“Black holes are the most mysterious objects in the universe. We have seen what we thought was unseeable. We have taken a picture of a black hole.”

Sheperd Doeleman, director Event Horizon telescope (EHT) — a network of eight radio telescopes spanning the globe that captured the image – revealed the photograph on April 10 at a press conference loaded with top scientists and astronomers waiting to view the definitive proof of what they have all believed on faith, indicators and scientific models – that black holes exist.

Or do they?

Wait, you say … didn’t you see the photograph? Sure, but there are tens of thousands of photographs of the Earth from outer space showing that it’s a globe. Do any of them convince the Flat Earthers?

“This work investigates the backreaction of Hawking radiation on the interior of a gravitationally collapsing star, in a Hartle–Hawking initial vacuum. It shows that due to the negative energy Hawking radiation in the interior, the collapse of the star stops at a finite radius, before the singularity and the event horizon of a black hole have a chance to form. That is, the star bounces instead of collapsing to a black hole.”

What do we do with all of these ‘artist depictions’ now?

Meet Laura Mersini-Houghton, author of “Backreaction of Hawking radiation on a gravitationally collapsing star I: Black holes?”, a paper she wrote in 2014 in which she used two seemingly conflicting theories to seemingly prove that black holes don’t exist because they can’t possibly come into being in the first place. Mersini-Houghton is a physics professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. A press release by the college titled “Carolina’s Laura Mersini-Houghton shows that black holes do not exist” gives a simple explanation, referencing Stephen Hawking in an attempt to validate it.

“She and Hawking both agree that as a star collapses under its own gravity, it produces Hawking radiation. However, in her new work, Mersini-Houghton shows that by giving off this radiation, the star also sheds mass. So much so that as it shrinks it no longer has the density to become a black hole. Before a black hole can form, the dying star swells one last time and then explodes. A singularity never forms and neither does an event horizon. The take home message of her work is clear: there is no such thing as a black hole.”

There you have it. Needless to say, black hole believers reacted strongly against the paper. In 1974, Stephen Hawking proposed that a black hole temporarily entraps matter and energy that can eventually reemerge as outgoing radiation — Hawking Radiation. Most responses to Mersini-Houghton’s paper centered on the idea that a black hole doesn’t emit enough Hawking Radiation to shrink its mass down to Mersini-Houghton’s level which would prevent a black hole from forming.

Close but no cigar.

Mersini-Houghton was not the only black hole denier (No Black Holer?), just the latest and most famous. All had one last fall-back position – if black holes exist, why isn’t there a photograph of one. Well, now there is and there are sure to be more. As of this writing, there’s been no comment on the photo by Mersini-Houghton.

What do you think? Did the photo of Earth from the moon 50 years ago convince Flat Earthers?

I was right!

“Georgians were the first winemakers on Earth and now we hope to pioneer viticulture on the planet next door.”

It’s often said that real progress in a new technology isn’t made until someone starts using it for sex or getting high. That seems to be the case in the quest to be ready to grow plants on Mars as soon as humans first step onto the red soil. Yes, I know, some of you believe humans are already there – but do they have booze? A group of researchers in the country of Georgia, which prides itself on being the birthplace of wine-making, is planting the seeds to become the first to grow grapes and make wine on another planet. And yes, they’re planning for more than just reds.

“In the distant future, Martian colonists will be able to grow plants directly in Martian soil.”

The IX Millennium project (named for the 8,000 years Georgia has been making wine) was founded in January 2019 by Nikoloz Doborjginidze to lead the way to wine on Mars. The Independent reports this week that in just three short months, astrobiologist Marika Tarasashvili, has developed a composting bacteria that will turn Martian dirt into fertile Earth-like soil. Working in a lab in Tbilisi, she’s using bacteria collected from “extreme ecosystems” (no, not gas station restrooms, but that’s a good backup plan) like hot sulphurous springs and breeding it to ingest Mars and excrete earth.

“But first we need to create a model of completely controlled sustainable Martian greenhouses.”

Tusia Garibashvili is the founder of Space Farms company, which is now building a vertical farming laboratory with tightly controlled temperature, atmosphere and radiation conditions that will simulate the Martian environment … on the inside. On the outside will be a luxury hotel in Tbilisi that will house the laboratory — who says scientists have to live like lab rats?

Meanwhile, a second part of IX Millennium is working at the Business and Technology University testing various Georgian grape varieties in a simulated Martian environment. So far they’ve determined that pale-skinned Rkatsiteli grapes — an ancient and versatile white wine variety that dates back to 3000 BCE – grows best under harsh Mars-like ultra-violet rays.

Rkatsiteli grapes

Is the faux Rkatsiteli wine any good? The researchers at IX Millennium aren’t ready to answer that and are planning to test many more barrels of Martian whites and reds until the first Mars mission is ready … so they have plenty of time. Of course, they also have a noble cause to use as a front for all of that wine-tasting, according to Business and Technology University Dean Nino Enukidze.

“Martian dreams aside, our experiments are providing information that is vital as humanity confronts a multitude of environmental challenges. We will be able to identify and breed food crops resistant to the problems caused by global climate change.”

That’s right … the solution to climate change could come from drinking Martian wine made from Georgian grapes.

As Matt Damon might say, it beats growing potatoes

Oh boy, there’s something strange afoot in middle America. Recently, reports of bizarre flying humanoid creatures have ramped up in the states surrounding the Great Lakes, both current sightings and, as a consequence of the increased attention, reports of past sightings as well. As I’ve written in the past few months, there’s only one paranormal creature that fits the bill. It’s fair to say that Mothman is back in a big way, and he’s as spooky as ever.

Perhaps I’m getting over-excited, maybe Mothman is just hanging out in a tree somewhere eating donuts,  not scaring anybody. Maybe this is Butterflyman. I don’t know. Maybe this is just what you see when you’ve been up for three days reading about Mothman on the internet. Who can say, really?

Regardless, we can say that a man from Woodstock, Illinois did call 911 to report a freakishly tall winged humanoid with glowing green eyes, that apparently charged at him, screaming, while he was trying to leave a convenience store.

He sure is a persistent fellow.

The investigators at Singular Fortean were alerted to the case by the man himself. He sent them an account of his ordeal, which allegedly occurred on February 28, and asked for their investigative help. He compared it to a sighting that was previously reported in Woodstock, Illinois. Here’s the account of the incident sent to Singular Fortean:

I was outside Jewel Osco in Woodstock, Illinois and believe to [have seen] the same visual of an unusual being in the McHenry County fairground. It screeched at me then charged the fence, about thirty feet from the fence, it had very bright green eyes, [and] had wings and was all black leathery colored. It ran back towards the woods in the McHenry County fairgrounds. I called [the Woodstock police department] and [they] had county sheriffs respond to the location.

According to Singular Fortean, investigator Tobias Wayland called the witness at a predetermined time agreed upon by the witness, but was forced to leave a voicemail. The witness has not responded.

So it’s all nonsense, right? Well that’s where the 911 call comes in. Singular Fortean filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request with the Woodstock police department for all pertinent information and they received a transcript of the 911 call that the unnamed man made to the police department.

The transcript states that on February 28, 2019, an officer did respond to the Jewel Osco parking lot after the call was made:

“[The witness] had a sighting of a mysterious creature described as being 7-8 ft tall and wearing all black. [The witness] said the creature charged at him from the fair grounds screeching at him while he was in the Jewel lot and then it retreated. [The witness] named the creature the ‘Dufield Pond Swamp Monster,’ since he had the first sighting with police involvement. Investigation to continue.”

The 911 transcript via Singular Fortean

According to Singular Fortean, the McHenry County Fairgrounds are directly opposite the Dufield Pond Conservation Area, a thickly wooded area comprised of forest and parks. Another witness had reported seeing a large winged humanoid with dark fur emerge from the Dufield Pond Conservation Area on February 22.

This is the latest in a series of bizarre sightings that have occurred in the states surrounding the Great Lakes. According to Singular Fortean, every state surrounding Lake Michigan has had reports of winged humanoid creatures. They write:

Witnesses consistently describe a large, gray-or-black bat or bird-like creature—although in a small number of cases the creature was described as insect-like—sometimes with glowing or reflective red, yellow, or orange eyes; and humanoid features such as arms and legs are often reported.  Many of the sightings are also of something seen only briefly or are described only as a flying creature with few details, which leaves open the possibility that a large bird or bird-like being could explain some encounters.

They ask that any witnesses report their experience to them via their contact page. And if you have seen Mothman, please do report it. Because real or imagined, this is an absolutely fascinating modern paranormal legend.

A team of Turkish underwater researchers have discovered what they believe is the world’s oldest shipwreck from 1600 B.C. According to the Provincial Governor’s Office, the 3,600-year-old Bronze Age shipwreck was found off the shores of the Antalya province in southern Turkey.

The shipwreck was discovered near Urla, Turkey. 

Image source .

Members of the Antalya University’s Underwater Research Department discovered the 14-meter-long (or 46 feet) merchant ship with 1.5 tons of copper bullion inside.

Governor Münir Karaloğlu told reporters that the discovery of the shipwreck, called “Western Antalya Shipwreck” was groundbreaking for underwater archaeology and described it as the “Göbeklitepe” of the underwater world. The archaeological site of Göbeklitepe located in Şanlıurfa has the world’s oldest temple and is quite often referenced to as the ground zero of human history.

He also mentioned that the items that will be taken from the shipwreck will be put on display at a museum in Kemer district which will be known as “the epicenter of underwater archaeology.”

The researchers took three-dimensional scans of the bullion on the ship by using sonar surveys, photo-scans, and photographic mosaic. They were able to determine that the bullion were taken from mines in Cyprus, and then molded in the 15^th or 16^thcenturies B.C. before being put on the ship to transport them either to the Aegean region or the island of Crete. The ship didn’t make its destination as it sank from what they believe was a storm.

Hakan Öniz, who is one of the researchers from Antalya University, stated, “It was probably caught in the middle of a storm while traveling to the Aegean [northwest of Antalya] region from Cyprus [island south of Antalya]. It was carrying a cargo of copper bullion and type of the bullion helped us date the ship. This may well be the world’s earliest vessel carrying industrial goods.” He then said that a new team with local and international researchers will come together for a five-year project in order to conduct more research on the shipwreck.

Prior to this recent discovery, the “Uluburun Shipwreck” that dates back to 1400 B.C. was located off the shores of Antalya and was the oldest shipwreck of its kind until now. The items found on the ship are currently being displayed at the Museum of Underwater Archaeology located in the Muğla’s Bodrum district.

A recent underwater excavation at Turkey's Urla Port has uncovered a ship estimated to date back 4,000 years, which experts say would make it the oldest sunken ship to have ever been discovered in the Mediterranean — and possibly anywhere.

And just last year, the remains of a Greek merchant ship was discovered off of Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast. The shipwreck was from over 2,400 years ago and was said to be the world’s oldest known intact shipwreck…until now.