UFO'S of UAP'S, ASTRONOMIE, RUIMTEVAART, ARCHEOLOGIE, OUDHEIDKUNDE, SF-SNUFJES EN ANDERE ESOTERISCHE WETENSCHAPPEN

There have been hundreds if not thousands of Crop Circles popping up mysteriously for decades and some historical records that indicate they might have been happening for centuries. When they first drew attention as possibly being related to UFOs they were still limited to simple circles. Then they started becoming more complex and there was no doubt that hey could be an unexplained natural phenomena.

This was first explained away years ago as hoaxer when Doug Bower and Dave Chorleyconfessed to doing it for years as a hoax. They claimed they were responsible for crop Circles dating back decades. The circles have been appearing all over the world and there is no way that just these two could have done it, but there have been more people saying they're creating the hoaxes. They were eventually paid £10,000 for their exclusive interview, which means that if they were telling the truth they were satisfied with their hoaxes for decades without any compensation or attention doing an enormous amount of work and never getting caught or telling anyone.

This is the accepted explanation for the skeptic community.

Farmer David Gwinn seems to accept this explanation and claims Not aliens: 'Clever' crop circle was vandals, says Shropshire farmer 08/12/2015 Why haven't many people been arrested for this vandalism? As far as I can tell there is only one arrest that I've been able to find fifteen years ago.

Police Make First Arrest Over Crop Circles, (By Cahal Milmo 11/04/2000) when they arrested Matthew Williams after photos were sent to them anonymously. According to an article The Anatomy of Deception another group of hoaxers trying to prove that it can be done without getting caught were paid to do at least one Crop Circle shaped like a van over the course of two days with police protection before trying to do one without getting caught at night, and they were caught almost immediately. Supposedly they were unable to reproduce any of the unusual biophysical and electromagnetic features including blown out nodes that are supposedly done as a result of microwaves according to some research.

A quick search of the internet turns up an article supporting Team Satan and one with additional criticism. The supporters "A Circular State of Mind" wrote Crop Circle Challenge 2013: Team Satan Respond, which seems to satirize it more than address any of the details.

The additional criticism was included in Nancy Talbott's Letter to National Geographic TV's Mr. Sydney Suissa about an offer to participate in another TV show, where she claims that Team Satan was involved in additional scams including taking credit for a circle that had already been created as part of their debunking efforts. This letter also includes criticism about bias on the part of National Geographic which seems to be a pattern with traditional media outlets covering Crop Circles, or many other subjects, for that matter. She also claims that they haven't been able to reproduce the blown out nodes which she believes may have been created as a result of microwaves.

Nancy Talbott and several other researchers have all claimed that these are common in Crop Circles and can't be replicated by using the simple planks and ropes that most hoaxers claim to use. From what I've seen the skeptics don't refute this; instead they ignore it when possible or try to distract people from it or use ridicule. On at least one show about Crop Circles someone speculated that may be the ones with the blown out nodes caused by microwaves are just the simple circles caused by an unusual phenomena that they haven't discovered yet and the designs that are clearly done with intent are the hoaxers. They did no obvious follow up on this speculation like checking to see if the facts confirm this; instead they threw it out there, perhaps expecting some to accept this as a possible explanation. However Nancy Talbott's website, BLT Research crop circles sites numerous examples that indicates it isn't the case. Most people that get their information from traditional media might not be aware of this or many of her other claims.

About thirteen years ago the Discovery Channel did a show that attempted to explain how these blown out nodes might have been created. After the show aired there were several articles on the internet claiming there were problems with it, however like most other people that watched it at the time I wasn't aware of this so I'll get back to it. Several MIT students had a microwave generator of some kind which was more difficult to carry in and out of fields than the simple planks of wood other alleged circle makers claim to use. They also had to wear protective clothing made out of lead or something similar since the microwaves could be harmful to people. Part of the show included some clowning around which might serve well for entertainment purposes. This isn't uncommon in UFO shows or many other shows but it distracts from the issue.

After some troubles they claimed that they were able to replicate the unexplained characteristics although there was some indication that they might not be fully convinced. There was no discussion about whether other circle makers might have known this decades earlier or why they would go to such extreme measures to create hoaxes. Nor was there any discussion about the possibility that if hoaxer had been using this for a large number of circles over decades that they almost certainly would have had some kind of accident with this kind of equipment and gotten caught or that the microwaves would inevitably cause health problems.

Even if this really was possible and they could work out the problems it seemed highly unlikely that this experiment could have explained all these crop circles and how the nodes were blown out. that was basically my impression even before I heard about concerns expressed by Nancy Talbott, who was cited in the show implying her approval. Searching the internet for this show no longer turns it up or anything from the Discovery Channel that I can find but there are plenty of articles exposing it as a fraud including one by Nancy Talbott, M.I.T. Kids' Crop Circle Attempt Yields an Interesting (And Totally Inadvertent) Result. She claims that even with all their work they still weren't able to replicate the blown out nodes among other things.

This means that even though they cheated they still weren't able to explain how the Crop Circles are made, which actually fits a pattern for several other unexplained phenomena including how ancient megaliths were moved and how ancient civilizations were able to do enormous volumes of carved sculptures that are difficult if not impossible to replicate by technology allegedly known to people in those times, and even now in some cases.

I went into this more on 107 Wonders of the Ancient World and an old string discussing Megalith moving experiments which failed to move many if any megaliths above ten tons without cheating. The biggest experiments they tried that I know of were 25 and 40 tons and as far as I can tell they cheated and still only had a very limited success. Further explanation is in the two sources cited. this isn't adequate to prove that the megaliths were moved with influence from an unknown intelligence that causes UFOs, assuming a natural explanation can't be found for the UFOs; however it is adequate to indicate that there are major unsolved mysteries and from a scientific point of view it isn't unreasonable to develop theories then try to either confirm or refute them.

I have found that most of the research presented by the media about UFOs is full of incompetent claims from both sides and an enormous amount of their claims are so easy to discredit that I can't help but wonder if they're trying to do an honest job at all. Many of thees mistakes are too easy to recognize so I strongly suspect that they're intentionally doing more to confuse the issue than educate the public. If that is their objective it is successful; however if people take enough time to look at it, with rational skepticism, not to be confused with pseudo-skepticism, then they can find plenty of legitimate unsolved mysteries, even if they can't provide conclusive evidence to fully explain one theory or another. And the one presented by the traditional media always seem to have a large number of flaws that can rule them out to rational skeptics. Which means that sincere rational skeptics might do better to come up with their own theories.

This is why I suspect the government just might have decided to "Recruit a group of crackpots" (further discussion in ATS string about MJ-12) as the semi-fictional Roswell movie speculated about. Whether this is true or not the vast majority of information from the traditional media about this subject, and most others, is very poorly done; and the most reliable information comes from sorting through alternative media outlets. However in this case even most alternative media outlets on the subject also have their problems, and most theories will almost certainly fall apart, although claims that there are no unsolved mysteries also fall apart.

This is why it might help to have hard facts to fall back on when bizarre theories fall apart and the megaliths and crop circles provide that. Megaliths provide rock solid evidence that activities that can't be replicated took place thousands of years ago and if Nancy Talbott is right then crop circles indicate that other unexplained phenomena still occur. It is hard to tell whatetails without additional back up information is speculative and rational skepticism should be m to conclude from this but the crop circles continue happening so if researchers are sincere they might be able to narrow things down. This could be potential evidence of an unknown advanced intelligence that has been on or near Earth for thousands of years; however filling in the daintained.

10 Greatest Mysteries of Ancient China

There are some places in this world that are ancient, mysterious, and forbidden, closed off from the world for centuries or even millennia, and holding within them enigmas that we have yet to see. Many such locales come in the form of ancient tombs, sealed and buried since time unremembered, often with no intention of them ever being opened. There has been much news lately about the now famous black sarcophagus of Alexandria, but this is far from the only such place in the world, and there are numerous forgotten, unopened, unexplored tombs out there every bit as mysterious and much grander in scale. One of the largest tombs ever crafted by humankind lies in China, an ancient subterranean city possessing a vast unopened underground mausoleum which could hold enormous riches, incredible artifacts, deadly traps, and perhaps even a curse.

10 Greatest Mysteries of Ancient China

The story of one of the largest, most historically important, and indeed most mysterious tombs in Chinese history begins way back in 260 BC, when China was a place torn by civil war raged for centuries between no fewer than six different major feudal kingdoms, all of whom sought to be the one true ruler of the land. Rising up amongst these warring factions was the powerful state of Qin, which was briefly under control of a King Zhuangxiang, who died after 3 years on the throne to leave his kingdom to his first son, Ying Zheng, who ascended the throne in 246 BC at the tender age of 13.

Ying Zheng

Despite his young age, he proved to be a bold and fearless leader, fiercely fighting and winning campaign after campaign to dominate the region and defeat all other warring states, going on to manage something no one else had, the unification of China, so creating the first Empire of China in 221 BC and making Ying Zheng the first Chinese emperor. Under his rule his empire saw great strides in the sciences and in the development of roads, infrastructure, and notably the Great Wall of China, all while dodging numerous assassination attempts and grabs for power. It seems that this certainly went to the young ruler’s head, as he would go on to proclaim that he was fated to rule, renaming himself “Qin Shi Huang,” loosely “The Son of Heaven,” and declaring himself a veritable god, imbued with divine power and who would rule forever from the center of the universe.

This was a bold claim to make, and Qin Shi Huang became obsessed with the idea of immortality and making sure that he would live forever as he had said. To this effect, he issued an Imperial order for a search for an elixir of life, and forced scholars, alchemists, and magicians to work around the clock to somehow concoct a way to grant everlasting life. Various mysterious herbs and potions purportedly showed promise, but ultimately did little good, and Qin Shi Huang took to routinely drinking mercury, which he believed slowed the aging process. Realizing that his search for immortality was going nowhere, Qin Shi Huang also stepped up construction on a grand, opulent mausoleum that had been worked on since his first ascension to power, designed to resemble the capital of Qin, Xianyang, and to keep him comfortable and in power even in the afterlife.

He envisioned this sprawling tomb as a whole city unto itself, complete with its own army of warriors and everything he would ever need to rule forever, and it is said that he brought in 700,000 laborers and convicts to work on the vast structure. It indeed was an impressive and ambitious project, designed to be a full, working microcosm of the empire, and by the time it was finished, which would take 38 years and unfortunately not be completed until several years after his death, it was the most expansive tomb the world had ever seen.

According to records from Han dynasty historian, Sima Qian, included in the tomb were palaces and scenic towers, countless relics and priceless artifacts, streets and roads, and a vast ceiling painstakingly painted and inlaid with the stars and constellations of the heavens. Most bizarrely, there were also allegedly two rivers of mercury erected to flow through the mausoleum, meant to symbolize the great Yangtze and the Yellow Rivers and which were supposedly manipulated through wondrous mechanical devices to flow into the sea. Sima Qian would say of this place in his Records of the Grand Historian:

When the First Emperor first came to the throne, the digging and preparation work began at Mount Li. Later, when he had unified his empire, 700,000 men were sent there from all over his empire. They dug through three layers of groundwater, and poured in bronze for the outer coffin. Palaces and scenic towers for a hundred officials were constructed, and the tomb was filled with rare artifacts and wonderful treasure. Craftsmen were ordered to make crossbows and arrows primed to shoot at anyone who enters the tomb. Mercury was used to simulate the hundred rivers, the Yangtze and Yellow River, and the great sea, and set to flow mechanically. Above were representation of the heavenly constellations, below, the features of the land. Candles were made from fat of “man-fish”, which is calculated to burn and not extinguish for a long time.

There are also bronze cranes, swan and ducks with groups of musicians, bronze horses with full-sized chariots, numerous acrobats and other entertainers fashioned from terracotta, fully operational horse stables tended by terracotta caretakers, and even terracotta government officials. Most well-known and perhaps the most impressive of all was a full army of over 8000 life-sized terracotta warriors, with every single one painstakingly carved with incredibly intricate detail. Such is the detail that each warrior even has a different face, leading to speculation that each and every one of them may have been based on a real person. In addition to all of this, the entire complex consisted of an inner and outer city divided by walls, held at least 18 courtyard houses and a palace, and the whole thing in total measured a staggering 38 square miles (98 square kilometers) in area. All of this was reportedly loaded with treasure and set up with sophisticated traps designed to swiftly kill any trespassers, although what these entail remains a mystery.

The terracotta warriors

Ultimately, Qin Shi Huang could not cheat death, and he died in 210 BC at the age of 49, ironically from drinking the very mercury that he thought would keep him young, and an enormous funeral service was held. Upon the Emperor’s actual burial chamber, atop his thick bronze coffin, was supposedly built a hill which was planted with vegetation, and to keep the late Emperor company in the afterlife many of his concubines were killed and interred here as well. Many of the craftsmen were also callously locked away into the tomb complex when it was sealed, in order to make sure that none of the secrets of the complex or its inner workings would ever be revealed to the outside world. All of this was sealed shut, gated, and buried, and it would then disappear into the mists of time to lie forgotten for millennia.

It was not until March of 1974 that the first hints of this vast complex would be uncovered, when a local man named Yang Zhifa was out digging a well with his five brothers in Lintong county, at the village of Xiyang. As they were digging they came across terracotta fragments and bricks at a depth of around 6 feet, along with earthenware and bronze arrowheads. When archeologists arrived on the scene in May of that year they began excavations, which quickly started to uncover the mysterious terracotta army, and as the dig went on more and more of the complex was uncovered, with baffling new surprises popping up all of the time, and the excavation and nonstop discoveries have not stopped in the decades since, with the majority of this place still unexplored and unexcavated. Indeed, nothing like it has ever been seen before, and the necropolis of First Emperor Qin Shi Huang has gone on to become one of the most important archeological discoveries ever made.

As recently as 2012, one of the most striking and exciting discoveries was made when a massive Imperial Palace measuring 249 feet high (76-meters) and covering an area of 6,003,490 cubic feet (170,000 cubic meters) was discovered around 20-50 meters below the surface, holding an earthen pyramid at its center believed to be the tomb containing the actual bodies of the emperor and his concubines. This mega tomb has only been explored using 3-D imaging and ground penetrating radar, but as of yet it remains sealed down there in the bowels of the earth and unopened, inciting endless debate as to whether to open it and what treasures lie within it. As far as we know, no human eyes have seen this place in thousands of years, although it is unknown if has ever been looted in the past.

Location of the Qin Shi Huang mausoleum

There are many reasons that no one has tried to penetrate into this massive palace tomb. One is that we just don’t have the technology to conduct such a major archeological undertaking without irreparably damaging what lies within. Because it is so deep, to dig into there would be an invasive process, and there is simply no way to get into the chamber without seriously damaging the upper layer in order to get to the palace below it, as well as potentially causing landslides that could damage other areas of the tomb and the terracotta warriors.

There is also the fact that we lack the technology to preserve some of the irreplaceable cultural relics that might lie within the palace, and this has already been seen with damage to the terracotta figures caused by being exposed to the air and sunlight. Also, considering the vast size of the mausoleum it is all also an incredibly expensive proposition that could take several decades to carry out. In essence, to excavate such a vast tomb on such a sheer scale would be a prohibitively expensive, scarring and damaging procedure that could ultimately destroy this piece of history.

More mysterious is that we have no idea what sorts of dangers lie in wait down there in the dark. The written accounts speak of enormous rivers of mercury, and detection equipment has indeed picked up anomalously and dangerously high levels of mercury at the site, meaning that to open the complex could put many at risk of poisoning and also cause serious environmental pollution. There could also be potentially deadly bacteria living down there, and of course there are the traps. It is known that the burial palace was armed with intricate traps the nature of which we don’t have a clue. We also have no clue as to whether such traps would still be operational after millennia or not, so delving down into this subterranean realm could be a deadly proposition indeed. More paranormal-minded people have even suggested that the emperor had a curse placed over his burial chamber, although if it works as well as his immortality elixirs did then we’re probably safe on that front.

Statue of emperor Qin Shi Huang

The thing is, that tomb is seen as potentially holding incredible historical artifacts, vast treasures, and priceless cultural relics, to the point that many archeologists are fully prepared to risk the hurdles and potential dangers involved with getting to it. It could be the most important archeological find of the 20th century, or it may contain nothing but a looted chamber filled with skeletons and centuries of dust. There could be anything in there, we don’t know, and some think we need to find out. Others believe that it is best left alone, down there in that opulent city lair of the afterlife down in the depths of the earth just as the Emperor Qin Shi Huang originally intended, that we should not violate it and risk irrevocably damaging this ancient inner sanctum.

The debate rages, but for now that palace tomb remains quiet, free of the droves of tourists that flock through nearby to view the terracotta soldiers, and indeed free from human eyes altogether, perhaps to remain that way forever. That tomb lies there in the dark, still and silent as it has for millennia, perhaps with traps ready and poised to spring, flowing rivers of lethal mercury snaking around it and its many treasures. What lies there in the gloom of that massive ancient burial chamber? Does it hold cultural and literal riches beyond our wildest dreams? Does it carry within it the promise of learning more about that era and its people? Does it hold danger and death, traps, poison, and ancient curses? No one knows, and we won’t until it is finally opened.