When Barack Obama acknowledged on national television that there are objects in our skies we “don’t know exactly what they are,” it wasn’t a punchline — it was a signal. On this episode of HELLO FUTURE, Kevin Cirilli sits down with sociocultural anthropologist Dr. Peter Skafish to unpack what that moment actually represents: not proof of aliens, but a historic shift in how governments talk about unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP). From disclosure politics to the limits of scientific language, Skafish explains why the real story isn’t science fiction — it’s how institutions, democracy, and human imagination respond when confronted with the unknown.

When Barack Obama acknowledged on national television that there are objects in our skies we &ldquo;don&rsquo;t know exactly what they are,&rdquo; it wasn&rsquo;t a punchline &mdash; it was a signal. On this episode of HELLO FUTURE, Kevin Cirilli sits down with sociocultural anthropologist Dr. Peter Skafish to unpack what that moment actually represents: not proof of aliens, but a historic shift in how governments talk about unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP). From disclosure politics to the limits of scientific language, Skafish explains why the real story isn&rsquo;t science fiction &mdash; it&rsquo;s how institutions, democracy, and human imagination respond when confronted with the unknown.

HELLO, FUTURE with Kevin Cirilli is the daily podcast where tomorrow’s biggest questions come alive. Are aliens already visiting us? Could your next job be in space? What if satellites could find lost cities, or stop the next wildfire? What happens if America loses the space race… or if every satellite went dark tomorrow? From Mars to UFOs, from flying cars to “civilization starter kits,” each episode blends science, technology, and imagination with the real choices shaping our world. It’s smart, fast, and curious, built for anyone who’s ever looked up at the night sky and wondered what comes next. This isn’t science fiction. It’s the future, knocking on your door. 

Kevin Cirilli is the founder of meet the future™ (mtf.tv). Cirilli has advised some of the nation’s leading military nonprofit philanthropists and policymakers and he is an emerging playwright. As a journalist, he is the former Chief Washington Correspondent for Bloomberg Television and Radio, where he covered the White House, Congress, and global economic policy while anchoring a daily geopolitical business affairs program.

Before founding mtf.tv, Kevin appeared across nearly every major network — including CBS News, MSNBC, CNN, FOX News, C-SPAN, NPR, and Yahoo Finance — providing nonpartisan political and economic analysis and conducting exclusive interviews with some of the most influential figures of the 21st century. He was also a media fellow at the Atlantic Council in the Global China Hub.

He has reported from across the United States and around the world — including assignments in Israel, Vietnam, and Saudi Arabia — covering pivotal moments in global affairs and the people driving change.

HELLO, FUTURE with Kevin Cirilli&nbsp;is the daily podcast where tomorrow&rsquo;s biggest questions come alive. Are aliens already visiting us? Could your next job be in space? What if satellites could find lost cities, or stop the next wildfire? What happens if America loses the space race&hellip; or if every satellite went dark tomorrow? From Mars to UFOs, from flying cars to &ldquo;civilization starter kits,&rdquo; each episode blends science, technology, and imagination with the real choices shaping our world. It&rsquo;s smart, fast, and curious, built for anyone who&rsquo;s ever looked up at the night sky and wondered what comes next. This isn&rsquo;t science fiction. It&rsquo;s the future, knocking on your door.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-cirilli-943b162a/">Kevin Cirilli</a>&nbsp;is the founder of meet the future&trade; (mtf.tv). Cirilli has advised some of the nation&rsquo;s leading military nonprofit philanthropists and policymakers and he is an emerging playwright. As a journalist, he is the former Chief Washington Correspondent for Bloomberg Television and Radio, where he covered the White House, Congress, and global economic policy while anchoring a daily geopolitical business affairs program.
Before founding mtf.tv, Kevin appeared across nearly every major network &mdash; including CBS News, MSNBC, CNN, FOX News, C-SPAN, NPR, and Yahoo Finance &mdash; providing nonpartisan political and economic analysis and conducting exclusive interviews with some of the most influential figures of the 21st century. He was also a media fellow at the Atlantic Council in the Global China Hub.
He has reported from across the United States and around the world &mdash; including assignments in Israel, Vietnam, and Saudi Arabia &mdash; covering pivotal moments in global affairs and the people driving change.

HELLO FUTURE with Kevin Cirilli

When Barack Obama acknowledged on national television that there are objects in our skies we “don’t know exactly what they are,” it wasn’t a punchline — it was a signal. On this episode of HELLO FUTURE, Kevin Cirilli sits down with sociocultural anthropologist Dr. Peter Skafish to unpack what that moment actually represents

HELLO FUTURE: Trump, Obama’s “Aliens” Comment — What Did They Really Mean? 

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/779e73f9-bbdf-4a14-aa52-b3fb0124985d/transcript