Joe Rogan has never been one to shy away from controversial ideas, but his latest claim might be his most provocative yet.
On a recent conversation with Jesse Michels, the comedian and UFC commentator declared that he believes humans were “genetically engineered” rather than products of simple natural selection, arguing that our evolutionary timeline simply doesn’t add up.
“I don’t believe that it’s a very simple evolutionary timeline between ancient hominids and human beings. I don’t buy it,” Rogan stated bluntly. “It happens too quick. It’s too weird.”
Rogan pointed to what he considers the most compelling evidence: the unprecedented doubling of human brain size over approximately two million years. He referenced philosopher Terence McKenna’s “stoned ape theory,” which proposed that psilocybin mushrooms accelerated human brain development, though Rogan seems to believe something more deliberate was at work.
“The human brain doubled over a period of like a couple million years, which is unprecedented in the fossil record. It doesn’t even make sense,” he explained. “You can’t explain that with pure natural selection. It seems you would need some sort of outside intervention.”
This perspective aligns with Rogan’s increasingly frequent references to ancient texts like the Book of Enoch, which describes “Watchers” who came down and “bred with men” to create the Nephilim. To Rogan, these aren’t merely mythological tales but possible accounts of genetic manipulation described in the only language available to ancient people.
“Doesn’t that sound like genetic engineering?” he asked. “If you’re a dummy who lived 6,000 years ago and you’re trying to recall a 5,000-year-old story, that’s probably how it presents itself.”
Rogan’s views represent a growing cultural fascination with alternative human origin theories, fueled partly by recent archaeological discoveries that keep pushing back the timeline of human civilization. He noted that researchers recently found evidence of human beings 500,000 years older than previously thought, extending our species’ timeline to approximately one million years.
The podcaster also drew parallels between ancient religious texts and modern UFO phenomena, suggesting they might describe the same reality through different cultural lenses. He pointed to the striking similarities between biblical descriptions of divine beings and contemporary alien encounter reports—both featuring humanoid figures with larger heads and eyes.
“I think we’re genetically engineered,” Rogan concluded. “I think the very first human beings, Adam and Eve, the idea that they just emerged—I think it’s because they’re created.”
While mainstream scientists would dispute Rogan’s interpretation, pointing to extensive fossil records and genetic evidence supporting gradual evolution through natural selection, his perspective resonates with millions who find conventional explanations insufficient.