NOVA Season 52 Premiere: “What Are UFOs?” (PBS, Wednesday, January 22, 2025)

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For years, the serious discussion of UFOs has been relegated to dimly lit motel conference rooms, filled with more tinfoil hats than hard evidence. But recently, things have shifted. Unidentified aerial phenomena, or UAPs, as the government prefers to call them, have moved from the fringes of conspiracy theory to the realm of legitimate scientific inquiry. And where science goes, NOVA follows.

In its season 52 premiere, aptly titled “What Are UFOs?,” NOVA aims to tackle this newly respectable mystery. Following a spate of high-profile reports from Navy pilots describing encounters with objects displaying seemingly impossible flight characteristics, even NASA has committed to serious scientific study of UAPs. NOVA’s episode arrives hot on the heels of this renewed interest, offering a timely exploration of what we know, what we think we know, and the vast expanse of what we simply don’t.

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While the prospect of little green men is undoubtedly part of the UFO mystique, the episode appears grounded in a sensible, evidence-based approach. Scientists interviewed explore a range of possibilities, from easily explained natural phenomena like atmospheric anomalies and optical illusions, to more speculative notions, such as advanced, human-made technology operating in secrecy. Of course, the possibility of extraterrestrial origins can’t be completely dismissed. The episode also looks to address why some sightings remain stubbornly unidentified, despite our best efforts to categorize them as balloons, drones, or the work of overactive imaginations.

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This season premiere will also utilize new analytical technologies to examine some of the most perplexing UFO encounters, and consider how difficult interstellar travel is — which makes the question of alien visitation highly unlikely, for now.

“What Are UFOs?” airs Wednesday, January 22, 2025, at 9 PM on PBS.

Andrew Martins, reviewer, recapper, deep diver, scifi specialist. Thinks Blakes 7 is better than Star Trek. Yes I do go to fan conventions and no I don't dress up. Well okay maybe I do a bit.