Summary
Overview
Josh and Chuck explore the infamous Philadelphia Experiment conspiracy theory, which claims that in 1943 the USS Eldridge became invisible and teleported from Philadelphia to Norfolk, Virginia. They trace the story from its origins with Carlos Allende's letters to author Morris Jessup, examine the various claims and supposed evidence, and ultimately debunk the myth by explaining what actually happened - routine degaussing procedures to protect ships from magnetic mines during WWII.
Introduction and the Philadelphia Experiment Claims
The hosts set the stage by introducing the Philadelphia Experiment conspiracy theory, describing the alleged events of 1943 where the USS Eldridge supposedly disappeared and reappeared instantaneously, with horrific consequences for the crew. They outline the two separate incidents claimed to have occurred - one in July where the ship disappeared in Philadelphia, and another in October where it allegedly teleported to Norfolk, Virginia and back, traveling through time. The theory involves Albert Einstein's unified field theory and claims the sailors were molecularly disintegrated and improperly reassembled.
- The USS Eldridge allegedly disappeared from Philadelphia shipyard in July 1943 in broad daylight, with sailors in bad shape when it reappeared
- A second experiment in October supposedly caused the ship to teleport to Norfolk, Virginia and return 10 minutes earlier in time
- Sailors were allegedly caught in the middle of the ship, molecularly disintegrated and reassembled incorrectly, causing madness
- The conspiracy claims Albert Einstein figured out the unified field theory and used it to teleport ships
" If you could figure out how to teleport it, you're done, dude. No more war, because you would win them all, and the rest of the world would just cower at your invisible feet. "
Carlos Allende: The Source of the Legend
The entire Philadelphia Experiment story traces back to one man - Carlos Miguel Allende (also known as Carl M. Allen), who sent letters to UFO author Morris Jessup starting in 1956. Allende claimed to have witnessed the experiment firsthand from another ship and said Einstein taught him about unified field theory. Despite sending over 50 letters with incredible claims, he could provide no evidence, dates, or names, and suggested he'd need narco-hypnosis to remember details. Allende was later revealed to be a deeply disturbed individual, though researchers noted he was an engaging writer.
- Carlos Allende sent his first letter to UFO author Morris Jessup in 1956, claiming to have witnessed the Philadelphia Experiment
- Allende claimed Einstein spent several weeks teaching him unified field theory and that he saw a green glow and stuck his arm into the field
- When asked for evidence, Allende provided nothing and suggested he'd need narco-hypnosis to remember details
- Morris Jessup gave up investigating Allende's claims due to complete lack of evidence
" You don't know what you're talking about, man. You're getting this unified field theory all wrong. And I know because Einstein spent several weeks with me teaching me this stuff himself. "
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