#349 AJ Gentile - Grand Canyon Conspiracies, AI Extinction and Nuclear War on Mars

October 19, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

The Grand Canyon, Mars, and the Edges of What We Know

AJ Gentile, host of The Wi-Files, returns to the Shawn Ryan Show for a wide-ranging conversation that moves through fringe theories, scientific anomalies, and personal transformation. Gentile has built a podcast that deliberately avoids politics and celebrity guests, instead focusing on physicists, occult historians, and researchers who operate at the boundaries of accepted knowledge. Since his last appearance, he has conducted 35 interviews and turned down offers from major Hollywood figures and politicians, preferring conversations with people who know more than he does about specific subjects.

Planet Maldek and the Strange Case of Mars

One of the more elaborate fringe theories Gentile explores involves a hypothetical planet called Maldek (also called Phaeton) that supposedly once existed between Mars and Jupiter. The theory traces back to the Titius-Bode law, an 18th-century formula developed by astronomer Johann Titius that predicted planetary positions with surprising accuracy — except for a gap where the asteroid belt now sits. When astronomers later discovered Ceres and other large objects in that belt, some speculated a planet had been destroyed.

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What you'll learn

1 Main Outline
2 (00:30) **Ad Break** - Promotional ads for KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and Carvana.
3 (01:06) **Catch-Up & The Podcasting Journey** - AJ Gentile returns to discuss his new podcast, The Wi-Files, and his philosophy on guests.
4 (05:23) **Exploring the Occult & Personal Beliefs** - AJ shares what he learned from interviewing a left-path Satanist and discusses his evolving spiritual views.
5 (21:15) **The Planet Maldek Theory** - AJ explains the fringe theory of a destroyed planet that created the asteroid belt, with Mars as its former moon.
6 (34:27) **Nuclear War on Mars & The Tunguska Event** - AJ presents the theory that Mars was destroyed by a nuclear war and then explores the mysterious 1908 explosion in Siberia.
7 (44:02) **The Expanding Universe & Time Travel** - AJ and Shawn discuss the nature of the universe, the Big Bang, and recent experiments with time travel.

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Show Notes

AJ Gentile is the creator and host of The Why Files, the hit series exploring mysteries, conspiracies, strange history, science, and the unexplained. Before launching the show, AJ worked in stand-up comedy and radio, including roles with MTV/VH1 and SiriusXM. The Why Files has since grown into a massive online community, known for presenting extraordinary stories and then breaking down what can - and can’t - be supported by the evidence. AJ has also expanded the brand with The Basement, where he sits down for longer-form conversations with researchers, witnesses, and others connected to the stories he covers.

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AJ Gentile Links:

The Why Files - https://www.thewhyfiles.com

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@TheWhyFiles

X - https://x.com/ajgentile

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