Cold War Cast

Before Aliens: When Flying Saucers Were A Cold War Threat

February 28, 2026·25 min
Episode Description from the Publisher

What’s scarier, aliens or commies? Today we’re talking about a period during the tense, paranoid and uncertain early Cold War where Americans saw a rash of UFO sightings, setting off a panic. It wasn’t the prospect of little green men that put the country on edge, it was the idea that these objects could be Russians with secret technology…and we would be defenseless. I use the 1950 B-film “The Flying Saucer” as a good illustration of where America’s mind was at around 1947-50. I’ll also discuss the origin of the “flying saucer” term and the famous Kenneth Arnold UFO sighting that kicked it all off. As always, go to Red Dragon Herbs to get yourself some tea to support this podcast

Podzilla Summary coming soon

Sign up to get notified when the full AI-powered summary is ready.

Get Free Summaries →

Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.

Listen to This Episode

Get summaries like this every morning.

Free AI-powered recaps of Cold War Cast and your other favorite podcasts, delivered to your inbox.

Get Free Summaries →

Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.