbia and Titan 18:55 Media Coverage and Public Perception 19:21 The Convergence of Technology, Wealth, and Exploration 22:33 Crisis Management and Communication Failures 25:45 Reflections on Safety and Innovation 28:50 Omissions in the Investigation Report 32:19 Balancing Innovation and Safety 37:23 Regulatory Recommendations and Their Implications 39:36 The Purpose Behind Writing 'Titan Unfinished'
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Episode 47: From The End of Nature to a New Beginning - with Bill McKibben
Nov 500:43:24Tap to summarizeJournalist Miles O'Brien sits down with legendary climate activist and author Bill McKibben to talk about his new book Here Comes the Sun. They discuss the rapid rise of renewables, China's stunning lead in solar, America's political roadblocks, and why McKibben — yes, the man who once wrote The End of Nature — now dares to feel hopeful. The two also explore how the surge in AI and data-center demand could reshape the energy landscape — and why sun and wind may be the only scalable way to keep the lights on.
Transcribe →Episode 46: Science Under Siege — Michael Mann and Peter Hotez on the War Against Truth
Oct 2701:00:11Tap to summarizeIn this episode of Miles to Go, Miles O'Brien speaks with climate scientist Michael Mann and vaccine researcher Peter Hotez — two scientists who have endured personal attacks, threats, and political smears for standing up for evidence-based truth. Their new book, Science Under Siege, exposes the powerful alliance of plutocrats, petrostates, propagandists, and politicians working to dismantle trust in science — and, increasingly, the institutions that sustain it. Mann, creator of the famed "hockey stick" graph, recounts how fossil fuel interests and their media allies targeted him for revealing the reality of human-driven climate change. Hotez, co-developer of low-cost vaccines and a leading public-health voice during the pandemic, shares his experiences of online harassment and political intimidation. Together, they draw a chilling parallel between the denial of climate science and the anti-vaccine movement, revealing how both are fueled by ideology, greed, and misinformation — and now emboldened by government efforts to defund and demoralize the nation's scientific agencies, from the NIH to NASA. Miles explores the broader stakes of this "war on truth": what happens to democracy when science itself becomes a partisan target — and how, despite it all, urgency still comes with agency.
Transcribe →Episode 45: Powering the Final Frontier: The Case for Nuclear on the Moon
Sep 2200:32:32Tap to summarizeNASA wants to land a nuclear reactor on the Moon by 2030. Is this the real deal—or another paper plan? Miles O'Brien talks with Bhavya Lal (RAND, former NASA) and Keith Cowing (NASA Watch) about why space needs nukes and how we get there. 🎧 Plus: meltdown myths, mission politics, and Bhavya's 3-tier roadmap from her report for Idaho National Lab. Read it here: https://inl.gov/content/uploads/2023/07/strategic-options-space-nuclear-leadership.pdf
Transcribe →Episode 44: "Collision Course over the Capital"
Sep 200:49:32Tap to summarizeIn this episode of Miles to Go, I'm joined by veteran airline captain and aviation analyst Les Abend to examine the deadly midair collision near Reagan National Airport in January 2025 that claimed 67 lives. We dissect the findings from the recent NTSB hearing, detailing how a Black Hawk helicopter flying with night vision goggles, a regional jet on a challenging approach, and an overwhelmed air traffic controller all played a role in the tragedy. We dig into why ADS‑B Out wasn't active, despite being installed on the military helicopter, and how longstanding FAA warnings about that airspace were ignored. We also briefly discuss the ongoing investigation into Air India Flight 171—notably, the emerging consensus that both engines were intentionally shut down in flight, triggering a loss of control shortly after takeoff. This incident, while still under review, underscores how cockpit access and crew coordination remain critical vulnerabilities in modern aviation. https://milesobrien.substack.com/
Transcribe →Episode 43: "Cutoff: When a Pilot Becomes the Threat – Air India 171"
Jul 1500:39:27Tap to summarizeWhen Air India Flight 171 fell from the sky just seconds after takeoff, killing all aboard and many on the ground, investigators were baffled. The Boeing 787 was mechanically sound. The weather posed no threat. The pilots were sober and experienced. So what went wrong? In this episode of Miles to Go, veteran aviation journalist Miles O'Brien is joined by retired American Airlines captain Les Abend to dissect the deeply troubling conclusion: one of the flight crew members appears to have intentionally moved both engine fuel cutoff switches—a deliberate act of sabotage from the cockpit. Together, they explore how such tragedies violate aviation's sacred trust, why they are so difficult to foresee or prevent, and what this means for pilot mental health and airline safety culture going forward.
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