# Beyond The Sea Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/need-to-know-4603509/beyond-the-sea Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/need-to-know-4603509/beyond-the-sea.md Podcast: [Need To Know](https://stenobird.com/podcast/need-to-know-4603509) Published: 2025-10-20T04:18:00+00:00 Episode link: https://6fc7b309-9d83-4ba3-9c80-5c797a270c16.libsyn.com/beyond-the-sea Audio file: https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/pscrb.fm/rss/p/traffic.libsyn.com/secure/6fc7b309-9d83-4ba3-9c80-5c797a270c16/N2K_68_2.mp3?dest-id=5070595 Processing state: not_requested JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/need-to-know-4603509/episodes/beyond-the-sea Duration seconds: 4258 ## Resource 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… ## Actions - request_transcript: `POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/need-to-know-4603509/episodes/beyond-the-sea/transcription-requests` — Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode. - read_markdown: `GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/need-to-know-4603509/beyond-the-sea.md` — Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource. A page view does not enqueue transcription. Agents should invoke `request_transcript` explicitly when they need this episode processed. ## Transcript Full transcripts are not published on public pages unless there is a clear rights basis.