Dit is ons nieuw hondje Kira, een kruising van een waterhond en een Podenko. Ze is sinds 7 februari 2024 bij ons en druk bezig ons hart te veroveren. Het is een lief, aanhankelijk hondje, dat zich op een week snel aan ons heeft aangepast. Ze is heel vinnig en nieuwsgierig, een heel ander hondje dan Noleke.
This is our new dog Kira, a cross between a water dog and a Podenko. She has been with us since February 7, 2024 and is busy winning our hearts. She is a sweet, affectionate dog who quickly adapted to us within a week. She is very quick and curious, a very different dog than Noleke.
DEAR VISITOR,
MY BLOG EXISTS NEARLY 13 YEARS AND 4 MONTH.
ON /30/09/2024 MORE THAN 2.230.520
VISITORS FROM 135 DIFFERENT NATIONS ALREADY FOUND THEIR WAY TO MY BLOG.
THAT IS AN AVERAGE OF 400GUESTS PER DAY.
THANK YOU FOR VISITING MY BLOG AND HOPE YOU ENJOY EACH TIME.
The purpose of this blog is the creation of an open, international, independent and free forum, where every UFO-researcher can publish the results of his/her research. The languagues, used for this blog, are Dutch, English and French.You can find the articles of a collegue by selecting his category. Each author stays resposable for the continue of his articles. As blogmaster I have the right to refuse an addition or an article, when it attacks other collegues or UFO-groupes.
Druk op onderstaande knop om te reageren in mijn forum
Zoeken in blog
Deze blog is opgedragen aan mijn overleden echtgenote Lucienne.
In 2012 verloor ze haar moedige strijd tegen kanker!
In 2011 startte ik deze blog, omdat ik niet mocht stoppen met mijn UFO-onderzoek.
BEDANKT!!!
Een interessant adres?
UFO'S of UAP'S, ASTRONOMIE, RUIMTEVAART, ARCHEOLOGIE, OUDHEIDKUNDE, SF-SNUFJES EN ANDERE ESOTERISCHE WETENSCHAPPEN - DE ALLERLAATSTE NIEUWTJES
UFO's of UAP'S in België en de rest van de wereld In België had je vooral BUFON of het Belgisch UFO-Netwerk, dat zich met UFO's bezighoudt. BEZOEK DUS ZEKER VOOR ALLE OBJECTIEVE INFORMATIE , enkel nog beschikbaar via Facebook en deze blog.
Verder heb je ook het Belgisch-Ufo-meldpunt en Caelestia, die prachtig, doch ZEER kritisch werk leveren, ja soms zelfs héél sceptisch...
Voor Nederland kan je de mooie site www.ufowijzer.nl bezoeken van Paul Harmans. Een mooie site met veel informatie en artikels.
MUFON of het Mutual UFO Network Inc is een Amerikaanse UFO-vereniging met afdelingen in alle USA-staten en diverse landen.
MUFON's mission is the analytical and scientific investigation of the UFO- Phenomenon for the benefit of humanity...
Je kan ook hun site bekijken onder www.mufon.com.
Ze geven een maandelijks tijdschrift uit, namelijk The MUFON UFO-Journal.
Since 02/01/2020 is Pieter ex-president (=voorzitter) of BUFON, but also ex-National Director MUFON / Flanders and the Netherlands. We work together with the French MUFON Reseau MUFON/EUROP.
ER IS EEN NIEUWE GROEPERING DIE ZICH BUFON NOEMT, MAAR DIE HEBBEN NIETS MET ONZE GROEP TE MAKEN. DEZE COLLEGA'S GEBRUIKEN DE NAAM BUFON VOOR HUN SITE... Ik wens hen veel succes met de verdere uitbouw van hun groep. Zij kunnen de naam BUFON wel geregistreerd hebben, maar het rijke verleden van BUFON kunnen ze niet wegnemen...
30-11-2023
A few alien structures in NASA moon photo, UFO Sighting News.
A few alien structures in NASA moon photo, UFO Sighting News.
Now I took the original photo and added contrast to it, because it was over exposed...meaning NASA added too much light to blur out the detail. They do that often, but I thought I would share with you a few of the interesting structures I found. Interesting fact about alien structures, since it is an alien culture, its rules of making structures are different from our own, therefore do not expect the expected, but instead look forward to the unexpected.
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- Gemiddelde waardering: 0/5 - (0 Stemmen) Categorie:Ruins, strange artifacts on other planets, moons, ed ( Fr, EN, NL )
5,500km Boomerang UAP Passes Sun On Nov 27, 2023, Video, UFO Sighting News.
5,500km Boomerang UAP Passes Sun On Nov 27, 2023, Video, UFO Sighting News.
Date of sighting: Nov 27, 2023, 16:46:53 Location of sighting: Earths Sun Source: Helioviewer.org
I was looking at objects near the sun on Helioviewer. It's a NASA program that is designed for the public and educators to share. I found that in a single frame of the video, there is a huge craft that measures 5,500km across from wing tip to wing tip. Yes you heard me right, it's long and it's a boomerang type UAP shape. As it passes the sun it is unphased by the suns powerful gravity, showing no sign of bending. Also, the UAP seems to be pulling the suns material toward it and creating a stream behind the UAP, much like a ship moving through the ocean and living long lines in its wake from the plankton. A similar shaped UFO was seen by thousands of residence in Phoenix, Arizona on March 13, 1997, where a huge boomerang UFO blocked out the stars in the sky for miles.
It's hard to believe that this craft was caught in only one frame, that means it was traveling faster than anything we have on Earth. I looked at the frames:
16:36:41 frame before
16:46:53 UAP here ++++
16:56:29 frame after
And I found that there was a ten minute per frame rate. This tells us that the UAP was traveling very fast, not only faster than any rocket today, but faster than any comet or meteor ever recorded. It's traveling at partial light speed, about that of 1/10. Which tells me that not only was it fast, but if object can come close to light speed, there must be those that can travel faster than light speed, which is what makes time travel possible. The speed of the object, size and shape all indicate a massive alien ship passed our sun and was in our solar system on Nov 27th, but NASA of course would never mention it, because they believe the public is not intelligent enough to ever discover or find this info in their data bases. Clearly NASA needs to catch up to my speed, because they are falling far behind.
TikTok influencer captures a UFO disappearing in a flash of light
TikTok influencer captures a UFO disappearing in a flash of light
Approximately a week ago, TikTok influencer Gkbarry found herself engrossed in promotional recordings. Amidst her busy schedule, she unintentionally captured a spherical object flying through the sky at a remarkable speed.
To her surprise, the footage not only revealed the sphere but also a substantial flash surrounding the sphere just before it vanished.
Due to the object's fast movement, it was nearly visible in the initial recording. However, upon closer inspection through zooming, both the object and its trajectory became distinctly visible as well as unveiling the flash that occurred moments before its disappearance.
The enhanced zooming, starting at the 0.35-minute mark in the video, provides a clearer view of the mysterious object and the intriguing flash that unfolded during its flight.
US Military Confirms UFO Sightings in Outer Space, Official Reports Reveal!
US Military Confirms UFO Sightings in Outer Space, Official Reports Reveal!
In the vast expanse above us, a silent drama unfolds. The United States Space Force (USSF), the newest branch of the US Armed Forces, is grappling with an unprecedented challenge — the detection of thousands of unidentified flying objects(UFOs) orbiting our planet. This celestial mystery, once the domain of science fiction, is now a stark reality that poses complex questions for our guardians of the galaxy.
Established in 2019 under the Trump administration, the USSF was tasked with a mission of cosmic proportions: to safeguard America from space-based threats. But as the USSF stares into the abyss of space, the abyss stares back with a puzzle woven in a tapestry of unknowns. These UFOs, or ‘abnormal observables’ as they are termed, are cluttering the Earth’s orbit, making the crucial job of threat identification a Herculean task.
The nature of these ‘abnormal observables’ is as varied as it is perplexing. While some could be dismissed as mundane space debris or meteoroids, others exhibit behaviors that defy conventional understanding. We’re talking about objects that challenge gravity, vanish from radars, accelerate suddenly, and achieve hypersonic speeds without the acoustic signatures like sonic booms. They also demonstrate ‘trans-medium’ travel capabilities, seamlessly transitioning between air, sea, and space — a feature that leaves even seasoned scientists in awe.
This cosmic conundrum isn’t just about identifying what is floating above us; it’s about understanding potential threats. Among these unidentified objects could be covert spy satellites launched by foreign adversaries, such as North Korea’s Malligyong-1. The USSF is also wary of the largely unmonitored ‘cislunar’ orbit — the space between the Earth and the moon, which could harbor unseen dangers.
The challenges are as vast as space itself. As of now, NASA‘s data indicates over 25,000 objects in orbit, a mix of man-made and natural entities. Distinguishing friend from foe, debris from danger, in this crowded orbital dance is no small feat. It’s a task that demands cutting-edge technology, sharp analytical minds, and a significant financial commitment. The USSF’s budget reflects this, with a substantial part dedicated to research, development, testing, and evaluation.
VIDEO:
NASA’s Spectacular CGI Journey Through Tracked Objects in Earth’s Orbit
Looking ahead, the USSF’s plans are as ambitious as they are necessary. The Oracle spacecraft, set to launch in 2026, aims to monitor the cislunar region. It’s a mission that symbolizes the USSF’s proactive approach to these unidentified phenomena — a step towards illuminating the shadows in our celestial neighborhood.
In this new age of space exploration and defense, the USSF’s journey is emblematic of humanity’s eternal quest to understand the unknown. As we gaze upwards, the mysteries of the universe continue to unfold, reminding us that we are but a small part of a vast, intricate cosmic ballet. The USSF’s endeavor is not just a mission of defense; it is a journey into the heart of this grand mystery, a testament to our unyielding spirit of exploration and discovery.
Grote zonnestorm op komst: vannacht kans op noorderlicht boven België en storingen voor gps- en communicatiesystemen
Grote zonnestorm op komst: vannacht kans op noorderlicht boven België en storingen voor gps- en communicatiesystemen
Artikel van Wim De Maeseneer
Wie het noorderlicht wil zien, moet normaal gezien naar het hoge noorden trekken. Maar uitzonderlijk kan het ook in Nederland en zelfs België zichtbaar zijn. Dat was begin deze maand al eens het geval. Maar ook komende nacht en vrijdagnacht is er opnieuw een kans.
Ruimteweerdiensten melden dat er een sterke geomagnetische storm zal woeden. Een plasmawolk van geladen deeltjes van de zon. Die zal naar verwachting deze nacht of morgenvroeg de aarde bereiken.
"Op een schaal van 0 tot 9 verwachten we een zonnestorm van maximaal 8", zegt ruimteweervrouw Petra Vanlommel van het Solar Terrestrial Centre of Excellence in Ukkel.
"Als we effectief 8 halen, dan betekent dat dat de wolk aan geladen deeltjes sterk genoeg is om noorderlicht te veroorzaken dat tot boven België te zien is. Misschien niet met het blote oog, maar zeker met een fototoestel.”
Al zijn de weersvoorspellingen voorlopig niet al te gunstig. "Het wolkendek trekt in de loop van de nacht dicht, al kunnen er lokaal wel opklaringen zijn", zegt weerman Bram Verbruggen. "Ook morgen verwachten we maar weinig opklaringen."
De zonnestorm is het gevolg van drie verschillende uitbarstingen op de zon de voorbije dagen. "Maandag zijn twee plasmawolken uitgestoten die sindsdien op weg zijn naar de aarde. Dinsdag was er nog een derde uitbarsting."
"Die derde plasmawolk gaat de twee andere inhalen en ze als het ware opeten. We noemen dat een kannibaal-plasmawolk. Het is die grote wolk die nu op ons afkomt."
"Er was trouwens nog een vrij grote zonnevlam dinsdag, waarbij ook een zonnewolk werd uitgestoten. Die wolk zal ons morgenavond bereiken. We weten momenteel nog niet hoe hevig die impact zal zijn, maar die kan de storm die woedt versterken en langer laten duren."
Welke gevolgen kunnen we verwachten?
Hoe de plasmawolk er precies uitziet, weten ruimteweerdiensten maar één uur voor de wolk "botst" met de aarde. Dan pas weten we hoe zwaar de zonnestorm zal zijn en welke impact hij zal hebben. Zeker is in elk geval dat onze dampkring zal worden verstoord.
Als de ionosfeer, het bovenste deel van de dampkring, wordt verstoord, kan dat problemen geven voor satellieten, bij radiocommunicatie over lange afstand en voor navigatiesystemen.
"Iemand die met zijn auto onderweg is en de gps gebruikt, gaat daar niets van merken. Het maakt niet echt uit of het huis waar je naartoe gaat, één meter meer naar links of rechts staat. Voor vliegtuigen bijvoorbeeld wel."
Het Solar Terrestrial Centre of Excellence stuurt bij zonnestormen daarom waarschuwingen uit naar de civiele luchtvaart over de hele wereld. "Ik ben vrijdagnacht van wacht en ik hou mijn hart vast. Waarschijnlijk zal ik de hele nacht moeten opblijven om het ruimteweer in de gaten te houden."
Waarom zo veel zonnestormen?
Het stormseizoen op de zon is duidelijk volop aan de gang. De zon is namelijk niet altijd even actief. Gemiddeld om de 11 jaar piekt haar activiteit, en zijn er veel meer stormen en uitbarstingen op de zon.
"Je kan het vergelijken met de seizoenen op aarde, alleen zijn er op de zon maar 2 seizoenen en die duren elk 5,5 jaar", zegt Vanlommel. "Maar net zoals op aarde is de ene zomer de andere niet. En is het de ene zomer al wat warmer dan de andere."
Op dit moment zijn we duidelijk op weg naar een zogenoemd zonnemaximum. Wetenschappers voorspellen dat de piek in 2024 of 2025 zal zijn. Maar volgens sommige onderzoekers zijn er aanwijzingen dat de zon actiever is dan verwacht en dat we sneller de piek gaan bereiken.
Zoals elke religieuze tekst, staat ook de Bijbel open voor interpretatie en is niet per se feitelijk accuraat. Echter blijkt dat sommige delen van de tekst volgens de wetenschap wel op waarheid berusten.
De aarde is rond Hoewel sommige samenzweringstheorieën iets anders beweren, heeft de wetenschap bevestigd dat onze planeet rond is. Dit wordt ook in de Bijbel genoemd: 'Hij troont boven de kring der aarde' (Jesaja 40:22).
En als je op zoek bent naar Bijbelse bevestiging dat de aarde in de ruimte zweeft, zoek dan niet verder dan Job 26:7. Daar staat: 'Hij spreidt de noordelijke hemel uit over lege ruimte; hij hangt de aarde boven niets.'
De waterkringloop, ook wel de hydrologische kringloop genoemd, is een bekend fenomeen. Het blijkt dat de Bijbel het meer dan eens vermeldt. Prediker 1:7 zegt: 'Alle stromen stromen in de zee, maar de zee is nooit vol. Naar de plaats waar de stromen vandaan komen, daar keren ze weer terug.'
Er bestaat een waterkringloop Amos 9:6 vermeldt het ook in één deel: 'Hij roept om de wateren van de zee en giet ze uit over het oppervlak van het land.' En dat doet Job 36:27-28 ook: 'Hij trekt de waterdruppels omhoog, die als regen naar de stromen sijpelen; de wolken gieten hun vocht neer en overvloedige regenbuien vallen op de mensheid.'
Er bestaat een waterkringloop Een ander voorbeeld is te vinden in Psalm 135:7, waar staat: 'Hij laat wolken opstijgen van de uiteinden van de aarde; hij zendt bliksem met de regen en laat de wind uit zijn voorraadschuren komen.'
De zondvloed is waarschijnlijk echt gebeurd De zondvloed en de ark van Noach is een van de meest populaire verhalen uit de Bijbel. En volgens geologisch bewijs zou de zondvloed van Noach echt kunnen hebben plaatsgevonden.
De ark zou hebben gefunctioneerd Volgens Genesis 6:13-22 waren Gods instructies aan Noach als volgt: 'De ark moet 140 meter lang, 23 meter breed en 14 meter hoog zijn.'
De ark zou hebben gefunctioneerd Het blijkt dat de wiskunde correct is. Volgens berekeningen gemaakt door natuurkundestudenten aan de Universiteit van Leicester in 2014, zou de ark daadwerkelijk drijven en solide genoeg zijn om twee paren van elke diersoort te kunnen dragen.
Er zijn talloze sterren aan de hemel Natuurlijk weten we dat het universum veel sterren heeft. En met veel bedoelen we wel een biljoen sterren per melkwegstelsel. En er wordt geschat dat er ongeveer 100 miljard sterrenstelsels in het heelal zijn!
Er zijn talloze sterren aan de hemel De Bijbel vermeldt dit in Jeremia 33:22: 'Ik zal de nakomelingen van mijn dienaar David en de Levieten die voor mij dienen zo ontelbaar als de sterren aan de hemel en zo onmetelijk als het zand aan de kust.
Sterren verschillen onderling De Bijbel vermeldt ook dat de helderheid of grootte van sterren varieert. 'De zon heeft een soort pracht, de maan heeft een andere soort pracht en de sterren weer een andere; elke ster verschilt van pracht.' (Korinthiërs 15:41).
Hemellichamen hebben niet het eeuwige leven We weten nu dat sterren en andere astronomische lichamen sterven. De wetenschap heeft dit bevestigd, maar de Bijbel vermeldt het ook.
Het universum is gemaakt van onzichtbare deeltjes Hebreeën 11:3 luidt: 'Door geloof begrijpen we dat het heelal op Gods bevel werd gevormd, zodat het zichtbare niet werd gemaakt uit het zichtbare.
Het universum is gemaakt van onzichtbare deeltjes It sounds like the Bible is talking about atoms. Protons, neutrons, and electrons on their own are invisible to the naked eye. Atoms make up pretty much everything, including us.
David zou Goliath daadwerkelijk hebben kunnen verslaan Een kleine jongen die een reus verslaat klinkt misschien onwaarschijnlijk, maar het verhaal van David en Goliath in 1 Samuël 17 verteld het net iets anders.
David zou Goliath daadwerkelijk hebben kunnen verslaan Een katapult is misschien niet het krachtigste wapen, maar de stenen uit Elah Valley waren gemaakt van bariumsulfaat, dat extreem massief is en Goliath zou daarmee gemakkelijk uitgeschakeld kunnen worden.
David zou Goliath daadwerkelijk hebben kunnen verslaan Maar er is meer. Als reus leed Goliath waarschijnlijk aan Acromegalie (overproductie van groeihormoon). Dit kan problemen met het gezichtsvermogen veroorzaken en het centrale (perifere) gezichtsvermogen kan beperkt zijn, wat handig zou zijn geweest voor David.
De zon stopte echt met schijnen Er vond namelijk een verduistering plaats. Jozua 10:12 luidt: 'Op de dag dat de Heer de Amorieten aan Israël overgaf, zei Jozua tot de Heer in het bijzijn van Israël: 'Zon, sta stil boven Gibeon, en jij, maan, over de vallei van Ajalon.''
Wezens kunnen niet leven zonder bloed De meesten van ons zijn bekend met het verhaal van Adam en Eva uit de Bijbel. Mensen hebben in feite een vrouwelijke biologische voorouder genaamd Mitochondriale Eva, die voorafgaat aan onze soort: Homo sapiens. Er is echter één ding dat ons alle levende wezens verbindt: bloed.
Wezens kunnen niet leven zonder bloed 'Want het leven van een schepsel is in het bloed, en ik heb het u gegeven om voor uzelf te verzoenen te doen op het altaar; het is het bloed dat verzoening doet voor iemands leven' (Leviticus 17:11).
Ontsmetten is echt belangrijk De pandemie heeft ons allemaal pro's gemaakt in het ontsmetten van onze handen en kleding om verspreiding van ziektekiemen te voorkomen, maar de Bijbel noemde het belang ervan al lang geleden.
De zieken moeten zich isoleren Hoewel er zich later in de geschiedenis behoorlijke quarantaines ontwikkelden, adviseerde de Bijbel al 'de getroffen persoon zeven dagen af te zonderen', en als ze niet beter zijn, 'ze nog zeven dagen te isoleren' (Leviticus 13:1-5).
Leviticus 11:28 zegt bijvoorbeeld: 'Iedereen die hun karkassen ophaalt, moet zijn kleren wassen, en ze zullen tot de avond onrein zijn. Deze dieren zijn onrein voor jullie.'
Sightings of UFOs may challenge our entire worldview, but the facts are too compelling to ignore, and they’re not going away. So, it’s time to wash off the sticky stigma and engage in serious discussion about the evidence, and its implications.
Most UFO sightings are attributable to man-made objects like experimental aircraft or satellites, innocent misidentifications of Venus and other celestial objects, or outright hoaxes. However, we now know that in a minority of cases, there appears to be something else going on: something quite extraordinary and beyond our current comprehension.
According to the U.S. Department of Defense, there are objects of unknown origin, evidently under intelligent control, which behave in ways that seem to challenge our understanding of physics. These objects don’t just “fly” without any apparent lift surfaces or means of propulsion; according to some military testimony, they would appear to be the fastest technological objects on Earth, capable of accelerating so quickly that they should create sonic booms, superheat the air around them into a glowing plasma, and instantly kill any occupants on board.
Instead, they silently maneuver with perfect agility through the atmosphere and, according to some eyewitness reports, underwater, as if basic rules of inertia and friction simply don’t apply to them.
There’s general acknowledgment that these phenomena have been documented in America since at least the late 1940s, and probably much earlier. Hence, many longtime UFO advocates, as well as those newer to the subject, are now asking why it has taken 70 years for government offices to openly regard UFOs as a subject of serious inquiry. This is a question that deserves a lengthy public discussion.
Today, serious researchers are beginning–sometimes grudgingly–to admit that UFOs (or UAPs if you prefer the rebranded version) are a valid area of study, and pockets of scientific enthusiasm are emerging. After the New York Times made the revelation of a secret Pentagon UFO study their front page story, the Department of Defense subsequently admitted that leaked UFO videos were in fact real (and that it has others it’s not showing us). Since that time, a NASA UFO research initiative headed by Princeton’s former chair of astronomy has been launched, former Harvard astronomer Avi Loeb’s Galileo Project wants to determine if the strange phenomena are extraterrestrial. The Pentagon’s All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office is now investigating UFO phenomena across all the branches of the military; the US Navy has revised its protocols to counter stigmas against UFO reporting and encourage sighting reports by pilots (like this one); and there have been briefings in the US Senate and House regarding the more than 650 sightings now being studied by AARO, marking an almost singular point of bipartisanship in a traditionally fractured Congress.
This explosion of interest and influx of expertise, credibility, and funding into UFO research will create a flow of ideas between old-hat UFO researchers and establishment newcomers to the subject. As some scientific communities shift to incorporate the nascently-legitimate subject of UFO research, they may have to accommodate elements of the other’s conceptual frameworks, methodologies, and research agendas, and this will require questioning old assumptions about what sort of evidence actually exists and how to interpret it. Likewise, it is the perfect moment for UFO-interested folks to pause and evaluate their own assumptions about the subject, many of which seem to have been in place since the very beginning of the Flying Saucer craze that in 1947 began simultaneously in bothAmericaandCanada. As career researchers and academics (like me) join the conversation, the contours of the conversation itself will inevitably shift–I think for the better.
HOW I CAME TO THE SUBJECT, AND WHAT I NOTICED AS A NEWCOMER
My own journey down the UFO rabbit hole began one day early in 2019. As I flipped through a catalog from Oxford University Press, one title, in particular, jumped out at me: American Cosmic: UFOs, Religion, Technology by Diana Walsh Pasulka, a tenured professor of religion at the University of North Carolina. What surprised me most was that the blurb in the catalog suggested the author thought that it was not merely the UFO believers that were interesting, but that the phenomenon itself was worth serious attention. I promptly ordered a copy, and once it arrived I spent the next few days absorbed in the most bizarre piece of nonfiction I’d ever read.
The UFO enthusiasts Pasulka spent the most time with–two men she dubbed “James” and “Tyler” to preserve their anonymity–were both experiencers of the phenomenon. However, they weren’t tinfoil-hat-waring obsessives; they were scientists and academics, and not long after her book was published, a prodigious Stanford biomedical scientist named Garry Nolan revealed that he was the man referred to in the text as “James”. Around the same time, members of Reddit, by perusing the Vatican archive visitors’ log for the days Pasulka and “Tyler” visited, discovered that the latter appears to have been Timothy Taylor, founder of Endius.
Screenshot from the Vatican Observatory 2017 Annual Report
(Vatican Observatory).
What I found as I slipped into the deep end of the pool of UFO research was that, first, there is no shallow end. It’s deep ends everywhere you go, and once you clear away the debris of obvious hoaxes and non-evidential sightings, every drop in the pool–that is, every case warranting sustained attention–is a little ocean with its own perplexing depths where nothing is what it at first seems to be. The important facts of each case are often so embedded in the commentaries and interpretations that have grown around them that it’s difficult to consider them separately from the belief systems of the UFO community itself.
QUESTIONING COMMON SENSE WITH RELATION TO UFOS
Like all communities defined by a belief system, over time the most important beliefs become accepted so widely that they eventually feel too obvious even to mention. It’s similar to the way we don’t ever point out that murder isn’t nice; beliefs like these are accepted so widely and deeply that they pass out of consciousness altogether to some deeper place, where they operate out of sight.
We are born into an atmosphere of these powerful but unspoken beliefs, and we adopt them not by reasoning about the evidence for or against them; rather, we simply accept them as part of the foundation of beliefs that we need in order to do any reasoning at all. If reasoning were a game of chess, these beliefs wouldn’t be pieces in the game or moves made by players: they’d be the board.
These beliefs–the ones paradoxically so obvious that they’re invisible–are what some people in my field call ideology. The word is sometimes used pejoratively, but the fact is that everyone has an ideology. Questioning a person’s foundational beliefs can be so uncomfortable that it feels like an existential threat, and we respond defensively, even violently. Likewise, if we encounter any idea that flatly contradicts our foundational beliefs, it will seem patently false and absurd.
These responses to strange new ideas are, of course, mistakes. Different people can have wildly different belief systems. And our familiarity or comfort with a belief is not evidence of its truth.
If we’re concerned with uncovering the actual truth of the world outside our skulls, it’s essential that we sometimes do the very uncomfortable work of identifying and questioning the assumptions about the world that feel most comfortable and sensible to us. It’s the only way to ensure we’re not trapped in an echo chamber, looking for a truth hidden in one of our ideological blind spots.
What I’m proposing we all do regarding our ideas about UFOs is not so much taking a new perspective or “thinking outside the box”, but thinking about the box itself, by turning our eyes away from the problem at hand, to take a look at the constraints, expectations, and assumptions we bring to the problem in the first place, to see how they might be limiting or obstructing our attempts to solve the problem we’ve set within them, and to ask how we might construct a better box. As with most good ideas, the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche said it best, capturing my suggestion in his dictum that “Whatever wobbles, you should push.”
And this is exactly what I think the UFO community should do right now, in light of the growth of attention and collaboration regarding the topic. Shaking up the community’s ideology, and pushing at the wobbly bits will help identify areas ripe for creative thought, and will make collaboration more smooth and transparent. We may even surprise ourselves once we all lay our ideological cards on the table.
To us take a few first steps in this direction, I’ve identified four assumptions that seem to me to act as a kind of ideological orthodoxy among experiencers and researchers, and even among everyday people who maintain a quiet interest in the subject. These assumptions, I think, have their roots in our shared experience of Western culture and its worldview with relation to UFOs, from our suspicions toward governments to familiar tropes from science fiction stories to Hollywood’s speculative depictions of our intergalactic neighbors. When it comes to asking serious questions about the unknown, though, we need better foundations than these, and building those foundations starts with deconstructing our current ones.
FOUR ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT UFOS WORTH PRODDING
I’ve noticed four basic assumptions prevalent among UFO researchers and enthusiasts, as well as the general public that, as a philosopher, I think deserve some prodding.
ASSUMPTION ONE: THE SUPREMACY OF ETH
The first culture-wide assumption that, as a philosopher, I think deserves a close look is the one that, at first glance, seems most sensible; this is the assumption that the most obvious explanation for real UFOs is also the best one: that they’re extraterrestrial craft, under the control of intelligent extraterrestrial beings. This idea, often called the Extraterrestrial Hypothesis (or ETH for short), seems to come to mind spontaneously for nearly everyone when they think of UFOs (including me). But, after a lot of reflection, as far as I can tell, it’s not our brains’ automatic first choice because there is really strong evidence that ETH is a better explanation than any other. Rather, I think it’s our default assumption because most of us don’t think outside the possibilities presented to us in science fiction.
The consequence is that most of us aren’t even aware that the Extra-Terrestrial Hypothesis (ETH), with its either/or logic of “ if it’s not humans, then it must be ETs”, is certainly not the only plausible explanation for these phenomena. There are other views that deserve serious consideration. One possibility is that there is some natural process that occupies some unknown area of physics, and that can mimic intelligent behavior. This may sound far-fetched, but we already know of other natural phenomena thatseemto behave in inexplicably intelligent ways: unintelligentslime molds can solve mazesand can even reproduce maps of Tokyo’s railway system. Similarly, totally blind evolutionary processes produce biological objects that seem like the product of design by intelligence. Perhaps some UFOs are themselves natural phenomena that simply seem to behave with intelligence. This of course leaves the question of how they defy our understanding of physics, but it’s a start.
Another possibility is that UFOs are a special kind of mental phenomenon that can manifest in visible, external ways. Some Renaissance scientists studying the eye pointed out that it had the same structure as a projector, and reckoned that the eye might sometimes work in reverse, projecting light to create external images, rather than receiving light and turning it into mental images.
Fig 1. Oculus arteficialis from Elementa Opticae et Perspectivae by Jan-FransThysbaert, public domain. Just as a speaker is a microphone that works in reverse, the eye is a projector that works in reverse.
Fig 2. Aerial perspective, by Johann Zahn, Oculus artificialis teledioptricus sive telescopium, 1702, public domain.
We can be confident today that this particular phenomenon isn’t real, but arguably stranger phenomena are now well-established realities. From robots controlled entirely by brain waves to machines that can render our dreams in visible images, technologies are allowing the contents of our minds to have a powerful presence in the world outside our heads. None of this even mentions theories of reality that totally throw into question the distinction between the “internal” and “external” world–ideas like the Simulation Hypothesis and holographic theories of the universe.
Another alternative to the ETH put forward by one of the most credentialed and intellectually rigorous UFO investigators out there, Jacques Vallée, is that reality itself has within it some fundamental mechanism for disrupting our certainty about the world. This mechanism, he theorizes, kicks in at opportune moments to manifest weirdness that is calculated, often humorously, to mystify us into wonder or incomprehension. For Vallée, who calls his theory the “Control System Hypothesis”, reality itself may be a trickster whose purpose is to nudge our collective consciousness in ways that encourage society to develop in particular ways.
As bizarre as this idea sounds, it’s not one that Vallée brought into his research into UFOs, but rather a notion he began to formulate after decades of flying around the world, personally investigating reported encounters and interviewing experiencers. By his own account, he was initially persuaded by the ETH, but case by case, he became convinced that the details simply didn’t add up to an extraterrestrial explanation. He found that, when experiencers were allowed to describe the details of their encounters as they experienced them, rather than simply responding to standard data-collection questions about the size and shape of craft, number, and arrangement of lights, etc., these sane, intelligent experiencers who shunned publicity and sought no personal gain, recalled details that are flatly absurd. The occupants of UFOs disembark for no other apparent reason than to argue with witnesses about what the time is, or to offer bystanders pancakes. Such encounters seem intentionally surreal to Vallée as if they were constructed in order to mystify experiencers with their absurdity.
Another category of (quasi) encounters with UFOs that is rife with the absurd is the category of reported alien abductions. Abduction reports often describe beings who, despite obviously possessing ultra-sophisticated technology, inflict pseudo-medical “examinations” upon abductees using tools and methods that would be laughable for their medieval silliness if they weren’t so traumatizing for those who report these experiences.
The bizarre details of abduction encounters make them easy to dismiss out of hand, but it’s probably a mistake to ignore these reports. Pulitzer Prize-winner and then-chair of psychiatry at Harvard, John Mack, spent over a decade conducting hundreds of hours of interviews with self-identified abductees. In the end, he published collaborations with other psychiatrists, and severalrelatedbooks in which he reached three firm conclusions: 1) the people he interviewed were not crazy, 2) they were not lying, and 3) the only thing they seemed to have in common was the fact that they reported being abducted. Simply put, these sane, otherwise normal people really believed these things had happened to them.
You may, at this point, decide that we have strayed too far from respectable scientific speculation; Mack’s colleagues at Harvard suspected the same of him, and, in an attempt to oust him and formally discredit the incredible conclusions he drew, they descended upon his work with a formal investigation, the first Harvard had ever conducted upon one of its own faculty members. Their investigation alleged that Mack had committed gross professional irresponsibility by “communicat[ing], in any way whatsoever, to a person who has reported a ‘close encounter’ with an extraterrestrial life form that this experience might well have been real”. For fourteen months the team of Harvard professors pored over piles of Mack’s notes, data, and recorded interviews before they were finally forced to conclude that, despite a few methodological criticisms, there was no basis to deny the credibility of his work. Harvard subsequently declared that Mack–a man who publicly argued for the reality of abduction cases– was, and always had been, a member of Harvard’s faculty in good standing and that his scholarship was worthy of one of the greatest universities in the world.
Mack openly acknowledged that the abduction phenomenon is “some kind of psychological, spiritual experience” that is “both literally and physically happening”, and speculated that the events were “originating, perhaps, in another dimension.” He never made the surreal absurdities of abduction encounters a focal point of his study, but he left us with good reasons to believe these experiences were genuine–absurdities and all–which means the absurdity at the heart of many UFO and abduction encounters still requires an explanation. Vallée’s hypothesis seems, to a degree, like an attempt to address some of the questions raised by Mack’s research.
A totally different approach to understanding the incredible and sometimes absurd facts of the UFO phenomenon–an approach I call the “missing concepts” view–would be to consider that, if UFOs are the work of other intelligent beings, they are almost certainly the product of beings who have forms of experience, conceptual categories, and kinds of activities, and aims that would be incomprehensibly foreign to us. Our current relationship to the phenomena may then be akin to a race of intelligent, but totally blind aliens who have found and are trying to understand a human-made kaleidoscope. UFO phenomena, in other words, may be conceptually incomprehensible to us both in how they work, and what their basic purpose is. Our mental toolbox may be missing some of the essential concepts that are necessary for describing the phenomena, even at a rudimentary level, the way intelligent beings without a concept of visual experience simply can’t theorize their way to a good explanation of a kaleidoscope.
Each of these hypotheses—Vallee’s “control system”, the possibility that some are exotic but natural intelligence-mimicking phenomena, that they’re somehow of terrestrial origin, or that UFOs are currently conceptually incomprehensible–all deserve consideration alongside the ETH, and we should be trying to design many other new hypotheses too, along with empirical tests to eliminate them if they don’t fit the evidence. The standard assumption that any legitimate UFOs are extraterrestrial craft shouldn’t simply be discarded, but it should be tested alongside these other hypotheses.
ASSUMPTION TWO: THE UNITY OF THE PHENOMENA OF UFOS
The second assumption that seems to underlie nearly every conversation about UFOs is the belief that these unexplained phenomena are each individual manifestations of a single root phenomenon; that they’re all ultimately the same kind of thing and so, whatever the explanation may be, we only need one explanation. Like all assumptions, this is rarely stated, but I’ve yet to come across anyone who wants to distinguish between types of UFOs for the purpose of attributing unrelated causes to them.
When we’re trying to explain a collection of distinct phenomena spread across space and time, each with its own unique, noteworthy features, the best default assumption is that there are multiple distinct causes at play. The body of documented UFO phenomena includes glowing orbs, military encounters with craft-like objects, accounts of human and humanoid creatures, massive air battles among flying objects of wildly varying descriptions, and celestial apparitions, to name a few. This raises a serious methodological question: how do we draw the boundaries to define UFOs in the first place? How, for instance, are we to distinguish in every case between religious or mystical encounters–like the 1917 events at Fatima, Portugal–and more “normal” UFO encounters, with which they share some important features? This question becomes even more complex when we consider that experiencers can interpret the same details very differently depending on their worldview.
What is needed is for us to develop a rigorous, standardized taxonomy of the different kinds of encounters according to both empirical and subjective elements, and then to consider, for each type, which explanation fits with and explains the data best. There’s no good reason to assume, in the face of so much perplexing evidence, that there’s really only one kind of weird thing going on.
ASSUMPTION THREE: THE CONSISTENCY OF THE GOVERNMENT
Another idea joined at the hip of nearly every discussion about UFOs is the belief that The Government (usually the US) has probably already solved the mystery, and they’re playing dumb. The reasoning is clear: how could a technological superpower with a military spanning the globe not know what’s behind these phenomena, especially given the serious national security implications of strange objects in our airspace?
The heart of this suspicion is an assumption that the government–and here it’s more like The Government–is unified enough that it can harbor within itself a kind of secret society that spans its various branches and bureaus and operates effectively, and in secret. However, take a cursory glance at any major government project (and here, again, I am thinking especially of the US Government); whether it’s an interstate system, national healthcare, public education, taxation, natural disaster response, or even passing an annual budget, one will quickly conclude that our governments very often lack the unity required for accomplish even their most fundamental tasks.
This is just the nature of the beast: a large group comprising various ideologies tasked with pursuing multiple complexes and often competing goals is always at the risk of fracturing from internal stress, at which point it may be unable to accomplish even its day-to-day duties. Any system constantly fighting the tides of such internal stresses is almost certainly incapable of perpetrating a coordinated, decades-long, system-wide coverup of the most important truths humanity has ever known. If we consider that there are also thousands of dogged and competent journalists sniffing for corruption, ethically motivated insiders ready to blow the whistle, and hundreds of other governments with their own messy innards and competing interests, it is possible, at most, to believe that single incidents–maybe even massively important ones–could be concealed if they fell under the purview of a single office or bureau, but the possibility that large numbers of people across multiple, often-quarrelsome governments have cooperatively succeeded at suppressing monumental truths about our place in the universe for decades seems vanishingly small.
We would be better off avoiding attributing such awesome power and competence to our governments, and instead, adopt a more nuanced conception of governments that sees them not as unified wholes, but as loose collections of bureaus that cooperate or share information with one another when it serves their individual interests, but often operate with disregard or outright antagonism toward one another. A more accurate picture of the situation would then emerge, one in which the UFO phenomenon is a very large jigsaw puzzle of which each government likely only possesses a few pieces, which are then scattered across that government’s chain of island-like bureaus and offices, which are not particularly cooperative with each other, and so may not even acknowledge that they have any of the pieces, or that the puzzle is even real.
ASSUMPTION FOUR: THE INEVITABILITY OF DISCLOSURE
There is, however, a growing acknowledgment that the puzzle of UFOs is “real”, and this appears, at least for some within the UFO community, to confirm a long-held belief so important it verges on the prophetic: the belief that many of those in power –usually government officials– already know what is really behind these phenomena, and that a day of Disclosure is coming when the weight of the evidence and public concern about UFOs will become so great that it breaks down the wall of silence. On that day, the government will admit it has known for a long time that UFOs are real and that they’re not terrestrial in origin.
Disclosure is usually conceived as the end result of a grass-roots effort: there will come a moment when the UFO community accumulates enough of its own evidence and public demand for the truth grows strong enough. Then the veil will fall and the government will come clean to the public about what it knows and the world will simply believe because the truth will be so unambiguous that no interpretation is required to understand it.
The fourth assumption I want to interrogate concerns this supposedly-inevitable result of disclosure. The deluge of government revelations is expected by many to be a watershed moment that brings about the global realization that we are not alone in the universe and that we can no longer pretend to occupy its center. This will be a moment of enlightenment that unites humanity with a shared truth that transcends our differences. The utopian vision of disclosure is founded upon a single essential, but hidden, assumption: that there is a kind of evidence so powerful that when it is presented to any sane, reasonable person, they will be convinced and draw the same conclusion. In this case, it is the belief that there’s some kind of evidence that, upon revelation, would overwhelmingly convince the global public that we’re not alone in the universe.
There is, however, no such evidence. In fact, there never could be.
This may seem like an odd claim, and maybe you feel inclined to reply, “Look, I guarantee that if a fleet of UFOs showed up at the White House, the whole world would believe”. But this would only prove that clear evidence doesn’t compel belief the way we tend to think, because, as it turns out, sightings of UFOs have already been reported at the White House on multiple occasions. Similar cases, like the time a UFO forced Chicago’s O’Hare airport to shut down one of its terminals, led to the launch of an investigation by a civilian aviation safety organization in 2006. But events like these just didn’t seem to move the needle of public belief, perhaps because the public is committed to a version of reality that leaves little room to take seriously the hard evidence for phenomena that we don’t already have an explanation for. The result is that we shrug, assume there’s some non-weird explanation we’re missing, and go on with our business.
This is just the very nature of evidence though, regardless of whether it’s everyday people or professional scientists; evidence is neverabsolutelycompelling. Here I am importing a concept from the philosophy of science called “underdetermination.” For philosophers of science, it is a well-known adage that theories are always underdetermined by the evidence. This means that, while a set of evidence might strongly support one theory, there will always be an array of other, totally different theories that could account equally well for that same set of evidence. It follows that, no matter how concrete or well-documented the evidence may be, evidence cannot ever conclusively compel us to accept any particular theory over all of the others.
To illustrate, consider a theory that you almost certainly hold. You don’t believe minotaurs are real. That is, you deny Minotaur Theory (a belief in minotaurs, which we’ll call MT) in favor of No Minotaur Theory (NMT). Now, try to imagine some set of evidence that, if it were shown to you, would force you to abandon NMT and accept MT. You might say that, if a minotaur walked into the room you’re in right now and said “Hi. I’m a minotaur”, you’d give up NMT and accept MT. Maybe you would, but would you have to? Is there no other option? Couldn’t you hold on to NMT, and instead believe that something very serious had gone wrong in your brain? Or that you’d been the unwitting victim of a Darren Brown TV special? Or that someone had dosed your coffee with a potent hallucinogen? Or that you’ve died and gone to some very confusing hell?
As with minotaurs, so it is with UFOs, and everything else. While you might be able to specify the evidence that would convince you to conclude, say, that extraterrestrials are behind some UFO phenomena, there is simply no possible set of evidence that would persuade every rational person, regardless of their belief system, to accept the same conclusion
Those who’ve noticed the American public’s inability to agree on any consensus reality will understand: if flying saucers landed on the promenade of the United Nations headquarters, and lanky gray-skinned humanoids emerged with greetings from Venus, some people would believe what they saw at face value. But millions would also believe it was a hoax perpetrated by global super-elites, or a deep fake operation, or a demonic apparition, and any further evidence would only challenge them to elaborate, and thereby strengthen their beliefs.
It may be worth hoping that government disclosure will one day solve the mystery of UFOs for us all by making the truth clear, especially given how confused and divided we all are. Imagine a moment of reprieve from the turmoil of the world. But believing that it will actually happen is philosophically naive. There’s no topic or evidence with the power to cut through our ideological divisions, and ideological shifts, when they happen, tend to take generations. This is what will happen if solid evidence of UFOs continues to gain public attention, so the UFO community should begin now to reflect on how to frame evidence in ways that appeal to various belief systems so that the growth of public awareness brings more viewpoints and novel ideas into the community.
The UFO community faces a challenging paradox: On the one hand, it must maintain a kind of social unity in the face of skeptics who dismiss the subject out of hand, without considering the evidence. On the other, it must avoid the sort of intellectual unity that demands acceptance of a single viewpoint, and instead seek out new ideas and viewpoints to prevent stagnation and cultivate the diversity of ideas that make for a thriving intellectual ecosystem.
CONCLUSION
For my part, I hope the community flourishes. When it comes to exploring the unexplained, the danger is never that we will entertain too many ideas but too few. I think that reflecting on our assumptions and destabilizing the ideas that feel most familiar and sensible is the best way to spur the kind of broad, collaborative thinking that the community needs as we see more and more public acknowledgment that these exciting and bewildering phenomena are real. Because, whatever else they may be, they are undoubtedly an invitation to joyfully expand our openness to the unknown and to the possible.
Michael Glawson, Ph.D., is a writer, researcher, and consultant with extensive experience. He served as a professor at the University of South Carolina, Georgia State University, and the College of Charleston for over ten years. During his tenure, he taught philosophy courses on logic, technology, and science & religion, as well as ethics courses for medical students, and engineers.
Dr. Glawson hasmade scholarly contributions in philosophy of religion, philosophyof technology, pedagogy, and corporate ethics. As a teacher he co-created one of the United States’ pioneering engineering ethics curricula, which has empowered thousands of STEM students to pursue technical careers while upholding their core values. As a consultant, he developed a corporate ethics curriculum adopted by numerous government agencies and Fortune 500 companies.
Michael is a member of the Scientific Coalition for UAP Studies. In his leisure time he enjoys the company of his partner and his cats, and indulging in the exploration of strange, rare, and old books. You can follow him on Twitter @michaelglawson, reach out to him via email at michaelglawson[at]me[dot]com, or find his work at linktr.ee/michaelglawson.
Herbruikbare raketten van SpaceX veroorzaken nieuw soort
Herbruikbare raketten van SpaceX veroorzaken nieuw soort "noorderlicht" (en dat baart astronomen zorgen)
Artikel van Wim De Maeseneer
Een felrode, bolvormige gloed aan de nachthemel, die wel 10 minuten lang zichtbaar is met het blote oog. Het fenomeen kreeg de naam "SpaceX auroras", verwijzend naar het ruimtevaartbedrijf van Elon Musk. Want het zijn vooral die raketten die het lichtverschijnsel tegenwoordig veel vaker en beter zichtbaar maken.
Wetenschappers weten al langer dat raketten tijdelijk gaten kunnen veroorzaken in de ionosfeer, de bovenste laag van onze dampkring, op 60 tot 1.000 kilometer hoogte. Die verstoring van de ionosfeer kan een rode gloed geven, vergelijkbaar met wat er gebeurt tijdens het noorderlicht.
Sterrenkundigen van het McDonald Observatorium in Texas hebben nu ontdekt dat hetzelfde gebeurt met de raketten van SpaceX die na de lancering terugkeren naar de aarde. Met dat verschil dat de rode gloed bolvormig is en veel helderder.
"Dat komt omdat de onderste rakettrap, de booster, 90 minuten na de lancering de motoren moet ontsteken om terug te keren", zegt astrofysicus Jeff Baumgarder van de universiteit van Boston, aan spaceweather.com.
"Daarbij komt zo'n 180 liter waterdamp en koolstofdioxide vrij. Dat alles gebeurt op zo'n 300 kilometer hoogte, dicht bij het bovenste deel van de ionosfeer. En dat veroorzaakt een aanzienlijk gat (in de ionosfeer)."
Booster van een Falcon 9-raket van SpaceX landt weer op aarde (21/5/2023)
"We hebben het de eerste keer gespot in februari dit jaar en zien het sindsdien zo'n 2 tot 5 keer per maand", zegt astronoom Stephen Hummel van het McDonald Observatorium in Texas.
Bezorgdheid
Omdat SpaceX bijna elke week wel een raket lanceert, zijn Hummel en andere sterrenkundigen bezorgd. Ze vrezen dat de "SpaceX auroras" hun astronomische waarnemingen te veel zullen verstoren.
Maar er is ook ongerustheid over mogelijke storingen van het gps-signaal en de radiocommunicatie. Net zoals zonnestormen kunnen raketten de ionosfeer zodanig verstoren dat communicatie over lange afstanden, of met satellieten bijvoorbeeld, moeilijk of niet mogelijk wordt.
Na 10 tot 20 minuten sluit zo'n gat in de ionosfeer wel vanzelf weer. Verder zou het lichtverschijnsel geen enkele impact hebben op het leven op aarde.
Bij ons zal de rode gloed trouwens nooit zichtbaar zijn. De gaten vormen zich typisch boven het zuiden van de Verenigde Staten, in de buurt van het Kennedy Space Center in Florida, waar de meeste raketten van SpaceX worden gelanceerd.
There are Myterious Polygons Beneath the Surface of Mars
China’s Zhurong rover was equipped with a ground-penetrating radar system, allowing it to peer beneath Mars’s surface. Researchers have announced new results from the scans of Zhurong’s landing site in Utopia Planitia, saying they identified irregular polygonal wedges located at a depth of about 35 meters all along the robot’s journey. The objects measure from centimeters to tens of meters across. The scientists believe the buried polygons resulted from freeze-thaw cycles on Mars billions of years ago, but they could also be volcanic, from cooling lava flows.
A wireless camera took this ‘group photo’ of China’s Tianwen-1 lander and rover on Mars’ surface. Credit: Chinese Space Agency
The Zhurong rover landed on Mars on May 15, 2021, making China the second country ever to successfully land a rover on Mars. The cute rover, named after a Chinese god of fire, explored its landing site, sent back pictures — including a selfie with its lander, taken by a remote camera – studied the topography of Mars, and conducted measurements with its ground penetrating radar (GPR) instrument. Zhurong had a primary mission lifetime of three Earth months but it operated successfully for just over one Earth year before entering a planned hibernation. However, the rover has not been heard from since May of 2022.
Researchers from the Institute of Geology and Geophysics under the Chinese Academy of Sciences who worked with Zhurong’s data said the GPR provides an important complement to orbital radar explorations from missions such as ESA’s Mars Express and China’s own Tianwen-1 orbiter. They said in-situ GPR surveying can provide critical local details of shallow structures and composition within approximately 100-meter depths along the rover’s traverse.
a, Topographic map of Utopia Planitia, showing the landing sites of the Zhurong rover, the Viking 2 lander and the Perseverance rover. The ?4?km elevation contour is shown. Four local regions (c–f) with polygonal terrain are marked with white squares. b, The Zhurong rover traverse from Sol 11 through Sol 113 (HiRISE image: ESP_073225_2055). Green segments denote the wedges of buried polygons recognized from Fig. 2 (P1–P16). Purple segments denote the interiors of the polygons. c–f, Four representative HiRISE images of polygons in Utopia Planitia whose locations are marked in a: PSP_002202_2250 (c), PSP_006962_2215 (d), PSP_002162_2260 (e) and PSP_003177_2275 (f). Note the range of spatial scales for the sizes of the polygons. The average diameters of polygons shown in c–f are calculated in Extended Data Fig. 6. Credit for HiRISE images: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona.
Utopia Planitia is a large plain within Utopia, the largest recognized impact basin on Mars (also in the Solar System) with an estimated diameter of 3,300 km. In total, the rover traveled 1,921 meters during its lifetime.
The researchers, led by Lei Zhang, wrote in their paper published in Nature, that the rover’s radar detected sixteen polygonal wedges within about 1.2?kilometers distance, which suggests a wide distribution of similar terrain under Utopia Planitia. These detected features probably formed 3.7 – 2.9 billion years ago during the Late Hesperian–Early Amazonian epochs on Mars, “possibly with the cessation of an ancient wet environment. The palaeo-polygonal terrain, either with or without being eroded, was subsequently buried” by later geological processes.
Schematic model of the polygonal terrain formation process at the Zhurong landing site. a, The origination of thermal contraction cracking on the surface. b, The formation of cracks infilled by water ice or soil material, causing three types of polygonal terrain (ice-wedge, composite-wedge and sand-wedge polygons). c, The stabilization of the surface polygonal terrain in the Late Hesperian–Early Amazonian, possibly with the cessation of an ancient wet environment. d, The palaeo-polygonal terrain, either with or without being eroded, was subsequently buried by deposition of the covering materials in the Amazonian. The Mars surface image was acquired by the Navigation and Terrain Camera (NaTeCam). Credit: Zhang et al.
The buried polygonal terrain requires a cold environment, the researchers wrote, that might be related to water/ice freeze–thaw processes in southern Utopia Planitia on early Mars.
“The possible presence of water and ice required for the freeze–thaw process in the wedges may have come from cryogenic suction-induced moisture migration from an underground aquifer on Mars, snowfall from the air or vapor diffusion for pore ice deposition,” the paper explains.
While the new paper indicates that the most likely possible formation mechanisms would be soil contraction from wet sediments that dried, producing mud-cracks, however, contraction from cooling lava could have also produced thermal contraction cracking.
Either way, they note that a huge change in Mars’ climate was responsible for the polygon’s formation.
“The subsurface structure with the covering materials overlying the buried palaeo-polygonal terrain suggests that there was a notable palaeoclimatic transformation some time thereafter,” the researchers said.
During a recent lecture at the University of Michigan that I gave, I was asked why the arrow of cosmic time is characterized by a transition from simplicity to complexity.
I explained that the universe started simply in the form of a nearly uniform soup of elementary particles. As the Universe expanded and cooled, the denser-than-average regions reversed their expansion and collapsed by their self-gravity to make galaxies in which gas fragmented into stars, dust, and planets. The chemistry of life in liquid water on the surface of our planet, the Earth, gave rise to the most complex systems we know.
But it is possible that even more complex entities that represent our future, such as sentient systems with artificial intelligence, were already manufactured on exo-planets. Most stars formed billions of years before the Sun, and their technological clock was initiated long before ours. If their advanced technological descendants arrived in the vicinity of our planet, the Vera C. Rubin Observatory cameras or the Galileo Project could capture them on video soon.
In short, complexity arrived late in cosmic history because the Universe started simple. However, we should not assume that this progression will continue into the future.
Consider the Earth as an example. If our civilization will not be wise enough to preserve itself against existential risks such as a colossal pandemic, global nuclear war, or climate change, then Earth may return to a simpler state without the complexity associated with human technologies. In fact, this ultimate fate may not even be in our hands. Irrespective of how much we engage in preserving our habitat, we may not be able to counteract the astronomical catastrophe of the Sun boiling off all oceans on Earth within a billion years. Subsequently, the Earth’s surface will be sterilized without the complex chemistry of life as we know it. In addition, all the meticulously designed constructions in our cities will be wiped out like an ant nest after heavy rain.
The return to simplicity would extend beyond Earth to the Universe at large. Observations show that cosmic expansion had been speeding up over the past five billion years. Albert Einstein’s theory of gravity allows for an accelerating Universe if the mass density of the vacuum is bigger than half that of matter, which naturally occurs at late cosmic time as matter gets diluted by the cosmic expansion, but the vacuum remains constant. An unchanging vacuum, which constitutes the so-called “cosmological constant,” naturally produces repulsive gravity that would push galaxies away from each other at an ever-increasing speed. If the cosmic mass budget is indeed dominated by a vacuum mass density that will remain constant as the Universe ages by another factor of ten, then all galaxies outside our immediate vicinity will be pushed out of our horizon by the accelerated expansion of space.
In a paper published two decades ago, titled “The Long-Term Future of Extragalactic Astronomy,” I showed that, in fact, all galaxies beyond a redshift of z=1.8 are already outside our horizon right now. The light we will ever receive from them was emitted long ago and does not represent their current state. Any signals sent from now out of those galaxies will be lost in space and never reach us. We will never be able to have a conversation with any sentient beings in the farthest galaxies at z>10 that were imaged recently by the Webb telescope and presented by NASA to President Biden at a White House celebration on July 11, 2022,
Within a finite time, the accelerated expansion of space moves any distant galaxy away from us at a speed that exceeds the speed of light. Even light, representing the fastest speed by which material particles can propagate, is ultimately unable to bridge the inflating gap between distant galaxies and us by the accelerated cosmic expansion.
The situation is similar to observing a friend cross the event horizon of a black hole. From a distance, we would see the image of our adventurous friend heading towards the black hole, getting fainter, and eventually freezing at some final snapshot, as that friend appears to be hovering just above the horizon. The frozen image will be the snapshot of the instant when the friend crossed the horizon. Beyond that point in time, no information can be retrieved about the whereabouts of the friend. Similarly, the image of each distant galaxy will eventually freeze at some finite time in its own frame, and we can collect a limited amount of information from it. In particular, we will never be able to study the evolution of a distant galaxy beyond some finite age in its own frame of reference. The more distant a galaxy is, the earlier its image will freeze, and the less information will be available to us about the way it ages.
Of course, bound systems which are held together by a force stronger than the repulsive force of the cosmological constant, do not participate in the cosmic expansion. This includes electrons bound to atoms by the electromagnetic force, planets bound to stars, as well as galaxies bound together by a stronger gravitational pull than the cosmic repulsion. Which galaxies will remain bound to the Milky Way and not fly away? In a paper I wrote with my former postdoc, Ken Nagamine, we simulated the future evolution of all distant galaxies on a computer. Our simulation indicated that all galaxies outside the local group of galaxies, namely beyond 3 million light years, are not bound to the Milky Way and will be pushed out of our view by cosmic expansion.
As a result, the future of the Universe outside our own galaxy will be the simplest imaginable and consist only of the vacuum. We better enjoy the present-day complexity available for us to see through our telescopes before it will all go away.
Just like any aspect of our life, cosmic complexity is transient and precious and should not be taken for granted. We are all too familiar with the similarities between the state of an infant and that of the elderly. In private life as well as in the cosmos, the arrow of time starts from simplicity, goes through complexity and returns to simplicity.
“From [dust] you were taken, for dust you are, and to dust, you shall return” (Genesis 3:19).
Avi Loeb is the head of the Galileo Project, founding director of Harvard University’s – Black Hole Initiative, director of the Institute for Theory and Computation at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, and the former chair of the astronomy department at Harvard University (2011-2020). He chairs the advisory board for the Breakthrough Starshot project, and is a former member of the President’s Council of Advisors onScience and Technology and a former chair of the Board on Physics and Astronomy of the National Academies. He is the bestselling author of “Extraterrestrial:The First Sign of Intelligent Life Beyond Earth” and a co-author of the textbook “Life in the Cosmos”, both published in 2021.
A long-duration aerial mission soon to be carried out by NASA over Antarctica will launch stadium-sized craft in support of a series of record-breaking science missions, the agency announced this week.
The Antarctic Long Duration Balloon (LDB) Campaign, which includes a trio of scientific balloon flights equipped to study a range of different phenomena, will launch at the beginning of December, according to a press release NASA issued on Monday.
The mission will employ a series of massive zero-pressure balloons, which the American space agency says will support five missions in total.
Equipped with open ducts through which gas can escape, thereby eliminating the buildup of pressure within, zero-pressure balloons expand as they accumulate heat from the rising Sun as they are being carried aloft. Conversely, as the Sun sets, heat is lost, which results in a loss of gas, which causes zero-pressure balloons to have a shorter flight duration than other inflatable systems.
However, long-duration missions can be achieved during the polar summer, a period during which the balloons remain in constant sunlight for extended periods.
One of the missions aims to break a previous long-duration balloon flight record of just over 55 days. The balloons will launch from NASA’s facility for balloon launches located close to McMurdo Station, the largest community on Earth’s southernmost continent located on the southern edge of Ross Island, Antarctica.
McMurdo Station
(Credit: Air National Guard)
Andrew Hamilton, acting chief of NASA’s Balloon Program Office (BPO), said the annual launch will carry NASA’s stadium-sized balloons to altitudes where stratospheric wind conditions will “provide a unique and valuable opportunity to fly missions in a near-space environment for days or weeks at a time.”
A primary component of the 2023 launch is NASA’s GUSTO mission, or Galactic/Extragalactic ULDB Spectroscopic Terahertz Observatory, which the agency says will conduct measurements of emissions from cosmic material located between stars known as the interstellar medium.
The space agency says the data GUSTO collects during its time in flight above Antarctica will provide scientists with valuable information about the life cycle of interstellar gas that populates the Milky Way. Other phenomena GUSTO will observe over the course of its mission include star formation and destruction, as well as how gases flow near the center of our galaxy.
GUSTO will be armed with a telescope equipped to detect oxygen, carbon, and nitrogen emission lines.
“This unique combination of data will provide the spectral and spatial resolution information needed for Walker and his team to untangle the complexities of the interstellar medium,” read a portion of a NASA mission brief detailing the mission, “and map out large sections of the plane of our Milky Way galaxy and the nearby galaxy known as the Large Magellanic Cloud.”
While GUSTO is the premier science mission that will be undertaken during this year’s flight, several additional science objectives will be carried out during NASA’s annual Antarctic LDB campaign, including the Anti-Electron Sub-Orbital Payload (AESOP-Lite) mission, which will study cosmic ray electrons and positrons.
A NASA balloon is prepared near the agency’s launch site near McMurdo station (Credit: NASA)
Additionally, an engineering test flight called the Long durAtion evalUation solaR hand LAunch (LAURA) mission will employ solar panels to help extend the use and duration of the hand launch platform used at NASA’s Antarctic facility for long-duration flights. The experiment will help remedy problems that arise from hand-launched balloons, the flight time of which is impacted significantly by the power systems contained in their payloads, which are used to power the scientific instruments they carry.
Among the hand-launched missions conducted in December will also be NASA’s Anihala (Antarctic Infrasound Hand Launch) mission, which will be a component of the payload equipped with AESOP-Lite that will measure the subtleties of background sound in Earth’s stratosphere. The experiment will offer a unique opportunity to make such observations over a region of the planet where sound produced by human civilization is minimal.
“The annual Antarctic long-duration balloon campaign is the program’s flagship event for long-duration missions,” Hamilton said in a statement.
“The BPO team is excited to provide support to all our missions this year,” he added.
CIA's Secret Unit Conducted UFO Retrieval Missions on 9 Global Crash Sites, Explosive Report Claims
CIA's Secret Unit Conducted UFO Retrieval Missions on 9 Global Crash Sites, Explosive Report Claims
Are we alone in the universe, or is there more to discover?
A secret CIA unit, known as the Office of Global Access (OGA), has retrieved several crashed UFOs worldwide, UK-based Daily Mail reported, based on information from multiple anonymous sources. These insiders claim that at least nine “non-human craft” have been recovered, some damaged from crashes and two remarkably intact, in a secret operation spanning decades.
The OGA, operating under the CIA’s Science and Technology Directorate, reportedly played a pivotal role since 2003 in managing these top-secret missions, the report said. This comes amid growing evidence suggesting the US government may possess advanced, non-human technology.
‘WE ARE NOT ALONE’
David Grusch, a former US intelligence officer, who has testified before Congress, supporting these claims, has reconfirmed it in a recent podcast with Joe Rogan. “The answer is we are not alone. And I know that with 100% certainty. Which as an intel officer you must never say 100%. But all things pointed towards that. Based on the people I talked to like Harry Reid (ex-Senate Majority Leader) and I use him as an example. But I talked to the highest of the high people you can possibly talk to. If you catch my drift. Unless all of them are lying and covering up something else,” he said.
Back in July, US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer sponsored a bill advocating disclosure of “recovered technologies of unknown origin and biological evidence of non-human intelligence,” which passed in the Senate. Insiders shed light to Daily Mail on the OGA’s role, describing a system capable of detecting cloaked UFOs. The report states that special military units are allegedly dispatched to salvage wreckage if these crafts land, crash, or are brought down. The OGA specialises in facilitating secretive global access, allowing the military to navigate restricted areas, including those behind enemy lines.
‘NOT UNDER MILITARY CONTROL’
While most OGA operations involve conventional retrieval missions like nuclear weapons or downed satellites, some allegedly involve UFO retrieval. “The actual physical retrieval is by the military. But it’s not kept under military control, because they have to keep too many records. So they start moving it out fairly quickly into private hands,” one source told the UK publication. Documents from 2016 reveal the OGA as one of 56 CIA offices, with its chief and deputy among the agency’s top officials, according to the report. A 2015 CIA chart places OGA within the ‘Science and Technology’ wing. Established in 2003, OGA integrates analysis, technology, and tradecraft for challenging targets globally.
Former OGA deputy director Doug Wolfe, linked to strategic access programs, initiated the office, as per the report. OGA reportedly coordinates with Special Operations Forces and nuclear experts for UFO retrieval. Despite some denial from US agencies like the Nuclear Emergency Support Team (NEST), insiders insist on the involvement of these entities. Private US aerospace contractors purportedly receive wreckage for analysis, shielded from rigorous government audits under trade secret protections.
Notably, the report highlights the compartmentalisation of information, suggesting many involved may not realise they deal with non-human craft. US whistleblower David Grusch drew parallels with the Manhattan Project, where engineers were unaware they worked on the atomic bomb’s components. Harry Reid, former Senate Majority Leader, indicated Lockheed Martin’s involvement in holding potential alien wreckage. While setting up a UFO investigation office in 2008, Reid faced obstacles accessing alleged programs.
In July, the US Senate voted for Schumer’s bill, aiming to create a review board with presidential-level powers for disclosing recovered technologies. If passed in the House of Representatives, it will be added as an amendment to the annual military spending bill for 2024. “The American public has a right to learn about technologies of unknown origins, non-human intelligence, and unexplainable phenomena,” Schumer said in a July press release announcing the amendment.
Has evidence of aliens been recovered by governments? (Picture: Getty)
The UK’s leading UFO expert says it doesn’t matter whether the US is hiding one alien body or 10 – it would ‘fundamentally change everything’.
Nick Pope, who previously led the Ministry of Defence’s ‘UFO desk’, was responding to claims by whistleblower David Grusch, who alleges the US government has retrieved at least ten extraterrestrial bodies.
Adding to his claims, last week Mr Grusch spoke on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast and said the number of crashes recorded by the US was in ‘double digits’. He added that the number of terrestrial bodies recovered was ‘up there as well, just like with the retrievals’.
Commenting on the claims, Mr Pope said: ‘In one sense, the numbers David Grusch gave don’t matter, because if we have just one crashed UFO and extraterrestrial body, this would fundamentally change everything, in terms of our understanding of the universe.
UK UFO expert Nick Pope (Picture: Getty)
‘I can’t evaluate Grusch’s claims, because when I was investigating UAP for the MoD we never acquired a smoking gun that would prove an extraterrestrial presence, despite having some fascinating and unexplained cases.
‘Neither did we hear about any such smoking gun, so if the US government has acquired craft and bodies, they didn’t tell the UK.
‘In terms of keeping this secret, I don’t think the numbers matter so much as the principle – it’s binary, in the sense that either the authorities will be able to keep a lid on it, or they won’t.’
Mr Grush has made clear he himself has not had any direct encounter with aliens, but has spoken to numerous sources, including a former senator, the late Harry Reid, who confirmed the government had evidence of UAP.
David Charles Grusch speaking before Congress in July (Picture: Getty)
‘The question now is whether or not any of Grusch’s claims can be proven,’ said Mr Pope.
‘Various congressional representatives and committees are reportedly trying to get further information, with a view to verifying this, and the Pentagon’s All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) has also asked Grusch to come in and give further details.
‘But there are question marks over how this could be done, as he no longer has an active security clearance, and even if he gets it back, it’s unclear who he could brief, even within Congress, given the alleged levels of classification.
‘Short of bringing forward any of the craft and bodies for independent scientific study, it’s difficult to see how the claims could be verified. Additional corroborative testimony from other whistleblowers might help, but as with Grusch’s claims, this would just be testimony.’
The issue of UAP has rarely been out of the headlines since Mr Grusch made his initial claims in an interview with the Debrief, as calls grow for transparency about unidentified craft in airspace shared with commercial and military aircraft.
Mexico held its own congressional hearing in September, but it took a turn from the serious to the bizarre when journalist and ufologist Jaime Maussan unveiled two small ‘bodies’ said to be non-human beings found in Peru.
While the scientific community has widely dismissed the specimens as a hoax – something Mr Maussan has been found guilty of before – others are not so sure.
However, Lt Ryan Graves, a former US Navy pilot who gave evidence at the Washington congressional hearing and attended Mexican parliament, labelled the unveiling as an ‘unsubstantiated stunt’.
Daily Caller co-founder Tucker Carlson called out the U.S. government Tuesday on his show, questioning its transparency over releasing information about unidentified flying objects (UFOs).
Carlson released his 42nd Twitter episode in which he discussed the issues he has found between the U.S. government and UFOs. Before bringing on Tennessee Republican Rep. Tim Burchett, Carlson questioned why the federal government would allegedly create a “coordinated effort” to hide information about UFOs for the last “80 years.”
“Federal agencies have been lying about UFOs for more than 80 years, this has been a coordinated effort. It is both highly time-consuming and very expensive. Many Americans have been hurt in the process. But what’s the point of this? Would it be a lot easier just to release the facts?” Carlson stated.
“The conventional explanation for why they haven’t been released is that the U.S. government is lying about UFOs because the truth about UFOs is too scary to reveal — that they’re real. And our leaders wouldn’t want to panic the population. But that’s not true. In fact, it’s ridiculous.”
“Terrifying the population is what our government does best and most avidly. Officials regularly gin up irrational fears about COVID or white supremacy or Vladimir Putin or a dozen other topics as part of a pretty obvious control strategy,” Carlson continued. “So why would they lie about UFOs? Well, because they’re covering up a crime, obviously, and it’s their crime.”
Carlson continued to call out the government, begging questions that should be asked by “honest lawmakers” if they were concerned about the issue. The Daily Caller co-founder asked if taxpayer money was ever used to “procure advanced non-human technology,” the possible whereabouts of it, and — if real — whether the public has benefited from it.
However, the “most pressing” question Carlson asked was if the government has had any contact with potential “beings.”
“And then this question, the most pressing of all, has the U.S. government communicated directly with the beings that piloted these craft? Have American officials ever entered into any sort of agreement with them? And if so, what are the terms of that agreement? These are not random questions, they are informed questions. And at this point, Americans have a moral right to know the answers,” Carlson stated.
Burchett was later brought on by the Twitter host to discuss the lack of transparency from the federal government, with Carlson honing in on why the government would allegedly want to hide information in the first place. The Tennessee representative discussed how power, influence, money, and corruption could be the root of the cause, noting that he believes the slow release of information is “intentional.”
Burchett has notably been outspoken regarding issues surrounding UFO sightings and their possible technological capabilities. The Tennessee lawmaker made some hefty claims over the summer on a podcast about the capabilities that he believes UFOs and aliens have, emphasizing that there are some things “we do not control in our military airspace.”
Mars Odyssey Beams Back Magnificent Images of Martian Horizon
Mars Odyssey Beams Back Magnificent Images of Martian Horizon
In an operation that took mission scientists three months to plan, NASA’s Mars Odyssey orbiter captured a series of panoramic images that showcases the curving Martian landscape below gauzy layers of clouds and dust.
This image of the Martian horizon was captured by the THEMIS camera on NASA’s Mars Odyssey orbiter.
Image credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / ASU.
“If there were astronauts in orbit over Mars, this is the perspective they would have,” said Mars Odyssey project scientist Jonathon Hill, of Arizona State University.
“No Mars spacecraft has ever had this kind of view before.”
“The reason why the view is so uncommon is because of the challenges involved in creating it.”
They were taken from an altitude of about 400 km (250 miles) — the same altitude at which the space station flies above Earth.
The sensitivity of the THEMIS instrument to warmth enables it to map ice, rock, sand, and dust, along with temperature changes, on the planet’s surface.
It can also measure how much water ice or dust is in the atmosphere, but only in a narrow column directly below the spacecraft.
That’s because THEMIS is fixed in place on the orbiter; it usually points straight down.
The Mars Odyssey scientists wanted a more expansive view of the atmosphere.
Seeing where those layers of water-ice clouds and dust are in relation to each other helps them improve models of Mars’ atmosphere.
“I think of it as viewing a cross-section, a slice through the atmosphere,” said Mars Odyssey project scientist Jeffrey Plaut, of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
“There’s a lot of detail you can’t see from above, which is how THEMIS normally makes these measurements.”
Because THEMIS can’t pivot, adjusting the angle of the camera requires adjusting the position of the whole spacecraft.
In this case, the team needed to rotate the orbiter almost 90 degrees while making sure the Sun would still shine on the spacecraft’s solar panels but not on sensitive equipment that could overheat.
The easiest orientation turned out to be one where the orbiter’s antenna pointed away from Earth.
That meant the team was out of communication with Odyssey for several hours until the operation was complete.
To make the most of their effort, the researchers also captured imagery of the Martian moon Phobos.
This marks the seventh time in 22 years that the orbiter has pointed THEMIS at the moon in order to measure temperature variations across its surface.
“We got a different angle and lighting conditions of Phobos than we’re used to. That makes it a unique part of our Phobos dataset,” Dr. Hill said.
“The new imagery provides insight into the composition and physical properties of the moon.”
Earlier this year, Congress passed something called the UAP Disclosure Act of 2023. The law requires to tell the public what it knows about the countless unidentified flying objects that have been spotted in the skies above Earth over the past 3,000 years.
It's designed to be, and it very well could be a transformative piece of legalization. And it comes at a time when we can say with confidence that the most unlikely sounding theories about UFOs are actually true.
Yes, these things are real. They're not all weather balloons. They're not experimental aircraft from this or any other country. Whatever they are, they are not of human origin. Nor do they behave according to the laws of known physics.
And yes, the US government currently has physical evidence that they exist. That means wreckage of the craft as well as the bodies of the beings that flew them.
Now, the Office of Global Access (OGA), a wing of the Central Intelligence Agency's Science and Technology Directorate, has played a central role since 2003 in orchestrating the collection of what could be alien spacecraft.
This CIA's secret office has conducted UFO retrieval missions on at least nine crash sites around the world, according to Dailymail.
The CIA has a 'system in place that can discern UFOs while they're still cloaked' and special military units are sent to salvage the wreckage and then often hands the wreckage or material over to private aerospace/defense contractors (who are working close with the US government) for analysis.
So the question is, now that the UAP Disclosure Act has passed, when can the rest of us see the information that we paid for and in fact, own? Well, not so fast, it turns out.
Just when it seemed the UAP Disclosure Act was finally going to lift the veil on decades of secrets, two Republican lawmakers voted against the legislation. The two members happen to be especially powerful this term. They are Congressman Mike Rogers of Alabama, who is the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, and Congressman Mike Turner of Ohio, who is chairman of the House Intel Committee.
Why is this happening and what could be their potential motives?
One of the great secrets of Washington know to everyone inside Washington is that many of the most powerful members of Congress do not work for their constituents, much less for the rest of us, for the country at large. They are instead puppets and they are controlled effectively by the permanent bureaucracy, including through bribery and blackmail.
Some people saying the UAP Disclosure Act was founded to pave the way for controlled UFO disclosure, now that is not going to happen as long as key politicians are controlled and instructed to violate in letter and in spirit federal law and to hide the truth about UFOs from the American public.
But why these key politicians may not want you to know the truth? Just connect the dots and follow the money trail leading to defense contractors!
Pine Gap, Australia: Unraveling the Mysteries in the Desert
Pine Gap, Australia: Unraveling the Mysteries in the Desert
Nestled in the remote heart of Australia’s Red Centre, near the iconic town of Alice Springs, lies a facility as enigmatic as it is crucial: Pine Gap. Officially known as the Joint Defence Facility Pine Gap, this installation, a collaboration between the United States and Australian governments, has long been the subject of intrigue and speculation, particularly in the realm of UFOs and extraterrestrial theories.
The Secretive Heart of Surveillance
Established in 1970, Pine Gap’s primary function revolves around satellite surveillance and signals intelligence. Its labyrinth of radomes and advanced equipment plays a pivotal role in global surveillance, making it one of the most important intelligence facilities worldwide. The facility’s strategic location allows it to monitor a vast portion of the Eastern Hemisphere, a crucial asset during the Cold War and beyond.
A Nexus for Extraterrestrial Theories
The shroud of secrecy enveloping Pine Gap has naturally attracted the attention of UFO enthusiasts and alien conspiracy theorists. Some speculate that the facility’s advanced technology is used not just for terrestrial surveillance but to monitor extraterrestrial activity. Theories range from the facility tracking alien spacecraft to it being a clandestine meeting ground for human and alien collaboration.
These theories are bolstered by the global fascination with UFOs and the undying quest to find extraterrestrial life. Pine Gap’s restricted access and classified operations provide a fertile ground for such speculations, despite the lack of concrete evidence to support these claims.
Between Fact and Fiction
The reality of Pine Gap, however, is grounded more in strategic defense than in science fiction. While the facility undoubtedly houses advanced technology capable of monitoring space, there is no credible evidence linking it to extraterrestrial research or encounters. Much like Area 51 in the United States, Pine Gap’s allure lies in its secretive nature and the human propensity for mystery and the unknown.
The Cultural Impact
Pine Gap has cemented its place in popular culture, inspiring references in films, books, and television shows. These often dramatize the facility’s potential links to UFOs and aliens, further embedding it in the public consciousness as a site of otherworldly intrigue.
Conclusion: A Blend of Reality and Myth
Pine Gap remains an enigmatic presence in the Australian desert, its domes silently keeping watch over the skies. While it continues to be a significant player in global surveillance and intelligence, its association with UFOs and aliens remains a fascinating blend of myth and mystery. This blend keeps Pine Gap firmly in the realm of both strategic importance and popular imagination, a place where the lines between reality and science fiction intriguingly blur.
As the world continues to look up at the stars and wonder, facilities like Pine Gap remind us of the endless possibilities that the universe may hold, and the human quest to explore the unknown, whether it be within our own world or beyond.
VIDEO:
Restricted Locations On Earth Only Few Have Explored – LifesBiggestQuestions
The information covered in the video also explore several other well-known secretive or classified facilities and areas around the world, each with its own unique history and set of theories or speculations:
Jiangsu National Security Education Museum, China: This museum, which is closed to foreign visitors, is dedicated to the history of Chinese intelligence and espionage. It features exhibits of spy gadgets, tools, and stories of espionage involving China, underscoring the importance of these practices in national security.
Metro 2, Russia: Allegedly a secret underground metro system in Moscow, said to have been constructed during Stalin’s reign for emergency escape routes and strategic military transport. Its existence has neither been confirmed nor denied by the Russian government.
Area 51, USA: A highly classified US Air Force facility in Nevada, long associated with UFO and alien conspiracy theories. Its secretive nature and history of aviation and weapons testing have fueled these theories, though it’s likely focused on military technology.
The Greenbrier Bunker, USA: A hidden bunker beneath the Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia, intended as a refuge for the U.S. Congress during a nuclear attack. It was kept secret until 1992 and now serves as a data storage facility and tour site.
Mariana Trench: The deepest known point in Earth’s oceans, home to unique species and important for scientific research. It offers insights into the limits of life and deep-sea ecosystems.
Mount Weather Emergency Operations Center, USA: A facility in Virginia for U.S. government and military officials in case of a national disaster. It ensures the continuity of government operations and has led to various conspiracy theories about its capabilities.
Each of these locations or phenomena has its own set of mysteries and speculations, often fueled by their secretive or inaccessible nature. While some are grounded in verified facts, others remain the subject of theories and conjecture, lacking solid evidence.
Dit Himalaya-meer verbergt een behoorlijk duister geheim. In de jaren veertig werd een huiveringwekkende ontdekking gedaan, maar pas in de 21e eeuw werd het mysterie opgelost. Of toch niet? Klik verder en trek je eigen conclusies.
Japanse soldaten De Britse regering stuurde een team van onderzoekers naar Roopkund. Nog een schok: ze kwamen tot de conclusie dat de botten te oud waren om van Japanse soldaten te zijn.
Mysterie Er ontstonden in die tijd veel theorieën, waaronder een aardverschuiving, een epidemie of zelfs rituele zelfmoord als oorzaak van al die sterfgevallen
DNA-testen Uit de overblijfselen werden twee verschillende groepen mensen geïdentificeerd. De ene was een groep nauw verwante individuen, die een familie of een stam geweest konden zijn
Hoe kwamen ze om het leven? De conclusie was dat hagelstenen de doodsoorzaak waren. Een gewelddadige en plotselinge hagelbui zou de groep hebben getroffen en dat blijken ze niet te hebben overleefd.
Lokale legende Een ander volksverhaal gaat over de zwangere vrouw van koning Yasodhwal. Tijdens de bevalling stroomde haar placenta naar Roopkund en doodde daar iedereen.
Route van de trektocht De tocht kan veeleisend zijn, maar het omringende landschap is absoluut adembenemend. Volg ons en krijg toegang tot het laatste celebrity en lifestyle nieuws
As events in our world transpire, humans perceive their occurrence as a linear progression for which we have invented concepts of past, present, and future, which summarizes one of the most mysterious concepts in all of physics: time.
We tend to take for granted the idea that time is a common part of our everyday lives. We can tell the time of day, for instance, or we can make time for having a coffee with a friend. Yet, despite our familiarity with it, we still have a hard time explaining what, precisely, time really is.
In his landmark book A Brief History of Time, the late physicist Stephen Hawking asked a fundamental question about human perception of what we call time: how come we can remember the past but not the future? In other words, what gives rise to our perception of a linear progression of time that only goes in one direction?
The notion that there exists a sort of “arrow of time,” as Hawking called it, actually had three components. The first is what Hawking called psychological time, which has to do with human perception of time, and our ability to perceive the present, and recall the past. The second is entropic time, which deals with the universal tendency for states in nature to trend toward disorder (think of an egg falling to the floor, which can very easily break open, but which you or I would have a hard time reassembling). The third component involves cosmological time, which deals with the expansion of the universe in its current inflationary state, which some models hold will reverse again once into a deflationary state, in which events in time as we perceive it might even appear to occur in reverse order.
Now, a new study by a team of physicists could shed new light on the lingering mystery of the arrow of time in a paper which looks at the various ways that cells and particles could be the source for various phenomena that gives rise to the human concept of time.
Relying primarily on Hawking’s notion of entropic time and the trend toward disordered states in systems in nature, the study, conducted by researchers at the CUNY Graduate Center Initiative for the Theoretical Sciences (ITS), examined the ways that the arrow of time arises from microscopic processes occurring on the microscopic scale.
Christopher Lynn, a postdoctoral fellow in the ITS program and lead author of the paper, says that he and his team began with a pair of fundamental questions: would the strength of the arrow of time be measurable within any given system, and would they be able to detect its point of origin on the micro-scale, “where cells and neurons interact, to the whole system?”
According to Lynn, this is precisely what his team succeeded in doing by first examining how the arrow of time could be “decomposed” through a unique process of breaking down observations into various separate portions of a system and studying the interactions that occurred between them.
According to the ITS research team, they were able to observe various separate pieces of the arrow of time within a single moment, which comprised portions that worked either individually, in pairs or triplets, or in far more complex ways with multiple sets of interactions.
In their experimental study, the researchers observed the function of neurons within the retina of a salamander’s eye. Specifically, they referenced earlier studies that looked at what the neuron response was to various kinds of movies that ranged from single objects moving across a screen to complex scenes in nature.
Based on such observations, the team found that the arrow of time seemed to arise from relatively simple interactions occurring between pairs of neurons rather than complex systems involving larger numbers of them. Most intriguing to the researchers had been that their observations appeared to show that the arrow of time was most significant in response to the random motion of objects in nature.
Lynn and his team believe that the significance of this observation points to new questions about the ways that our individual internal perception of the passage of time correlates with events in the world around us, an element that could be of great interest to neuroscience.
Lynn says such observations could also “lead to answers about whether the arrow of time functions differently in brains that are neuroatypical.”
David Schwab, professor of Physics and Biology at the ITS Graduate Center and principal investigator of the study, says that Lynn and his team’s research into the “decomposition of local irreversibility—also known as the arrow of time—is an elegant, general framework that may provide a novel perspective for exploring many high-dimensional, nonequilibrium systems.”
“Our findings provide the first step toward understanding how the arrow of time that we experience in daily life emerges from these more microscopic details,” Lynn said in a statement.
Ten Incredible Underwater Discoveries That Have Captured Our Imagination
Out of all the amazing archaeological discoveries made each and every day around the world, my favorites have got to be those that emerge from the depths of the ocean. I think there is something about the underwater world that captures our imagination – perhaps it is the curiosity and intrigue about what else may lie beneath the surface, or the idea that entire cities may be hidden on the ocean floor, out of sight and out of reach. Fortunately, underwater discoveries are not always out of reach and every year more incredible findings are made thanks to advancing technology in the field of marine archaeology. Here we present ten remarkable marine discoveries that have captured our imagination.
1. Artifacts Retrieved From Site of First Ever Ancient Naval Battle
In November, 2013, archaeologists announced the recovery of a treasure trove of artifacts off the coast of Sicily from the site of the first ancient naval battle ever discovered, including battering rams, helmets, armor and weapons dating back 2,000 years.
Roman helmet from the Battle of the Egadi Islands.
They are the remnants of the Battle of the Egadi Islands - the last clash from the first Punic War which took place in 241 BC – in which the Romans fought the Carthaginians in a battle that culminated from more than 20 years of warring as the Romans struggled to gain a foothold in the Mediterranean Sea. While the Carthaginians were much more powerful on the water, the Romans lay in wait trapping the Carthaginians and blocking off their sea route in a sudden attack. Up to 50 Carthaginian ships were sunk, killing up to 10,000 men. The Roman victory set them on the road for Europe-wide domination. The priceless horde of artefacts had lain undisturbed on the seabed at a depth of 100 meters (328.08 ft) for more than two millennia.
2. 2,000-Year-Old Intact Roman Medicinal Pill Found In Submerged Shipping Vessel
In June, 2013, a team of Italian scientists conducted a chemical analysis on some ancient Roman medicinal pills discovered in the Relitto del Pozzino, a 2000-year-old submerged shipping vessel which sank off the coast of Tuscany, revealing what exactly the ancient Romans used as medicine.
A front, profile, and rear view of one of the medicinal tablets.
The Roman shipwreck lay near the remains of the Etruscan city of Populonia, which at the time the ship foundered was a key port along sea trade routes between the west and east across the Mediterranean Sea. The Relitto del Pozzino was excavated by the Archaeological Superintendence of Tuscany throughout the 1980s and 90s, revealing a variety of fascinating cargo including lamps originating in Asia minor, Syrian-Palestinian glass bowls, bronze jugs, ceramic vessels for carrying wine and, of particular interest, the remains of a medicine chest containing a surgery hook, a mortar, 136 wooden drug vials and several cylindrical tin vessels, one of which contained five circular medicinal tablets. The tin vessels had remained completely sealed, which kept the pills dry, providing an amazing opportunity to find out exactly what substances were contained within them. The results revealed that the pills contain a number of zinc compounds, as well as iron oxide, starch, beeswax, pine resin and other plant-derived materials. Based on their shape and composition, scientists have suggested that the tablets were used as a type of eye medicine.
3. Incredible Discovery Of Boat Wreck In Croatia Dated To 3,200 Years
In March 2014, marine archaeologist and researcher at the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) in France, Giulia Boetto, announced the incredible discovery of a boat wreck in Zambratija Cove, Croatia, which was just dated to 1,200 BC. The unique and rare finding is a Bronze Age sewn boat, a type of wooden boat which is literally sewn together using ropes, roots, or willow branches.
Wreck of Zambratija, Istria. Observations on the hull.
The boat measures 7 meters (22.96 ft) in length and 2.5 meters (8.20 ft) in width and is a sewn boat, which was a technique of shipbuilding practiced in the Adriatic until the Roman era. The remains of the boat found in Zambratija Cove are incredibly well-preserved for its age, with stitching still visible in some areas and the frame largely undamaged. The different types of wood used to construct it have been identified as elm, alder, and fir, and tree ring dating is currently underway, which will provide the date the tree was cut to the nearest year. Ms. Boetto said that they hope to finalize a 3D model of the boat and, eventually, a complete reconstruction.
4. Elongated Skulls Found In Maya Underwater Cave
In January, 2014, a flooded sinkhole in southern Mexico that terrifies local villagers was explored by underwater archaeologists, who found the submerged cavern littered with elongated skulls and human bones. The underwater cavern, known as Sac Uayum, is a cenote located in Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula.
A cenote is a natural pit resulting from the collapse of limestone bedrock that exposes groundwater underneath. They were sometimes used by the ancient Maya for sacrificial offerings. Local legend says that the mysterious cavern is guarded by a feathered, horse-headed serpent. Older residents of the nearby village of Telchaquillo tell stories of people seeing the serpent perching in a tree, leaping up, spinning around three times, and diving into the water. From the first day of diving archaeologists discovered that there may be a very real reason why the villagers fear the place. It appears something terrible took place there and perhaps knowledge of this was passed down over the centuries leading to the development of myths and legends. The team identified more than a dozen human remains. The bones bear no marks that would indicate cause of death, so the people probably weren't sacrificed. According to the researchers, the elongated skulls were intentionally flattened during infancy, a practice that archaeologists are still seeking answers for.
5. Swedish Divers Find 11,000-Year-Old Underwater Relics
Swedish divers made a unique and rare discovery in the Baltic Sea – Stone Age artifacts left by Swedish nomads dating back 11,000 years. Researchers uncovered a number of remnants that are believed to have been discarded in the water by Swedes in the Stone Age, objects which have been preserved thanks to the lack of oxygen and the abundance of gyttja sediment, which is sediment rich in organic matter at the bottom of a eutrophic lake.
It is extremely rare to find evidence from the Stone Age so unspoiled. Buried 16 meters (52.49 ft) below the surface, the team uncovered wood, flint tools, animal horns and ropes. Among the most notable items found include a harpoon carving made from an animal bone, and the bones of an ancient animal called aurochs, the ancestor of domestic cattle, the last of which died off in the early 1600s. Archaeologists are continuing the dig, and are now particularly interested to see whether there is also an ancient burial site in the region.
6. Mysterious 10,000-Year-Old Underwater Ruins In Japan
On the southern coast of Yonaguni, Japan, lie submerged ruins estimated to be around 10,000 years old. The origin of the site is hotly debated - many experts argue that is man-made, while more other scientists insist it was carved out by natural phenomena.
The unique and awe-inspiring site was discovered in 1995 by a diver who strayed too far off the Okinawa shore and was dumb-struck when he stumbled upon the sunken arrangement of monolithic blocks "as if terraced into the side of a mountain". The site consists of huge stone blocks which fit together perfectly, right angled joins, carvings and what appear to be stairways, paved streets, crossroads and plazas. Despite the unusual features displayed at Yonaguni, there remains some scientists, such as Geologist Robert Schoch of Boston University, who have studied the formation and who are adamant that the large blocks formed naturally as a result of tectonic movement.
7. The Controversial Underwater Structures Of Zakynthos
In June 2013, Greek archaeologists announced an amazing finding – an ancient underwater city in the gulf of Alykanas in Zakynthos, Greece. According to the Underwater Antiquities Department, the discovery included huge public buildings, cobblestone paving, bases for pillars and other antiquities. Of particular significance were the 20 stone pillar bases, all of which feature a “34 cm diameter incision”, which were probably meant for wooden columns. Preliminary observations led to the conclusion that the remains belonged to a large ancient public building, probably belonging to an important settlement in the ancient city’s port. However, in a strange twist, a study released in December claimed that the ‘artifacts’ are not remnants of an ancient city at all, but simply a unique natural phenomenon.
Disc and doughnut-shaped structures appeared to be architectural remnants of a city, but scientific analysis showed the formations to actually be a naturally occurring geological phenomenon.
8. The Perfectly Preserved Ancient Chinese Underwater City
The Lion City, otherwise known as Shi Cheng, is an ancient submerged city that lies at the foot of Wu Shi Mountain (Five Lion Mountain), located beneath the spectacular Qiandao Lake (Thousand Island Lake) in China. Officials have taken a renewed interest in the sunken city since discovering it in February 2014, that despite more than 50 years underwater, the entire city has been preserved completely intact, transforming it into a virtual time capsule.
The Lion city in China, similar to the lost city of Atlantis.
The Lion City was built during the Eastern Han Dynasty (25 – 200 AD) and was once the center of politics and economics in the eastern province of Zhejiang. But in 1959, the Chinese government decided a new hydroelectric power station was required - so it built a man-made lake, submerging Shi Cheng under 40 meters (131.23 ft) of water. The Lion City lay undisturbed and forgotten for 53 years, until Qiu Feng, a local official in charge of tourism, decided to see what remained of the city under the deep waters. He was amazed to discover that, protected from wind, rain, and sun, the entire city complete with temples, memorial arches, paved roads, and houses, was completely intact, including wooden beams and stairs.
9. The 5,000-Year-Old Sunken City In Southern Greece
In the Peloponnesus region of southern Greece there is a small village called Pavlopetri, where a nearby ancient city dating back 5,000 years resides. However, this is not an ordinary archaeological site, the city can be found about 4 meters (3.12 ft) underwater and is believed to be the oldest known submerged city in the world. The city is incredibly well designed with roads, two story houses with gardens, temples, a cemetery, and a complex water management system including channels and water pipes.
In the center of the city, was a square or plaza measuring about 40x20 meters ( 131.23 x 65.61 ft) and most of the buildings have been found with up to 12 rooms inside. The design of this city surpasses the design of many cities today. The city is so old that it existed in the period that the famed ancient Greek epic poem ‘Iliad’ was set in. Research in 2009 revealed that the site extends for about 9 acres and evidence shows that it had been inhabited prior to 2800 BC. Scientists estimate that the city was sunk in around 1000 BC due to earthquakes that shifted the land. However, despite this and even after 5,000 years, the arrangement of the city is still clearly visible and at least 15 buildings have been found. The city’s arrangement is so clear that the head of the archaeological team, John Henderson of the University of Nottingham, and his team, have been able to create what they believe is an extremely accurate 3D reconstruction of the city.
The underwater remains and the digitally reconstructed pillars and walls of one of the buildings.
10. Ancient Egyptian city of Heracleion - on the border between myth and reality
The city of Heracleion, home of the temple where Cleopatra was inaugurated, plunged into the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Egypt nearly 1,200 years ago. It was one of the most important trade centers in the region before it sank more than a millennium ago. For centuries, the city was believed to be a myth, much like the city of Atlantis is viewed today. But in 2001, an underwater archaeologist searching for French warships stumbled across the sunken city. After removing layers of sand and mud, divers uncovered the extraordinarily well preserved city with many of its treasures still intact including, the main temple of Amun-Gerb, giant statues of pharaohs, hundreds of smaller statues of gods and goddesses, a sphinx, 64 ancient ships, 700 anchors, stone blocks with both Greek and Ancient Egyptian inscriptions, dozens of sarcophagi, gold coins and weights made from bronze and stone.
The team discovered a sunken statue of a pharaoh on the Mediterranean sea floor near the great temple of ancient Heracleion.
The Greek historian Herodotus (5th century BC) told us of a great temple that was built where the famous hero Heracles first set foot on to Egypt, and was named after him. He also reported of Helen of Troy’s visit to Heracleion with her lover Paris before the Trojan War. More than four centuries after Herodotus’ visit to Egypt, the geographer Strabo observed that the city of Heracleion, which possessed the temple of Herakles, is located straight to the east of Canopus at the mouth of the Canopic branch of the River Nile. However, until its discovery, Heracleion was just a place of legends.
Top image: Divers studying various underwater discoveries.
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Over mijzelf
Ik ben Pieter, en gebruik soms ook wel de schuilnaam Peter2011.
Ik ben een man en woon in Linter (België) en mijn beroep is Ik ben op rust..
Ik ben geboren op 18/10/1950 en ben nu dus 74 jaar jong.
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