Today on Headlines from the Beyond:

Big news from Capitol Hill and beyond: the U.S. federal government has launched a probe into Cold War-era biological research involving ticks and tick-borne diseases. Signed into law as part of the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act, the amendment directs the Government Accountability Office to review Department of Defense projects from 1945–1972 to determine whether ticks were ever studied or weaponized, whether research ventured outside military facilities, and whether relevant documents were destroyed—raising questions for people impacted by Lyme disease and Morgellons alike.

Then: A group of Peruvian shamans gathered at the end of last year to make predictions for 2026. Some were ambitious—calling for a change of leadership in Venezuela and an end to the war in Ukraine—and while not all have come to pass, a few early forecasts are already prompting conversation about cultural prophecy, indigenous worldviews, and how traditional spiritual authorities engage with global events.

Finally: Newly unsealed British Ministry of Defence files reveal that in the 1990s the UK military tasked intelligence officers with investigating unidentified aerial phenomena and actively considering whether to acquire unidentified technology reported in sightings. The files show that reports of unusual craft, including cases like the Rendlesham Forest incident, were taken seriously enough to prompt strategic discussion about defense implications—offering a fresh archival angle on government interest in UAPs and the long path toward disclosure.

And as a New Year's bonus, an update on our ongoing Anomalies research project.

Three stories, one briefing on the strange, the storied, and the extraordinary.

Stay connected with us between episodes—follow Beyond the Human on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and subscribe to Field Notes from the Beyond on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Show Notes:

Tick Weaponization to be Investigated

Peru shamans foretell illness for Trump, Maduro's exile in 2026

MoD ordered officers to find UFO technology, secret files reveal

Typewriter sound effect: “Typewriter snippet 01 mono [loop]” by cabled_mess, via Freesound (CC0).

In Episode 6 of Beyond the Human, we trace the long and strange history of winged humanoids—from Paleolithic cave art and ancient mythologies to modern cryptid encounters—through the lens of the most famous example of all: Mothman.

Beginning with prehistoric depictions of winged human figures across Europe, Asia, and North America, this episode explores how beings resembling Mothman appear repeatedly in folklore, religion, and myth—from Assyrian winged genies and Greek harpies to Abrahamic angels.

We then turn to the 1966–1967 sightings in Point Pleasant, West Virginia, examining eyewitness accounts, the TNT Area encounters, and the sudden end of sightings following the tragic collapse of the Silver Bridge. Drawing on the work of journalist and ufologist John Keel, we explore how Mothman became entangled with UFO encounters, Men in Black reports, and what Keel termed high strangeness.

The episode also looks beyond Point Pleasant to lesser-known cases like the Van Meter Visitor, post-disaster sightings at Chernobyl and Fukushima, and contemporary reports around Chicago and Lake Michigan. Finally, we examine competing explanations—from misidentification and altered states of consciousness to cryptids and Keel’s ultraterrestrial hypothesis—asking what these recurring winged humanoid encounters might reveal about perception, mythology, and the limits of human understanding.

Stay connected with us between episodes—follow Beyond the Human on ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ and subscribe to Field Notes from the Beyond on ⁠⁠Substack⁠⁠.

Topics discussed in this episode:

(1:31) - Pre/History of Winged Humanoids

(13:53) - The Mothman of Point Pleasant

(46:19) - The Van Meter Visitor

(58:54) - How do we explain this?

Resources for additional research:

Wayland, Tobias. “A Timeline of the Lake Michigan Mothman Sightings So Far.” The Singular Fortean Society. 2017.

Beyond the Human. “Cryptid Compendium: Mothman.” 2025.

Today on Headlines from the Beyond:

Interstellar object 3I/ATLAS made its closest approach to Earth last week—so what did we actually learn from its visit, and what happens next? We break down the latest observations, including new imagery, the still-prominent anti-tail, and why the object’s behavior continues to raise questions while remaining more likely natural than artificial. We also discuss Avi Loeb’s recent comments, the public reaction to scientific uncertainty, and what 3I/ATLAS reveals about how both scientists and the public engage with anomalies. From its billion-year journey through the Milky Way to its upcoming close pass by Jupiter, we explore why this interstellar visitor matters—even if it ultimately ignores us completely.

Then: A major development at one of America’s most infamous haunted locations. Plans to restrict a proposed data center at the Pennhurst State School and Hospital site have been shelved, allowing the project to move forward to a conditional use hearing. We examine what this means for Pennhurst’s future as a historic site, a paranormal tourism destination, and a cultural landmark—alongside ongoing public opposition, petitions, and the site’s continued role in haunted attractions and paranormal events.

Finally: The Pentagon has reopened a FOIA search related to the mysterious “Yankee Blue” memo, a document tied to allegations of a U.S. Air Force UFO disinformation and hazing program. We unpack what Yankee Blue was alleged to be, why the Department of Defense reportedly moved to end the practice, and what the renewed FOIA effort could reveal about how UFO narratives have been managed within the military.

Three stories, one briefing on the strange, the storied, and the extraordinary.

Stay connected with us between episodes—follow Beyond the Human on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ and subscribe to Field Notes from the Beyond on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Show Notes

The Humans by Matt Haig

East Vincent Township shelves proposed data center ordinance after community concerns

Protect Pennhurst from Data Center Development Petition

Pentagon Reopens Search for Alleged “Yankee Blue” Memo After Initial Denial

The Pentagon Disinformation That Fueled America’s UFO Mythology