Scientists have created an Artificial Intelligence that can ‘read your mind’

Brace yourself, Artificial Intelligence is becoming more powerful by the minute.

According to a study by researchers from Japan, Artificial Intelligence is one step closer to mind reading machines illustrated in popular science fiction films.

Scientists have recently created a set of ‘deep learning’ algorithm, modeled on the human brain which can, eventually, be used to decipher the human brain.

Japanese scientists have developed an algorithm that can read human thoughts with a disturbing accuracy, according to details from a recently published study available on bioRxiv.

The scary part? Other than the fact that we’ll soon have AI running around reading your mind (joking), is that it isn’t the first time its been done. However, the difference is that earlier methods and results were much simpler, deconstructing pictures based on two main characteristics: Their pixels and basic shape.

Some of the images processed by the AI. 

Image Credit Kamitani et al

“Our brain processes visual information by hierarchically extracting different levels of features or components of different complexities,” said Yukiyasu Kamitani, one of the scientists involved in the study. “These neural networks or AI models can be used as a proxy for the hierarchical structure of the human brain.”

Through various tests, artificial intelligence was able to analyze electrical signals from the brain and determine what images each subject was observing or imagining.

In order to achieve this, the system has a set of artificial neural networks, which learn to think like a human brain through simulations.

The study lasted ten months, in which three people viewed images from three different categories such as natural phenomena, artificial geometric shapes and letters of the alphabet.

Comparing 50 different photographs and the result of the magnetic resonances obtained from the brain of each observer, the neural network developed by the scientific team learned to interpret the human thought.

By reconstructing people’s brain patterns, the algorithm was able to define the images they observed, between owls, showcases, red mailboxes and airplanes. In addition, it reproduced images such as swans, leopards, bowling balls or fish that each person imagined.

“Whereas it has long been thought that the externalization or visualization of states of the mind is a challenging goal in neuroscience, brain decoding using machine learning analysis of fMRI activity nowadays has enabled the visualization of perceptual content,” said the research paper.

“Although sophisticated decoding and encoding models have been developed to render human brain activity into images or movies or to the matching to exemplar images or movies (Naselaris et al., 2009; Nishimoto et al., 2011), failing to combine visual features of multiple hierarchical levels, the methods were essentially limited to the image reconstruction with low-level image bases.”

Featured image credit: Shutterstock.

Source: Deep image reconstruction from human brain activity

{ https://www.ancient-code.com/ }

17-01-2018 om 00:57 geschreven door peter  

Highly Important UAP/Extraterrestrial Disclosure / Confirmation Process in Progress

GIORGIO PIACENZA

 The “GIMBAL” video is the first officially declassified video by the U.S. Government of a true UAP (Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon). The location date and time and other factors are not shown in the case of this official video that is under an official chain of custody.   Apparently, it wasn’t just one UAP but “a whole fleet of them” as stated in the video.

Shown to the public by To the Stars Academy, formed by a group of former CIA, Congress Intelligence, DOD operatives, Tom DeLonge a rock star (with a negative view about aliens) and scientists like physicist zero-point energy theoretician Hal Puthoff and Steve Justice, an aerospace engineer who until recently held an important position in Skunkworks- Lockheed. They all quit their work posts to come together and form this academy which defines itself as a Public Benefit Corporationwhich is going to develop technologies that relate with advanced spacetime manipulation, enhancing telepathy, alternative methods to launch satellites, education, and entertainment-movie making. 

Several more public releases of formerly classified UAP evidence is promised.

The UFO detected was also studied in the Pentagon secret research program that ran from 2007 to 2012. It is termed the “GIMBAL video” and is announced as one of the various declassified pieces of objective evidence that will be shown to the public. Possibly, other countries like England will follow suit.

The date and place of this GIMBAL video encounter was removed as part of the declassification process. 

The GIMBAL video is not the event that relates with the USS Nimitz and USS Princeton in 2004. 

There also is an important event that relates to the USS Nimitz and battlegroup witnessed and filmed in 2004 during maneuvers close to San Diego, CA, including the USS Princeton was also captured on a FLIR camera. 

TTS (To the Stars Academy summarizes some of its characteristics as:

• Low observability in both electro-optical and electromagnetic spectrums.

• No distinguishable flight surfaces.

• Lack of obvious propulsion system.

• Never-before-seen flight capabilities.

• Possible energy or resonance field of unknown nature.

 Regarding the USS Nimitz encounter event, in which there was like a “cat & mouse” chase, flying up several thousand feet into the atmosphere, and then quickly coming down to a sudden stop to a few feet above the ocean. Moreover, there was another moment of extreme acceleration (in which the object disappeared from sight in less than 2 seconds).

Retired Commander Navy pilot David Fravor who encountered the UAP with his F-18 fighter considers told ABC news that “it was not from this world.” Source: 

http://abcnews.go.com/US/navy-pilot-recalls-encounter-ufo-unlike/story?id=51856514 

The second official declassification and release for the public is this video that related with the USS Nimitz battle group encounter and which has been called “FLIR-1”  A classic UFO shape is seen and it seems to turn around.

On December 16th, 2017, under the title “LUIS ELIZONDO REVEALS DETAILS ABOUT PENTAGON’S HIDDEN UFO PROGRAM IN STUNNING NEW YORK TIMES FRONT PAGE EXPOSÉ,”  To the Stars Academy made good on its previous announcement that it would soon reveal former secret records of the Government’s UFO research. And it happened through a major news outlet; a major institution, an icon. The Washington Post, Politico, CBS, CNN and other important media outlets have also given the news. The image above shows the formerly classified 2004 Nimitz -related event footage of a UAP also presented in the report. 

This constitutes an important step forward to legitimizing the seriousness and reality of what is generally dismissed and ridiculed. For some, it may be disclosure and, for others, a confirmation of what they already knew or suspected. it is both.

As a step forward and – at least an official recognition of the reality of true technological UFOs/UAPs, it may also be a gradual release of information in part to educate the public as per the importance of these issues and, perhaps, to mold their views.  It is the beginning of an official admission and of informing the public more about these events but why now?and under what premises? And, who made the decision?

What amounts to an official revelation in the hands of military and intelligence was preceded by an effort that originated in the U.S. Congress: a formal research as at least 22 million dollars were invested between 2007 and 2012 in UFO (UAP) in a Pentagon-based program in cooperation with Bigelow Aerospace. The stated purpose was to ascertain the possible threat of UAPs or at least some UAPs. It was run in secret by former CIA Mr. Louis Elizondo. The secret program was called “Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program” (AATIP). Apparently, no evidence of threat has been found. 

Senator Harry Reid and colleagues came up with the funding for the secret program that began operations in 2007 and Mr.Robert Bigelow of Bigelow Aerospace, a long-time UFO/UAP researcher, declared experiencer, former MUFON contributor and researcher of psi phenomena helped to implement it, working as a contractor. The program allegedly ended in 2012 but some sources told the New York Times that it is still running. For the Pentagon, this is a relatively small amount of funds spread over several years but enough to establish the fact that the Government interest in this issue is real. This would also show that this particular secret program is one that followed regular acknowledged funding channels. THE EVIDENCE IT PROVIDES in a formal manner may be necessary to begin INFORMING THE PUBLIC IN AN OFFICIAL AND JUSTIFIED MANNER. 

Former Senator Harry Reid (Democrat)

Now institutions, scientists, respectable professionals and members of the intelligentsia will (perhaps gradually but more decisively) have an easier time talking about UFOs as the reality of the issue sinks into collective acknowledgment. Now the complicit restrained smirk of many media reporters affected by the giggle factor worldwide will probably evolve into something less noticeable. 

A link to TTS regarding this is 

https://dpo.tothestarsacademy.com/?mc_cid=86031b2f45&mc_eid=10aa54ce15

A link to the New York Times article 

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/16/us/politics/pentagon-program-ufo-harry-reid.html

Open MindsUFO News and Investigations also gave the news

http://www.openminds.tv/breaking-news-secret-us-department-of-defense-ufo-program-revealed/41414

Many of those seriously interested in these issues will jump in joy, hoping that all will be truthful and well; others will decry and raise serious doubts about the intentions and secret plans behind the event and further related announcements. 

Perhaps from now on major news organizations and the media will more respectfully attend and re-transmit events like the 2013 Citizen’s Hearing on Disclosure which – in spite of its importance – was basically attended by smaller media and news enterprises. Perhaps the revelations are part of medium-level of secrecy, acknowledged secret projects; a “tip of the iceberg” of what is potentially known in the various compartmentalized projects of an even more super secret unacknowledged world. While in the project once directed by Mr. Lou Elizondo one can objectively say that we might be dealing with ETs without being completely certain, within specific project of that other  more secretive  world located further “down the rabbit hole”  we would not even question if we are dealing with other intelligences, time-travel, extraterrestrials-multidimensional beings and technologies connected with the practical modification of spacetime and the key role of consciousness. 

Is “some of the rest of the iceberg” as “far out” and hard-to-swallow like some of the issues shared by some whistleblowers like a “jump room to Mars,” “controlling anti-gravity or gravity cancelation since the 1950’s, human forces in possession of ET technology aligning themselves in some secret programs with “Draco and other alleged service-to-self, imperialistic ETs and (in other secret programs) with their adversaries (our protectors)?” And what about the U.S. Navy allegedly possessing a highly advanced space fleet already defending the Earth while facing a “secret space war in alliance with some benign extraterrestrials?” Is much of this information about a Secret Space program (SSP) disinformation or part of an even deeper level of secrecy within some Unacknowledged Special Access Projects (USAPS)?  In this issue many of the main researchers and voices of the UFO community disagree with each other and each promotes a different aspect but we need to tie together the kernels of truth whether likable or not; whether popular or not. 

Thus, again, how far “down the rabbit hole” might UFO research and the human-ET interface involving the Government (or, perhaps, a secret, parallel Government?) actually be? What is too far out for credible thinkers to seriously consider? Should we remain cautious like the ace reporter and researcher Leslie Kean who (in spite of acknowledging physical objects performing impossible and even intelligent maneuvers) prefers not to assert that this is a clear indication that we are being visited by extraterrestrials? Should we consider the current revelations a reaction against what Dr. Richard Dolan calls a “breakaway civilization” far ahead in technology and views about “reality” that may even possibly be escaping accountability and be out of control?

Will the Roswell incident(s) now also be finally acknowledged in a truthful manner now that some UFO/UAP secrets are being acknowledged? Do the associated aerospace engineers and physicists of To the Stars Academy of Arts and Sciences want to create UFO-like technology because they actually have had no access to the deepest developments that were organized after ET craft materials were recovered? 

Will fear against ETs be instilled in the population in order to manage how things are disclosed and handled or perhaps might a False Flag program be activated as Carol Rosin and Dr. Steven Greer have been warning for years?  Well, at least the original introductory statements in which Mr. Tom De Longe used the concept of terror in his initial formal To the Stars Academy presentation have been deleted or edited out from the current version of their YouTube presentation….and I applaud that. It may signal that – in spite of Mr. De Longe’s negative view about ETs – his associates do not agree.  In fact, it appears that Mr. Lou Elizondo who worked on the secret Pentagon project to detect UAP (Unidentified Aerial Phenomena)  threats found little evidence of it as was reported to journalist Leslie Kean. The actual name of the project was the “Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program.”

Mr. Lou Elizondo

Further Considerations

As per the plausible intentions of the (physical and/or multi dimensional) intelligences conceibably related to at least some of the UFO/UAP sightings, there are important advances which can shed some light regarding what is called “experiencer” research.

Thus far the results of the anonymous survey conducted by the Edgar Mitchell Foundation on Extraterrestrial and Extraordinary Encounters (FREE) on individuals that consciously remember to have experienced contacts with non-human intelligences in relation to UFO sightings strongly suggest that MOST (approximating or surpassing 90%) of these experiences are not malevolent. Conversely, if there actually were a greater % of “negative,” self-serving entities behind some of the genuine UFOs, it would seem that they would either be unable or unwilling to directly interact with a greater number of human persons and, thus, unable to show up in FREE’s significant survey.

My mind attempts to be carefully open to many possibilities. Hopefully not denying out of vehement dislike and not accepting out of preference. From trusting that so-called “white hats” (those in the know wanting to share more of what they know with the rest of us) have become more influential, to considering that the moves we are witnessing may all seem to be nice but may actually be a plot to control more segments of humanity and the world even further. However, I sense and think that the powers that actually made the decision to reveal what has been revealed (and may continue to reveal) have taken a basically good, well-intended step. If so, the UFO, exopolitical and ET contact communities must try to encourage these individuals and to work with them in a friendly manner.  

How the civilian voices (including major UFO and/or human-ET contact and exopolitical researchers) respond,  either propitiating reconciliation and further disclosure or further distancing themselves from the various “classified world” forces (thus generating a counter-reaction), will be important for any subsequent unfoldment.

If we respond in a way that contributes to promoting the attitude of self-education in individuals and toward a constructive, connective enhancement of cultural premises and worldviews, in a spirit of doing it for ALL of US, for humanity (and -why not – beyond), even more important revelations (besides acknowledging the reality of UFOs) may be forthcoming sooner because society or societies will have an easier time processing.

If our future is on the line as per the need to understand intimate, non-classical connections with reality, stimuli leading to the backwardness of selfish, animalistic and ethnophobic reactions based on the sensation of threat ought to be minimized whenever possible.   

Most ET intelligences interacting with “experiencers” (with different degrees of technological and spiritual development and also operating with various degrees of multidimensional technologies) would quite likely range between being mildly benevolent to highly benevolent toward us, as per the anonymous F.R.E.E. survey (www.experiencer.org). But if we listen to the information allegedly re-transmitted by contactees with very respectful, protective beings like Sixto Paz, Ricardo Gonzalez and several others, this might be due to the fact that Earth is being protected from unwarranted incursions. Some speak of a !quarantine.” Those service-to- self-beings that may still come through (including the few species that interact with Earth humans) could have had bases here before, have a beyond Earth, the exopolitical legal right among civilizations that intervened on Earth in a connected actual or probable past, or  – a few – might occasionally be able to “slip through” the protection.  These possibilities would perhaps justify the almost unbelievable existence of a secret defense space program in the SSP that has been circulating around. However it might be, the sensation of threat and the belief in the need to first rely on weaponry as a first choice; to rely in the furtherance of social manipulation and control and an old “us vs. them” mentality should not replace the sensation of basic safety based on our spiritual sovereign power as beings essentially sustained by The Supreme Benevolent Source of Being (Non-Dual Being and Consciousness itself).  Therefore, maintaining a positive, constructive, healing outlook, including the possibility of reconciliation through LOVE is necessary not to excessively resonate with dichotomous narratives, past and future histories and paths involving those plausible “negative” beings who apparently rely on external technologies to manipulate reality, people, and other beings. 

A Unique Opportunity

What we are witnessing is historical and should be treated with utmost seriousness and, yet, with hope, while being simultaneously accessible and cautious. Instead of being manipulated by populists catering to simplistic answers and a limited realism let’s try to rise to the challenge beyond further polarization. I think we should be encouraged by the news but neither vehemently chanting “victory” nor crying out loud in pessimism while renewing our dogmatic faith in cynicism.

ALL OF US must grow together with this unprecedented situation and learn to interpret it without extremism.Perhaps the UAP phenomenon and the realization of an intelligence behind it can force us to open up our minds (and hearts) to adapt to the greater connectivity it represents. 

We don’t know who is making the decisions to release what has thus far been released or why. For sure, without approval from higher authorities, To the Stars Academy would not have been able to come together and to come out with recently declassified documents and do what they have done. 

Could one of the main reasons for allowing this event may be that at least for now a majority of those in control of the UFO and ET classified worlds realize that a window of time or opportunity for a necessary profound cultural change is running out? That cynicism and lack of conviction in principles threaten not only conviviality and the continuity of the liberal world order but the very promise of a livable, civic, democratic future?

Could it be that if humanity is not adequately informed in order to evolve into adopting integrative principles beyond materialism, doctrinal scientific and religious close-mindedness, either-or thinking, extreme nationalism, selfish individualism, relativism and uber competition, it will become so fragmented, erratic and dissolute (unable to tell right from wrong or even care about it) that – without a fierce dictatorial control regime – the continuation of “civilization,” human evolution and order will be lost?  Could it be that in an age of intelligent, non-local interconnectedness we simply must change to a historically unprecedented degree?

I don’t know what the most salient facts motivating the cover-up and the gradual-but-now-more-decisive disclosure may be, but we must consider all of the possibilities and, instead of engaging in in-fighting and the creation of further subdivisions inside the UFO-exopilitics-experiencer communities we MUST responsibly assume this opportunity to promote a deeper and more comprehensive understanding, not only among those of us wanting to know the truth about UFOs and ETs (for instance through mutually respectful human-ET contacts and citizen diplomacy), but een a more amical and guiding understanding with those human decision-makers/powers (part of our human family after all) that could be orchestrating the disclosure. 

 The revelations – while important – seem incipient and perhaps well-intended. More should come later. How much will they tell? How much are we collectively ready to handle a much more extraordinary reality?  There might be good intentions behind all this or perhaps a continuation of a non-justifiable “us vs. them,” power-based, mindset. But let’s coordinate more and make great efforts for a positive, constructive, life-enhancing, educational, evolutionary outcome.

How we can bring together harmoniously all the different “pieces of the puzzle,” juggling our own adequate and inadequate biases on a complex, interwoven situation which is normally recognized in a segmented manner requires NURTURING that capacity; coming together in a safe, mutually supportive manner.

Concerned citizens must pay close attention to avoid being sucked into a “false flag” situation, that is into a “we’ll defend you from the evil aliens” situation or into any other consciousness-as-usual, evolution-numbing spin. Nonetheless, we should also try to help classified world leaders to connect with The People and to work together with all of us in a more intelligent, evolutionary manner for the good of ALL of US.

{ http://exonews.org/ }

17-01-2018 om 00:35 geschreven door peter  

Scientists want future space telescopes to look for risky signs of alien civilizations

BY ALAN BOYLE 

Global warming and nuclear blasts may be bad for humanity, but astrobiologists say they could be good indicators of the presence of intelligent life on distant worlds.

Such signatures of risky biological behavior should therefore be included in the list of things for future space telescopes to seek out, researchers say In a white paper prepared for the National Academy of Sciences.

The strategy would add a contemporary twist to the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, or SETI, reflecting the view that Earth is transitioning into a technology-driven geological era some call the Anthropocene.

“Examining the Anthropocene epoch through the lens of astrobiology can help to understand the future evolution of life on our planet and the possible evolution of technological, energy-intensive life elsewhere in the universe,” the researchers write.

Most of the researchers are affiliated with a Seattle-based organization known as the Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, although they may live elsewhere. Lead author Jacob Haqq-Misra, for example, is a meteorologist and astrobiologist who makes his home in Delaware.

The authors also include Woody Sullivan, a professor emeritus at the University of Washington.

Their perspective parallels a study published last year, in which three researchers proposed classifying planetary environments based on their energy potential and usage. Based on their classification scheme, Earth is on its way to becoming a Class V planet, dominated by the activity of a technologically advanced, energy-intensive species.

Adam Frank, a University of Rochester astrophysicist, is a co-author of last year’s study as well as the newly issued white paper.

The white paper basically suggests that telescope projects under consideration by NASA should look for the chemical signatures of other Class V planets.

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, currently due for launch in 2019, is expected to search for signs of life in alien atmospheres. But the researchers focus instead on concepts that are still early in their planning stages, such as NASA’s Origins Space Telescope, Large UV/Optical/IR Surveyor (a.k.a. LUVOIR) and Habitable Exoplanet Imaging Mission (HabEx).

The researchers also called on the NASA Astrobiology Institute to establish a focus group on Anthropocene-themed astrobiology. They said such a group could identify the potential “technosignatures” of alien civilizations.

“The terraforming of otherwise uninhabitable planets within a planetary system is one example of a possible technosignature, where powerful artificial greenhouse gases may be deployed to warm a planet outside the formal habitable zone,” they wrote. “Such planets may be identified from the spectral features of greenhouse gases such as perfluorocarbons (PFCs), which are not known to otherwise occur in high abundances.”

The identification of planetary-scale megastructures would be another example, they said. Just this month, a different team of researchers reported using telescopic observations to rule out the presence of an alien megastructure around a strangely dimming star known as KIC 8462852, or Boyajian’s Star.

Yet another long-lasting technosignature could be the presence of radioactive compounds associated with nuclear fallout. Here on Earth, the first atomic bomb test left just such a signature in 1945, which is seen as heralding the dawn of the Anthropocene Age.

Even if astrobiologists don’t detect the signs of energy-consuming civilizations beyond our solar system, the exercise could well yield payoffs closer to home. The authors point out that getting a better understanding of the theoretical constraints on alien civilizations — and the risks they may face — would improve policy decisions for the future of our own civilization as well.

In addition to Haqq-Misra, Frank and Sullivan, the authors of “The Astrobiology of the Anthropocene” include Sanjoy Som, Brendan Mullan, Rafael Loureiro, Edward Schwieterman, Lauren Seyler, Haritina Mogosanu, Eric Wolf, Duncan Forgan and Charles Cockell. Hat tip to Daniel Fischer.

{ https://www.geekwire.com/ }

17-01-2018 om 00:16 geschreven door peter  

Rendlesham UFO shock theory: Colonel says US airmen COULD have been abducted by aliens

A PREVIOUSLY unseen interview with a US Colonel has revealed he thought it possible two US airmen were abducted by aliens during the alleged Rendlesham UFO encounter.

16-01-2018 om 23:40 geschreven door peter  

CLAIM

Motorists in Mexicali, Mexico, shot footage capturing an extraterrestrial spacecraft.

RATING

 UNPROVEN

ORIGIN

Footage allegedly shot in Mexico was promoted online in January 2018 as the first “proof” of extraterrestrial life to emerge during the near year. Pedro Ramírez, who calls himself a “UFOlogist,” posted the video on his Facebook page on 1 January 2018, declaring that it was filmed in Mexicali, the capital of the Mexican state of Baja California:

Ramírez does not claim to have shot the video, and the person(s) doing so can be heard off-camera describing an unidentified object overhead. One woman says, “It’s something made of metal, because the sun is illuminating it.”

In the post accompanying the video, Ramirez wrote:

As we know from the last two months of 2017, Ovni activity does not stop at the Mexican border, we know that Alien indigenous entities are worried because of the recent space launches which they are sure is sending war material into Earth’s orbit, drawn by these events, “They” are monitoring Earth activities in this part of the planet.

This year will be crucial for those of us who closely follow this phenomenon, NASA and the company SpaceX have scheduled different launches into space, some with “suspicious” motives.

Several web sites reprinted a translated version of Ramírez’s remarks, but many of them failed to link to the original post, creating the impression (intentionally or otherwise) that they had interviewed him.

No corroboration has been offered regarding the nature of this “Ovni,” the Spanish-language term for a UFO. At least one other UFO “hoax-buster” has questioned Ramírez’s assessment on Twitter, however, saying that “The video of so-called ‘vertical UFO’ or ‘humanoid-shaped object’ taken in #Mexico has gone viral. There’s a possible explanation like this ‘stormtrooper balloon.'”

It is not unusual for flying objects to be spotted in the skies of Baja California, which sits alongside the U.S. border. As far back as 2013 authorities in nearby Tijuana were planning to use unmanned drones for surveillance and public safety.

Tijuana also promoted itself as a drone “hub” alongside its neighbor city in California, San Diego. In April 2017, the then-Secretary of State for Baja California, Raúl Felipe Luévano Ruiz, called the idea of drones being used for surveillance “viable.”

In January 2018, lawmakers in the Mexican Senate began investigating a proposal that would make the use of drones for crimes or to invade someone’s privacy punishable by up to 12 years in prison.

Fact Checker:Arturo Garcia

Featured Image:YouTube screen capture

Published:15 January 2018

{ https://www.snopes.com/ }

16-01-2018 om 23:20 geschreven door peter  

US Air Force colonel says two airmen involved in British UFO case 'may have been abducted'

A new "secret video" obtained by the Sun reveals the airmen involved in Britain's most infamous UFO case may have been abducted by aliens.

British Staff Sergeant Jim Penniston and Airman John Burroughs went to investigate lights in Rendlesham Forest, Suffolk.

When in the woods, they claimed they saw a triangular craft, which Penniston was able to get close enough to touch before it took off.

He claims the craft was "smooth to touch" and covered with strange symbols.

Now, in a "secret" video, retired US Air Force colonel, Charles Halt can be heard saying that Burroughs "may have been abducted" and that the men were "unaccounted for" for hours.

Dubbed the UK's Roswell incident, the encounter happened in December 1980, in the woods just outside the twin Nato air bases of RAF Woodbridge and RAF Bentwaters.

Two nights after Penniston and Burroghs found the UFO, it returned.

In a bid to "debunk" the claims, a team of military experts led by Halt went into the woods to investigate.

To their shock, a beam of light from the UFO hit the ground a few feet away from them.

Halt detailed the incident in an 18-minute audio recording and wrote a memo to the MOD, but defence chiefs said the it was of "no defence significance."

For years, it has been rumoured the pair, who were security policemen, may have been abducted as they were out of radio range for several hours with Central Security Control, but no one involved has ever publicly stated it.

The new footage

Former British police detective Gary Heseltine released the footage from 2010, made for a documentary, which was never published, with Halt and the forest.

During a break in filming, Heseltine's wife captured the two talking about the 1980 events.

Halt says in the video: "He [Burroughs] may have been abducted who knows ... You know there is LOST TIME, we know that? They were not on the radio ... You've got men out in the forest that you can't …. Unaccounted for hours."

Heseltine, 57, of Scholes, West Yorkshire, told Sun Online: "My wife Lynn took quite a few video clips as we walking around the forest.

"It was only recently while watching them again that I picked up on the admission by Halt that Penniston and Burroughs had been missing off air 'for several hours'.

"I did some research and realised that this admission had never been made public by Halt and so for the benefit of taking the case forward I have decided to release the clip."

Heseltine, who edits the UFO Truth website, added: "As someone who is just trying to piece together the events in Rendlesham Forest, I think it is in the public interest that they have a right to know such information and hence I have released the clip."

Former UFO investigator at the MoD Nick Pope said the revelation was "hugely significant".

"This is a bombshell statement, coming from someone who was deputy base commander of one of the most sensitive military bases in the Nato alliance, at the height of the Cold War.

"It's one thing to see a UFO, as Halt and many of the men under his command did, but it's quite another to suggest one of your men might have been abducted by aliens.

"A few weeks ago it would have sounded crazy for a senior American military officer to believe such things, but following the revelations about the Pentagon's secret UFO project, maybe it's not so strange after all.

"That said, it's not entirely clear to me whether Halt is being deadly serious, whether he's speculating, or if he's simply making a tongue-in-cheek comment."

{ http://www.nzherald.co.nz/ }

16-01-2018 om 23:04 geschreven door peter  

UFO SHOCK: 'Truth' about the 'vertical alien UFO' over Mexico that took internet by storm

VIDEO footage appearing to show a humanoid-shaped UFO hovering in the skies above Mexico has taken the internet by storm.

By JON AUSTIN

16-01-2018 om 22:39 geschreven door peter  

Aliens visited earth? You may not believe what you will see in this shocking video – Watch

It is a long-debated topic, whether aliens exist. There have been many movies that are dedicated to the extra-terrestrial beings. Also, there have been instances when people from across the world have claimed to see UFO.

It is a long-debated topic, whether aliens exist.

(Screengrab).

It is a long-debated topic, whether aliens exist. There have been many movies that are dedicated to the extra-terrestrial beings. Also, there have been instances when people from across the world have claimed to see UFO. In yet another instance, a strange humanoid-shaped UFO was filmed hovering in the sky alongside a busy road in Mexico. Baffled drivers were led wondering whether they captured evidence of aliens visiting Earth. The captured video and pictures were quickly picked up by conspiracy theorists, as per the Mirror report.

A UFO expert Pedro Ramirez said that a tubular UFO can be seen flying vertically over the city and described it as the first sighting of 2018. The sighting had taken place in the city of Mexicali in the state of Baja California, Mexico.

Meanwhile, there have been sightings in India too. Earlier, in 2015, a schoolboy claimed to have captured photographs of a UFO from his house rooftop in Shyam Nagar, a suburb of Kanpur, on 25 June. However, some people claimed that the photos were most likely created with a photo editing smartphone application.

WATCH

{ http://www.financialexpress.com/ }

16-01-2018 om 22:16 geschreven door peter  

12 years of UFO sightings in south London, north Kent and north Surrey

A picture apparently showing a UFO sighting (PA)

For years, the Ministry of Defence recorded UFO sightings reported by members of the public.

We took a look across the areas all the areas covered by our titles in south London, north Kent and north Surrey and put together a list.

Some of them have more detail than others, but there are some brilliantly vague entries.

For example, "something interesting" was seen in Cobham on June 28, 2008. And on January 15, 2001, somebody in Southfields reported seeing a "very large white light, which turned the sky blue". Presumably they had seen the sunrise.

It is perhaps no surprise that the MoD closed its UFO desk in 2009, claiming there was "no defence benefit" in running the service.

An internal memo read: "The level of resources diverted to this task is increasing in response to a recent upsurge in reported sightings, diverting staff from more valuable defence-related activities."

The upsurge is evident in the list below, with a much larger number of recordings in the latest year.

Here they are, from 1997 to 2009.

2009

• Jan 26 at 18:15 - Bromley: Three orange lights in horizontal line above the opposite side of the hill. Stopped car but saw only four lights, two separate at the top & two close together at the bottom. Top two rose and disappeared. Second two moved higher then also vanished.
• Feb 8 at 21:00 - Sutton: Five UFOs. Bright round orange lights. Made no noise. Disappeared in direction on London.
• Feb 22 - south east London: An object with a white and alternating red lights at an angle. Came from south east London towards Canary Wharf. It stopped in mid-air and an alternating sequence of red lights flashed at 180 degrees. Lights switched side instantly.
• Feb 23 at 22:52 - south east London: It was the flashing of a huge object with one normal and two green lights. It was flying low. Only saw it for four seconds than it vanished from sight.
• Mar 17 - Croydon: A bright orange light, the size of a helicopter. It looked like a flame or a flare but made no sound. It was moving very slowly.
• Apr 25 at 10:15 - Croydon: A bright red light over the house.
• Apr 30 at 20:30 - Sutton: A bright green light that whizzed about the sky for an hour. It was very fast and a few planes got in its way.
• Jul 28 at 09:30 - Bromley: Saw an orange, yellow object in the sky, with the shape similar to a hot air balloon.
• Aug 1 at 10:00 - Croydon: 60-70 lights, suddenly disappearing
• Aug 5 - Mitcham: Saw four strange orange lights in the sky following each other. Lights then just disappeared. Lights then seen again moving across the night sky. Went inside and saw the same lights in a three prong triangle.
• Aug 31 at 21:45 - Twickenham: Ball of fire in the sky.
• Sep 9 at 20:30 - Epsom: Thirty orange globes, in four waves, travelling at a constant speed. May have been lanterns of some kind but they would have been 1-2 Metres in diameter.
• Sep 9 at 21:20 - Tooting: Black sphere. Bobbing about half a mile away . Covered with a phosphorus chemical cloud. It goes light grey. Flash of lightening then re-appears. Some of the clouds light up. Various sightings 20:30 and 12:15.
• Sep 19 at 19:40 - Bromley: A bright orange light moving across the sky no noise
• Oct 17 at 22:45 - Orpington: Twenty-five lights red and orange with vapour trail, disappearing into blue green colours, spinning.
• Oct 28 at 21:18 - Hampton Court: Bright orange glow arched over him appeared for 15 seconds then went upwards.
• Nov 1 at 17:44 - Beckenham: Three orange objects, then four more joined them.

2008

• Jun 7 at 23:00 - Croydon: A strange object was seen in the sky. It was around for several minutes, and then flew off.
• Jun 28 Cobham: Something interesting.
• Jul 29 at midnight - South Croydon: A UFO.
• No Firm Date (message taken on June 30) - New Malden: A UFO, stationary up in the sky for the last few days.
• No Firm Date (message taken on October 10) New Malden: Two strange objects in the sky. They were together and then they followed each other.
• No Firm Date (message taken on December 15 at 21:00) Coulsdon: Two very strong, clear white lights.
• 2007
• Apr 20 at21:30 - Bexley: There were over fifty lights floating in the sky. They were red/orange in colour
• No Firm Date (message taken on May 30 at 22:43) - Clapham: A UFO was travelling from Clapham to Heathrow.
• No Firm Date (message taken on September 10 at 20:00) - Epsom: There were about 25 large, extremely bright orange lights in the sky, with one bigger light behind the rest.

2006

• Feb 15 at 20:40 - Mitcham: Two bright lights, which were then joined by a third bright light, which then flew alongside them.
• Mar 3 - Streatham: Two objects were seen in the sky.
• Dec 17 at 18:45 - Cobham: White object moving from North to South. Looked like the object was burning up. Trail behind it that lasted a few seconds.

2005

• Feb 21 at 10:00 - Teddington: Something was seen in the sky.
• 2003
• Feb 25 at 23:00 - Southfields: Object, not a plane, not on flight path and not a star.
• Jun 21 at 16:43 - Richmond: A doughnut shaped object was spotted moving from left to right, side to side. One side was shiny and reflective, and the other black.
• Jun 21 at 12:32 - Wimbledon: Just said something was seen for three seconds. (Didn't specify).
• Nov 17 at 02:25 - Bromley: police officers/Police helicopter crew reported there were 20-30 red flashing lights in the sky accompanied by a whirring noise.

2002

• Feb 16 at 22:50 - Walton-on-Thames: One oval disc seen, with green and red flashing lights.
• Apr 7 at 21:30 - Walton-on-Thames: One round object with red and green flashing lights. Bobbing from side to side.
• Apr 8 at 22:00 - Walton-on-Thames: One small disc shaped object with red and green flashing lights.

2001

• Jan 15 at 18:00 - Southfields: Very large white light, which turned the sky blue.
• Nov 5 at 18:30 - South Croydon: Three to four objects that were smaller than a large aircraft. Were triangular in shape, white and very bright.

2000

• May 28 01:30 - Dartford: Six to seven, round, but flat objects. White and fairly bright - clearly visible. They made rapid, random movements.
• Sep 24 00:02 - Twickenham: One, possibly two golden lights. Moving incredibly fast, then disappeared.
• Oct 30 at 09:00 - Plumstead: Object - size of a small pea at arm’s length, round, illuminated from within, (a sort of glowing white). Looked three dimensionally solid.
• Nov 1 at 09:31 - Dartford: One pinpoint of light, quite bright. Erratic movements, from side to side.

1999

• Feb 9 at 20:06 - Wandsworth: One object that was hovering.
• Apr 15 at 02:19 - Tooting: One circular object. White and bright
• Oct 24 at 19:40 - Kingston: Green light was seen projecting from the cloud, followed by a pulsed wave of green light. Very bright. In a Southerly direction.
• Nov 29 23:34 - Dartford: Small light, too far away to ascertain shape. Glittering red, green and white. Did not move.

1998

• Mar 10 at 20:55 - Cheam: Very bright, pink light. Shot off at high speed.
• Apr 28 23:40 - Twickenham: Single white light. It had a faint light behind it. It was moving slowly.
• Jul 27 23:20 - Twickenham: One large, circular object, that had blue lights that were spinning.
• Sep 5 at 16:30 - Esher: Several pairs of small, elliptical, silver objects descending from the sky.
• Nov 4 at 04:00 - Morden: A ball of changing colour, with lots of different coloured lights around it. Made helicopter sounds. It stayed in place for about two hours.

1997

• Feb 13 at 17:30 - Croydon: Two objects that had one blue and one orange light. They were very bright. They were stationary and then there was erratic movement.
• Feb 14 at 07:45 - Streatham: One airship shaped object. It was black. It was drifting smoothly.
• May 19 at 23:17 - Bromley: One round shaped object, double the size of a star. White (pale), but very bright. It was stationary for a while and then travelled straight and level.
• May 31 - Wandsworth: One large, star like object. White in colour. Was moving slow from North to South.
• Jul 26 at 01:00 - Croydon: One blue, white and grey object. Was a big swirl like a dust storm, then a circle within a circle, like a gas ring. The centre was transparent then changed into a straight line
• Aug 2 at 22:18 - Twickenham: Two UFOs. Both were white and were very dim. They were moving West, and making erratic movements.
• Aug 2 at midnight - Balham: A football shaped object. It had a very bright light. Left a trail behind it, as it skimmed across the sky. It then disappeared.
• Aug 8 at 23:30 - Kingston: Two objects, both the size of a saloon car. Both were very bright. They were bouncing about all over the sky.
• Aug 9 at 18:00 - Molesey: One object. Was angular. It was moving Eastwards and was rising in the sky.
• Oct 13 at 18:50 - Walton-on-Thames: One star shaped object. White in colour. It moved from South West to North East.
• Nov 22 at 05:00 - Beckenham: One, round shaped object. Had red, green and blue colours and was very bright. Was moving East.

{http://www.yourlocalguardian.co.uk/ }

16-01-2018 om 21:53 geschreven door peter  

Conspiracy theorists warn people after seeing vertical UFO lingering around Mexico (Video+)

Rumors of UFO sighting have been highly prevalent since ages with no solid proof of the presence of intelligent life visiting the perimeter of earthly realms. This is the very first video of UFO sighting after the arrival of this New Year.

By

 Science Examiner Desk

The word “Alien” has been ever present in the human society for something that is beyond our understanding. Recently, this topic of extraterrestrial life sparked the interest of common man with the strange object that was spotted in the skies of Baja state located in Mexico. This mysterious object was captured via a cell phone that shows a vertical aligned UFO flying over a city located in this state.

The object in the video isn’t clear enough to prove the presence of an Unidentified Flying Object (UFO). However, one can derive from the video that there is a certain cylindrical object hovering over the city which is aligned in a vertical manner.

Rumors of UFO sighting have been highly prevalent since ages with no solid proof of the presence of intelligent life visiting the perimeter of earthly realms. This is the very first video of UFO sighting after the arrival of this New Year. The clip, shot in the Baja state of Mexico has already started trending on numerous social media platform with conspiracy theorists stating that aliens might be keeping an eye on our activities.

According to a conspiracy theorist, Pedro Ramirez, UFO sightings have increased in number in the recent months due to the fact that space agencies such as SpaceX and NASA have been busy launching space missions on a continuous basis. This continuous space exploration might have attracted the attention of intelligent life beyond our blue planet. You can easily see this tubular shaped UFO flying in a vertical manner over the city. If claims are to be believed, UFO sightings and other alien activities have increased over a few months and especially during the year 2017’s final two months.

Ramirez further added that aliens knew that we have been launching a number of space missions which might be perceived as “War Material” being sent up in the sky. The extraterrestrial beings might be concerned with our increased activities, thereby monitoring the planet to confirm the cause.

The video of this particular UFO sighting was captured by a woman who can be easily heard in the video exclaiming “What is this?” while she continued shooting the object with her phone’s camera. The video garnered around 50,000 shares by netizens all over the web which was a result of concern or indifference in observation.

When you explore the definition of a spaceship or UFO, this latest sighting has all the signs of an extra-terrestrial machine but defied the perception of our knowledge about UFOs. Normally we believe that UFOs are circular discs or saucer-like objects. This is the very first time a vertical one has been seen hovering in the sky.

NASA has always been keen on trying to explore the possibilities of alien life visiting Earth but when it comes to UFO sightings, the organization doesn’t seem as much interested. As per NASA astronomers, most of these sightings don’t even come under the explanation of UFO. For instance, in the year 1972 during the Apollo 16, three astronauts captured an object with a dome on top. Charles Duke, Thomas Mattingly, and John Young speculated this object to be a UFO. However, it turned out to be a spacewalk floodlight which is why most of the UFO sighting does not attract interest from NASA scientists.

As per the judgment over the Mexico sightings is concerned, it is still under consideration. The conspiracy theory behind such sightings might be true for some instances as space missions in the recent months have increased significantly which might be a red flag for the intelligent life living far away from us.

Tags: 

• Baja Mexico, 
• Vertical UFO

{ https://sciexaminer.com/ }

16-01-2018 om 21:31 geschreven door peter  

{ https://geneticliteracyproject.org/ }

16-01-2018 om 21:21 geschreven door peter  

Extraterrestrial life difficult to study with existing knowledge: NASA scientists

By ​Rahul K R

{ http://www.ibtimes.sg/ }

16-01-2018 om 21:08 geschreven door peter  

Alien abduction or KGB? The baffling case of the miner whose body was found on a pile of coal

'Ziggy' Adamski disappeared from his home and his body was found 20 miles away on a coal pile

ByAndrew Robinson

The disappearance of a Yorkshire miner in 1980 left police baffled and prompted ‘alien abduction’ conspiracy theories.

Zigmund Adamski went missing in mysterious circumstances from his home in Thornfield Crescent at Tingley, near Wakefield, in June 1980

The 56-year-old miner at Lofthouse Colliery – who was known to many as ‘Ziggy’ – had set off on June 6 on a walk to the local shops to buy groceries.

It was the last time that Polish-born Mr Adamski was seen alive. His wife Lottie’s initial suspicion was that he had been kidnapped.

Five days after he disappeared, coal yard worker Trevor Parker found his body on top of a 10ft high pile of coal at his father’s coal yard in Todmorden, around 20 miles from Tingley.

He was wearing a suit but his shirt was missing, as were his watch and wallet. His clothes were said to be ‘improperly’ fastened and he had only one day of beard growth.

Mr Adamski’s hair had also been cropped short in a ‘roughly cut’ manner.

His body was also covered in burn marks, on his head, neck and shoulders. His face, it was reported, showed ‘absolute terror’ but there were no injuries to explain the cause of death.

The burns were said to be covered in a strange ointment which could not be identified by scientists.

What had happened to him and how did he end up in Todmorden?

Those questions haven’t been answered but this hasn’t stopped speculation and the development of some quite outlandish theories.

At the time, a famous UFO expert, a Polish-American citizen also called Adamski (George) offered up his own theory on what happened to his namesake.

George Adamski, who had previously claimed to have met with friendly aliens, said he believed that Zigmund had been abducted by aliens by mistake.

One tabloid newspaper suggested that Zigmund had been abducted and killed by aliens and his body dumped on top of the coal pile.

Others put forward theories that he had been killed by KGB forces or had been left dazed and confused after being struck by ‘ball lightning’ or some other unidentified phenomenon.

The ‘alien abduction’ theories were given a further boost by Alan Godfrey, the policeman who had been called to the Todmorden coal yard when Mr Adamski’s body had been found.

In November 1980, five months after Mr Adamski’s body was found, Constable Godfrey had his own encounter with a UFO less than a mile away from the coal yard.

The respected policeman made a sketch of the UFO and later, under hypnosis, told a story about being taken aboard the UFO and given a physical examination by two non-human entities. The policeman’s UFO story made headlines around the world.

Mr Godfrey, now 70, told the Examiner that the story he told under hypnosis was probably merely a dream, adding: “I never said I was abducted by aliens.”

However, he believes it’s possible that Adamski WAS taken by aliens.

“I am open minded. I can’t rule it out.”

Mr Godfrey doesn’t believe Mr Adamski was murdered, although he said a more senior police colleague in 1980 believed he had been killed.

He thinks that Mr Adamski didn’t die where he was found but had been placed there “by someone or something.”

He added: “He was on top of the coal pile on his back with not a bit of coal on him. His eyes were wide open and he had burn marks. Why would he climb up a stack of coal?”

Although the coroner recorded an open verdict, ruling that Mr Adamski had died of a heart attack, Mr Godfrey says there are unanswered questions.

“There was some ointment on the back of his neck. Samples were sent to a Home Office laboratory which couldn’t identify it.”

Mr Godfrey said he would never forget the look on Mr Adamski’s face.

“Those eyes were staring up at me. I was looking down on him from a foot away. Those eyes sent a shudder down my spine. They were wide open. He had a look of someone who had seen something or someone that had scared him to death.”

He added: “Something or someone put him on top of that pile of coal. And something scared him to death.”

Later, Mr Godfrey spoke to the pathologist who carried out the post mortem on Mr Adamski’s body.

“He said it was a classic case of someone who had been scared to death.”

The former policeman has no idea how the body ended up on the coal pile.

“How he got there I don’t know. I think something put him there.”

Mr Godfrey, who recently self-published a book which includes details of the Adamski case, said it had similarities with the alleged alien abduction of American logger Travis Walton in Arizona in 1975.

“He (Travis Walton) went missing for five days and he turned up alive. There are similarities.”

Almost 40 years on the case continues to fascinate investigators and those interested in unexplained deaths.

In Tingley local people still talk about the case.

Neil Beecham, who in 1980 was a reporter on the Morley Observer, said: “Mr Adamski’s mysterious disappearance 37 years ago has always troubled me and is a topic of conversation for the tight-knit community of Tingley, even to this day.”

Some commentators have suggested that Mr Adamski may have been abducted – but not by extra-terrestrials.

Ten years ago, two British UFO investigators looked again at the case. According to reports, they discovered that at the time he disappeared Mr Adamski was in the midst of a feud with a family member who was having marital problems and had moved in with the Adamski couple.

The investigators believed that Mr Adamski’s disappearance may have been an abduction linked to the feud.

Mr Godfrey has no information on this angle but said: “We had no reason to suspect any members of the family.”

Les Hewitt, in an article for Historic Mysteries, says the family members believed Mr Adamski had been abducted and held in a barn before having a heart attack.

He concludes: “The bizarre facts of this case – clothes that were improperly fastened, the body dumped atop a coal heap without noticeable disturbance, burns that were reported to be only two days old with an unidentified gel substance, only one day of beard growth, and another strange encounter with a UFO by the police investigator – lead us to imagine all kinds of possible outcomes.”

A writer for website The Iron Skeptic concluded that aliens played no part in Mr Adamski’s death.

“This case is just another example of a story that sounds good at first, but that dissolves under direct scrutiny. As are so many stories of space alien abduction.”

James Turnbull, the coroner who dealt with Mr Adamski’s death, told the BBC in 2003 that it was the biggest mystery of his career - but he wasn’t convinced by any of the theories relating to paranormal activity.

He said: “The question of where he was before he died and what led to his death just could not be answered.”

The questions are unlikely to ever be answered.

A spokesman for West Yorkshire Police said this week: “The Adamski case is not part of any current investigation by the Protective Services (Crime) department.”

* Alan Godfrey’s book, Who or What Were They? is available through eBay.

{ http://www.examiner.co.uk/ }

16-01-2018 om 20:53 geschreven door peter  

Het is zover: machines kunnen nu officieel beter begrijpend lezen dan mensen (en wat dat betekent) - HLN.be

De test werd gecreëerd door experts van Artificial Intelligence (AI) aan de Amerikaanse Stanford University om de leesmogelijkheden van AI-software te meten. Het wordt gezien als ’s werelds beste in zijn soort. Ook bekende namen als Google, Facebook, IBM, Tencent en Samsung hebben intussen hun AI-modellen bij het Stanford-project ingediend. 

Lees ook

Artificial Intelligence, vriend of vijand? Een gesprek met robot Sophia, die ooit zei dat ze mensen wilde vernietigen

De software van de Chinese online retailer Alibaba was vorige week donderdag de eerste die erin slaagde de mens te kloppen op de test. Het werd een nipte overwinning: Artificial Intelligence: 82.44 punten, mens: 82.304 punten. Een dag later slaagde ook de software van Microsoft erin te winnen, met een score van 82.65. In beide gevallen waren de machines beter in het beantwoorden van vragen over moeilijke net ‘gelezen’ teksten. Pranav Rajpurkar, één van de onderzoekers aan Stanford University die de leestest mee ontworpen heeft, spreekt trots van “een grote start van 2018”. 

“Een ware eer”, noemt Luo Si, hoofdwetenschapper van natuurlijke taalverwerking van de AI-onderzoeksgroep van Alibaba het. Bij ‘Natural language processing’ (NLP) imiteren machines het menselijke bevattingsvermogen van woorden en zinnen. Deze keer gingen de machines dus ‘erop en erover’. 

Jobs

Si erkent in één adem dat de mijlpaal hoogstwaarschijnlijk betekent dat verschillende mensen in de toekomst hun job zullen verliezen aan een machine. De leestechnologie kan immers gradueel toegepast worden op talrijke applicaties zoals klantenservices, tutorials, online antwoorden op medische vragen van patiënten, … “Daardoor daalt de nood aan menselijke input daar op een ongeëvenaarde manier”, aldus Si. Alibaba zette de technologie overigens al eens aan het werk op ‘Singles Day’, ’s werelds grootste shoppingfeest. De technologie werd gebruikt om vragen van klanten te beantwoorden, met succes. 

“Deze tests zijn handige maatstaven om te zien hoe ver we staan op het AI-pad”, stelt Andrew Pickup van Microsoft. “Hoewel AI pas echt een voordeel heeft als het in harmonie met de mens wordt gebruikt”, voegt hij toe. Maar Artificial Intelligence verstoort intussen al wel danig het ‘gewone’ leven van de mens: in verschillende sectoren en processen werden mensen al vervangen door robots, auto’s worden zelfrijdend, … De Russische president Vladimir Poetin voorspelde in september dat wie de leider in AI wordt, ook de heerser van de wereld wordt.

{ https://www.hln.be/ }

16-01-2018 om 20:32 geschreven door peter  

Wetenschappers denken 500 jaar oud mysterie ontrafeld te hebben over hoe Azteken zo plots aan hun einde kwamen - HLN.be

Bron: Nature, The Guardian

‘Cocoliztli’ noemde de lokale bevolking de plaag die hen had getroffen. In het Nahuatl – een taal die de Azteken gebruikten – betekent dat ‘de pest’. Het was een van de dodelijkste epidemieën die de mensheid ooit trof en kwam in de buurt van de Zwarte Dood, de builenpest die in de 14de eeuw naar schatting 25 miljoen mensen het leven kostte in West-Europa, zo wat de helft van de bevolking.

Lees ook

Hij stond bekend als woeste en genadeloze piraat, maar ontdekking in wrak van zijn schip toont andere kant van Zwartbaard

Pest

In de daaropvolgende eeuwen werd gezocht naar wat die pest precies was en dat leidde tot hypothesen als waren het de pokken, de mazelen, de bof of de griep. Maar nergens werd hard bewijs gevonden om dat te staven. Wetenschappers kwamen gisteren met een nieuwe these, nadat ze DNA-materiaal geanalyseerd hadden op tanden van enkele van de slachtoffers van wie het lichaam was bewaard. Ze schreven over hun ontdekking in het wetenschappelijke tijdschrift Nature Ecology and Evolution. (lees hieronder verder)

“De plaag was een van de vele epidemieën die Mexico overspoelden na de aankomst van de Europeanen op het Amerikaanse continent”, aldus coauteur Ashild Vagene van de universiteit van Tübingen in Duitsland. De kolonisten brachten bacteriën mee die de lokale bevolking niet kende en waartegen ze ook geen resistentie hadden. “Het was de tweede van drie epidemieën die een hoge dodentol eisten. Twee decennia eerder hadden de pokken al eens tussen de 5 en 8 miljoen doden gemaakt en een tweede uitbraak van ‘cocoliztli’ roeide tussen 1576 en 1578 nog eens de helft van de resterende bevolking uit.”

Greppels

Fransiscaans historicus Fray Juan de Torquemada maakte een verslag van de periode en omschreef het zo: “In de steden en grotere dorpen werden diepe greppels gegraven. Priesters deden van ’s morgens tot ’s avonds niets anders dan daar lijken naartoe brengen en ingooien.” (lees hieronder verder)

De wetenschappers van de universiteit van Tübingen onderzochten het DNA van 29 van zulke skeletten en ontdekten er sporen in van de salmonella enterica-bacterie, paratyphi C. Die kan een darminfectie veroorzaken, zoals buiktyfus. “Het is de eerste keer dat er direct bewijs wordt gevonden die naar de oorzaak van de ondergang van de beschaving kan wijzen”, aldus Vagene.

Van salmonella enterica is bekend dat het in de middeleeuwen voorkwam in Europa. Heel wat van de salmonellastammen verspreidden zich via geïnfecteerd voedsel of water en kunnen meegekomen zijn naar Mexico met de dieren die de Spanjaarden bij zich hadden, volgens het researchteam. “We hebben alle bacteriële ziekteverwekkers en DNA-virussen getest waarvan we genetische data hebben en vonden alleen salmonella enterica”, aldus coauteur Alexander Herbig.

Kanttekening

Ze maken zelf echter ook een kanttekening. Het is immers mogelijk dat er ziekteverwekkers zijn die niet meer te detecteren waren of die we gewoonweg niet kennen. “We kunnen niet met 100 procent zekerheid zeggen dat salmonella enterica de oorzaak was van de ‘cocoliztli’-epidemie”, aldus onderzoekster Kirsten Bos. “Maar we denken wel dat het een hele sterke kanshebber is.”

{ https://www.hln.be/ }

16-01-2018 om 19:02 geschreven door peter  

KCE: “3D geprinte implantaten niet beter, veiliger of goedkoper dan klassieke implantaten” - HLN.be

Bron: Belga

Op dit moment is er evenmin bewijs dat 3D-printen besparingen zouden opleveren voor de gezondheidszorgverzekering, aldus het KCE in een dinsdag verschenen studie.

Lees ook

‘Pacemaker’ in hersenen moet depressies onderdrukken

In de medische sector kent 3D-printen de laatste jaren een toenemende belangstelling en groei. Bij die techniek wordt een product in laagjes door een printer opgebouwd, op basis van een computerbestand. 3D-printen wordt vooral in de orthopedie en de tandheelkunde steeds meer gebruikt.

Volgens de voorstanders zou het gebruik van 3D-implantaten de duur van de operatie inkorten, met een minder vermoeid chirurgisch team dat minder fouten maakt. Daarnaast zouden de ziekenhuizen kosten besparen omdat de operatiezalen minder lang worden ingenomen. De KCE-onderzoekers vonden hiervan echter geen unanieme bevestiging. Het is niet aangetoond dat ze beter, veiliger of meer kosteneffectief zijn dan de ‘klassieke’ implantaten. Er is meer evidentie nodig, aldus het KCE in een persbericht. 

Hogere prijs

Het KCE beveelt aan om het gebruik van deze nieuwe hoogrisico-3D-implantaten eerst te beperken tot gespecialiseerde centra en daarbij wetenschappelijke data te verzamelen. “De terugbetaling van een 3D-implantaat aan een hogere prijs dan het bestaande alternatief is in principe enkel mogelijk als de fabrikant kan aantonen dat zijn 3D-hulpmiddel beter is dan dit alternatief. Indien de fabrikant de werkzaamheid nog niet kon aantonen of indien de gevraagde prijs te hoog is, kan het RIZIV de terugbetaling weigeren. 

In dat geval kan de kost van het implantaat aan de patiënt worden aangerekend of is het mogelijk dat het ziekenhuis deze draagt. Dit is ook het geval indien de fabrikant ervoor kiest om (nog) geen terugbetalingsdossier bij de ziekteverzekering (RIZIV) in te dienen.”

Het RIZIV zou de veilige 3D-hulpmiddelen waarvoor de toegevoegde waarde (nog) niet is aangetoond, toch kunnen terugbetalen, maar aan hetzelfde bedrag als dat van het reeds bestaande ‘klassieke’ alternatief.

{ https://www.hln.be/ }

16-01-2018 om 18:56 geschreven door peter  

Back in 2012, David Weatherly’s then-much-awaited book, Black Eyed Children was published. So, you may well ask, why am I mentioning this now, six years later? The answer is simple: Just recently, David decided to put out a new version of the book, a revised 2nd edition, and which has a cool cover courtesy of Sam Shearon. If you aren’t fully conversant with the BEC phenomenon, the sub-title to the new edition will give you a good idea of what you can expect in its 240 pages: “The B.E.K.s – They Reside On The Fringes Of The Paranormal. Are They A Diabolical Threat, Or The stuff Of Urban Legend?”

As I have noted in several of my books and articles over the years, the Black Eyed Children are, in many ways, similar to the Men in Black (no, not the Will Smith-Tommy Lee Jones type. The very weird, pale, cadaverous and creepy types are the ones I mean). The BEC so often turn up at night, knock on peoples’ doors and do their absolute utmost to try and get an invite inside. Fortunately, most people get a distinctly weird and creepy vibe from the BEC, something which generally ensures the “kids” don’t manage to get into the home of the targeted person. On occasion, however, some unfortunate souls have seen exactly what the BEC are capable of when they succeed in getting inside.

In his book, David not only provides us with numerous eyewitness-reports of encounters with the BEC, but also theories for what they might be. Those theories that David takes a look at include Changelings, Hungry Ghosts, the Djinn, Alien-Human Hybrids, Tricksters and more. But, there is one particular section of the revised Black Eyed Children that I want to draw your attention to. It’s a brand new section that deals with a man named Brian Bethel.

If you don’t know who Brian Bethel is, I’ll tell you. He’s the guy who really got the BEC ball rolling, after a creepy encounter with a pair of Black Eyed Children in the late 1990s. The location being Abilene, Texas. In the years since Bethel’s story surfaced, numerous others have come forward talking about their own encounters with the Black Eyed Children and that predated Bethel’s experience. But, it was definitely his report that got the wheels turning, so to speak. In that sense, Bethel’s is a very important case. As for what Bethel has to say now, more than twenty years later, let’s take a look.

There is no doubt in my mind that Bethel’s words – revealed at length in the book – are gripping and thought-provoking. And he shares the details of some chilling and sinister things that happened to him in the wake of the 1997 encounter. Bethel tells us how, in the immediate aftermath of the late-night incident, he “felt unsafe” going to sleep. Insomnia gripped him. He experienced what I have termed here at MU in earlier articles as a form of “psychic backlash.” And the list of supernatural negativity and menace goes on and on.

In terms of what Bethel thinks the Black Eyed Children are, he doesn’t waste any time in getting to the point. Indeed, he refers to them as “a predator species” and suggests that “we are the food.” Bethel adds that he believes the BEC are “dangerous entities.” He also concludes that “we have something they don’t, something they desperately want.” That something, Bethel suggests, is the human soul. He also suggests they can be beaten at their own game, particularly as a result of their “strange sets of rules,” such as not being able to get into a home or a vehicle unless specifically invited to do so.

If you are interested in the BEC phenomenon, then I would urge you to get a copy of the revised edition of David Weatherly’sBlack Eyed Children, and particularly so because of the revealing interview with Brian Bethel.

{ http://mysteriousuniverse.org/ }

16-01-2018 om 18:45 geschreven door peter  

Is there a prize for being designated as the world’s newest (or biggest or fastest-growing) UFO hotspot? Even if there isn’t, the fine folks of Basingstoke, England, may want to put their name in the running. A recent video showing five lights moving in a line is the latest in a string of UFO reports in that southeast England town since 2008, as well as others in the 1980s and 70s. What’s up, Basingstoke?

The latest sighting comes from MUFON and was reported by Express.co.uk, which also noted some of the previous sightings in Basingstoke. Along with the video (seen here), the unnamed witness submitted a report (portions here – misspellings in original)

“i have ruled out them being any kind of servilian craft as these would have had some sort of flashing light on them and with it being dark and foggy we would have seen this. it couldnt have been search lights shinning up from the ground as we could clearly see the lights surface area getting wider as it shon down meaning the light source was in the sky … the sighting lasted around 30mins and managed to take around 4mins of video”

Fortunately, the good people of Basingstoke keep their cellphones locked and loaded. In April 2016, uploaded this video of four red blinking lights he saw near the Basingstoke train station. Chinese lanterns?

They always get the blame from someone

It looks like one common thread in these Basingstoke sightings is the lights. Another witness took this video of a dozen orange lights overhead on a night in June 2008 between 10.40pm and 11.10pm

That time of the night may be a common theme as well. There were reportedly numerous sightings on night in May 2012 at around 10:30 pm. That incident elicited a government response that hints at what at least some of these sightings might be. The RAF Odiham helicopter base is nearby in Hampshire and had choppers in the sky that night, although no one admit responsibility.

Not all of the Basingstoke sightings were lights. A famous photograph (seen here) taken of a sighting in June 2013 of two discs was examined by former Ministry of Defence UFO expert Nick Pope, who said:

“It’s one of the best UFO photos I’ve seen for a while. The shape and colour seems to rule out things like aircraft lights or Chinese lanterns.”

The news report said this was the second sighting in Basingstoke in 2013, following another in February.

Going back to August, 12 1983, a 77-year-old man was fishing on the Basingstoke Canal when he claimed a disc-shaped UFO landed near him and two English-speaking humanoids took him on the ship, examined him and let him go back to fishing because he was “too old.”

Take a young one … like Justin Bieber.

Other than the RAF helicopter base, there doesn’t seem to be anything in Basingstoke that would cause so many UFO sightings. Sure, it has artifacts dating back to the Paleolithic era, but so do many other English towns. There’s no nuclear plant or precious metal mines nearby – it sits on a mound of chalk and clay. It’s the birthplace of Jane Austen. Are aliens fans of her novels?

Whatever the cause, Basingstoke residents are wise to keep their cellphones charged and ready, and always tell humanoids doing probes that you’re older than you look.

{ http://mysteriousuniverse.org/ }

16-01-2018 om 18:33 geschreven door peter  

16-01-2018 om 17:59 geschreven door peter  

Black Knight-Like Spacecraft Passing The Moon

The following image has been captured by a photographer from Cornwall Ontario, Canada and shows a remarkable unidentified flying object that passes the moon. An object that looks like a black knight craft.

The photographer says that he has never witnessed anything like this and wonders whether it could be military, dimensional, other-worldly…

He states: I was out shooting images with my kids on the side of my house, just randomly shooting the moon and clouds. I captured images using a Canon SX60HS which has zoom capabilities allowing you to zoom in on the moons craters.

I did not notice the object while shooting, in this particular moment I was using 3 shot burst and just trying to get the circumference of the moon.

It was only when I was going thru the images when I noticed an object in view of the moon. The object seems to resemble a hat shape, likely metallic, and what I would call a disc with an elevated dome of sorts. It does not look to have many attachments at all.

I was immediately shocked by what I had captured; however, with my kids there I asked them "what do you think this is?" They all respectively said they thought it was a "UFO" or "Spacecraft".

Unfortunately, this was a still image, However, there was no object in the two subsequent images, meaning it was either faster than the shutter speed on 3 burst, or it was there and gone, disappearance.

I was utterly afraid to report this object, photographed in 2015, because I did not want to be subject to ridicule, but some friends and family, who have all encouraged me to report the sighting and get my story out there. Mufon case 89578.

{ http://ufosightingshotspot.blogspot.com/ }

16-01-2018 om 17:43 geschreven door peter