Rebelliously Curious with Chrissy Newton: UFOs, Science, Culture and Futurism

Today's episode sits right at the intersection of mystery, media, and manipulation. We're diving into the strange, often unsettling world of UFOs—or what we now call UAPs—and asking a simple question: what's real, and what have we been led to believe?
For decades, stories of unidentified craft, alien encounters, and government secrecy have shaped public imagination. But behind those headlines lies a deeper story—one involving Cold War paranoia, psychological operations, and, at times, deliberate disinformation.
Our guest is Mark Pilkington, author of Mirage Men. Together, we will deconstruct the controversial role of Air Force investigator Richard Doty, and the case of Paul Bennewitz—one of the most troubling examples of how belief, secrecy, and state power can collide.
Along the way, we'll look at how media, including major publications like Life magazine in the 40s and 50s, may have been influenced—subtly or otherwise—by intelligence agencies during a time when information itself was a battlefield. 
So today, we're not just asking whether UFOs are real.
We're asking: who's been shaping the story all along?
Join us as we get rebelliously curious.
Follow Chrissy Newton:
Winner of the Canadian Podcast Awards for Best Science Series.
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCM32gjHqMnYl_MOHZetC8Eg 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beingchrissynewton/ 

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Chrissy Newton's Website: https://chrissynewton.com
Top Canadian Science Podcast: https://podcasts.feedspot.com/canadian_science_podcasts/

Today, we're diving into one of the most fascinating and rapidly evolving frontiers: brain-computer interfaces, or BCIs, but from a European perspective.
Joining us is Dr. Martin Schüttler, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer at CorTec, the first German company at the forefront of neural interface innovation. From restoring lost function to potentially redefining how we interact with machines—and even our own biology—BCIs are no longer science fiction. In this conversation, we'll explore Martin's journey into the BCI community, what sets Germany's approach apart on the global stage, and how neural technology could intersect with the complex human nervous system.
We'll also tackle big-picture questions around privacy, policy, and power: Who owns brain data? Can global standards keep up with innovation? And what happens when this technology moves beyond the lab and into everyday life?
Join us as we get rebelliously curious.
Follow Chrissy Newton:
Winner of the Canadian Podcast Awards for Best Science Series.
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCM32gjHqMnYl_MOHZetC8Eg 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beingchrissynewton/ 

X: https://twitter.com/chrissynewton?lang=en

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BeingChrissyNewton 

Chrissy Newton's Website: https://chrissynewton.com
Top Canadian Science Podcast: https://podcasts.feedspot.com/canadian_science_podcasts/

Today's episode explores one of the most disturbing intelligence programs of the Cold War: MKUltra. For decades, the Central Intelligence Agency ran secret experiments attempting to understand — and potentially control — the human mind.
These programs tested everything from psychological manipulation to drugs like LSD, often without the consent of the people involved. While many people associate MKUltra with experiments in the United States, some of the most controversial cases actually happened in Canada — particularly at the Allan Memorial Institute in Montreal under Dr. Donald Ewen Cameron.
His experiments, including techniques known as "depatterning" and "psychic driving," aimed to erase and rebuild aspects of a person's personality. Today, we're going to unpack the Canadian connection to MKUltra, the real victims of these experiments, and how some of these techniques influenced later psychological and military research. We'll also talk about related programs — from intelligence research into ESP, how MKUltra tactics have been used in Guantanamo Bay, to remote viewing projects like the Stargate, which included well‑known remote viewer Joe McMoneagle. And finally, we'll look at the bigger question: how ideas about mind influence, psychological warfare, and emerging technologies might shape the future.
Join us as we get rebelliously curious!
 
Follow Chrissy Newton:
Winner of the Canadian Podcast Awards for Best Science Series.
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCM32gjHqMnYl_MOHZetC8Eg 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beingchrissynewton/ 

X: https://twitter.com/chrissynewton?lang=en

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BeingChrissyNewton 

Chrissy Newton's Website: https://chrissynewton.com
Top Canadian Science Podcast: https://podcasts.feedspot.com/canadian_science_podcasts/

Today, we're exploring Indigenous experiences, history, and the ongoing journey toward truth and reconciliation.
Our guest is Maeengan Linklater, Anishinaabe, from Lac Seul First Nation in Ontario, with more than 25 years of experience across the non-profit, government, and private sectors, and he is a father, community volunteer, and poet. In this episode, we'll discuss the painful legacy of residential schools, their lasting impact on Indigenous communities, and the work being done to uncover truths, honour survivors, and move toward reconciliation. We'll also touch on lesser-known aspects of this history, including unconventional psychic experiments on Indigenous children at residential schools.
Today's conversation invites us to listen, reflect, and think critically about the path forward.
Join us as we get rebelliously curious.
Follow Chrissy Newton:
Winner of the Canadian Podcast Awards for Best Science Series.
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCM32gjHqMnYl_MOHZetC8Eg 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beingchrissynewton/ 

X: https://twitter.com/chrissynewton?lang=en

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BeingChrissyNewton 

Chrissy Newton's Website: https://chrissynewton.com
Top Canadian Science Podcast: https://podcasts.feedspot.com/canadian_science_podcasts/

From the earliest days of rocketry, progress has always belonged to the scientist willing to think beyond the limits of their time.
Long before rockets reached orbit, pioneers like Robert H. Goddard laid the mathematical and experimental foundations that proved spaceflight was even possible. And not long after, figures like Jack Parsons helped turn theory into raw, explosive reality—building the propulsion systems that would eventually carry humanity beyond Earth.
Today, we stand at a similar inflection point. Chemical rockets took us to the Moon, but if humanity is going to reach the stars, we'll need ideas that once again sound impossible—until they aren't. In this episode, we're exploring one of the most fantastic frontiers in modern physics: warp drive theory.
Our guest is Harold "Sonny" White, a mechanical and aerospace engineer, and applied physicist an Founder & CEO, Casimir. 
Join us as we get rebelliously curious.
Follow Chrissy Newton:
Winner of the Canadian Podcast Awards for Best Science Series.
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCM32gjHqMnYl_MOHZetC8Eg 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beingchrissynewton/ 

X: https://twitter.com/chrissynewton?lang=en

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BeingChrissyNewton 

Chrissy Newton's Website: https://chrissynewton.com
Top Canadian Science Podcast: https://podcasts.feedspot.com/canadian_science_podcasts/