Fermi’s New Paradox: If AI Analysts Are So Obvious, Where is Everybody?

UBS AM’s Bryan Cross says the goal of embedding AI in the investment process has failed because the aim has been misguided.

Bryan Cross

Over the lunch-hour din of the cafeteria, there was a shimmer in the air—a sense that something great was being discovered. This was different than a normal lunchtime in 1950 at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, where the Cold War had mobilized the West’s brightest minds. Normally, one could expect breakthroughs in particle physics or in fusion power, but there was a buzz on this day that could not be attributed to the Chicken Kiev.  

Four great minds were at work solving one of life’s great existential questions: Are we alone in the universe? This question led to more questions, as the Manhattan Project alums scribbled calculations on napkins: How many stars are in the universe? How many are like the Earth’s sun? How many have planets? How many have planets that are old enough to transmit information as far as the Earth? 

It was a frenzy. A crowd began to gather, as many were aware of the recent reports of UFO sightings nearby. Finally, as the calculations poured forth and the empty Coca-Cola bottles piled up, the math became obvious: There must be intelligent extraterrestrial life somewhere in outer space; the vastness of the universe assured the outcome to be true.   

The hand of Enrico Fermi, an Italian-American physicist from the University of Chicago, slammed the table—BAM! The “architect of the nuclear age” was troubled, though, because the conclusion did not make sense. “But where is everybody?” he pondered.

The contradiction between the math and the lack of evidence—if the conclusion that intelligent extraterrestrial life exists is so obvious, then where is it?—has become known as the Fermi Paradox.

A Computerized Buffett on Every Team—An Investor’s

Dream Just as those scientists looked to the stars for signs of intelligent life, investing has for decades looked to computers and quantitative methods for signs of artificial intelligence that can help make smarter decisions. But after decades of experimentation and development, finance is now confronted with a similar paradox.

There is a persistent dream of putting an AI-driven version of Warren Buffet on every investment team—one with all the positive qualities but none of the negative biases and behavioral errors that come pre-installed in humans. The excitement of building such a revolutionary computer-based system to pick investments has driven billions of dollars of investment into developing systems and hiring big-brained PhDs. The share of job openings in finance that are computer or math driven has nearly quadrupled since the Great Financial Crisis.  

But despite all the investments made, decades of academic papers produced, computer systems developed, and fortunes made in quant investing, the vast majority of actively managed assets are still non-quantitative in nature.   

Traditional active managers will tell you that quantitative techniques are not long-term enough and they will question whether a diverse portfolio can really know anything about the “risk” of a company. Quantitative practitioners will fire back with a long-dated backtest or logic derived from (perhaps flawed) statistical techniques, and say, “Isn’t it obvious that quantitative techniques are superior to anecdotal and heuristic-driven investment?” 

The two schools of thought are seemingly opposed and have spent the better part of decades without reconciliation. Sure, some quantitative techniques have permeated into risk management or screening for stocks, but there is no AI analyst working side by side with humans to make investment decisions better. Why not? 

Combining human-driven investment research with assistance from a junior AI researcher would leverage the best of both worlds. A team like that would combine the long-term, complex thinking of a human with the unbiased, quantitative, evidence-based decision-making of AI. 

Combining humans with AI to perform investment research seems such an obvious goal, and the resources being thrown at the problem are vast. But that being so, where are the AI investment analysts? In order to resolve this version of the Fermi Paradox, we need to rethink how finance approaches the use of AI.

The Goal of Embedding AI Has Failed Because the Aim is Misguided

In a classic scene from the movie Jurassic Park, the mathematician Ian Malcolm muses that scientists “were so preoccupied with whether or not you could, you didn’t stop to think if you should.” 

This is emblematic of the state of AI research, particularly in its application to quantitative finance. Everyone is so eager to demonstrate they are “state of the art” that there is no thinking aimed at applying AI in the right way.  

The search trends in the graph below demonstrate the fashion for doing something “fancy”, rather than building something transformative in the right manner.  

In quantitative finance, this trend has manifested itself in the overuse (and potentially misuse) of alternative data combined with machine learning. Rather than thinking about the longer-term solutions to the problem, participants in the field are rushing to outperform each other using niche data to perform task-specific solutions. 

As a result, the alpha itself is fleeting and the applications don’t generalize across a broad spectrum of investment problems.  Additionally, the industry is laden with tales of good intentions that fail to get adopted into the traditional investment workflow. 

Aligning AI with How Investors Think is the Key to Progress

If one stops to think about what makes a great investor, it’s not typically a niche, task-specific process that differentiates the legends from the temporarily lucky. 

Because markets are complex systems whose dancing landscapes are constantly changing, the best investors are generalists by nature; they take mental models and are able to apply them over and over again. They don’t merely learn facts; rather, they learn models and systems so as to build a toolkit in order to pick the best tool for the job at hand. 

The computational complexity is low and the objective is to handicap all possible outcomes—to discount the implied market, not to forecast. They think about what investments present asymmetric payouts from a probabilistic perspective in a folksy back-of-the-envelope manner.

To build AI that can successfully be implemented in the investment process, we must align the design of the machine with the cognitive tasks of great investors. 

Our team at UBS Asset Management, called Quantitative Evidence & Data Science, or QED, has taken the approach of focusing on investor workflows as a guiding principle. Essentially, we want to understand what are the things that investors do, so we can better help them make better decisions. 

In the next several years, QED will be spending more and more time focusing on how to generalize these workflows and to combine them with heuristics to form investment conclusions. Our goal is to create a form of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) that can apply reasoning to identify and apply mental models hidden in novel problems and then, ultimately, make an investment recommendation. In the next year, we will focus on aligning our machines with real investment workflows so that the AGI can make real investment recommendations.

  This may seem an audacious goal. But the process of getting there is the best way for us to help drive the application of science to the fundamental investment process. As we solve problems in the path towards AGI, we can directly apply the solutions to investment workflows. 

Finding AI: The Human Plus AGI Analyst Team of the Future

Does this mean that QED is trying to disintermediate human financial analysts? Not at all. In Philip K. Dick’s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?—which is the basis for the classic film Bladerunner—humans apply the Voigt-Kampff test to potential replicants (AIs) to determine whether they are human or AI. 

The test presents disturbing images to the subject: If the subject shows empathy, he/she is human; if no empathy is witnessed, the test proves the subject is AI. Empathy is the secret weapon of human analysts, and because human goals—like saving for retirement, or investing in a climate-aware manner—are the raison d’etre for investing, we will always need real people in the loop.

While QED’s goal is to develop an AGI, it is doing so in the context of having an empathic human working alongside a machine agent to produce better client outcomes.

The benefits of an AI/human partnership to client outcomes are clear and should motivate us to pursue this opportunity. The effort to build a successful integration of AI into the investment process doesn’t need to yield inconclusive results like the Fermi Paradox. Finance must align the design of AI with how investors think, and as part of an empathic human partnership. Otherwise, the efforts are in danger of becoming just a fancy tool that operates at the periphery, and we’ll all be left to ponder that, if it was so obvious, then where are all the AI analysts?

Bryan Cross is the head of UBS Asset Management’s Quantitative Evidence and Data Science team (QED). To read more on how QED functions inside of UBS AM, click here. Bryan also joined the Waters Wavelength Podcast to talk about a range of topics in the field of quantitative finance.

FURTHER READING

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• Technology Transforming NLP: A Look at New Tools Being Used by Banks 04 MAR 2020
• Data Management 'Data Mining is Bullsh**t' — An Examination 02 MAR 2020
• Data Management Fuzzy Data Stalls ESG Alpha Hunt 20 FEB 2020
• Trading Tools Quant Funds Look to AI to Master Correlations

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21-11-2020 om 01:56 geschreven door peter  

Mysterious black disc seen flying over Wrexham and Flintshire

By Matt Warner

Did you see a black disc in the sky on Thursday?

A BLACK disc flying was spotted in the sky above the former Brymbo steelworks.

Residents and dog walkers watched the strange object fly from the direction of Chirk towards Hawarden and Broughton.

Once 60-year-old witness was in his back garden when he saw the disc flying at an estimated height of 100m at 5.30pm on Thursday (September 24).

Although he has no idea what it was, he is certain it wasn't an aircraft, drone or balloon.

He said: "It came from Chirk towards Queensferry.

"It was a flat disc, it was very strange. The wind was going in another direction, so I don't think it was floating, so it wasn't a balloon or a bin liner, it went in a straight line.

"It seemed to be 100ft high at the most. It was about as big as a car."

"There was nobody attached to it and their wasn't a cabin, so it didn't appear to be a craft. It wasn't a drone, when I first saw if I thought someone has let a balloon go. But when I looked at it I could see it was flat.Then it turned over so the bottom was the top, and then it flew again. It wasn't going up or done, or side to side, it was going in a perfectly straight line.

"I could hear dogwalkers saying 'Look at that?' and 'What is that?'.

He believes others will have saw the object as it was at a time when people would be driving home from work, and it appeared to pass over Brymbo, Pentre Broughton, Tanyfron, Caergwrle, and possibly Queensferry, as it headed in the direction of Hawarden and Broughton.

He hopes someone can explain what it was.

The witness added: "I took a video of it on my tablet for about 12 seconds. But when I looked it hadn't worked. But I tried videoing something later and it was absolutely fine."

Delamere actor Nathan Head, who hosts the paranormal investigation series Apparitions on Amazon Prime, says Wrexham is a hotspot for UFO sightings.

He said: "Its not the first time. In 2019 there were lots of reports of sudden flashes of light in the sky above Wrexham.

"I've not heard of a black disc before, usually its a black triangle if it is black. Perhaps it was metallic but because of the light and shadow it appeared black.

"In the 1970s there were lots of UFO sightings in Llandrillo, which isn't too far from Wrexham really. That too was flashing lights in the sky. Independent scientists claimed they were a rare type of lightning caused by earthquakes, a loud noise and bright flashes. The MOD suggested it was a crashed meteor, but no official explanation was given.

"An earthquake light doesn't explain the black disc though. That sounds more physical, like an actual spacecraft. Its exciting to consider the possibilities."

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21-11-2020 om 01:24 geschreven door peter  

NASA's next Mars rover isn't keeping quiet during its long trek to the Red Planet.

A microphone aboard the Mars 2020 rover Perseverance, which launched on July 30 and will touch down on Feb. 18, 2021, captured the whirring sound made by the car-sized robot's "heat-rejection fluid pump," a newly released NASA audio file reveals.

That microphone was installed to record the sounds of Perseverance's entry, descent and landing (EDL), the "seven minutes of terror" sequence that will end with a rocket-powered sky crane lowering the rover to the Martian surface on cables. The Mars 2020 team turned on the mic on Oct. 19 to determine if it and an associated camera system are functioning properly, capturing the whirring sound in the process.

• In photos: NASA's Mars Perseverance rover mission to the Red Planet

That sound did not travel through the vacuum of space; sound waves need a medium through which to propagate. In this case, the waves traveled through Perseverance's body, causing mechanical vibrations that the microphone registered. 

"As great as it is to pick up a little audio on spacecraft operations in flight, the sound file has a more important meaning," Gruel added. "It means that our system is working and ready to try to record some of the sound and fury of a Mars landing."

The heat-rejection fluid pump is part of Perseverance's thermal system, which will keep the rover and its instruments warm on Mars by circulating heat generated by the mission's nuclear battery, NASA officials said in the statement.

Perseverance will explore the floor of the 28-mile-wide (45 kilometers) Jezero Crater, which harbored a lake and a river delta in the ancient past. The rover will characterize the site's geology, hunt for signs of ancient Mars life and cache samples for future return to Earth, among other tasks.

Perseverance will also test technologies for future exploration of the Red Planet. For example, one of the rover's instruments, called MOXIE (short for "Mars Oxygen ISRU Experiment"), will generate oxygen from the thin, carbon dioxide-dominated Martian atmosphere. Such equipment, if scaled up, could help humanity establish a foothold on the Red Planet, NASA officials have said.

Also flying to Mars attached to Perseverance's belly is a tiny helicopter called Ingenuity. If all goes according to plan, the 4-lb. (1.8 kilograms) chopper will make a few short test flights on the Red Planet, becoming the first rotorcraft ever to ply alien skies.

The EDL mic, which was built by Danish company DPA Microphones, isn't Perseverance's only audio equipment. The rover carries a second microphone designed to record sounds made by its rock-zapping SuperCam instrument.

If these microphones work, they'll be the first ever to record true audio on Mars. (NASA's InSight lander captured the "sounds" of the Martian wind shortly after its 2018 touchdown, but that recording processed data gathered by an air pressure sensor and a seismometer.) 

But the new microphones aren't the first to fly on a Red Planet mission. NASA's Mars Polar Lander spacecraft, which crashed during its touchdown attempt in December 1999, sported a mic. And NASA's Phoenix lander, which aced its 2008 water-hunting mission, had a microphone built into its descent camera. But the Phoenix team never turned that instrument on, out of concern that its use could complicate the landing process.

Mike Wall is the author of "Out There" (Grand Central Publishing, 2018; illustrated by Karl Tate), a book about the search for alien life. Follow him on Twitter @michaeldwall. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom or Facebook. 

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21-11-2020 om 01:15 geschreven door peter  

Researchers find a new hidden secret in the paintings of Leonardo Da Vinci

Hint: you can't see it with the naked eye.

 by Fermin Koop

 

Leonardo da Vinci was one of the greatest geniuses in history, with skills and inventions way ahead of his time. On many occasions his work was surrounded by mystery, hiding secrets not visible at first glance. Now, a new study found another one, linked to bacteria and fungi.

Looking for hidden secrets in Da Vinci’s work, a team of researchers from Austria and Italy decided to investigate what was beyond the naked eye in seven of Leonardo’s best-known drawings. They weren’t looking for hidden sketches or anything like that: they were looking for the microbiome.

A microbiome is essentially a set of microorganisms that share the same habitat. They aren’t perceptible to the naked eye and advanced technologies are needed to try to understand how and why they coexist. Looking for hidden elements in Leonardo’s work, the researchers stumbled upon very nusual types of microbiome.

Five of these drawings are currently housed in the Royal Library of Turin: Autoritratto, Nudi per la battaglia di Anghiari, Studi delle gambe anteriori di un cavallo, Studi di insetti and tudi di gambe virili. The last two are stored at the Corsinian Library in Rome: Uomo della Bitta and Studio di panneggio per una figura inginocchiata.

Analyzing the seven drawings, the researchers discovered that the microbiome of each one was unique enough to be able to identify each of the works only by their distinctive microorganisms — you may not tell a book by its cover, but you can tell a work of art by its microbes.

This is not to say that the microbiomes were entirely different, they were still similar in many ways, but each had a distinctive touch.

The findings can help the researchers to locate the places where the drawing was carried out, as well as the places through which it has passed throughout its life, such as warehouses, restorers, or art dealers. This is very valuable information: the microbiome has a story to tell and if you read it well, you can even use it to detect fraud.

The researchers used a tool called Nanopore, a genetic sequencing method that quickly breaks down and analyzes genetic material, to make a detailed study of the different biological materials. They had already studied microbiomes in the past to determine how statues recovered from smugglers had been stored.

In the case of the Da Vinci drawings, they believe most of the human DNA discovered comes from people who were responsible for restoring and caring for their works from the 15th century. They also confirmed all the drawings are original works by Leonardo and found a high concentration of bacteria compared to the fungi.

In previous studies, they had been able to confirm that fungi tend to dominate the microbiomes, but in this case, it was absolutely the opposite. They believe that they came from both humans and insects, something that probably has to do with how the works were stored, especially after Leonardo’s death.

“Altogether, the insects, the restoration workers and the geographic localization seem to all have left a trace invisible to the eye on the drawings,” the researchers said in a statement. “[But] it is difficult to say if any of these contaminants originate from the time when Leonardo da Vinci was sketching its drawings.”

The study was published in the journal Frontiers in Microbiology.

{ https://www.zmescience.com/ }

20-11-2020 om 23:57 geschreven door peter  

China rolls out Long March 5 rocket for Chang'e 5 moon sample-return mission launch

A Chinese Long March 5 rocket carrying the Chang'e 5 moon sample-return spacecraft rolls out to the launch pad at the Wenchang Satellite Launch Site on Hainan Island on Nov. 17, 2020.

(Image: © China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation)

Two of the Chang'e 5 modules will remain in lunar orbit. The other two — a sample collector and an ascent vehicle — will touch down in the Mons Rumker area of the huge Oceanus Procellarum ("Ocean of Storms"), a vast volcanic plain that has been explored by a number of other moon missions, including NASA's Apollo 12 in 1969.

If all goes according to plan, Chang'e 5's sample collector will use a robotic arm and a drill to snag about 4.4 lbs. (2 kg) of moon dirt and rock, including material that will be sourced from up to 6.5 feet (2 meters) underground. The ascent vehicle will then loft this cache to lunar orbit, where it will dock with one of the orbiting modules and then be integrated into the other, which will haul the stuff back to Earth, according to the NASA description. The moon samples are scheduled to land in China in mid-December.

That touchdown will be historic: Humanity hasn't returned any material from the moon since the Soviet Union's robotic Luna 24 mission did so in 1976. (Comet and asteroid samples have come down to Earth since then, however. And yet more collected space-rock material will be delivered in the near future, by Japan's Hayabusa2 and NASA's OSIRIS-REx missions.)

• Related: The latest news about China's space program

Chang'e 5 is the sixth mission in China's Chang'e program of robotic lunar exploration, which takes its name from a moon goddess in Chinese mythology. The Chang'e 1 and Chang'e 2 orbiters launched in 2007 and 2010, and Chang'e 3 made the nation's first soft moon landing in December 2013, putting a lander-rover duo down on the lunar near side.

The Chang'e 5T1 mission, which launched in October 2014, sent a prototype return capsule on an eight-day trip around the moon to help prepare for the upcoming Chang'e 5 mission. 

Chang'e 4 pulled off the first-ever soft landing on the moon's mysterious far side, delivering a lander and rover to this largely unexplored region in January 2019. Chang'e 4 is still going strong, as is the Chang'e 3 lander. (The Chang'e 3 rover died after 31 months of operation.)

Mike Wall is the author of "Out There" (Grand Central Publishing, 2018; illustrated by Karl Tate), a book about the search for alien life.

Follow him on Twitter @michaeldwall.

Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom or Facebook. 

{ https://www.space.com/ }

20-11-2020 om 22:49 geschreven door peter  

Watch a bright fireball explode over the Tasman Sea (video)

A bright green meteor streaked across the southern coast of Tasmania, Australia, and researchers caught the fireball on camera as it broke up over the ocean. 

The meteor lit up the night sky on Wednesday (Nov. 18) at 9:21 p.m. local Tasmanian time (5:21 a.m. EST and 1021 GMT). A livestream camera on the research vessel Investigator, which is operated by Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, captured incredible views of the fireball as it descended from space and disintegrated above the Tasman Sea. 

"What we saw on reviewing the livestream footage astounded us; the size and brightness of the meteor was incredible," John Hooper, CSIRO voyage manager on board Investigator, said in a statement. "The meteor crosses the sky directly in front of the ship and then breaks up — it was amazing to watch the footage, and we were very fortunate that we captured it all on the ship livestream.”

• Related: Perseid meteor shower 2020 brings celestial fireworks to the night sky (photos)
  

The livestream camera on board Investigator operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The meteor was captured when the ship was approximately 62 miles (100 kilometers) south of the Tasmanian coast, where it is stationed to map the seafloor of the Huon Marine Park, conduct oceanographic studies and run sea trials for a variety of marine equipment, according to CSIRO (which stands for "Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation"). 

Meteors are chunks of space rock that enter Earth’s atmosphere, and they often go unnoticed in unpopulated areas such as the Southern Ocean. 

"Many meteors were once asteroids, travelling through space on their own trajectory. This changes as they pass close to Earth, where they can be affected by its gravitational pull," Glen Nagle, a researcher from CSIRO Astronomy and Space Science, said in the statement. "As they enter our atmosphere, they become meteors — and their entry can be visually spectacular."

Footage of the meteor streaking across the night sky was captured in black and white, but observers said the bright flash of light appeared green to the naked eye. While there have been reports of additional sightings in the area, no other photos or videos have been shared of the meteor. 

"Cameras are everywhere, in our pockets and around our cities, but they have to be pointed in the right place at the right time — RV Investigator was in that place and time," Nagle said in the statement. 

Follow Samantha Mathewson @Sam_Ashley13.

Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook. 

Incredible moment meteor breaking up over the southern coast of Tasmania has been captured by researchers. The bright green debris shot over the research research vessel Investigator, which is operated by...

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20-11-2020 om 22:32 geschreven door peter  

Elon Musk says the first human colony on Mars will live in 'glass domes' and one million people will live there by 2050 after the poles are blasted by nuclear weapons to melt ice caps and induce warming

• Elon Musk has shared more details for his plan to build a city on Mars

• He suggests the first city will involve ‘life in glass domes at first'

• The planet will be terraformed, but it will not happen in our lifetime, he said

• The domes will be ruins for future settlers to discover once Mars it habitable 

• Musk proposed nuking Mars to make it habitable for one million people by 2050 

By STACY LIBERATORE FOR DAILYMAIL.COM

Elon Musk has not been shy about his strategy to build a colony on Mars – from sending three Starship rockets a day to constructing a Starlink constellation and now, the billionaire has shared a housing plan.

The SpaceX CEO explained on Twitter that the first Martian city would involve ‘life in glass domes at first,' but the planet would eventually be terraformed – just not in our lifetime.

‘We can establish a human base there in our lifetime. At least a future spacefaring civilization – discovering our ruins – will be impressed humans got that far,’ Musk shared in a tweet.

Musk has previously referred to Mars as a ‘fixer-upper of a planet’ and to terraform the distant world, the CEO has proposed we ‘nuke Mars.’

And after bombs are dropped and Mars is habitable, Musk plans to send one million people to live on Mars - which he says will happen by 2050.

Scroll down for video 

Musk explained on Twitter that the first Martian city would involve ‘life in glass domes at first,' but the planet would eventually be terraformed – just not in our lifetime

He first revealed the master plan back in 2015 on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert, stating that Mars could be made by Earth-like if it were warmer.

Musk explained this could be achieved slowly, as gradual release of greenhouse gases would fill the atmosphere with carbon dioxide - with the help of nuclear bombs. 

These weapons of mass destruction emit large amounts of thermal radiation as visible, infrared and ultraviolet light, known as 'flash' when detonated.

Heat accounts for between 35 and 45 percent of the energy released by the explosion, meaning a massive amount of heat is generated incredibly fast, which could potentially be harnessed to heat up the Martian atmosphere, according to Musk's fledgling theory.

 Elon Musk has not been shy about his strategy to build a colony on Mars – from sending three Starship rockets a day to constructing a Starlink constellation and now, the billionaire has shared a housing plan - glass domes

(pictured is artist's impression)

Musk has previously referred to Mars as a ‘fixer-upper of a planet’

To terraform the distant world, the CEO has proposed we ‘nuke Mars.’ And after bombs are dropped and Mars is habitable, Musk plans to send one million people to live on Mars - which he says will happen by 2050

However, his 2015 plan hit a road block when NASA released a study in 2018 that found ‘Mars terraforming is not possible using present-day technology’ – this includes nuclear bombs.

NASA’s statements have not deterred Musk from his path to the Red Planet, which he is now eyeing 2026 for when he plans to send the first crewed Starship rocket.

Once they land on the dusty world, the first settlers will get to work constructing a self-sustaining city.

SpaceX engineer Paul Wooster explained in September 2018 the initial focus of these individuals would be establishing life support systems, enabling surface power, developing habitats and building greenhouses – along with Musk’s glass domes. 

In the recent tweet thread, after discussing the glass domes, a user asked the billionaire: ‘What would you say about the Laws you will have on Mars that you don't have on Earth?’ Musk simply replied: ‘Let the Martians decide their own future'

Not only does Musk have a plan for constructing the new world, but he also has an idea of how it should be governed.

In the recent tweet thread, after discussing the glass domes, a user asked the billionaire: ‘What would you say about the Laws you will have on Mars that you don't have on Earth?’

Musk simply replied: ‘Let the Martians decide their own future.’

This statement falls in line with wording in Starlink's beta consumer service term.

Buried in the text is a section titled ‘Governing Laws,’ which states SpaceX will not abide by international laws beyond Earth and the moon, but instead adopt self-governing principles 'established on good faith.’

Musk has taken it upon himself to declare Mars a ‘free planet.’

ALL RELATED VIDEOS, selected and posted by peter2011

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20-11-2020 om 21:19 geschreven door peter  

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20-11-2020 om 21:04 geschreven door peter  

The Nov. 21 launch of the U.S.-European Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite

NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration5.050.995 volgers1 d • 1 dag geleden

🛰 🌊 We’re getting closer to the Nov. 21 launch of the U.S.-European Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite, that will monitor sea levels worldwide! Join the global virtual NASA Social event: https://fb.me/e/1B5BQg5sH

Find out all the ways to follow the journey of #SeeingTheSeas: go.nasa.gov/3feBY0g

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Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich Satellite Prepared for Launch

This illustration shows the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket's nose cone, with the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite inside, shortly before launch.
Credits: NASA/JPL-CaltechSpaceX

The newest satellite to monitor global sea level is ready for its journey into space. Here's what to expect.

Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich, the latest in a series of spacecraft designed to monitor our oceans, is scheduled to launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base in central California on Saturday, Nov. 21, 2020. The satellite will be followed in 2025 by its twin, Sentinel-6B. Together, the pair is tasked with extending our nearly 30-year-long record of global sea surface height measurements. Instruments aboard the satellites will also provide atmospheric data that will improve weather forecasts, climate models, and hurricane tracking.

Launch Timeline

Named after former NASA Earth Science Division Director Michael Freilich, the U.S.-European satellite will be carried into space on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, with liftoff targeted for 9:17:08 a.m. PST (12:17:08 p.m. EST) from Space Launch Complex 4 East. If needed, backup launch opportunities are available on subsequent days, with the instantaneous launch window falling about 12 minutes earlier each day.

A little more than two minutes after the Falcon 9 rocket lifts off, the main engine will cut off. Shortly after, the rocket's first and second stages will separate, followed by second-stage engine start. The reusable Falcon 9 first stage will then begin its automated boost-back burn to the launch site for a propulsive landing.

The first cutoff of the second stage engine will take place approximately eight minutes after liftoff. It will fire a second time 45 minutes later, at which point the launch vehicle and the spacecraft will be in a temporary "parking" orbit. Several minutes later, the launch vehicle and the spacecraft will separate. The satellite will begin solar panel deployment about one hour and seven minutes post-launch and is expected to make first contact about 25 minutes after that.

Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech

More About the Mission

Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich and Sentinel-6B make up the Sentinel-6/Jason-CS mission, which was developed by ESA (European Space Agency) in the context of the European Copernicus program led by the European Commission, the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT), NASA, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), with funding support from the European Commission and technical support from France's National Centre for Space Studies (CNES).

JPL, a division of Caltech in Pasadena, built three science instruments for each Sentinel-6 satellite: the Advanced Microwave Radiometer, the Global Navigation Satellite System - Radio Occultation, and the Laser Retroreflector Array. NASA is also contributing launch services, ground systems supporting operation of the NASA science instruments, the science data processors for two of these instruments, and support for the international Ocean Surface Topography Science Team. The launch is managed by NASA's Launch Services Program, based at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Where to Find Launch Coverage

On launch day, Nov. 21, 2020, NASA TV coverage will begin at 8:45 a.m. PST (11:45 a.m. EST).

For live NASA TV programming on NASA's public channel, visit:

• https://nasa.gov/live

For live programming on the NASA TV media channel, visit:

• https://youtube.com/NASA

NASA TV programming will be archived and available soon after it airs here:

• https://images.nasa.gov

For more information on the mission, visit:

• https://sealevel.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/jason-cs-sentinel-6/summary/

{ https://www.nasa.gov/ }

20-11-2020 om 20:56 geschreven door peter  

20-11-2020 om 18:39 geschreven door peter  

White UFO Filmed Over The United Arab Emirates Is ‘100% Alien’ Says Expert

PIXABAY

Here we go again with another UFO sighting in which the aliens (or time travelers, perhaps human) involved are making little to no effort at concealment.

While Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates hasn’t been one of the more recent UFO hotspots, it definitely would have to be on these visitors’ must visit list as it is probably the most futuristic looking of all the nations on the the planet.

“I see them at night. Looks like a star for awhile, then it’ll just fly away slowly,” wrote one viewer.

“Same thing in Vancouver BC,” commented another.

20-11-2020 om 17:46 geschreven door peter  

Inscriptions found on an ancient Egyptian temple revealed constellations that were previously unknown. In addition to the inscriptions, the original colors that were painted onto the 2,000-year-old temple were still present.

The researchers were very careful in removing the dirt and soot from around the temple (occasionally with an alcohol and distilled water mixture) and that’s when they found several carvings and hieroglyphics that “looks like it was painted yesterday,” as described by Christian Leitz who is a professor of Egyptology at the University of Tübingen in Germany and the project leader. In an interview with Live Science, he made it clear that they were not going to repaint anything and that they were only removing the dirt and soot from around the temple.

As for the constellations, the researchers found inscriptions of those we are already familiar with, such as the Big Dipper (or Mesekhtiu) and Orion (or Sah). However, they did find other inscriptions of those that were previously unknown, like the “Apedu n Ra” constellation (also known as “the geese of Ra”) in reference to the ancient Egyptian sun god. Unfortunately, there were no pictures accompanying the inscriptions so it’s impossible to know for sure which stars they were referring to.

As for the temple itself, it is located in the town of Esna which is approximately 40 miles south of Luxor. The Temple of Esna was once a sanctuary that turned into a storage warehouse for cotton in the early part of the 19^th century. But after many years of neglect, it is now covered with dirt and soot with only the vestibule remaining.

This large sandstone building measures 120 feet in length by 65 feet in width and 50 feet in height. It has 24 support columns and 18 free-standing columns that contained beautifully painted carvings of plants. Leitz estimated that it would have taken approximately 200 years for the ancient Egyptians to complete its construction and finish all the carvings and decorations.

The restoration project started in 2018 and it was only recently that they found the inscriptions of the previously unknown constellations. Leitz explained that when the temple was decorated, the ancient Egyptians would have drawn the images in black ink first, and then an artisan would have created the carvings before a painter colored them. Interestingly, several of the inscriptions on the ceiling were only drawn in black ink and they were never carved or even painted.

Pictures of the temple and some of the decorations can be seen here.

This 2019 photo shows the temple of Esna from the east. 

(Image credit: Ahmed Amin)

A column before restoration 

(Image credit: Ahmed Amin)

The same column, after restoration. The name of Trajan is written in the cartouche. 

(Image credit: Ahmed Amin)

Workers found vibrant colors under the soot and filth. 

(Image credit: Ahmed Amin)

The constellation Orion as Osiris (left) and Sothis as Isis (right). 

(Image credit: Ahmed Amin)

The representation of a constellation in form of a mummy. 

(Image credit: Ahmed Amin)

A column with plant designs that has been fully restored. 

(Image credit: Ahmed Amin)

{ https://mysteriousuniverse.org/ }

20-11-2020 om 15:52 geschreven door peter  

The Day The Soviets Captured A UFO - USSR UFO Secrets

Russian documents leaked from the government claim to report a crashed UFO in the north-western region of Siberia sparking a military retrieval operation and scientific investigation of the strange craft. Details of its high performance and incredible advanced technology stunned scientists who had been investigating the craft from a secret military location.

The authenticity of such a report is still under investigation but the information within the pages of this document could be the most relevant release of data to date.

The border region between Kazakhstan and Russia has been a UFO hotspot for years and the nearby area of Arkaim is known as Russia’s Twilight Zone. The surrounding areas in both countries have shown up evidence of ancient settlements and some people attribute these to the strange activity that is reported in skies above. Secret Russian government programs were launched to investigate the strange aerial phenomena. The mysterious sightings of strange craft throughout the region continues to date with very little explanation as to what they could be.

RELATED VIDEOS, selected and posted by peter2011

{ https://beforeitsnews.com/ }

20-11-2020 om 14:09 geschreven door peter  

The Prophecy of Enoch You Have Never Heard Of - You Might Want to Watch This Right Away

The Prophecy of Enoch You Have Never Heard Of – You Might Want To Watch This Right Away

The text of the Book of Genesis says Enoch lived 365 years before he was taken by God. The text reads that Enoch ”walked with God: and he was no more; for God took him” (Gen 5:21–24), which is interpreted as Enoch’s entering Heaven alive in some Jewish and Christian traditions.

*This is an original narration recorded specifically for this video in the Lion of Judah studio* Footage licensed through: Filmpac/Videoblocks Music licensed through Audiojungle/ Artlist

RELATED VIDEOS, selected and posted by peter2011

{ https://beforeitsnews.com/ }

20-11-2020 om 13:46 geschreven door peter  

ISS live streaming UFOs few days ago

This was filmed on 15th November 2020 via NASA ISS live stream. Did NASA forget to censor the stream?

{ https://www.latest-ufo-sightings.net/ }

20-11-2020 om 13:32 geschreven door peter  

Drones: The worst thing to happen to UFOs since Orson Welles

David MacQuarrie

This month, mysterious lights startled some people looking to the skies in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Readers of this website will already know there is no mystery; the UFO lights at Maier Festival Park were just drones practicing for a Christmas Pageant light show.

But there’s a long history of alarming lights in the sky and earthlings assuming it just can’t be good.

Actor/ Director Orson Welles frightened many listeners in 1938 with his Halloween prank radio broadcast of War of the Worlds. It’s controversial just how many people actually feared Martian invasion. But a lot of listeners felt silly once the hoax was revealed, and CBS fought at least one lawsuit. For years after that, the skies remained more or less clear of extraterrestrial menace.

Until 1947. That’s when pilot Kenneth Arnold says he spotted flying objects skipping like saucers over the Cascade Range near Seattle. This time there was no Orson Welles to ‘fess up. UFOs were with us and became part of the cultural landscape. 

Most turn out to be sightings of the planet Venus, aircraft, oddball reflections or swamp gas. (Really? Who’s fooled by swamp gas?)    

Still, there was always a tiny minority of reports that defied easy explanation.

UFO? It’s just a drone, dude

But now the skeptic has a likely and dismissive UFO explanation at hand: It’s just a drone ma’am.

 “A significant amount of UFOs that we investigate are hobby drones,” Ken Jordan told the Victoria Advocate.  He served as the Texas chief of investigations for Mutual UFO Network, an organization that investigates UFO sightings internationally. And this was last year. Since then, the factories of Shenzhen and Hong Kong have filled the skies with hundreds of thousands more identifiable flying objects. We reported on people reporting UFOs to New Jersey police — only to learn it was a police drone.

A high-flying aircraft moving at impossible speeds can be mistaken for a low-flying drone puttering along at 20 k/h. Acrobatics that seem to defy the laws of physics are now on routine display at drone airshows, no extraterrestrial technology needed.

“Keep watching the skies”

When the New York Times published U.S. navy videos of strange objects flying off the east coast of the U.S., even the pilots had a familiar explanation.

“That’s an [expletive] drone, bro,” says one.

They don’t especially look like drones, but really what else could they be?

Perhaps the mothership is parked ominously just behind the Moon and is sending its vile horde of drone-shaped legions toward our unsuspecting planet. Perhaps we should be vigilant like the character Ned Scott in The Thing from Another World:  “Keep watching the skies”

Perhaps. But it’s probably just a drone, dude.

{ https://dronedj.com/ }

20-11-2020 om 01:53 geschreven door peter  

End-Triassic Mass Extinction Occurred Slightly Later Than Previously Thought

An analysis of biomarkers and their stable isotopic compositions from the Bristol Channel Basin at St. Audrie’s Bay and Lilstock, United Kingdom, has shed new light on when one of the largest mass extinction events on Earth occurred.

Most of the major mass extinctions of the last 300 million years, as well as some of the lesser biotic turnover events, are associated with reorganizations or perturbations of the Earth’s natural carbon cycle.

The end-Triassic mass extinction began after a volcanic eruption spewed carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, disrupting the carbon cycle and sparking a chain reaction of environmental events.

That carbon disruption led to acidic ocean waters which then affected delicate marine ecosystems, and led to other unfavorable planetary changes.

The extinction event resulted in the demise of some 76% of all marine and land species.

In a new study, a research team led by Curtin University scientists analyzed biomarkers (molecular fossils) extracted from rocks collected in the United Kingdom’s Bristol Channel and found evidence of ancient microbial mats, which are complex communities of microorganisms.

“Through our analysis of the chemical signature of these microbial mats, in addition to seeing sea-level change and water column freshening, we discovered the end-Triassic mass extinction occurred later than previously thought,” said first author Calum Peter Fox, a Ph.D. student in the Western Australia Organic & Isotope Geochemistry Centre at Curtin University and the Department of Earth Sciences at Khalifa University of Science and Technology.

“Previous research suggests the extinction took place where we now know microbial mats flourished and the chemical signatures left by these ancient microbes complicated the rock record, leading others to believe this is where the extinction took place.”

“The microbial mats recorded in UK samples are comparable to extant microbial mats such as in Shark Bay of Western Australia,” he said.

“It’s amazing to consider that similar microbial communities that confounded the timing of one of Earth’s largest extinctions millions of years ago are on our shorelines and so easy to observe for ourselves.”

“The findings not only presented a new theory of what started the end-Triassic extinction, but also provided a type of warning for future potential mass extinction events on Earth,” said senior author Professor Kliti Grice, also from the Western Australia Organic & Isotope Geochemistry Centre at Curtin University.

“Our recent research shows that microbial mats played important functions in several mass extinction events as well as a role in preserving remains of life including soft tissue of dead organisms under exceptional circumstances.”

“Knowing more about the carbon dioxide levels present during the end-Triassic mass extinction event provides us with important details that could help protect our environment and health of our ecosystems for future generations.”

The findings were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

_____

• Calum P. Fox et al. Molecular and isotopic evidence reveals the end-Triassic carbon isotope excursion is not from massive exogenous light carbon. PNAS, published online November 16, 2020; doi: 10.1073/pnas.1917661117

{ http://www.sci-news.com/ }

20-11-2020 om 01:42 geschreven door peter  

Mysterious Civilizations of Giants

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

20-11-2020 om 01:27 geschreven door peter  

The Colossi of Memnon: Why Did the Giant Statue Sing at Dawn?

The Colossi of Memnon are a pair of giant statues made of stone that are located in the Theban Necropolis in Luxor, Upper Egypt. The statues were made during the 14th century BC, during the period in ancient Egyptian history known as the New Kingdom. The best-known legend about the Colossi of Memnon is that of the ‘ Vocal Memnon ,’ in which one of the statues was reputed to ‘sing’ every morning at dawn.

The Ancient Egyptian Pharaoh Who Created the Colossi of Memnon

The Colossi of Memnon were built during the reign of Amenhotep III , a pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty who ruled Egypt during the 14th century BC. The statues, which are each about 20 meters (65.62 ft.) in height, are made of quartzite sandstone. The stone is thought to have been quarried either from El-Gabal el-Ahmar (near Cairo) or from Gebel el-Silsileh (near Aswan), and then transported by land to Luxor. The statues depict Amenhotep III in a seated position, with their hands resting on their knees, and their faces facing the Nile in the east.

• Questioning the Mycenaean Death Mask of Agamemnon
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• Archaeologists find Magnificent Statues of Pharaoh Amenhotep III and His Protector, the Lioness Goddess of War

Amenhotep III's Sitting Colossi of Memnon, Theban Necropolis, Luxor, Egypt. 

(merydolla /Adobe Stock)

The Name and Purpose of the Egyptian Colossi of Memnon

The original function of the colossi was to serve as guardians at the entrance of the pharaoh’s mortuary temple. When it was completed, this temple complex was one of the largest and most luxurious in the land. Today, however, little is left of the mortuary temple, and its foundations were gradually damaged by the annual flooding of the Nile , which led to the temple being demolished, and its stone blocks re-used for other structures. The colossi were spared this fate, though they also suffered extensive damage over the millennia.

The Colossi of Memnon in front of the Egyptian pharaoh Amenhotep III's mortuary temple.

( Ancient Egypt )

The colossi were named ‘Memnon’ towards the end of the 1st century BC. Memnon was a hero who lived during the time of the Trojan War . As the King of Ethiopia, Memnon led his soldiers to Troy, where they fought against the Greeks on the side of the Trojans. He was eventually slain by Achilles.

According to legend, Memnon was the son of Eos, the goddess of dawn. On learning of her son’s death, Eos wept, which is said to form the morning dew.

‘Statues of Memnon at Thebes during the flood,’ David Roberts. (1848) ( Public Domain ) The statues in Luxor, Egypt have been impacted by the annual flooding of the Nile.

The Ancient Egyptian Statue Sings at Dawn

Eos’ weeping was associated with the sound said to have been produced by one of the colossi at dawn. According to the Greek geographer Strabo, in 27 BC, a strong earthquake caused the top half of the northern colossus to collapse, and its lower portion to crack. As a consequence of this, the statue began to ‘sing,’ i.e. emitted a light moaning or whistling sound each morning as the Sun rose.

In order to explain this phenomenon, the ancient Greek and Roman travelers to the site began to associate the colossi with the legendary Memnon. The ‘singing’ of the colossus, therefore, was said to have been made by Eos mourning for her dead son. Alternatively, it was believed that the sounds were the cries of Memnon greeting his mother.

Ahmed Osman notes that “Whether associating the Colossi with his name was just whimsy or wishful thinking on the part of the Greeks – they generally referred to the entire Theban Necropolis as the “Memnonium” – the name has remained in common use for the past 2000 years.”

• Eight More Statues of the Ancient Egyptian Goddess Sekhmet Found in Luxor
• Revealing the Ramesseum Medical Papyri and Other Remarkable Finds from the Temple of Ramesses II
• Two colossal statues of Amenhotep III unveiled in Luxor

Antonio Beato, Colossi of Memnon, Egypt, 19th century. Brooklyn Museum.

( Public Domain )

A natural explanation for the signing or wailing phenomenon has been put forward. It has been suggested that due to the increase in temperature at dawn, the dew inside the porous rock evaporates, thus causing the statue to ‘sing.’

Silencing ‘Memnon’

Some believed that it was good luck to hear the statue ‘sing,’ while others were of the opinion that the statue was an oracle. With this in mind, the Colossi of Memnon was a popular tourist attraction and many ancient travelers visited it, including several Roman emperors. One of these was Septimius Severus, who reigned between the end of the 2nd century AD and the beginning of the 3rd century AD.

Drawing of the ancient Egyptian Colossi of Memnon.

(Wellcome images/ CC BY 4.0 )

According to local tradition, the emperor visited the Colossi of Memnon in 199 AD. During his visit, Septimius Severus decided to repair the broken statue by having the two halves re-connected. This caused the statue to stop ‘singing’ forever. Nevertheless, the Colossi of Memnon still remain a tourist attraction even today.

• Top Image: One of the seated statues known as the Colossi of Memnon. Source: danheller /Adobe Stock

By Wu Mingren

{ https://www.ancient-origins.net/ }

20-11-2020 om 01:13 geschreven door peter  

The Walls of Jericho: How Accurate Was The Biblical Account?

Jericho is famous both to prehistorians and Biblical scholars. It is likely the oldest continuously inhabited permanent settlement in the world, known for ancient astronomical observatories, plastered skulls, and impressive walls, and it is these walls that the city is probably most famous for. The walls of Jericho are the subject of much discussion and research due to their importance for evaluating the historicity of the Biblical narrative of the ancient Israelite invasion of Canaan.

Before the Bible

Early archaeological work was done on Jericho in the late 1950s by investigators, such as Dame Kathleen Kenyon . Among many other things, they found evidence of walls and a city that had been attacked. This has made Jericho a place of great importance for those interested in Biblical studies.

The earliest evidence of settlement comes from 12,000 years ago when hunter-gatherers settled in the area. Although they were hunter-gatherers, the area seems to have been abundant enough that they were able to live a sedentary lifestyle. They lived in oval stone structures that were partially underground. By about 10,500 years ago, or around 8,500 BC, the people of Jericho had adopted agriculture and Jericho had become a major Neolithic settlement engaging in long distance trade. It was during this time that the famous tower of Jericho was built.

The tower of Jericho was originally discovered by Dame Kathleen Kenyon who suggested that it might have formed part of the original fortification of the town. Modern archaeologists have suggested that it is an ancient astronomical observatory . Within the tower is a staircase that leads to a position where, on what was the summer solstice at the time, the sun could be seen setting behind Mount Quruntul within the Judaean mountains.

The 8000 BC Tower of Jericho at the site of Tell es-Sultan, 2009.

(Salamandra123 / CC BY-SA 3.0 )

In addition to the tower, mysterious plastered skulls have been found, where the skulls were taken out of their graves and given plastered facial features and shell eyes. They are believed to be related to ancestor worship.

• ARCHAEOLOGISTS CLAIM TO HAVE DISCOVERED THE LOCATION OF THE BIBLICAL CITY OF SODOM
• ARCHAEOLOGISTS UNCOVER THE GATE OF JESUS’ FEEDING MIRACLE CITY

Plastered Skull from Jericho from 7,000 BC discovered by Dame Kathleen Kenyon, 1957.

(Merryjack, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 )

By about 7,000 BC, there was a cultural shift where the population in Jericho was reduced and architectural styles changed from round to rectangular houses. Jericho continued to exist as a small village but did not become a large settlement again until around 3,000 BC. After 3,000 BC, extensive fortifications, consisting of walls and towers, were constructed around Jericho. Large cemeteries were also built. Around 2300 BC, Jericho became occupied by the Amorites. During the Amorite period, Jericho appears to have declined as an urban center. By about 1900 BC, the site was occupied by the Canaanites and once again became a major city. It is this Canaanite Jericho that was encountered by the ancient Israelites in the Book of Joshua.

The Walls of Jericho

The Biblical narrative describes the city as having nearly impregnable walls, which were intimidating to anyone who tried to take the city. There is archaeological evidence that the city was once fortified and that it was subsequently attacked and burned sometime in the middle or late Bronze Age between 1550 BC and 1400 BC.

Biblical depiction of the fall of Jericho.

(Otto Semler, CC BY SA 2.0 )

The city of Jericho sat atop a mound or hill, which was surrounded by an embankment. The embankment was supported by an enormous stone retaining wall. Above the retaining wall was an 8-10 meter tall and 2 meter thick mudbrick wall. The wall was directly above the retaining wall and lined the edges of the embankment.

At the perimeter of the summit of the flat-topped hill on which the city was built was another mudbrick wall, which contained the upper city. There is evidence that houses were also built on the embankment and people lived on the lower part of the hill between the inner wall and the outer wall. Since this part of the city would have been less safe in times of war, it has been suggested that this was likely the poorer part of the city. The upper city may have been inhabited by the elites, while commoners lived in the lower city.

Although the inner and outer walls were only mudbrick, they would have been impressive for the time and would have made Jericho a mighty fortress to which people from surrounding towns and villages could flee in times of invasion.

Jericho and Bronze Age Fortifications

The city of Jericho appears to follow a Bronze Age tradition in which cities were built on top of artificial embankments or mounds surrounded by walls. This style of defense is found outside of Jericho at locations such Hazor, Megiddo, and Shechem. Typically, the site would consist of a mound with an artificial embankment surrounding it. Around the embankment would be a stone retaining wall. Settlements with this type of defense structure also had a mudbrick wall built atop the retaining wall as well as another wall surrounding the crest of the mound. This type of fortification is referred to as a glacis and is found all over Palestine and in large portions of the Middle East.

Citadel of Allepo, Syria, showing an example of a glacis fortification, 2007.

(Brian Harrington Spier / CC BY-SA 2.0 )

Scholars have speculated about the origin of the glacis. When research into these structures began in the early to mid-20 ^th century, these fortifications were originally associated with the Hyksos. Originally, the Hyksos were thought to be Indo-European chariot warriors . The fortification was postulated to represent the original fortifications that they used in their homeland.

Since the mid-20 ^th century, this theory has been abandoned and the glacis fortifications are no longer considered to be associated with chariot warfare. Today, the Hyksos are known to have spoken a Semitic language and were likely more closely related to the ancient Hebrews than they were to Indo-European steppe warriors.

Although archaeologists had abandoned the idea that the fortification design came from the steppes of the Indo-European homeland, they were still convinced that the fortification must have come from the north, such as from Anatolia or Syria. By 1968, archaeologists had begun to suggest that the glacis was a native design invented by the Palestinians themselves. This appears to be the predominant view currently.

Another point of contention has been the use of the fortifications. Archaeologists in the mid-20 ^th century, originally believed that the glacis-fortifications were primarily military forts. It is now known that they were simply fortified towns and that at their summits and on the embankments were houses, temples, and other civilian structures.

The glacis first came in to use in the late 18th century BC and was widespread through the middle Bronze Age. By the Iron Age, the glacis appears to have fallen out of use. The legacy of the glacis, however, is reflected in the mound or hill-shaped structure of many archaeological sites across the Levant.

• 11 OF THE MOST ANCIENT AND CONTINUALLY OCCUPIED CITIES IN THE WORLD
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 The Walls of Jericho and Biblical Archaeology

For a while, Jericho presented a problem in Biblical studies. On a broader level, there appears to be a discrepancy between the account of the Israelite settlement of Canaan in the Book of Joshua and what is known from archaeology. An initial reading of the Book of Joshua gives the impression that Canaan was taken in a sudden conquest. This is not what is reflected in the current archaeological record that suggests a more gradual settlement, which is more consistent with the account given in the Book of Judges.

However, a closer reading of the Book of Joshua shows that not all of Canaan was conquered by Joshua. Only three cities were specifically described as being burned and destroyed by the ancient Israelites, Ai, Hazor, and Jericho.

As can be seen, evidence of a swift invasion is not necessary to reconcile the Book of Joshua’s account with the archaeological record. Nonetheless, the story of the destruction of Jericho, Ai, and Hazor, around 1400 BC, is consistent with what is known from archaeological excavations.

When the Bible speaks of the walls of Jericho falling down, the original Hebrew wording carries the idea of the walls falling “below themselves.” This is consistent with the design of the glacis since the outer wall would probably be a mudbrick wall sitting atop the stone retaining wall. Thus, if the outer wall was toppled, it would fall below to the base of the retaining wall.

During early archaeological excavations by the British archaeologist Dame Kathleen Kenyon, a stone retaining wall was found at the base of the tell associated with Jericho, but a mudbrick wall wasn’t found. However, a deposit of collapsed mudbrick was found at the base of the retaining wall at certain locations around the tell. This is surprisingly consistent with the account in the Book of Joshua. This collapsed wall would have also created a ramp for the Israelite warriors to march up the embankment to take the city. In this way, the archaeological record makes the Biblical account surprisingly believable. It supports the idea that the walls tumbled “below themselves” as well as the statement that the Israelites went “up” to take the city.

Birdseye view of the unearthed foundations at Tell es-Sultan in Jericho and the surrounding area, 2008.

( Public Domain )

Another specific part of the narrative that is also made plausible by the archaeological record is the account of Rahab’s house being spared. In the Biblical narrative, two spies were sent into the city and they were harbored by a prostitute named Rahab. For helping the spies, Rahab was promised that she and her family would be spared when the city was destroyed. It is implied in the Biblical text, when the walls collapsed that her house was not destroyed even though it was connected to the wall.

During an early excavation in 1907-1909, German archaeologists found that, although most of the wall had collapsed, a portion of the wall had not entirely collapsed and appeared to have been preserved. They also found evidence that houses had been built along the wall. These houses typically had a thickness of only one brick, suggesting they were built for the poorer inhabitants of the city. Although this may not have been the location of Rahab’s house, it is consistent with the Biblical narrative.

Another detail that is also of interest in the archaeological site of Jericho is the presence of pots of charred grain that were burned from when the city was attacked and destroyed. What is unusual about these grain pots is that grain would probably have been eaten during a siege if it had been prolonged over a long period of time. The siege of Jericho by the ancient Israelites is said to have lasted only seven days. The fact that the grain pots were still full is consistent with a short siege. This also supports another part of the Biblical narrative, which mentions that the battle of Jericho happened in the spring, shortly after harvest time.

Biblical depiction of the battle of Jericho.

( Public Domain

Implications for the Biblical Narrative

These details do not prove that the Bible is true necessarily, but they do demonstrate that the Biblical narrative is plausible and makes sense. This is consistent with other archaeological finds that increase confidence in the Biblical narrative as being at least archaeologically and historically realistic.

Although there are still unanswered questions and discrepancies between the Biblical account and the archaeological record, the Bible can be thought of as a basically reliable document that does provide some useful details for archaeologists and historians interested in understanding the lifeways and societies of the ancient Levant, even if it turns out to not be true or accurate in its entirety.

An analogy is Homer’s Iliad. The archaeological site now considered to be the site of ancient Troy was first excavated by Heinrich Schliemann in the 1870s. Schliemann was in search of the Troy of Greek legend. During this excavation, Schliemann discovered artifacts, which he believed to be the treasures of King Priam, although this idea was later discredited. Nonetheless, in the century and a half since the initial excavations by Heinrich Schliemann, scholars have noted that the topographic descriptions of the land and city in the Iliad do seem to match what is known of the ancient city from archaeology. This is interesting in light of the fact that Hisarlik, the current Turkish name for the archaeological site, has been associated with the legendary city for thousands of years. Although it is far from clear how much of the Trojan war is history and how much is legend, it does appear plausible that there is truth to the narrative.

The Ramayana is another possible example. Although Rama, the main character, is not mentioned on any monuments or coinage, as would be expected of a historical monarch, most of the cities and places mentioned in the Ramayana are known to exist or have been discovered through archaeological investigation. This does not necessarily mean that the events in the Ramayana happened as described, but they do make the story of the Ramayana more plausible.

In the same way, these archaeological findings at Jericho do not necessarily prove that the Biblical narrative happened exactly as described, but they do lend credence to the story described on the pages of the Bible. Although sometimes archaeology casts doubt on traditional stories about the past, other times it confirms them in surprising ways.

• Top Image: Bible Old Testament: Joshua and the walls of Jericho.           
• Source: Archivist / Adobe Stock

By Caleb Strom

{ https://www.ancient-origins.net/ }

19-11-2020 om 23:49 geschreven door peter