Selects: How Area 51 Works

Published September 27, 2025
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About This Episode

Josh Clark and Charles W. "Chuck" Bryant trace the history of Area 51 from its origins as part of a World War II bombing range and Nevada nuclear test site to its role in developing secret U.S. spy and stealth aircraft. They explain how black projects, the U-2 and SR-71 programs, and extreme security practices shaped the base, and how Bob Lazar's 1989 claims helped fuse Area 51 with UFO and alien lore. The hosts also discuss Roswell myths, more outlandish conspiracy theories, modern operations at the base, and a 1990s worker-health lawsuit that forced the U.S. government to finally acknowledge the facility's existence.

Topics Covered

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Quick Takeaways

  • Area 51 began as part of a World War II bombing range and later sat beside the Nevada nuclear test site, making it a natural location for highly classified weapons and aircraft testing.
  • The base was central to the development of the U-2 spy plane, the SR-71 Blackbird, and other stealth aircraft under extremely secretive CIA and Air Force programs.
  • For decades the U.S. government officially denied Area 51's existence, even in court, while enforcing strict internal compartmentalization and loyalty tests on workers.
  • Bob Lazar's 1989 TV interview claiming to have reverse-engineered alien spacecraft near Area 51 was the key moment that tied the base to UFO and alien mythology in popular culture.
  • Historical timelines and geography strongly suggest there is no direct connection between the 1947 Roswell incident and Area 51, despite frequent linkage in conspiracy theories.
  • Operating as a black project site allowed hazardous waste at Area 51 to be burned in open pits, which sickened workers who later sued unsuccessfully to learn what they had been exposed to.
  • Modern satellite imagery and a 1990s lawsuit have forced limited government acknowledgment that a facility exists at Area 51, though its ongoing activities remain classified.
  • Employees commute on unmarked "Janet" flights from Las Vegas and must hold the highest levels of security clearance to work in even mundane support roles at the base.
  • Many elaborate Area 51 conspiracies, such as human-alien hybrid programs or Nazi-Soviet fake UFO plots, rest on unverified insider claims and are treated skeptically by the hosts.
  • The most plausible explanation for Area 51's secrecy is ongoing development and testing of advanced but terrestrial military technology, not hidden alien programs.

Podcast Notes

Selects introduction and episode framing

Chuck introduces the Selects replay

States the episode is called "How Area 51 Works" from June 13, 2019[1:13]
Says they "get into it" and "chop it up" about Area 51 and hopes listeners enjoy it[1:21]

Podcast introduction and setup

Hosts and show identification

Josh introduces himself and notes Charles W. "Chuck" Bryant and guest producer Dylan are present[1:42]
They confirm this is Stuff You Should Know, "the podcast"[1:47]

Initial reaction to doing Area 51 topic

Chuck says he thought they had already done an Area 51 episode[1:13]
They recall doing a UFOs episode live at a Comic-Con and agree they were never satisfied with it[2:09]
Josh and Chuck suggest they might redo the UFO episode someday, but Chuck pivots to saying the Area 51 topic is good and surprising[1:42]

Framing of Area 51's reality versus myths

Josh notes they were both surprised by how mundane the probable explanations for Area 51 are[2:32]
He characterizes the likely reality as "secret government research" about bombs and planes, rather than reverse-engineering alien technology[2:41]
They mention Majestic 12 and the idea of a one-world government secret seat at Area 51 as conspiracy claims they consider unlikely[2:46]
Josh highlights a conspiracy theory he thinks makes more sense: that Area 51 is or became a distraction from some other unknown facility[2:59]
Chuck jokingly suggests "Area 50" as the real site, and Josh responds they hopefully wouldn't be that on-the-nose

Geography and early use of the Nevada test range

Location and physical description of Area 51

Chuck describes Area 51 as less than 100 miles from Las Vegas in southern Nevada[3:32]
He mentions a figure of 600 square miles, saying that on Google Earth it appears as a big airfield with buildings[4:04]
Josh clarifies that the broader restricted airspace and test range around Area 51 is about 600 square miles, while the specific installation is likely no more than about 60 square miles[3:59]
He emphasizes that the recognizable installation is one part of a larger expanse of restricted American desert[4:13]

Nevada Test Site and nuclear bomb testing

Josh notes that next to Area 51 is the Nevada Test Site where the Atomic Energy Commission set off nuclear bombs for about 10 or 11 years[4:30]
Tests were conducted underground and above ground as they figured out how to deploy nuclear weapons, which Chuck characterizes as learning how to kill a lot of people easily in very dangerous ways
Josh says people in Las Vegas could see the nuclear tests from the city and that Vegas hosted "atomic" viewing parties with cocktails where people watched bombs being detonated[4:30]
They stress that this part of the country became an area the government was very interested in keeping people away from, due to radiation and the sensitivity of the weapons being tested[5:10]

Pre-war land use and conversion to bombing range

Chuck notes that prior to government takeover there were silver mines, cattle, and wildlife in the region[5:28]
In 1940, the U.S. government claimed the land to train bombers and turned it into a bombing range divided into numbered areas[5:31]
Josh says the designation "Area 51" appears to come from how that region was numbered on bombing range maps, basically between areas 50 and 52[5:52]

Rise of jet technology and Skunk Works

German jet lead and U.S. response

Chuck explains that during World War II, Germany was ahead of the U.S. in jet airplane development[6:11]
The U.S. decided to accelerate its own jet program in response, tasking Lockheed in 1943 to develop a jet fighter using a British jet engine[6:28]

Kelly Johnson and the P-80 Shooting Star

Lockheed engineer Kelly Johnson assembled a team and delivered the P-80 Shooting Star, which Chuck calls one of the coolest-looking old jets[6:37]
Josh and Chuck encourage listeners to look up photos of the jets they mention because many are visually striking[6:41]
Josh says delivering America's first jet under time and under budget made Johnson a legendary engineer[7:09]

Formation of Skunk Works and agile development style

Josh explains that Lockheed offered Johnson ongoing funding, resources, and an elite team if he continued rapidly developing advanced aircraft[7:28]
This group evolved into Lockheed's Skunk Works, considered legendary in aviation engineering and credited with pioneering an agile-style project management approach[7:44]
Josh notes that Skunk Works also benefitted from having an intriguing name that added to its mystique

Project Aquatone and selecting Groom Lake

CIA demand for a high-altitude spy plane

Chuck says that in 1954 the CIA wanted a spy plane capable of flying above radar and photographing Soviet bases and missile sites[8:20]
The spy plane program was named Project Aquatone, under which Johnson's Skunk Works developed the U-2[7:39]
They note this work began at Site 1 in Burbank, California, a suburb of Los Angeles[8:04]

Need for a more secret test site

Chuck explains they couldn't continue U-2 work at Site 1 because of the need for extreme secrecy[8:37]
Josh describes how Kelly Johnson, CIA officer Richard Bissell, and pilots scouted locations, focusing on the Nevada test range and a dry salt lake called Groom Lake[9:10]
A pilot tested the lakebed's firmness by dropping 16-pound shot-put balls and said the dry lake was as solid as a tabletop[9:17]
Other advantages included existing off-limits status, restricted airspace, remoteness, and two mountain ranges that shielded the site from view[9:45]
Josh concludes that this remote area, later known as Area 51, was ideal for secretly building and testing a spy plane[9:51]

Chuck's anecdote about a dry lake bed shoot

Chuck recalls working as a production assistant on a car shoot at a dry lake bed in Death Valley[10:16]
He was asked to drive a Mustang 100 feet in front of a line of cars, fishtailing and doing donuts to kick up dust for the shot
He describes it as one of the most fun things he did as a PA because the flat lakebed removed most fears of hitting obstacles or flipping

Cover stories, legal erasure, and extreme secrecy

Paradise Ranch cover and local context

Josh says the site was nicknamed Paradise Ranch, and Chuck notes that nearby communities were already accustomed to "weird things" due to atomic tests[11:44]
The pre-existing strangeness and remoteness meant that new activity at the ranch did not arouse much suspicion among locals[11:44]
Josh adds that the CIA cover story was that they were bomb experts cleaning up unexploded munitions from the former bombing range[11:59]

Executive orders and land withdrawal

Josh states that Eisenhower signed Executive Order 10633 in 1955, extending restricted airspace over Area 51[12:25]
In 1958, a public land order effectively removed the area from official maps and public acknowledgment[12:36]
Chuck emphasizes that later in court the government repeatedly claimed the place people referred to did not exist, creating a "crazy-making" situation[13:03]

CIA to Air Force control and internal compartmentalization

Josh says Area 51 was originally a CIA installation and around 1970 control shifted to the Air Force[13:26]
He notes that for several years in the 1950s and 1960s, virtually no one outside knew Area 51 existed; it was a genuine secret, not an open secret[13:50]
Workers later testified that they were interrogated at gunpoint to verify they were not spies and subjected to various loyalty tests[14:04]
During U-2 development, even personnel without direct involvement were forced indoors with blinds closed before the plane was rolled out or tested[14:12]
Chuck is surprised that even people already cleared to work at Area 51 were further restricted from seeing the U-2, contradicting the assumption that access to the base meant access to "all the good stuff"
Josh underscores that even being on the base required the highest security clearance, yet additional compartmentalization still applied[15:01]

U-2 incident, escalation to Project Oxcart, and black projects

U-2 shootdown and public revelation of secret programs

Chuck recounts that the U-2 spy plane program was effective until pilot Francis Gary Powers was shot down over the Soviet Union in 1960[15:29]
He notes that once the aircraft was in Soviet hands, the plane was no longer secret, and the incident exposed to Americans that the U.S. was developing unknown technologies in total secrecy[15:42]
Josh explains that President Eisenhower had proposed an open-airspace policy with Khrushchev for mutual verification, but Khrushchev refused, leading the U.S. to pursue the U-2 program instead[16:38]
Flying a spy plane over restricted enemy airspace was technically an act of war, and its shootdown created a humiliating and dangerous situation for the U.S.[17:04]

Birth of Project Oxcart and the black project model

Josh says CIA official Richard Bissell responded by proposing an even more secret plane under an even more secret project, which became Project Oxcart[17:25]
Chuck describes Oxcart as a black project so secret that even its budget amounts could not be publicly known[17:42]
Josh argues that this era marked the beginning of the modern pattern of military spending on secret projects with little oversight, where programs officially do not exist[17:58]

Cost and infrastructure of extreme secrecy

Josh explains that running a super-secret project greatly multiplies costs due to extensive background checks, remote locations, and extra security forces[21:36]
He adds that on top of secrecy costs, the cutting-edge nature of the technology itself required even more funding[22:04]

From Oxcart to the SR-71 and other stealth craft

Chuck states that Oxcart eventually led to the SR-71 Blackbird, which both hosts regard as one of the coolest planes ever built[22:12]
Josh mentions that essentially any stealth aircraft-from stealth bombers to stealth Blackhawks-developed from the 1960s onward likely had development and testing at Area 51[24:41]
He also notes that captured enemy aircraft and radar systems, such as MiGs, have been brought to Area 51 for reverse engineering in addition to work at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base[26:38]

Area 51 becomes a permanent, expanding facility

Chuck says that black projects and ongoing aircraft development made Area 51 a shop that would not close[23:46]
He notes that in 1993, the U.S. government seized an area called Freedom Ridge, a favorite vantage point for UFO watchers, and closed it to the public[25:07]
Chuck points out the irony of the name "Freedom Ridge" being taken and renamed in effect to something like "Get Out of Here Ridge"

Cultural association of Area 51 with aliens and UFOs

Shift from secret air base to alien icon

Josh stresses that Area 51 operated for 25-35 years before it became associated with aliens[26:07]
He notes the highway leading to the base, Nevada Highway 375, has been officially renamed the Extraterrestrial Highway by the state[25:49]
Josh says there is a specific moment when aliens became tied to Area 51: a 1989 TV broadcast on Las Vegas station KLAS[26:07]

Bob Lazar's initial 1989 interview

Josh recounts that in May 1989, KLAS aired an interview with an anonymous man called "Dennis" who claimed to be doing strange work at Area 51[26:23]
Chuck identifies the man as Bob Lazar and says he has watched more recent interviews with him[29:26]
Chuck describes Lazar as calm and seemingly credible, not acting like a "kook," and notes Lazar has not made money off his claims and now runs a business in Michigan[29:26]
In his story, Lazar claims to be an engineer working on reverse engineering flying saucers and alien technology at a site near Area 51[28:07]
He says at one point he was left alone with files describing alien technology and autopsies[28:23]
The initial local broadcast did not make huge waves until it was picked up in Japan and then spread more widely, after which the area became "alien central"[28:36]

Broader UFO culture context

Chuck points out that the 1970s and 1980s were a period of UFO obsession in the U.S., with many popular books attributing phenomena like the Bermuda Triangle or the pyramids to aliens[29:06]
This cultural backdrop helped Lazar's claims resonate and graft UFO mythology onto Area 51[27:33]

Specific claims Lazar made about technology and tests

Chuck describes a later interview where Lazar explained anti-gravitational propulsion technology, including a device shaped like half a basketball that repelled his hand like opposing magnets[31:08]
Lazar allegedly demonstrated that dropping a golf ball near the device caused it to veer aside as if it had bounced off an invisible barrier
Josh summarizes Lazar's claim that the craft bent gravity around it, enabling movement through space at effectively light speed using matter-antimatter engines and anti-gravity[32:36]
Josh notes that in 1989 such detailed descriptions of anti-gravity craft were not widely available, so Lazar's authoritative language made an impression[32:46]
Lazar also reportedly took friends out on Wednesday nights, when he said test flights occurred, and they saw lights rise and move in unusual ways, lending some credibility to his scheduling knowledge[30:54]

Challenges to Lazar's credentials

Chuck notes Lazar claimed degrees from MIT and Caltech but there are no records of his attendance[32:10]
Conspiracy believers respond that the government could easily erase such records and even pressure professors not to talk[32:15]
Chuck expresses skepticism about massive multi-person coverups, arguing someone would likely talk if thousands were involved[33:38]
He emphasizes that Lazar did not pursue fame and instead moved away and tried to run a regular business, which Chuck thinks somewhat boosts his credibility[34:03]

Roswell, conspiracy layers, and Majestic 12

Limited and likely nonexistent connection to Roswell

Josh states that although people routinely link Roswell and Area 51, almost all reasonable sources say they have nothing to do with each other[37:36]
He outlines the Roswell story: in 1947 an unidentified object crashed, debris was found, and it became a UFO focal point; the Army initially said it was a "flying disc" then later called it a weather balloon[38:04]
Josh notes that in 1947 Area 51 was essentially just a defunct airstrip and nuclear test range, not yet a CIA site, so there was nowhere there to store aliens or craft[39:03]
He adds that the idea of aliens at Roswell only really took off in the 1980s, even though the crash was decades earlier[39:38]
They mention Roswell and Area 51 are about 800 miles apart, contrary to popular impressions that they are close neighbors[39:34]

Common Area 51 conspiracy themes

Josh and Chuck summarize the basic conspiracy: alien corpses and technology are stored at Area 51, and the U.S. military studies them to develop time travel and light-speed travel[40:02]
They list additional claims including interdimensional travel experiments and the idea that aliens work daily at Area 51 alongside humans in harmony[40:53]
Another layer posits that these joint efforts aim to produce a human-alien hybrid race and form a one-world government secretly run from Area 51[41:02]

Majestic 12 as supposed secret rulers

Josh explains the Majestic 12 legend: a group of twelve elite scientists and academics allegedly empaneled after Roswell to liaise with aliens[42:02]
According to the story, they leveraged their position to become the actual rulers of the world, orchestrating a human-alien-run one-world government[41:47]
Area 51 is cast in this narrative as the underground seat of this secret global government[40:53]

Hitler-Stalin fake UFO plot theory

Chuck describes a more recent and highly speculative theory that Hitler and Stalin collaborated to undermine the U.S. by staging a fake alien invasion[43:53]
In this story, Joseph Mengele allegedly created mutant children with large heads and eyes to be placed in a fabricated spaceship to crash in the U.S., inspiring panic[43:10]
Josh says this narrative appears in a 2011 book by Annie Jacobson, based on an alleged Area 51 insider source[44:33]
He notes another writer with a different source claimed those files were actually fabricated loyalty tests to gauge how workers at Area 51 reacted to shocking "alien" information[44:59]
Josh suggests that similar stories about being left alone with alien-related files, including Lazar's claim, might reflect such internal loyalty-testing practices, not real aliens[46:00]

Modern access, Janet flights, and day-to-day logistics

Perimeter security and visitor experience

Josh describes driving along Nevada Highway 375 and turning onto an unmarked dirt road between mile markers 29 and 30 to reach the Area 51 gate[46:28]
The dirt road runs about 12 miles to a gate with warning signs, cameras, and sensors; signs state that use of deadly force is authorized[46:31]
Chuck says guards at the gate will simply tell visitors to turn around, but those who persist can be arrested[45:52]
Josh notes that while deadly force is authorized, he has not seen reports of it actually being used; more typical consequences include confiscated equipment and fines[47:28]

Civilian workers and high-level clearances

Chuck points out that Area 51 employs many civilians in roles like food service, custodial work, plumbing, and electrical, all of whom need the highest possible U.S. security clearance[46:49]
Workers do not simply drive up to the gate; instead, they commute via special flights from Las Vegas[47:06]

Janet flights from McCarran Airport

Chuck explains that employees board 737 passenger jets at McCarran Airport that act as air taxis, known by the call sign "Janet"[47:27]
These planes are white with a thick red stripe and no logo; they sit on the tarmac alongside regular commercial planes[47:06]
Josh says the meaning of "Janet" has been debated, including suggestions like "Just Another Non-Existent Terminal" and "Joint Air Network for Employee Transportation"[49:10]
He cites the Nevada Aerospace Hall of Fame's account that a base commander, Richard A. Sampson, named the commuter flights after his wife Janet when he commanded Area 51 from 1969 to 1971[49:26]

1990s worker lawsuit, environmental hazards, and partial acknowledgment

Hazardous waste burning and worker illnesses

Chuck explains that operating as a black project meant Area 51 was unregulated environmentally, leading to dumping and burning of hazardous waste in open trenches[50:19]
Workers were exposed to fumes from burning materials like anti-radar paint, decommissioned computers, and other exotic substances, with jet fuel used as an accelerant[49:41]
Trenches were reportedly located upwind of the installation, so smoke regularly blew over the work areas every two weeks when burns occurred[50:36]
An employee named Robert Frost developed severe health problems, and his doctor concluded he was suffering from a serious chemical reaction but needed to know the specific substance to treat him[50:36]
The government refused to disclose what Frost had been exposed to due to secrecy, and he subsequently died[50:08]

Lawsuit, state secrets, and mosaic theory

Chuck says Frost's coworkers filed a lawsuit in the mid-1990s seeking information, not money, about what chemicals were burned and causing illnesses[50:56]
Another worker involved in the suit also died, and higher courts ultimately ruled that workers had no right to know what they had been exposed to[50:56]
Josh highlights courtroom exchanges where government representatives insisted that the place plaintiffs claimed to work did not exist, creating a formidable procedural barrier[51:33]
He explains that Area 51 operates under the "mosaic theory": even small details (like chemical identities or decommissioned computers) could be pieced together by adversaries into a larger intelligence picture, so nothing can leave the base[51:55]

First limited acknowledgment of Area 51

Josh notes that during this lawsuit the government finally admitted there is a facility at Area 51, though they provided virtually no further detail[53:12]
He points out that earlier, satellite imagery of the site was suppressed because all satellites were government-controlled, but later private satellites made it impossible to hide the installation from maps[53:57]
The current status quo is that the government acknowledges a base exists but will not disclose what goes on there[53:59]

Hosts' stance on alien theories and wrap-up of main topic

Preference for mundane explanations

Chuck apologizes lightly for taking the government-focused tack and not "going all in" on alien theories[54:27]
He and Josh state they do not think Area 51 is primarily about aliens, instead viewing it as a site for advanced but terrestrial military research[54:04]
They encourage listeners interested in Area 51 to continue reading, noting there is interesting material available[54:04]

Listener mail: nicknames and generational naming

Email from Rob Bob about family nicknames

Chuck reads an email from a listener named Rob Bob, whose nickname combines Rob and Bob similar to "Jim Bob"[54:46]
Rob Bob explains that his parents started calling him that as a very chunky six-month-old because other nicknames like Robbie or Bobby didn't fit[55:11]
He notes his father is named William (Bill), whom he now jokingly calls "Will Bill" based on a family trend for rhyming nicknames[55:42]
Rob Bob shares that his wife Rachel is a big fan of writer Richard Wright and has long wanted to name a child Richard to honor him[55:22]
Rachel has visited Wright's grave in Paris and owns every book he published, emphasizing how meaningful the name Richard is to her[55:32]
Rob Bob says he has wanted to name a child Richard since high school so that three generations would be Will Bill, Rob Bob, and Rick Dick[55:54]
He reports that his wife does not approve of "Rick Dick" and thinks they should seek other name ideas[56:05]

Hosts' reaction to the nickname chain

Chuck and Josh thank Rob Bob and Rachel, and Chuck doubts that "Rick Dick" will be accepted in their household[56:16]
They suggest Rachel likely has the cooler head in this naming debate[56:19]

Show closing

Outro and contact information

Chuck invites listeners to visit stuffyoushouldknow.com for social links or email the show at stuffpodcast@iheartRadio.com[56:30]
A brief outro identifies Stuff You Should Know as a production of iHeartRadio and directs listeners to the iHeartRadio app and other platforms for more podcasts[56:35]

Lessons Learned

Actionable insights and wisdom you can apply to your business, career, and personal life.

1

The most plausible explanation for secretive government facilities is often advanced but terrestrial technology, not extraordinary conspiracies-starting with the mundane explanation prevents you from being misled by sensational stories.

Reflection Questions:

  • What is a situation in your life where you might be jumping to an extraordinary explanation instead of first considering a more ordinary cause?
  • How can you build a habit of asking, "What's the simplest non-mysterious reason this might be happening?" before accepting dramatic narratives?
  • This week, where could you deliberately pause and check for a straightforward explanation before reacting to something that feels suspicious or confusing?
2

Secrecy dramatically increases the cost and risk of any project, because it multiplies logistical complexity, reduces oversight, and can create blind spots such as environmental or safety abuses.

Reflection Questions:

  • Where in your work or personal life are you keeping things "need to know" that might actually be creating unnecessary cost or risk?
  • How could greater transparency with trusted stakeholders improve safety, accountability, or decision-making in a project you're involved with?
  • What is one area this month where you could safely share more information to reduce misunderstandings or hidden downsides?
3

Anecdotal testimony, even from calm and sincere people, is not enough by itself to establish what's true; credibility requires aligning stories with timelines, records, and independent evidence.

Reflection Questions:

  • When you find a particular storyteller compelling, how often do you independently check whether their claims fit known facts and timelines?
  • How might your decisions change if you weighted verifiable evidence more heavily than charisma or confidence when evaluating claims?
  • What is one belief you hold that is mostly based on a compelling story rather than solid corroborating evidence, and how could you stress-test it?
4

Cultural context powerfully shapes which ideas catch on; Area 51's alien mythology only exploded once it intersected with a preexisting wave of UFO fascination and media narratives.

Reflection Questions:

  • What popular ideas in your environment today might be thriving more because of cultural mood than because they're objectively well supported?
  • How could you account for cultural biases or trends when you evaluate new "big" ideas or movements you encounter?
  • In your own communication, how might you better time or frame an important message so it aligns with, rather than fights against, the current cultural context?
5

Compartmentalization and need-to-know access can protect sensitive work, but taken too far they undermine trust and make it difficult to address harms, as shown by workers who couldn't even learn what poisoned them.

Reflection Questions:

  • Where are you currently withholding information in a way that might be protecting the project but harming relationships or safety?
  • How could you redesign access to information in your team so that people have enough context to protect themselves and do their best work without compromising genuine secrets?
  • What is one concrete boundary you could adjust this week to balance confidentiality with fairness and care for the people affected?
6

Urban legends and conspiracy theories often grow by stitching together real facts (secret programs, strange craft) with speculative gaps, so learning to separate confirmed details from interpretive leaps is a key critical thinking skill.

Reflection Questions:

  • When you hear a dramatic claim, how often do you explicitly distinguish what parts are documented facts versus speculative interpretation?
  • How might your view of a controversial topic change if you wrote down only the points everyone agrees are true and reconsidered the story from that base?
  • What is one contentious narrative you believe where you could spend an hour this week mapping out the evidence versus assumptions to clarify your own thinking?

Episode Summary - Notes by Logan

Selects: How Area 51 Works
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