Cold War Cast

Author: Cold War Cast

The history and the pop culture of the Cold War with Ryan Lewellin
Be a guest on this podcast

Language: en

Genres: History

Contact email: Get it

Feed URL: Get it

iTunes ID: Get it

Get all podcast data

Listen Now...

Before Aliens: When Flying Saucers Were A Cold War Threat
Saturday, 28 February, 2026

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