Messages Through Time and Space

On Tuesday 19 May, Changing Times in West Sussex presented a fascinating double-bill featuring Neil Ward and Ben Emlyn-Jones from the popular Paranormal Peep Show podcast.

In this special recording, the speakers explore two compelling types of “messages” that push the boundaries of human understanding: communication across time and signals from the depths of space.

Part 1: The Dodleston Messages Neil Ward recounts one of the strangest computer mysteries of the 1980s. In 1984, long before the internet was available to the public, a school teacher in Cheshire began receiving eerie messages on his newly installed BBC Micro computer. Even more astonishing, the sender claimed to be writing from the year 1583. Neil delves into this bizarre case of apparent time-crossing communication.

Part 2: SETI and UFOs Ben Emlyn-Jones examines the curious divide between SETI — the scientific Search for ExtraTerrestrial Intelligence — and the field of ufology. Why are these two approaches to finding intelligent life beyond Earth so disconnected? Ben explores the paradoxes, tensions, and overlooked connections between mainstream science and the UFO phenomenon.

A thought-provoking evening blending historical mystery, time anomalies, and the search for intelligent life in the cosmos. Perfect for anyone fascinated by the paranormal, unexplained phenomena, and the limits of human knowledge.