Episode
Beyond The Sea
- Podcast
- Need To Know
- Published
- Oct 20, 2025
- Duration seconds
- 4258
- Processing state
not_requested
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Summary
In this Need to Know episode, Bryce Zabel and Richard Dolan dive deep—literally—into the realm of USOs (Unidentified Submerged Objects), as Dolan previews his upcoming second volume in a three-part book series on the subject. Focusing on the 1970s and 80s, Dolan reveals that the 1970s were an explosive decade for both UFO and USO sightings, despite limited public reporting mechanisms. He details hundreds of carefully collated incidents, particularly noting a sharp rise in military encounters, electromagnetic interference, and a sudden statistical shift in sightings occurring under the cover of darkness, especially post-1969. Dolan interprets this as a possible tactic of "data denial," suggesting that these craft operators deliberately avoid surveillance from increasingly sophisticated human technologies. The conversation takes a speculative turn as Zabel and Dolan ponder the intentions and origins of these underwater visitors. Dolan leans toward the view that these are non-human intelligences from elsewhere who have established semi-permanent bases on or within Earth's oceans. Their behavior—ranging from skimming the ocean floor near industrial sites to disabling military vessels—appears calculated, as if they are measuring humanity's technological development while simultaneously avoiding exposure. Bryce highlights a pattern of intelligent "observation and calibration," pointing out that these entities may not just be watching us, but testing how we respond to their capabilities. Dolan adds that the vastness and biodiversity of Earth's oceans, paired with their strategic concealment, makes them a logical habitat for long-term surveillance by advanced intelligences. Wrapping up, the duo wrestle with the bigger philosophical question: What do they want? Dolan theorizes…