Joe Rogan Experience #2545 - Jesse Michels · Aired Aug 25, 2026
Claim summary · not a verbatim quotation
PhD Steven Bruwell correlated transients from Palomar Observatory plates with nuclear detonations.
The finding
What the evidence shows
This looks like a garbled version of Stephen Bruehl, who co-authored the Palomar transients research with Beatriz Villarroel and did propose a possible link to nuclear tests. So a real study exists behind this claim, but it's a contested hypothesis that most of the scientific community is skeptical of, not an established finding, and the researcher's name and credentials as stated don't match the record.
Read the supporting source · en.wikipedia.org ↗Quick answer & review status
Quick answer
Is it true that PhD Steven Bruwell correlated transients from Palomar Observatory plates with nuclear detonations?
Partly. The claim stretches what the evidence shows. This looks like a garbled version of Stephen Bruehl, who co-authored the Palomar transients research with Beatriz Villarroel and did propose a possible link to nuclear tests. Jesse Michels said it (matched by voice) on Joe Rogan Experience #2545 - Jesse Michels, aired Aug 25, 2026, at 1:33:26. The supporting source is en.wikipedia.org, linked below.
The context belongs here.
No separately verified on-air correction is recorded for this check. That is not a claim that nobody corrected it.
- Attribution
- Not independently confirmed in this record
- Editorial context review
- Not recorded; generated finding
- Coverage
- One selected claim from the episode
Revisions to this check
No dated revision is recorded here. Older checks may predate this log.
Challenge this finding or add context →Keep the evidence coming.
Follow new checks in your RSS reader, or catch up with the weekly briefing on the site.
Email signup is currently unavailable.
Prefer to catch up here? Read the weekly briefing.