NOVA: What are UFOs?
Unidentified Flying Objects have long captivated the imagination of the public, but for decades most scientists treated the subject as taboo. Now, these mysterious phenomena are moving out of the shadows and into the light, as NASA pledges to study them scientifically. NOVA investigates Wednesday.
January 14, 2025

PREMIERES WEDNESDAY, JAN 22 at 8:00PM
WHAT ARE UFOs?, a new addition to the award-winning PBS science series, NOVA, delves into the latest scientific investigations of one of the greatest mysteries of our modern age. Unidentified Flying Objects have long captivated the imagination of the public, but for decades most scientists treated the subject as taboo. Now, these mysterious phenomena are moving out of the shadows and into the light, as NASA pledges to study them scientifically. So, what exactly does science have to say on the matter?
This new NOVA investigation looks at the evidence from every angle, marshaling expert opinions from physicists, engineers, cosmologists, and others who are bringing new technologies and heightened rigor to solving these mysteries. How can new ground-based sensors and crowdsourcing of data help explain what military pilots and others have seen? Many of these sightings can be attributed to physical objects like balloons or drones, weather phenomena, or optical illusions, but others so far remain mysterious. What other potential explanations remain? Could they be the result of secret new technologies developed by other governments — or our own? And what would it take for alien engineers to traverse vast distances to send probes or visit Earth from other solar systems?
“UFOs undeniably spark the curiosity of people internationally,” said NOVA Co-Executive Producer Julia Cort, “but for decades, they’ve been considered by many to be the fringiest of fringe topics, relegated to tabloid news. Now finally, more scientists are realizing that these reports need to be taken seriously. We’re excited to be able to bring the public up to date and clarify what is known — and what remains unsolved.”
“We are living in an age of conspiracy, and we need facts now more than ever,” said Producer, Director and Writer Terri Randall. “This film is able to address some of the viewer's most urgent questions about UFOs from a scientific perspective. There is so much taboo and confusion surrounding the topic, and while there is still so much we don’t know, science can help us say, ‘this might not be as scary as we think.’”
WHAT ARE UFOs? premieres Wednesday, Jan. 22 at 8:00 PM on Alabama Public Television.
Follow Us