April 21, 2024 — Paul Schatzkin with Tim Swartz

This episode features better audio and fewer ads: Gene and cohost Tim Swartz introduce Paul Schatzkin, a biographer of obscure 20th century scientists. He has been described variously as a visionary, gadfly, serial entrepreneur, Internet pioneer, staunch McLuhanist, author, occasional bomb-thrower, guitarist and songwriter. His two books are: “The Boy Who Invented Television” about Philo T. Farnsworth and “The Man Who Mastered Gravity” about T. Townsend Brown. As to Farnsworth, he invented a thing called “the television” — which over the course of his lifetime (1906-1971) became the most ubiquitous appliance in the history of human civilization. Every video screen on the planet — including the one you are looking at now – can trace its origins to a sketch that 14-year-old Philo drew for his high school science teacher in 1922. Schatzkin’s second book — exploring the mysterious life of T. Townsend Brown (1895-1985) — is “the biography of a man whose story cannot be told.” “The Man Who Mastered Gravity” is a tale that lives in the Venn diagram between science, science fiction and pseudo science, with elements of world history, international espionage, and cross-generational romance. He was also involved in the early creation of a UFO research organization, the National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena (NICAP), which was later placed under the direction of UFO field pioneer and disclosure advocate Major Donald E. Keyhoe.

All episodes for 2022, 2023 and 2024 now feature better audio and fewer ads! The Paracast is a paranormal radio show that takes you on a journey to a world beyond science, where UFOs, poltergeists and strange phenomena of all kinds have been reported by millions. The Paracast seeks to shed light on the mysteries and complexities of our Universe and the secrets that surround us in our everyday lives. Join long-time paranormal writer and researcher Gene Steinberg, a team of knowledgeable guest cohosts, and a panel of special guest experts and experiencers, as they explore the realms of the known and unknown. Listen each week to the great stories about the amazing history of the paranormal field in the 20th and 21st centuries. When strange things occur that confound traditional scientific dogma, from strange objects speeding across our skies, to frightening creatures in remote areas of the world, and incredible reports of haunted houses, The Paracast will be there to separate the signal from the noise. NOTE: These episodes are the network versions with ads. If you want a commercial-free version of The Paracast, please subscribe to The Paracast+. Check https://www.theparacast.plus for details.