• Scientists described a slew of new species this past year, including an electric blue tarantula, two pygmy squid, a silent frog, and some thumb-sized chameleons.
• Experts estimate less than 20% of Earth’s species have been documented by Western science.
• Although a species may be new to science, it may already be well known to local and Indigenous people and have a common name.
• Many new species of plants, fungi, and animals are assessed as Vulnerable or Critically Endangered with extinction as soon as they are found, and many species may go extinct before they are named, experts say.

Scientists named hundreds of new to science species this year, including an electric blue tarantula, two pygmy squids, a silent frog, and some thumb-sized chameleons. These newly uncovered creatures give us just a glimpse into the immense biodiversity yet to be found across the planet.

“I think most people believe that we know most species on Earth … but in the best-case scenario, we know 20% of Earth’s species,” Mario Moura, a professor at the Federal University of Paraíba in Brazil, told Mongabay in a March 2021 interview.

Experts estimate only 10-20% of Earth’s species have been documented by Western science.

This year, researchers at the California Academy of Sciences described 153 new plant, animal and fungi species. Since 2020 alone, researchers have classified 100,000 new plant and fungus species. However, at this pace, researchers say documenting all life could take centuries, and many species may go extinct before they’re even named.

More than a million plant and animal species are threatened with extinction, suggests the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). Many new species of plants, fungi, and animals are assessed as vulnerable or critically endangered with extinction as soon as they’re found.

“There is something immensely unethical and troubling about humans driving species extinct without ever even having appreciated their existence and given them consideration,” Walter Jetz, a professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at Yale University, told Mongabay,

It’s important to note that although a species may be newly described by science, Indigenous people often know about species long before they’re “discovered” by Western science.

“Many species that are new to science are already known and used by people in the region of origin — people who have been their primary custodians and often hold unparalleled local knowledge,” writes Alexandre Antonelli, director of science at Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Here’s a look at our top new-to-science species from 2023

A new electric-blue tarantula species is the first to be found in Thailand’s mangroves

A new electric-blue tarantula species has been described by scientists in Thailand, making it the first known tarantula species from Thai mangroves. The spider’s vivid blue coloration is created not by pigments but by nanostructures on the tarantula’s hairs that manipulate light and produce an iridescent effect.

Researchers from Khon Kaen University and wildlife YouTuber JoCho Sippawa found these vibrant blue tarantulas in the muddy conditions of Phang Nga province’s mangrove forest. The researchers have raised concerns about the tarantulas’ mangrove habitats being cleared for oil palm cultivation.

Six newly described chameleon species reflect Tanzania’s Eastern Arc Mountains’ fragility and richness

Six new species of tiny, threatened pygmy chameleons have been discovered in Tanzania’s Eastern Arc Mountains, a biodiversity hotspot where rapid deforestation threatens endemic wildlife. The chameleons, which can fit on a thumb, reflect the exceptional yet fragile diversity of the mountains’ isolated forests that scientists are still documenting.

Agricultural expansion driven by population growth and government initiatives to increase food production continue to drive montane forest loss at an alarming rate, shrinking the habitat these new chameleon species depend on. While some forests have been upgraded to higher protection status recently, lack of enforcement and resources enable ongoing encroachment.

Conservationists say they hope flagship species like the colorful chameleons can boost the global profile of the Eastern Arc Mountains to promote tourism and secure funding for protection programs involving local communities.

It had to be a snake: New species from Peru named after Harrison Ford

Scientists have described a new-to-science snake species from Peru’s Otishi National Park and named it after the actor Harrison Ford for his conservation advocacy. The pale yellowish-brown snake with black blotches was found in high-elevation wetlands and identified using genetic techniques. Satellite data and imagery show several areas of forest loss throughout the park, which appear to have been caused by natural landslides. Still, some bear the hallmarks of human-caused clearing likely linked to coca cultivation and drug trafficking.

A growing number of researchers also argue that species should not be named after people, as such names may perpetuate a negative legacy associated with imperialism and racism.

New gecko species from Timor-Leste hints at island’s unknown diversity

Scientists have described a new species of bent-toed gecko from a remote cave in Timor-Leste. The new species was confirmed through DNA analysis and further examination of collected specimens and is named after the young nation’s first national park, Nino Konis Santana National Park. Timor-Leste, in Southeast Asia’s Wallacea region, has high levels of biodiversity, including numerous endemic species of birds and other animals. Continued research and exploration in Timor-Leste is expected to uncover many more new plant and animal species, possibly from the same cave where the new gecko was found.

Two new pygmy squid species found on Japanese coral

Researchers found two new species of tiny, reddish pygmy squid in the biodiverse coral reefs and seagrass beds near the Japanese island of Okinawa. The Ryukyuan pygmy squid (Idiosepius kijimuna) and Hannan’s Pygmy Squid (Kodama jujutsu), which measure less than 12 millimeters (0.5 inches), are nocturnal and difficult to spot, but were documented through collaboration between scientists and underwater photographers. Their whimsical names connect them to Japanese folktales, matching their elusive nature and coastal forest habitats, which are threatened by climate change and human activity.

No croak: New silent frog species described from Tanzania’s ‘sky island’ forests

Scientists have described a new-to-science species of frog from Tanzania’s Ukaguru Mountains with a unique trait: it’s silent. The males of this species have tiny spines on their throats, which may serve as a means of species recognition for the females.

Researchers encountered the species during an expedition in search of another species, the elusive Churamiti maridadi tree toad, which has only been spotted twice in the wild and is feared to be extinct. The Ukaguru Mountains have a high degree of endemism, and describing this new species highlights the vast amount of knowledge still to be gained about this biodiversity-rich area.

An Australian spider named after Marvel character Venom

A new genus and species of spider found in Tasmania has been named Venomius tomhardyi after actor Tom Hardy and his Marvel character Venom, due to the distinctive black spots on the spider’s abdomen resembling Venom’s head. The orb-weaving spider belongs to the Araneidae family and builds circular webs to catch prey, but unlike related spiders, it doesn’t have tubercles on its abdomen and creates silk shelters inside tree branches. Researchers found the spider on an expedition across multiple Australian states by researchers who aim to fully document the continent’s spider diversity to aid conservation efforts.

‘They’re everywhere out there’: Three new nautilus species described

Researchers have described three new species of nautilus found in the Coral Sea and the South Pacific. The three species differ in genetic structure, shell size and coloration, and geographic location. Scientists generally know little about nautiluses but are working to fill in the data gaps to understand how to protect them. Nautiluses are highly threatened by the shell trade, as well as pollution and the impacts of climate change.

Newly described gecko from Madagascar a master of disguise

A new species of leaf-tailed gecko, Uroplatus garamaso, has been described from northern Madagascar. Like other geckos in its genus, U. garamaso is a master of camouflage due to skin flaps that allow it to resemble tree bark during the daytime when it presses against branches. At 8-14 centimeters (3-5.5 inches) long, it’s a relatively large gecko for Madagascar. The forest where the gecko lives face threats from logging and fires, endangering U. garamaso which, like many endemic Madagascan species, has a restricted range that makes it vulnerable to habitat loss. More geckos are still being uncovered in Madagascar’s exceptionally biodiverse ecosystems.

Newly described leafless orchid in Sri Lanka named after a precious yellow sapphire

A new leafless ground orchid found in a lowland wet-zone forest in Sri Lanka has been named after a precious yellow sapphire, a gemstone commonly extracted from the same district. The plant grows in Walankanda, a forest frontier in the island’s intermediate zone with unique characteristics that will likely make these plants susceptible to future climate change impacts earlier than other wet-zone rainforest plants.

Tea plantations are the main driver of forest fragmentation in the area. However, an ambitious project aims to create an ecological land corridor through neglected tea estates, linking the forest where the orchid was first found with another fragmented forest patch.

New species of ‘Tolkien frog’ emerges from Middle Earth of Ecuadoran Andes

A new species of frog has been described from the tropical Andes of Ecuador and named after J.R.R. Tolkien, the author of famous works of fantasy literature. Only one individual of the species was found, within the bounds of Río Negro-Sopladora National Park.

Río Negro-Sopladora was declared a protected area in 2018 and serves as a critical link in the highly diverse Sangay-Podocarpus Corridor, home to many rare and endemic plants and animals. The scientists who described the frog say research and monitoring are urgently needed to better understand this unique species and assess potential threats to its survival, such as invasive species, emerging diseases, and climate change.

Newly described DiCaprio’s snake and others threatened by mining in Ecuador and Panama

Researchers have described five new species of snail-eating snakes from the upper Amazon Rainforest in Ecuador and Colombia and the Chocó-Darién forests of Panama. Three of the new species were named by actor Leonardo DiCaprio, conservationist Brian Sheth, and the NGO Nature and Culture International to raise awareness about the threats these snakes face due to mining and deforestation.

Ecuador and Colombia saw an increase in illegal gold mining along rivers and streams during the COVID-19 pandemic, which may have affected populations of these fragile snakes and has led to conflict and division within communities. Snail-eating snakes are arboreal and depend on wet environments to survive, so deforestation and mining pollution, including illegal gold mining, affect both the snakes and the snails and slugs that they rely on for food.

New ‘snug,’ a snail with a too-small shell, described from Brunei rainforest

A group of researchers and citizen scientists have identified a new semi-slug species. The so-called “snug,” a snail whose external shell is too small to house its entire body, can be found in the lowland rainforests of northern Borneo Island. The researchers suggest there may be some half a dozen other species from the same genus waiting to be described, highlighting the rich biodiversity of this region.

Banner image: One of the six newly described chameleons from Tanzania, which are already at risk of extinction due to habitat loss, according to researchers. Image courtesy of Michele Menegon.

• Liz Kimbrough is a staff writer for Mongabay and holds a Ph.D. in ecology and evolutionary biology from Tulane University, where she studied the microbiomes of trees. View more of her reporting here.

27-12-2023 om 18:20 geschreven door peter  

Japan is on track to become the fifth country to land a probe on the Moon, after its SLIM spacecraft successfully entered lunar orbit on Dec. 24. The $100m mission, dubbed the “moon sniper”, aims to demonstrate Tokyo’s ability to land a lightweight, low-cost spacecraft on the Moon with high precision.

The SLIM spacecraft is expected to land within 100m of a location near the Shioli crater, on the near side of the Moon. The landing attempt is scheduled for Jan. 19, after the spacecraft spends a month circling the Moon. This would mark a historic moment for Japan, as a successful touchdown would join the ranks of the United States, Russia, China, and India, who have previously achieved the feat of landing a probe on the Moon.

The SLIM mission is part of Japan’s ambitious space exploration efforts, which include sending a rover to explore the lunar surface, collecting samples from an asteroid, and participating in the Artemis program to return humans to the Moon. The mission also showcases Japan’s technological prowess and innovation, as the SLIM spacecraft is designed to be smaller, lighter, and cheaper than previous lunar landers.

The SLIM spacecraft weighs only 130kg, compared to the 1,500kg of China’s Chang’e-4 lander, which landed on the far side of the Moon in 2019. The SLIM spacecraft also costs only $100m, a fraction of the $1.3bn budget of India’s Chandrayaan-2 mission, which failed to land on the Moon in 2019. The SLIM spacecraft is equipped with advanced navigation and guidance systems, which allow it to autonomously adjust its trajectory and attitude during the landing process.

The launch of SLIM was carried out by a Mitsubishi Heavy Industries H-2A rocket, which also carried the X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission (XRISM) satellite. The XRISM is a joint project between the Japanese, American, and European space agencies. The satellite, containing a telescope the size of a bus, has parted ways with the lunar lander to orbit around the Earth. It will now begin studying space phenomena such as black holes.

The successful launch and lunar orbit entry of SLIM follow a series of failures over the past year. Last November, JAXA lost contact with its OMOTENASHI spacecraft and aborted the Moon landing mission. More recently in April, a private Japanese start-up, iSpace, failed to land its Hakuto-R lander after it too lost contact with the spacecraft. Two test rocket launches have also failed this year.

The SLIM mission represents a significant step forward in Japan’s space exploration efforts. The mission’s success so far demonstrates the country’s resilience and determination in the face of previous setbacks. As the world watches, the upcoming moon landing attempt is set to be a pivotal moment in space exploration history.

Artist's impression of the lunar explorer on the Moon. 

(JAXA)

Relevant articles:

• Japan spacecraft enters lunar orbit for Moon landing on Jan. 20
• Japan’s SLIM ‘moon sniper’ lander arrives in lunar orbit for Christmas
• Japan’s SLIM successfully enters lunar orbit, gears up for precision moon landing
• After Chandrayaan 3, Japan eyes lunar landing as SLIM lander enters Moon orbit

{ https://trendydigests.com/ }

27-12-2023 om 17:42 geschreven door peter  

Japan Probe Enters Lunar Orbit Ahead of Historic Moon Landing

By AFP

If successful, the touchdown would make Japan only the fifth country to have successfully landed a probe on the Moon, after the United States, Russia, China and India.

On Monday, SLIM "successfully entered the moon's orbit at 04:51 pm Japan time" (0751 GMT), the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) said in a statement released Monday evening.

"Its trajectory shift was achieved as originally planned, and there is nothing out of the ordinary about the probe's conditions," the agency said.

The lander's descent towards the moon is expected to start around 12:00 am Japan time on January 20, with its landing on the surface scheduled for 20 minutes later, JAXA said.

The H-IIA rocket lifted off in September from the southern island of Tanegashima carrying the lander, after three postponements linked to bad weather.

JAXA said this month that the mission would be an "unprecedentedly high precision landing" on the Moon.

The lander is equipped with a spherical probe that was developed with a toy company.

{ https://www.sciencealert.com/ }

27-12-2023 om 17:23 geschreven door peter  

Since its launch last year, NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has repeatedly proven itself to be an incredible asset in the search for answers to many of the lingering questions about our universe.

Having offered some of the most stunning imagery of the distant universe ever collected, NASA has said the telescope “has delivered on its promise of revealing the universe like never before in its first year of science operations.”

Looking back on a year of groundbreaking discoveries and breathtaking imagery Webb has brought to the world, here are some of the key highlights brought to us by Webb in 2023 that have expanded our view of the cosmos.

JAMES WEBB SPACE TELESCOPE CONFIRMS ITS FIRST EXOPLANET

In January, a team of researchers led by Kevin Stevenson and Jacob Lustig-Yaeger confirmed the discovery of an exoplanet with help from the James Webb Space Telescope. Formally named LHS 475 b, the discovery was made following a careful review of a series of targets of interest from NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS).

The telescope’s powerful Near-Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec) succeeded in obtaining imagery of the exoplanet throughout just two of its transit observations.

“There is no question that the planet is there,” said Lustig-Yaeger. “The fact that it is also a small, rocky planet is impressive for the observatory.” Mark Clampin, Astrophysics Division director at NASA Headquarters in Washington, added that the detection of “an Earth-size, rocky planet open the door to many future possibilities for studying rocky planet atmospheres with Webb.”

WEBB GETS GRITTY WITH VIEW OF A REMOTE CLOUDY PLANET

In March, NASA unveiled new features about the atmosphere of a distant planet 40 light-years away from Earth, which included the swirling sandstorms in its scorching atmosphere.

The planet, designated VHS 1256 b, is located within a relatively young triple brown dwarf system approximately 40 light years away, orbiting a pair of stars over 10,000 years, which are roughly four times farther from it than the distance between the Sun and Pluto.

(Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, Joseph Olmsted)

The James Webb Space Telescope was able to reveal the presence of silicate clouds blanketing the alien world, along with its rising and mixing atmosphere, which confirmed that silicate dust grains of varying sizes are present within the clouds encircling VHS 1256 b, resulting in scorching hot sandstorms that blanket the alien world.

WEBB FINDS WATER, AND MUCH MORE WHILE OBSERVING AN ASTEROID

In May, Webb’s NIRSpec (Near-Infrared Spectrograph) instrument helped astronomers make the first detection of water vapor in the vicinity of a comet in the main asteroid belt, confirming that water ice from the early solar system can be preserved there.

Artist’s Concept of Comet 238P/Read (Credit: NASA/ESA).

Curiously, the detection of water vapor was made in the absence of any sign of carbon dioxide, presenting new questions for astronomers involved with the discovery.

Stefanie Milam, Webb’s deputy project scientist for planetary science and the co-author of a study on the discovery, said her team’s observations help to unravel “the history of water distribution in the solar system,” adding that it “will help us to understand other planetary systems, and if they could be on their way to hosting an Earth-like planet.”

WEBB SPOTS EERIE RINGS SURROUNDING A STAR

Astronomers attempting to study the first asteroid belt ever seen beyond our solar system using Webb’s Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) discovered far more than they went looking for this year, which included a series of glowing discs encircling the star Fomalhaut.

Fomalhaut, as seen by Webb

(NASA, ESA, CSA, A. Gáspár, University of Arizona, A. Pagan).

According to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL), a trio of nested belts was detected around the star, sprawling as much as 14 billion miles outward into the surrounding space.

The brightest star visible in the “Southern Fish” constellation Piscis Austrinis, Fomalhaut is a relatively young class A star located around 25 light-years from Earth’s Sun.

WEBB CELEBRATES ITS ANNIVERSARY BY PEERING INTO THE OPHIUCHI CLOUD COMPLEX

In celebration of the anniversary of its launch in 2022, in July NASA released images obtained by the telescope featuring a nursery for star formation, located in an area of interstellar clouds consisting of different nebulae within the Ophiuchus constellation some 390 light years from Earth, known as the Rho Ophiuchi cloud complex.

Released on July 12, the image represented more than just a snapshot of the nearest region to Earth where stellar formation occurs; at less than 400 light years away, there are no stars in the foreground obstructing Webb’s view of Pho Ophiuchi, meaning that the imagery provides some of the greatest clarity and depth of any infrared view of the cosmos any human-made telescope has ever obtained of the distant universe.

The imagery prompted Nicola Fox, associate administrator of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, to call them “a breathtaking treasure trove of images and science that will last for decades,” adding that Webb’s sharp eye has “given us a more intricate understanding of galaxies, stars, and the atmospheres of planets outside of our solar system than ever before, laying the groundwork for NASA to lead the world in a new era of scientific discovery and the search for habitable worlds.”

JAMES WEBB SPACE TELESCOPE OFFERS A NEW LOOK AT AN ICONIC SUPERNOVA

In August, Webb’s NIRCam managed to obtain new imagery of the Large Magellanic Cloud, providing astronomers with potentially crucial information not only about this iconic celestial object, but also about the development of supernovae.

Supernova 1987A

(Credit: NASA/ESA/JWST)

In the imagery obtained earlier this year, a central structure resembling a keyhole was detected within the heart of the supernovae. “This center is packed with clumpy gas and dust ejected by the supernova explosion,” read a NASA statement, which added that the dust within it is “so dense that even near-infrared light that Webb detects can’t penetrate it.” Of course, that didn’t prevent Webb from obtaining some of the most striking imagery ever obtained of the object.

MYSTERIOUS BRIGHTNESS AT THE COSMIC DAWN IS FINALLY SOLVED

New simulations produced by a Northwestern University-led team of astrophysicists in October helped to solve the riddle of why galaxies appeared too bright in the James Webb Space Telescope’s (JWST) initial images of the universe’s earliest galaxies.

Artist’s concept of early starbursting galaxies

(Credit: Aaron M. Geller, Northwestern, CIERA + IT-RCDS)

The Northwestern team found that the galaxies weren’t as massive as the imagery seemed to convey, and that even galaxies possessing less mass can glow as brightly as more massive ones, due to the presence of brilliant bursts created with the birth of new stars, in findings that align with the standard model of cosmology.

WEBB EXOPLANET DISCOVERY MAY “RESHAPE OUR UNDERSTANDING” OF PLANETARY EVOLUTION 

In November, astronomers reported that the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) succeeded in detecting water vapor, sand clouds, and sulfur dioxide in the atmosphere of the exoplanet WASP-107b.

A transmission spectrum of the warm Neptune exoplanet WASP-107b, captured by the Low Resolution Spectrometer (LRS) of the Mid InfraRed Instrument (MIRI) on board JWST, reveals evidence for water vapour, sulfur dioxide, and silicate (sand) clouds in the planet’s atmosphere.

(Image: Michiel Min / European MIRI EXO GTO team / ESA / NASA; Klaas Verpoest (LUCA School of Arts, Belgium)

The discovery, led by a team of European astronomers from Belgium’s KU Leuven University, revealed the presence of water vapor, sulfur dioxide, and silicate sand clouds while notably lacking methane, a common greenhouse gas​, around the exoplanet.

JAMES WEBB SPACE TELESCOPE UNVEILS URANUS IN WAYS NEVER BEFORE SEEN

In December, NASA released stunning new enhanced imagery of the ice giant Uranus, in a series of updated images captured by its premiere space observatory earlier this year.

The seventh planet from the Sun in our solar system, Uranus possesses a striking bluish green color, caused by its atmosphere composed primarily of helium and hydrogen, which the new imagery captured by the James Webb Space Telescope showcases in remarkable clarity, along with several of the planet’s twenty-seven known satellites.

The newly enhanced versions of imagery depicting Uranus, were originally obtained earlier this year by the James Webb Space Telescope

(Credit: NASA/ESA/JWST).

The new image was based on enhancements of a two-color version of the same view of Uranus released earlier in 2023, which employs additional wavelength coverage that allows more details to be revealed in the latest versions.

With the many incredible discoveries Webb has made throughout 2023, the future is looking bright for NASA’s premier space observatory, and we can certainly expect more remarkable views of the cosmos from Webb as we head into 2024.

Micah Hanks is the Editor-in-Chief and Co-Founder of The Debrief. He can be reached by email at micah@thedebrief.org. Follow his work at micahhanks.com and on X: @MicahHanks.

{ https://thedebrief.org/category/science/  }

27-12-2023 om 17:13 geschreven door peter  

2023: The year UFOs descended on Washington, DC (but not like you'd expect)

But disclosure didn't happen. While many sensational claims were made that would, if true, indeed bring about ontological shock and a rethinking of our place in the universe, in the end none of these was substantiated with little more than hearsay. As is tradition.

Related: 

• Some UFO records must be released, US Congress says

Government reports and Chinese balloons

The big UFO year began on Jan. 12, when the Pentagon's Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) released its long-awaited "2022 Annual Report on Unidentified Aerial Phenomena." The report, produced by the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) that was established in July 2022, included over 500 reports of unidentified anomalous phenomena, or UAP, a new term that describes unidentified objects or phenomena in the air, under water, in space or that appear to travel between them.

The much-anticipated report analyzed the reports, finding only 171 that remained  "uncharacterized," or unidentified. "Some of these uncharacterized UAP appear to have demonstrated unusual flight characteristics or performance capabilities, and require further analysis," the report stated. Ultimately, while the report was unable to reach any broad conclusions about UFOs/UAP, it found that many of these sightings "continue to represent a hazard to flight safety and pose a possible adversary collection threat," meaning they could possibly be related to foreign spy activities. 

Just a few weeks later, on Feb. 1, UFOs took center stage in both Washington D.C. and the news cycle when a large white orb was spotted floating over Montana. The object turned out to be a massive high-altitude balloon operated by China. The appearance of such a brazen intelligence-gathering aircraft caused an international stir, and China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs eventually issued an apology.

The balloon was eventually shot down off the coast of South Carolina on Feb. 5 and recovered by the U.S. military. In the weeks that followed, several other UFOs were shot down over the northern United States and Canada, some of which were never recovered and remain unidentified to this day  —  at least publicly. 

Soon after, The New York Times reported that similar balloons had intruded in American airspace between 2017 and 2021 and that military and governmental leaders were unaware of them in some cases because they were initially mischaracterized as UAP. "Balloons account for many of the unexplained incidents the Navy and other military services have tracked in recent years. The previous incidents, like other unexplained events, were handed over to a Pentagon task force charged with investigating UFOs and other aerial phenomena," the Times wrote in its report. "As the Pentagon and intelligence agencies stepped up efforts over the past two years to find explanations for many of those incidents, officials reclassified some events as Chinese spy balloons."

The furor over the Chinese spy events continued through the early spring, leading up to the first public testimony of the director of the Pentagon's All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office on April 19, 2023. During that testimony, Sean Kirkpatrick, AARO's first director, told members of the United States Senate Committee on Armed Services at a hearing in Washington, D.C. that, despite the rather sensational claims in mainstream and social media concerning possible alien visitation of Earth, his office found "no credible evidence thus far of extraterrestrial activity, off-world technology or objects that defy the known laws of physics." 

Instead, most UAP cases "demonstrate mundane characteristics of balloons, [uncrewed] aerial systems, clutter, natural phenomena or other readily explainable sources," Kirkpatrick told the armed services committee.  

The next month, NASA held the first public meeting of its independent UAP study group at the agency's headquarters in Washington, D.C. NASA commissioned the group in 2022 to help examine data related to unidentified anomalous phenomena and make recommendations on how the agency might better contribute to the topic. 

During the meeting held on May 31, group members laid out a roadmap for how U.S. government agencies can "use the tools of science to evaluate and categorize the nature of UAPs going forward," said Nicki Fox, associate administrator for NASA's Science Mission Directorate. 

While many different potential approaches for accomplishing this were described and discussed, ultimately the group, like AARO before it, reached the conclusion that UAP will remain mysterious without better data. "To make the claim that we've seen something that is evidence of non-human intelligence, it would require extraordinary evidence," said astrophysicist David Spergel, chair of the study group and former member of the NASA Advisory Council. "And we have not seen that. I think that's important to make clear. "

Still, the public and governmental interest in UFOs by this point had reached such a height that two U.S. Senators, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senator Mike Rounds (R-SD), introduced a bill known as the Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) Disclosure Act of 2023, or the Schumer-Rounds amendment, which called for the public release of U.S. government records related to UFOs and/or UAP. 

"For decades, many Americans have been fascinated by objects mysterious and unexplained, and it’s long past time they get some answers," Schumer said in a statement accompanying the bill. "The American public has a right to learn about technologies of unknown origins, non-human intelligence, and unexplainable phenomena. We are not only working to declassify what the government has previously learned about these phenomena but to create a pipeline for future research to be made public."

Allegations get wilder

Undoubtedly, the most out-of-this world UFO event of 2023 came two months after NASA's UAP study group meeting when, on July 26, three former U.S. military personnel testified to the U.S. House of Representatives' Subcommittee on National Security at the Border and Foreign Affairs. Two of the witnesses, Ryan Graves and David Fravor, are former U.S. Navy aviators who had previously reported highly publicized encounters with unknown objects in military training airspace that have become touchstones for the UFO community in terms of credible sightings from reputable, trained witnesses.

But it was the third witness at the July hearing that caused the biggest stir. That witness, David Grusch, a decorated U.S. military combat veteran and former Pentagon intelligence officer, told the subcommittee that the U.S. government has operated a "multi-decade UAP crash retrieval and reverse-engineering program," along with a disinformation campaign to keep the public in the dark.

Grusch would go on to state to the subcommittee that "biologics came with some of these recoveries" and that these "biologics" were "non-human," according to individuals with direct knowledge of these crash recovery programs that he had spoken with during his time in the intelligence community.

Naturally, a media feeding frenzy ensued, and Grusch has since become a regular talking head on the podcast circuit and television news programs. Evidence for his claims has yet to surface.

A month later, on Aug. 31, the Pentagon's AARO office quietly unveiled an official government website through which U.S. government personnel can report UFO/UAP sightings "in the vicinity of national security areas" such as military bases or other U.S. government sites. 

NASA's UAP study team would then go on to release a written report on Sept. 14 that reached similar conclusions to AARO director Kirkpatrick's testimony in April. "The top takeaway from the study is that there is a lot more to learn," NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said during a teleconference held after the agency released the report. "The NASA independent study team did not find any evidence that UAP have an extraterrestrial origin, but we don't know what these UAP are."

The year in UFOs would ultimately end not with a bang, but with a whimper, when in December the U.S. Congress approved legislation containing a portion of the Schumer-Rounds language that ordered that some government records related to UAP must be released. 

However, many UFO disclosure proponents felt that the final version of the Schumer-Rounds amendment was far weaker than what was originally proposed. 

"The most important components of the Schumer-Rounds language were dropped  — an independent Senate-confirmed review board with subpoena power, professional staff to search out records, and other serious resources," Douglas Dean Johnson, an independent researcher who writes on various aspects relating to UAP, told Space.com. "What is being enacted instead is a modest mechanism that is far less likely to result in the location, extraction and disclosure of important UAP-related records that may be tightly held or even long forgotten."

All of this has happened before. All of this will happen again.

For those who have followed the UFO topic for a significant amount of time, none of these developments should feel new. The U.S. government has commissioned and/or conducted several UFO studies in the past, many of which reached similar conclusions as those reported by federal studies and agencies in 2023. 

So, yes, while UFOs came to Washington in 2023, ultimately they left the same way they came: Shrouded in mystery, tainted by sensationalism, and wrapped in the jingoistic and sometimes paranoid language of national security. The U.S. government, at least outwardly, appears no closer to solving the UFO enigma or revealing what it may know about these phenomena to the American public. 

Yet, anyway. Many of those behind the current disclosure movement assure us that despite the legislative setbacks, the fight for the truth  —  if it's out there  —  is just beginning.

Here's hoping we see that big black triangle over the White House in 2024.

{ https://www.space.com/ }

27-12-2023 om 16:38 geschreven door peter  

Stop Believing Global Governments Will Ever Reveal Their UFO/UAP Data. It Ain’t Gonna Happen In 2024

(Photo by Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFP) (Photo by BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)

If we learned anything in 2023, it’s that we need to stop trusting global government leaders and lawmakers when they tell us they’re working on UFO/UAP disclosure.

Every year, for as long as most of us can remember, the U.S. government has promised some type of conclusive UFO/UAP disclosure. We know global governments have been collecting data on unidentified phenomena for more than 80 years, but in all this time, the general public has never been given even a hint of explanation as to what these things are.

This past year, 2023, that was supposed to change, with lawmakers like Republican Tennessee Rep. Tim Burchett and Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer seemingly aligned on the need for the Pentagon to release information the American taxpayer is funding them to collect on UFOs. But when the final draft of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) hit headlines, all of the promises by Burchett, Schumer and basically every single person perpetuating the UFO conspiracy was ignored.

Not only is the government refusing to release the information, but they made a rule where the president can literally classify anything he wants about those things whizzing around in our skies.

We were introduced to a big new face in the UFO psyop of 2023: former intelligence officer David Grusch. According to Grusch, he’s seen a bunch of “un-American” things related to aliens and made a series of sweeping claims about the U.S. government having alien crafts.

What has Grusch done to confirm his claims? Absolutely nothing. He’s brought zero physical evidence to support his statements, said some of the claims came from secondary sources and decided to tease “firsthand information” he claims to have instead of just releasing it. He’s about as convincing as those two “alien bodies” apparently recovered in Peru.

But that didn’t stop lawmakers from putting him front and center at a series of far-too-convenient government hearings. 

• (RELATED: Does Anyone Else Feel Like These UFO Hearings Were A Little Too Convenient?)

Then there’s Harvard professor Avi Loeb, who managed to recover a piece of meteorite that he believes is an ancient piece of alien technology. None of this has been confirmed yet, but at least Loeb spent the year trying to find concrete evidence to back up a career’s worth of claims that UFOs are actually aliens.

The two weirdest stories about aliens and 2023 came from India and the U.S. Back in November, the Indian Air Force (IAF) scrambled two Rafale fighter jets because some weird orb was hanging out over Manipur’s Imphal airport. The entire place was shut down until the thing disappeared around sunset. 

• (RELATED: RyanAir Pilot Says UFO Appeared Shockingly Close To Passenger Flight)

In December, right after the government absolutely screwed us on UFO disclosure, they had the audacity to push a video of a UFO allegedly flying over President Joe Biden while he traveled in Air Force 1 to Los Angeles.

In my opinion, this is the most laughably staged story of the year. Apparently, we’re supposed to believe that a livestream video caught three different UFOs hovering around the most protected aircraft in the world back in October and no one noticed until December? How effing stupid do you think we are? 

• (RELATED: UFO Investigations Halted Over Fears Of ‘Demonic Forces,’ Former Defense Minister Claims)

My official response to all things UFO in 2024 will be “okay bud,” with so much sarcasm you could butter your bread with it. Even if Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom rips his face off and reveals himself to be a lizard alien person, I still won’t believe it.

Why would anyone believe the same lie told for more than 80 years? Surely we’re better than that, fam. Or perhaps all of these things are just Chinese spy balloons.

{ https://dailycaller.com/ }

27-12-2023 om 16:19 geschreven door peter  

In the vast, sun-scorched expanses of Australia, the Aboriginal people hold the title for the most ancient continuous culture on Earth. Their traditions and stories, passed down through an unbroken line of oral history, stretch back an astonishing 70,000 years. Among these ancient narratives are intriguing tales and rock paintings that hint at a connection between Australian Aborigines and otherworldly beings — a relationship so old it predates written history.

Unearthing the Connection: Ancient Rock Art and Lore

The Aboriginal rock paintings, scattered across the rugged Australian landscape, are not just artworks; they are a window into the past. Some of these depict humanoid figures with features not typical of humans; elongated bodies, oversized heads, and large, almond-shaped eyes. These figures, known traditionally as “Wandjina” or “Sky Beings,” have sparked debates among ufologists and historians alike. Could these images be one of the earliest representations of UFO sightings and extraterrestrial visitors in human history?

The Dreamtime: A Cosmic Chronicle

The Aborigines refer to the time of creation as “The Dreamtime,” a sacred era when mythical beings roamed the Earth and shaped the world. The stories from this time, rich with references to celestial spirits and sky gods, bear a striking resemblance to modern-day UFO and alien encounters. This profound connection suggests that the Aboriginal people might not have been just passive observers but active participants in a cosmic dialogue spanning thousands of years.

VIDEO:

• Australia’s UFO Secrets | Full Alien UFO Documentary | UFOs Down Under – Unsealed Alien Files | TUU

https://youtu.be/WRlX2Sh4Xbs

Modern Implications: Bridging Ancient Lore with Today’s UFO Sightings

Today, the term “UFO sightings” often conjures images of mysterious aircraft in contemporary settings. However, when viewed through the lens of Aboriginal history, these sightings are not just modern phenomena but part of a much larger, deeper story. By understanding the Aboriginal perspective, we gain insight into how these ancient experiences shaped their culture and spirituality and how they might inform our current understanding of the UFO phenomenon.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vUg4cb2yZI

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

27-12-2023 om 16:02 geschreven door peter  

De eenzaamste dingen in het universum

©Shutterstock

De eenzaamste dingen in het universum
Moderne mensen zijn misschien wel het meest bekend met eenzaamheid, omdat is bewezen dat het een steeds vaker voorkomend gevoel is, ondanks onze geavanceerde vormen van verbinding. Maar wij zijn hierin niet de enige. Er zijn veel wezens in het universum die gewend zijn alleen te zijn.

Klik verder om meer te weten te komen over de eenzaamste dingen en wezens in het

©Shutterstock

52 Blue
Stel je voor dat je de enige persoon ter wereld bent die een bepaalde taal spreekt, en dat niemand je ooit zou kunnen begrijpen. Welkom in de wereld van de eenzaamste walvis ter wereld.

©Shutterstock

52 Blue
Terwijl de meeste walvissen communiceren met een frequentie van 10–39 Hz, roept 52 Blue met een frequentie van 52 Hz, wat betekent dat geen enkele andere walvis hem kan horen of zelfs maar weet dat hij er is.

©Shutterstock

52 Blue
Terwijl hij zonder vrienden of familie door de uitgestrekte oceaan dwaalt, is deze eenzame walvis (ontdekt in de jaren tachtig) zeker een van de eenzaamste wezens ter wereld.

©Reuters

Opportunity, de Mars rover
In Februari 2019 kondigde NASA aan dat ze nog een laatste keer zouden proberen contact op te nemen met hun recordbrekende, maar stille Mars-rover, voordat ze hem na vijftien jaar dood zouden verklaren.
Dit veelgebruikte apparaat is een van de vieste plekken in huis

©Reuters

Opportunity, de Mars rover
De rover die voor het eerst water op Mars bevestigde, is het slachtoffer van een van de meest intense stofstormen in decennia en leeft misschien nog wel, maar NASA kan niet blijven roepen zonder reactie.

©Reuters

Opportunity, de Mars rover
“Het is net als een dierbare die vermist is, en je blijft hopen dat ze zullen komen opdagen en dat ze gezond zijn”, zei de projectmanager. “Maar elke dag die voorbijgaat, wordt dat minder, en op een gegeven moment moet je ‘genoeg’ zeggen en verder gaan met je leven.”

©BrunoPress

Opportunity, de Mars rover
Stel je NASA voor als Noah uit 'The Notebook' en Opportunity als Allie, en hoe eenzaam ze zich allebei voelden omdat ze geen contact met elkaar kregen.

©Reuters

Lonesome George
Zijn naam geeft aan hoe eenzaam deze Pinta-eilandschildpad (Chelonoidis abingdoni), afkomstig uit de Galápagos, werkelijk was. Lonesome George was de laatste van zijn soort.

©Reuters

Lonesome George
Zijn soort was in de 19e eeuw niet zeldzaam, maar de hele populatie werd door mensen uitgeroeid en tijdens lange zeereizen voor vlees geoogst, omdat ze wel een jaar zonder voedsel of water konden leven.

De ontdekking van George in 1972 was een soort wonder, aangezien men dacht dat zijn soort uitgestorven was. Hij was 60 jaar oud en werd naar een dierentuin gebracht, waar het verhaal alleen maar triester werd.

©Reuters

Lonesome George
In plaats van dat hij een vredig einde van zijn leven kreeg zoals de meeste andere 60-jarige dieren, werd George aangespoord om te paren met andere ondersoorten, wat geen succesvolle nakomelingen opleverde. Hij stierf in 2012, en zijn hele dier soort met hem.

©Shutterstock

Toughie de kikker
Toughie was de laatste boomkikker van de Rabbs ter wereld, een soort die gewoonlijk werd aangetroffen terwijl hij van de ene boom naar de andere zweefde in het regenwoud van Panama.

Hij werd in gevangenschap gebracht om hem te beschermen tegen een wijdverbreide infectie die de rest van zijn soort doodde, maar het leven dat hem te wachten stond, bevond zich naar verluidt in een saaie, grijze zeecontainer ver van een regenwoud.

©Shutterstock

Toughie de kikker
Toughie werd niet gedwongen te paren, aangezien kikkers alleen paren met hun eigen soort, en het laatste vrouwtje van zijn soort al was gestorven. Hij heeft zeven jaar alleen gewoond.

Het treurigste aan Toughie's verhaal is echter dat hij, toen hij eenmaal in gevangenschap was, zijn paringsoproepen volledig stopte en niet meer wilde reageren op opgenomen oproepen, alsof hij wist dat er niemand meer voor hem was.

©Reuters

Curiosity de rover
Alleen op een planeet die vele lichtjaren van huis verwijderd is, heeft de Curiosity-rover bijna zeven jaar op Mars doorgebracht, maar hoe eenzaam kan een robot zijn?

©Reuters

Curiosity de rover
Welnu, op de eenjarige verjaardag van de landing op Mars zong de kleine Curiosity 'Happy Birthday' voor zichzelf. Het had officieel de eenzaamste verjaardag in de Melkweg.

©Reuters

Sudan de neushoorn
Sudan, een noordelijke witte neushoorn, werd in 2009 naar de Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenia gebracht, in het gezelschap van nog een mannetje en twee vrouwtjes, die allemaal aan de massale stroperij ontsnapten.

©Reuters

Sudan de neushoorn
Het overgebleven mannetje overleed in 2014, en alle druk om de witte neushoornsoort te redden werd op Sudan gelegd.

Sudan was al in de veertig en had een afnemend aantal zaadcellen en verzwakte achterpoten, waardoor het voor hem moeilijk werd een vrouwtje te bestijgen.

©Reuters

Sudan de neushoorn
Hoewel Tinder geld inzamelde voor onderzoek naar in-vitrofertilisatie, zorgde de afnemende gezondheid van Sudan ervoor dat dierenartsen hem in 2018 lieten inslapen.

©Reuters

Sudan de neushoorn
Nog tragischer is zijn nalatenschap, aangezien hij twee vrouwtjes, een dochter en kleindochter achterlaat als de laatst overgebleven leden van hun ondersoort.

©Shutterstock

Boom van Ténéré
De Boom van Ténéré in de Sahara was ooit de enige boom in een gebied van 400 km en stond tientallen jaren alleen.

©Shutterstock

Boom van Ténéré
Het is waarschijnlijk dat hij samen met vele anderen is ontsproten voordat de woestijn een woestijn werd, maar hij werd de enige overlevende nadat een in 1938 gegraven put hem een ​​constante bron van water gaf.

©Getty Images

Boom van Ténéré
Aan zijn trotse maar eenzame strijd tegen de klok werd abrupt een einde gemaakt in 1973, toen een dronken bestuurder erin slaagde het enige obstakel in de honderden kilometers te bereiken. Een metalen sculptuur neemt nu zijn plaats in de woestijn in.

©Shutterstock

Het eenzaamste eiland ter wereld
Tristan da Cunha is eigenlijk een archipel van vier eilanden, maar er is er maar één bewoond: het eiland Tristan da Cunha. Het is het meest afgelegen bewoonde eiland ter wereld.

©Shutterstock

Het eenzaamste eiland ter wereld
Het buitengewone eiland, een slepend bezit van het Britse rijk, ligt in de verre Zuid-Atlantische Oceaan, duizenden kilometers van zowel de kust van Brazilië als Zuid-Afrika.

©Shutterstock

Het eenzaamste eiland ter wereld
Het eiland heeft ongeveer 250 inwoners, wier enige manier om Tristan in en uit te reizen een zesdaagse boottocht is. Maar de inwoners zijn er naar verluidt dol op!

©Shutterstock

De "Man van het Gat"
Een geïsoleerde inheemse man in Brazilië woont al minstens 22 jaar alleen in het Amazonegebied en noemt hem de eenzaamste man ter wereld.

Er wordt aangenomen dat hij het enige overgebleven lid van zijn stam is, toen vanaf de jaren '80 boeren, illegale houthakkers en landrovers hun grondgebied in Rondônia binnendrongen en hen afslachtten.

©Shutterstock

De "Man van het Gat"
Hij kreeg zijn bijnaam vanwege de enorme gaten die hij in het bos heeft gegraven, om dieren in te vangen of zich voor mensen te verstoppen.

©Shutterstock

De "Man van het Gat"
Niemand kent de naam van zijn stam of de taal die hij spreekt, maar FUNAI, het Braziliaanse departement voor inheemse zaken, heeft het land waarop hij leeft beschermd, ondanks dat hij naar verluidt pijlen heeft afgevuurd op medewerkers die contact met hem proberen op te nemen.

©Shutterstock

De "Man van het Gat"
In 2018 bracht FUNAI zeldzame videobeelden uit van de man die halfnaakt in het bos stond en vurig met een bijl zwaaide. Helaas stierf de "Man of the Hole" in 2022.

{ http://starsinsider.com/ }

27-12-2023 om 15:48 geschreven door peter  

Is er een zesde oceaan op aarde ontstaan?

Tektonische plaatbewegingen hebben ervoor gezorgd dat het Afrikaanse continent in tweeën is gesplitst sinds de start van de Oost-Afrikaanse Riftbreuk, een 56 kilometer lange kloof in de Ethiopische woestijn, in 2005.

Volgens onderzoekers laat de platentektoniek in Ethiopië zien dat het Afrikaanse continent zich aan het splitsen is, wat de weg vrijmaakt voor de geboorte van de zesde oceaan op aarde.

Het scheidingsproces tussen de Somalische tektonische plaat en de Nubische tektonische plaat is aan de gang sinds de opkomst van de Oost-Afrikaanse Rift in 2005.

Deze geleidelijke scheiding van de platen zal resulteren in de verdeling van het op een na grootste continent ter wereld in tweeën, een fenomeen dat al honderden miljoenen jaren niet meer is waargenomen, toen Zuid-Amerika en Afrika afzonderlijke continenten vormden.

Deze conclusies zijn gebaseerd op een onderzoek uit 2004, gepubliceerd in het wetenschappelijke tijdschrift Earth and Planetary Science Letters, waaruit bleek dat de platen elk jaar een paar millimeter uit elkaar gaan.

Landen die momenteel geen toegang hebben tot de zee, zoals bijvoorbeeld Ethiopië of Oeganda, zullen een nieuwe kustlijn langs deze nieuwe oceaan zien verschijnen.

“De wateren van de Golf van Aden en de Rode Zee zullen over de Afar-regio naar de Oost-Afrikaanse Riftvallei stromen om een ​​nieuwe oceaan te vormen, en dit deel van Oost-Afrika zal een klein, onafhankelijk continent worden”, voorspelt professor Ken McDonald, emeritus aan de Universiteit van Californië.

© Open Edition Books© Aangeboden door Tagtik

• (Tagtik/Source : Jerusalem Post/Main picture: Atypik dgn via Unsplash/Map: Open Edition Books)

{ https://www.msn.com/nl-be/ }

27-12-2023 om 14:50 geschreven door peter  

This Man Remembers 95% Of His Alien Abduction: Reptilian Aliens Left Sobering Message for Humanity

There are many cases where individuals claim to have been abducted by aliens. Such stories lack perfect evidence of alien abduction but the injuries, body marks, lost memories, and details given by the witnesses sign a strange phenomenon that had happened to them. One such interesting incident occurred with Jim Sparks, who claimed to had been in a relationship with extraterrestrials, also known as “the Keepers,” for a long time.

Jim Sparks, the author of the book “The Keepers,” is considered to be the only alien contactee who remembers 95% of his encounters with aliens. It includes time travel, invisibility, multi-dimensionality, and manipulation of gravity and electromagnetic fields.

Originally, Sparks’ real name was Vincent Sparacino, he was born in an Italian family on November 15, 1954. He spent his childhood in Southern Florida and then moved to Texas in 1979. Later, he bought raw land in North Carolina and started living a happy life with his wife as a landowner but at the same time, he preserved land for trees.

Sparks’ first encounter with the otherworldly beings took place in 1988 at the age of 34. He said it was 3:30 a.m., and he was fully conscious of what was happening around him. He woke up by the low-pitched, whirling sound in his head. Soon, he realized that his body was paralyzed, and he could move neither his arms nor legs.

“I’m usually pulled the same way, which I call the ‘hard way’, and it’s completely physical. My whole body is taken. I wake up from my natural sleep, and then there’s the whirling sensation in the pit of my stomach and it feels like its’ coming up into my chest. when it gets up to my heart area, my heart starts beating fast, just racing in my head, and the whirling sound starts picking up rpm and is tremendously loud. It starts low and rises in pitch and screams in your head. The fear is like you’re going to die. Your heart is racing a million miles an hour and then you get this acceleration feeling, but I always feel like I’m being pulled down; I never feel like I’m being pulled up. It’s like I go down a rollercoaster, only a hundred times faster, and whoom-you black out and you’re there, where it is you’re going to be, usually on board a craft.”

Sparks was 100% sure that he was pulled from his bed through the ceiling as other abductees have also claimed. The aliens have the technology that can create a field capable to move humans and other things through solid matter. What’s more, it could make things invisible. Sparks remembered that after he regained his consciousness, he found himself in a craft.

His next encounter happened in May 1995, but this one was a life-changing experience. During this meeting, he encountered reptilian humanoids. He was again pulled up through the ceiling, again paralyzed, blacked out, and was taken to an abandoned amusement park. He felt no fear that time, he even enjoyed the ride.

“As my eyes opened, I saw that I was at least a thousand feet above the ground and slowly descending. Below me was an abandoned carnival park. I was floating over a large, old-fashioned wooden rollercoaster and I wasn’t scared! I was calm and relaxed, and the ride was so gentle I was actually enjoying it.”

When Sparks landed on the ground, he found out that he was surrounded by dozens of tall humanoid creatures. Two-meter-tall aliens were standing around him in a closed circle, and everyone was looking at the alien on Sparks’ left. His face was covered with a luminous hologram superimposed by a human face.

The reptoids communicated through telepathy with Sparks. And it seemed to him that they were all directing their thoughts to the alien on his left. That is, it turned out that they had one mind.

Read also:

• USAF Flight Nurse Interviewed Alien Named Airl, Said Earth Was Alien Prison Before 30,000 BCE
• Aliens From Andromeda Told US Army Personnel That Humans Are Composite of 22 different E.T. races
• Charlie Red Star: Alien Spaceship Visited Canadian Nuclear Site Every Night In 1975
• Story Of ‘Star People’ By Indian Elder & Alien Ship Crashed In 1945, Rescued By Mothership After Month

He could see the moving lips of the alien with a human face, but he heard a voice in his head. The reptoids told him telepathically that their civilization had long been in contact with the government leaders and heads of power. As a result, it was possible to reach certain agreements that are kept secret from people, since humanity was not ready for the truth.

In particular, an agreement was reached with the governments to improve the environmental conditions on the planet with the help of alien devices and technologies provided to them, but they violated this agreement.

“It was also agreed that, in the meantime, steps would be taken to correct the environmental condition of your planet with our advice and technology. We say advice, because we respect the fact that this is your planet, not ours. Your government also broke this agreement.”

According to the alien, the water of the Earth is contaminated, plants, trees, and forests are dying, also several breaks have formed in the human food chain. “You have an amount of nuclear and biological weapons which include nuclear and biological contamination.”

The planet is overpopulated to a critical level, and this can lead to the end of humanity. Then, the aliens suggested better ways to derive energy and provide food to people without destroying Earth. And some people in the governments are familiar with these technologies, but they are not taking any action because they take clean energy and abundant food as a security threat.

At the end of the conversation, the aliens said that in the near future, they would share more information with Sparks because of his work of saving trees.

Before they went away, Sparks requested them to show him their real appearance. The aliens warned him that it might scare him, but he insisted. Near the aliens, a greenish luminous spot appeared in the air, which gradually became brighter. It highlighted the enormous growth of the creatures, whose bodies were covered with powerful muscles. Their heads were like snakes. These were representatives of the reptoid civilization. The diamond-shaped eyes shone with red pupils.

“Their faces looked like a cross between a lizard and a snake — nothing at all like the little grey guys.”

After the communication with aliens, Sparks realized that the Reptoids were interested in saving humanity only to fulfill their needs because the disorientation in the human civilization could impose a serious threat to their own efforts.

He was well aware of the fact that if he told his story by himself, there might have been consequences and probably he would end up in some mental hospital, so he took the help of famous American investigative journalist Linda Moulton Howe to spread his story.

{ https://www.howandwhys.com/ }

27-12-2023 om 00:36 geschreven door peter  

BY LAURENCE TOGNETTI

While Dragonfly will conduct the most in-depth surface exploration of Titan, this will not be the first spacecraft to land on Titan’s surface, as that honor goes to the European Space Agency’s Huygens probe, which landed on Titan’s surface in January 2005 and transmitted data for approximately 90 minutes after touchdown before its batteries ran out. Additionally, Titan was studied in-depth by NASA’s Cassini spacecraft at various times throughout its mission between 2004 and 2017. But with all this science having already been conducted by these robotic explorers, what additional science could be conducted by a human mission to Titan compared to a robotic mission?

“Similar to Mars, human boots on the ground could accomplish more exploration science faster than robots,” Dr. Barnes tells Universe Today. “Additionally, should life or prebiotic chemistry be found on Titan, people on-site could more safely study such life without risk of backward contamination to Earth. Finally, because of its safety, Titan is a prime target for long-term human habitation as we progress outward into the solar system.”

In terms of an orbital versus a surface mission for humans to Titan, Dr. Barnes tells Universe Today, “Orbital missions with people don’t make sense for science. Robotic orbiters do a great job, and our experience has shown that human remote sensing doesn’t provide any advantages over the robots. But a long-term surface mission with a base and surface mobility could open up an entire world of science.”

This “world of science” includes up-close investigations of Titan’s prebiotic chemistry, biochemistry, and organic chemistry, along with how Titan’s atmosphere and seas and lakes of liquid methane could influence such chemical reactions for both the short and long term. However, living on Titan’s surface would also come with its myriad of challenges, as well. While Titan is well-shielded from harmful solar radiation, its surface is both unbearably cold and extremely dark, as surface temperatures have been measured at -179.2 degrees Celsius (-290.6 degrees Fahrenheit) and Titan’s surface is estimated to receive only 0.1 percent of the sunlight that Earth receives. But, how else could this “world of science” pose additional challenges to human explorers on Titan’s surface?

“Challenges on the surface could be that the very organic molecules that make Titan so interesting could prove carcinogenic to a crew if pains are not taken to avoid getting them into the habitat,” Dr. Barnes tells Universe Today. “Another challenge is generating power out there — you’d basically need to bring a nuclear reactor with you, because there’d be no native way to generate the power needed to drive crewed exploration.”

In addition to the challenges of living on Titan’s surface, there is also the concern of the distance and travel time to the Saturnian system from Earth, as several missions have taken a minimum of several years to reach the Saturnian system, even if they took a direct route. For example, NASA’s Pioneer 11 spacecraft launched in 1973 and needed six and a half years to reach Saturn after flying by Jupiter. Only a few years later, NASA’s Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 spacecraft were launched in 1977 and required three years and two months and four years, respectively, to reach Saturn after they conducted flybys of Jupiter. While NASA’s Cassini mission conducted the most in-depth investigation of Saturn and its many moons, the spacecraft still required six years and nine months to get to Saturn after conducting two gravity assists at Venus, one at Earth, and one at Jupiter.

Currently, the fastest spacecraft to reach Saturn is NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft, which only required two years and four months to reach the ringed planet on its direct trajectory to Pluto. Therefore, even if a human mission were to take a direct route to Titan, it would still require a minimum of two years to arrive. Therefore, this lengthy travel time could hamper any resupply or rescue operation to Titan for a human mission.

“The travel time would be so long that any such expedition would need to be a pretty massive undertaking,” Dr. Barnes tells Universe Today. “Although astronauts would be safe on Titan’s surface from radiation, they would be subject to damage from solar storms en-route, at least while in the inner solar system. They’d be so far away from home that there would be no possibility of rescue if their systems failed, so plenty of backups would need to be brought along.”

Will we ever send humans to Titan? Will we learn more science than from a robotic mission like Dragonfly, and what will such a mission teach us about living and working so far from Earth? Only time will tell, and this is why we science!

As always, keep doing science & keep looking up!

{ https://www.universetoday.com/ }

27-12-2023 om 00:17 geschreven door peter  

BY LAURENCE TOGNETTI

The goal of Dream Chaser is to provide a more cost-effective method for delivering cargo and supplies to the ISS, as while the spaceplane will be launched on a rocket, it will land like an airplane just like NASA’s Space Shuttle used to do. This will further enable its reusability capabilities, as NASA has contracted Dream Chaser for a minimum of six cargo resupply missions to the ISS during its contract.

Dream Chaser’s maiden flight next year will be a collaboration between flight and ground controllers at the Dream Chaser Mission Control Center in Louisville, Colorado, NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, and NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Texas. During this flight, Tenacity will conduct a myriad of in-flight tests after launch and prior to docking with the ISS. This includes performing vehicle maneuvering demonstrations within the ISS approach ellipsoid, which is a 4 x 2 x 2-kilometer (2.5 x 1.25 x 1.25-mile) invisible border encircling the ISS.

Unlike the autonomous docking system employed on SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft, Dream Chaser will be docked and undocked to the ISS using the Canadarm2, which is a 17-meter-long (56-foot-long) robotic arm built by the Canadian Space Agency and installed on the ISS in 2001. During this mission, Tenacity is slated to deliver more than 3,500 kilograms (7,800 pounds) to the ISS and stay docked with the orbiting laboratory for approximately 45 days before being undocked by Canadarm2 and returning to Earth.

Once Dream Chaser is greenlit for future flights after this first mission, it will be capable of delivering approximately 5,200 kilograms (11,500 pounds) of supplies to the ISS while staying docked for up to 75 days. Additionally, Dream Chaser will be capable of returning more than 1,600 kilograms (3,500 pounds) of experiments and cargo from the ISS to Earth, with more than 4,000 kilograms (8,700 pounds) of trash being discarded during Earth reentry using the Shooting Star cargo module.

How will Dream Chaser help improve outer space exploration in the coming years and decades? Only time will tell, and this is why we science!

As always, keep doing science & keep looking up!

{ https://www.universetoday.com/ }

26-12-2023 om 23:48 geschreven door peter  

BY LAURENCE TOGNETTI

The goal of Dream Chaser is to provide a more cost-effective method for delivering cargo and supplies to the ISS, as while the spaceplane will be launched on a rocket, it will land like an airplane just like NASA’s Space Shuttle used to do. This will further enable its reusability capabilities, as NASA has contracted Dream Chaser for a minimum of six cargo resupply missions to the ISS during its contract.

Dream Chaser’s maiden flight next year will be a collaboration between flight and ground controllers at the Dream Chaser Mission Control Center in Louisville, Colorado, NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, and NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Texas. During this flight, Tenacity will conduct a myriad of in-flight tests after launch and prior to docking with the ISS. This includes performing vehicle maneuvering demonstrations within the ISS approach ellipsoid, which is a 4 x 2 x 2-kilometer (2.5 x 1.25 x 1.25-mile) invisible border encircling the ISS.

Unlike the autonomous docking system employed on SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft, Dream Chaser will be docked and undocked to the ISS using the Canadarm2, which is a 17-meter-long (56-foot-long) robotic arm built by the Canadian Space Agency and installed on the ISS in 2001. During this mission, Tenacity is slated to deliver more than 3,500 kilograms (7,800 pounds) to the ISS and stay docked with the orbiting laboratory for approximately 45 days before being undocked by Canadarm2 and returning to Earth.

Once Dream Chaser is greenlit for future flights after this first mission, it will be capable of delivering approximately 5,200 kilograms (11,500 pounds) of supplies to the ISS while staying docked for up to 75 days. Additionally, Dream Chaser will be capable of returning more than 1,600 kilograms (3,500 pounds) of experiments and cargo from the ISS to Earth, with more than 4,000 kilograms (8,700 pounds) of trash being discarded during Earth reentry using the Shooting Star cargo module.

How will Dream Chaser help improve outer space exploration in the coming years and decades? Only time will tell, and this is why we science!

As always, keep doing science & keep looking up!

{ https://www.universetoday.com/ }

26-12-2023 om 23:48 geschreven door peter  

To show how this works, the team simulated chemical interactions right at the interface between the atmosphere and the rocky surface. Their simulations showed that chemical equilibrium for simple molecules such as carbon dioxide the atmosphere of Venus can be used to probe the composition of its surface, and depending on surface temperature, Venus-like exoplanets could see strong interactions for more complex molecules CaA_l2Si₂O₈ and MgAl₂O₄.

In other words, under the right circumstances, small rocky worlds closely orbiting their warm star are excellent candidates for this kind of study. What we learn about their atmospheres can open a window on the composition of their surface, and even their geological activity. We could even determine whether certain minerals are present or absent on the surface of an exoplanet, without ever viewing its surface directly.

This kind of information is vital to our understanding of how terrestrial planets form. Previous studies have already shown that our solar system is rather unusual and that a solar system free of large planets in the inner solar system is rare. By understanding the evolution and composition of the inner planets of other stars, we will learn why our solar system is unusual, and perhaps even learn if life such as ours is common or rare in the Universe.

Reference: 

• Byrne, Xander, et al. “Atmospheres as a Window to Rocky Exoplanet Surfaces.” Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (2023): stad3914.

{ https://www.universetoday.com/ }

26-12-2023 om 23:35 geschreven door peter  

©Getty Images

De meest sinistere vrijgegeven CIA-operaties
De Central Intelligence Agency, beter bekend als de CIA, heeft sinds de officiële oprichting in 1947 angst, achterdocht en nieuwsgierigheid gewekt. Voordat het de CIA heette, stond het bekend als het Office of Strategic Services, en was het verantwoordelijk voor een aantal zaken. van de meest geheime operaties tijdens en na de Tweede Wereldoorlog. Als CIA is de organisatie berucht geworden vanwege haar schijnbare minachting voor het federale en internationale recht, en wordt ervan verdacht een aantal projecten af te handelen waar zelfs de president van de Verenigde Staten niet van op de hoogte is. Van het omverwerpen van regeringen en het organiseren van false flag-operaties tot het introduceren van een van 's werelds meest verslavende drugs in de VS: de geheime operaties van de CIA die aan het licht zijn gekomen, zijn op zijn minst fascinerend om over te lezen.

Gefascineerd? Lees verder voor meer informatie over enkele van de vrijgegeven daden van de CIA.

©Getty Images

Het Manhattan Project
Het Manhattan Project is misschien wel de meest bekende geheime operatie van de Amerikaanse regering en had verwoestende gevolgen. Het werd in 1939 gestart en geleid door Robert Oppenheimer en had het doel om de mogelijkheid te onderzoeken om atoomenergie als wapen in te zetten. Dat werd al snel duidelijk.

©Getty Images

Het Manhattan Project
In augustus 1945 werden twee atoombommen op de Japanse steden Hiroshima en Nagasaki gegooid, waarmee aan de wereld werd bewezen dat atoomenergie in feite als wapen kon worden gebruikt om onvoorstelbare schade en lijden aan te richten.

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Project 1794
Het was een geweldige dag voor UFO-fans toen de Amerikaanse regering in 2012 een groot aantal documenten vrijgaf waarin het plan om een ​​vliegende schotel te bouwen gedocumenteerd was. Hoewel de door de overheid uitgegeven schotel niet zou worden gebruikt voor buitenaardse ambities, zou het een geheim wapen zijn dat wordt gebruikt in de strijd tegen de Sovjets.

©Getty Images

Project 1794
Project 1794 begon in de jaren vijftig en duurde niet lang. Het voorgestelde vliegtuig had een aantal hoge doelen om waar te maken, zoals een topsnelheid van vier keer de snelheid van het licht, een maximale hoogtebereik van 30.480 meter en een geschat prijskaartje van $ 26 miljoen. In 1961 werd na enkele voorbereidende tests geconcludeerd dat met de technologie van die tijd, deze doelen niet haalbaar waren.

©Public Domain

Project MK-Ultra
Dit project, bekend als MK-Ultra, was het uitgebreide onderzoek van de regering naar het gebruik van geestverruimende stoffen en hun vermogen om soldaten en burgers te hypnotiseren. Het werd in 1953 gestart en geleid door Sydney Gottlieb en kostte ten minste $ 10 miljoen ($ 87,5 wanneer rekening wordt gehouden met inflatie) aan belastinggeld om de effecten van verschillende chemicaliën, met name LSD, op nietsvermoedende proefpersonen te bestuderen.

©Public Domain

Project MK-Ultra
Talloze CIA-agenten en willekeurige personen kregen het medicijn toegediend zonder dat ze op de hoogte waren gesteld, een directe schending van de Neurenberg-code. Eén slachtoffer, een patiënt in een psychiatrische inrichting in Kentucky, kreeg 174 dagen lang elke dag LSD.

©Public Domain

Operatie Paperclip
Terwijl de Verenigde Staten en de Sovjet-Unie tijdens de Tweede Wereldoorlog nog bondgenoten waren, veranderde dat snel aan het begin van de Koude Oorlog. De landen werden vijanden van elkaar.

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Operatie Paperclip
Een van de meer twijfelachtige en weinig bekende strategieën die door de Amerikaanse regering zijn bedacht, stond bekend als Operatie Paperclip. De beste nazi-wetenschappers die niet waren berecht in de processen van Neurenberg, werden banen aanboden binnen de Amerikaanse regering. Veel van deze personen, waaronder een hooggeplaatst lid van de nazi-partij Wernher von Braun, zouden met NASA gaan werken aan hun ruimteprogramma.

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Project Mockingbird
Project Mockingbird was een geheime afluisteroperatie die werd uitgevoerd op bevel van president John F. Kennedy tussen maart en juni 1963. Het werd geheim gehouden tot 2001.

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Project Mockingbird
Het eerste doelwit van de telefoontaps was New York Times-verslaggever Hanson Baldwin. Hij had vertrouwelijke informatie in de krant gepubliceerd waarin de atoomarsenalen van de Verenigde Staten en de USSR in een artikel werden vergeleken. In de loop van de operatie werden echter ook twee andere journalisten aangevallen.

©Public Domain

Operation Washtub
Kort na het uitbreken van de Koude Oorlog begonnen de Verenigde Staten voorzorgsmaatregelen te nemen in het geval dat de Sovjet-Unie Amerikaans grondgebied zou binnendringen. Een van deze veiligheidsmaatregelen begon in de vroege jaren 1950 en werd Operation Washtub genoemd.

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Operation Washtub
Operatie Washtub bestond uit het in het geheim organiseren van een aantal gewone inwoners van Alaska tot een groep spionnen, decoders en potentiële verzetsstrijders. Deze groepen werden gewoonlijk opgericht door de CIA en de NAVO in heel Europa, maar de Washtub-groep was de enige waarvan bekend is dat die zich op Amerikaanse bodem begaf.

©Getty Images

Acoustic Kitty
Dit CIA-plan uit de Koude Oorlog kreeg de speelse bijnaam Acoustic Kitty en had het potentieel een revolutionair nieuw surveillance-systeem te worden. Acoustic Kitty ontstond in de jaren zestig en omvatte het chirurgisch plaatsen van een kleine microfoon in de gehoorgang van katten, die vervolgens werden losgelaten in de buurt van Sovjet-ambassades.

©Getty Images

Acoustic Kitty
Echter bleken de katten, zoals te verwachten was, niet zo goed in het opvolgen van bevelen. Nadat de eerste vierbenige agent bijna onmiddellijk werd aangereden door een taxi en nog een paar van het doel afdwaalden, werd het project beëindigd.

©Public Domain

De ontvoering van Luna 3
In de jaren zestig was de Space Race in volle gang en nam de Sovjet-Unie de leiding. In 1959 hadden ze vanaf een afgelegen basis in Kazachstan met succes een raket, Luna 3, naar de maan gelanceerd, waar het het eerste ruimtevaartuig werd dat de donkere kant van de maan bereikte en fotografeerde.

©Public Domain

De ontvoering van Luna 3
Toen Luna 3 terugkeerde naar de aarde, stuurden de Sovjets het op een publiciteitstour. De CIA, die natuurlijk alles wilde weten over deze baanbrekende satelliet, brak tijdens een nacht in de vrachtwagen die de raket vervoerde. De satelliet werd in één nacht volledig gedemonteerd en van elk onderdeel werden foto's gemaakt. Het ruimtevaartuig werd voor het ochtendgloren weer in elkaar gezet. Blijkbaar is de Sovjet-Unie er nooit achter gekomen. Tenminste, toentertijd.

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De herverdeling van 'Doctor Zhivago'
Kunst en literatuur zijn altijd al een van de meest waardevolle wapens geweest in een cultuuroorlog. Hierdoor kunnen boeken om verschillende redenen worden verbannen. In de Sovjet-Unie werden talloze boeken verboden en werden auteurs gecensureerd omdat ze 'antirevolutionair' of aanspoorde tot individualisme waren. Een van deze boeken die tijdens de Koude Oorlog verboden was, was de Russische klassieker 'Doctor Zhivago' van Boris Pasternak (foto).

©Public Domain

De herverdeling van 'Doctor Zhivago'
De CIA had 'Doctor Zhivago' gelezen en zag het als manier om de SU in verlegenheid te brengen. Met de hulp van Nederlandse uitgevers en diplomaten van het Vaticaan heeft de CIA ongeveer 1.000 exemplaren van de roman laten drukken en verspreid op de Wereldtentoonstelling van 1958.

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Operatie Mongoose
Als er iets is waar de CIA vooral om bekend staat, dan is het wel het helpen afzetten van buitenlandse leiders. In de jaren zestig gaf het bureau vooral prioriteit aan de moord op of het ontslag uit het ambt van de Cubaanse revolutionaire leider Fidel Castro. Onder de codenaam Operatie Mongoose werden tussen 1961 en 1963 een hele reeks mislukte moordpogingen uitgevoerd.

©Getty Images

Operatie Mongoose
Operatie Mongoose was verantwoordelijk voor meer dan 600 aanslagen op Castro's leven. Enkele van de meer creatieve plannen waren gasvormige LSD, het omkopen van de Amerikaanse gangster Sam Giancana (foto) om een ​​aanslag te plegen, en vergiftigd ijs.

©Getty Images

Project Iceworm
Een van de problemen van vroege nucleaire raketten was hun beperkte bereik, wat een bijzonder hinderlijk obstakel was wanneer je potentiële doelwit een paar duizend kilometer verderop ligt. Een van de manieren waarop de Amerikaanse regering, met de hulp van de CIA, dit probleem probeerde te omzeilen, was door geheime raketsilo's te bouwen in de poolcirkel, onder de Groenlandse ijskap.

©Getty Images

Project Iceworm
Zeven jaar lang was Denemarken zich totaal niet bewust van het complex dat onder hun grondgebied werd gebouwd. Het project werd uiteindelijk in 1966 afgeblazen, nadat verschuivingen in de ijskap het plan onhaalbaar maakten.

©Public Domain

Project Horizon
In 1959, 10 jaar voordat NASA met succes een man op de maan zette, maakte de Amerikaanse regering enkele uiterst optimistische plannen voor een aantal permanente militaire bases op de maan, onder de naam Project Horizon.

©Getty Images

Project Horizon
De buitenposten, die in 1966 operationeel hadden moeten zijn, zouden 147 shuttles nodig hebben gehad om al het benodigde materiaal te vervoeren en zouden worden bemand door 16 Amerikaanse soldaten. President Dwight D. Eisenhower sloot het project snel af toen de verantwoordelijkheid voor ruimteverkenning van interne agentschappen naar NASA was verplaatst.

©Getty Images

De ongeoorloofde surveillance van de FBI
De FBI, een iets minder geheimzinnig agentschap van de regering van de VS, kwam in 2015 onder wijdverbreide controle te staan ​​nadat een onderzoeksrapport gepubliceerd door de Associated Press onthulde dat ze het Amerikaanse volk van bovenaf hadden gesurveilleerd.

©Getty Images

De ongeoorloofde surveillance van de FBI
Het rapport legde uit dat de FBI kleine vliegtuigen had gebruikt die waren geregistreerd voor nep-private bedrijven in het hele land om mobiele telefoongesprekken af ​​te luisteren en videobeelden van boven op te nemen. Binnen een periode van 30 dagen werden deze bewakingsvliegtuigen gespot in 30 verschillende Amerikaanse steden.

©Getty Images

De nucleaire testen op Bikini Atoll
Als je aan nucleaire testlocaties denkt, dan stel je je dat waarschijnlijk voor als een desolaat gebied. Echter is een van de zwaarst gebombardeerde locaties in de Amerikaanse geschiedenis, een paradijs in de Stille Oceaan.

©Getty Images

De nucleaire testen op Bikini Atoll
Direct na het einde van de Tweede Wereldoorlog en de bombardementen op Hiroshima en Nagasaki gingen de kernproeven op volle kracht door op de Marshalleilanden, met name op het Bikini-atol, waar tussen 1946 en 1958 23 atoombommen tot ontploffing werden gebracht. Deze eilanden waren oorspronkelijk niet onbewoond. De bijna 200 inwoners, die de eilanden hun thuis noemden, werden met geweld verjaagd.

©Getty Images

De B-52-crash in 1968
In 1968 maakte een B-52-bommenwerpervliegtuig met vier atoombommen, routinerondes rond de Thule-luchthavenbasis van Groenland toen het onverwacht neerstortte. De autoriteiten gingen daarna onmiddellijk op zoek naar de nucleaire lading van het vliegtuig en vertelden kort daarna dat ze de volledige lading hadden veiliggesteld. Pas in 2008 rapporteerde de BBC over geheime documenten waaruit bleek dat een van de bommen nooit was gevonden.

Bronnen:

• (NPR)
• (Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum)
• (MIT Technology Review)
• (Associated Press)

{ http://starsinsider.com/}

26-12-2023 om 23:08 geschreven door peter  

30 vreemde feiten over DNA die je nog niet wist

©Shutterstock

30 vreemde feiten over DNA die je nog niet wist
Het menselijk lichaam herbergt veel mysteries, en 's werelds grootste onderzoekers houden nooit op zich te verdiepen in de bouwstenen van het leven: DNA.

Van het detecteren van een risico op een bepaalde ziekte tot het oplossen van een strafzaak: de ontdekking van DNA heeft ons leven voor altijd veranderd. Maar als je dacht dat je alles al wist over dit integrale deel van ons lichaam, denk dan nog eens goed na. Bereid je voor om versteld te staan ​​van deze vreemde feiten over wat wetenschappers James Watson en Francis Crick omschrijven als het ‘geheim van het le

©Getty Images

Ontdekking van DNA
Nobelprijswinnaars James Watson en Francis Crick zijn niet degenen die DNA hebben ontdekt, in tegenstelling tot wat vaak wordt gedacht. In werkelijkheid werd DNA voor het eerst geïdentificeerd door de Zwitserse chemicus Friedrich Miescher in 1869.

©Shutterstock

Chemische bouwstenen
DNA bestaat uit vier bouwstenen: de nucleotiden adenine (A), cytosine (C), guanine (G) en thymine (T).

©Shutterstock

Genoom
Het volledige DNA van een organisme, met al zijn genen, wordt een genoom genoemd. Een menselijk genoom bevat maar liefst drie miljard basenparen DNA.

©Shutterstock

Het menselijk genoom typeren
Stel je voor dat je 60 woorden per minuut typt en dat je dat acht uur per dag doet. Het zou je ongeveer 50 jaar kosten om het volledige menselijke genoom te kunnen typen.

©iStock

201.000 pagina's
Ons hele genoom zou 201.000 pagina's Gouden Gids vullen!

©Shutterstock

Risico op ziekte
DNA kan helpen bij het voorspellen van iemands erfelijke risico op ziekten zoals borstkanker en hartziekten.

©Shutterstock

DNA beïnvloed door omgeving
Iemands omgeving heeft invloed op zijn DNA. Hoewel het niet volledig verandert, beïnvloedt het wel de manier waarop de genen werken. Dit is bijvoorbeeld de reden waarom sommige mensen hariger of donkerder zijn dan anderen.

©Shutterstock

Genmutatie
Veranderingen in genetische informatie worden mutaties genoemd. Veranderingen in het DNA van een organisme kunnen leiden tot veranderingen in alle aspecten van het leven.

©Shutterstock

Wat veroorzaakt genmutatie?
Veel factoren kunnen een genmutatie veroorzaken: omgevingsfactoren zoals UV-straling van de zon, tabak, chemicaliën zoals drugs, enzovoort.

©Getty Images

Rode bloedcellen
De meeste cellen in je lichaam bevatten DNA, behalve rode bloedcellen, vanwege het ontbreken van kernen en organellen.

©Shutterstock

Hoe DNA extraheren?
Er zijn verschillende manieren om DNA te extraheren: wangcellen, bloed en urine.

©Shutterstock

Forensisch onderzoek naar wilde dieren
DNA wordt ook gebruikt in de forensische wetenschap van wilde dieren om misdaden tegen wilde dieren op te lossen en de stropers te identificeren.

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30 biljoen cellen
We hebben ongeveer 30 biljoen cellen in ons lichaam en 200 verschillende soorten cellen.

©Shutterstock

Naar de zon en terug
Als het mogelijk zou zijn om al het DNA in het lichaam van een mens uit te rekken, zou er genoeg DNA zijn om meer dan 300 keer naar de zon en terug te gaan. Let wel, de zon is 150 miljoen km van de aarde verwijderd!

©Shutterstock

Naar de maan en terug
Als je het DNA in alle cellen zou kunnen uitrekken, zouden ze meer dan 9000 reizen naar de maan en terug kunnen maken!

©Shutterstock

Doorgegeven van ouder aan kind
De helft van het DNA van een kind wordt geërfd van elke ouder. Dit betekent dat elke ouder de helft van zijn DNA doorgeeft aan zijn kind via seksuele bevruchting.

©Shutterstock

99 procent
Ieder mens deelt 99% van zijn DNA met andere mensen, maar een ouder en kind delen 99,5%.

©Shutterstock

Tweeling
Eeneiige tweelingen of monozygote tweelingen zijn 100% genetisch identiek.

©Shutterstock

Vingerafdrukken
Hoewel eeneiige tweelingen 100% van hun genen delen, hebben ze geen identieke vingerafdrukken. Maar omdat hun identieke genen hen zeer gelijkaardige patronen geven, is hun DNA bijna niet te onderscheiden. Dit betekent in feite dat als een eeneiige tweeling zijn DNA achterlaat op een plaats delict, het voor een misdaadlab onmogelijk is om de twee van elkaar te onderscheiden.

©Shutterstock

Perfecte misdaad
De Duitse politie kon een sieradenoverval niet oplossen, zelfs niet nadat ze DNA op de plaats delict hadden gevonden. Het DNA-bewijs kwam overeen met twee eeneiige tweelingen, maar omdat ze allebei de misdaad ontkenden en omdat het onmogelijk was om het DNA aan een van hen te koppelen, liepen ze vrijuit.

©Shutterstock

Kaviaar
DNA-tests worden niet alleen gebruikt voor mensen, maar ook voor het authentificeren van voedsel zoals goede wijn of kaviaar, om legale kaviaar van illegale te onderscheiden.

©Shutterstock

Kool
Mensen delen ongeveer 40-50% van hun DNA met kool.

©Shutterstock

Banaan
Mensen en bananen delen 50% van hun DNA.

©Shutterstock

Chimpansees
Mensen delen 98,5% van hun DNA-sequentie met chimpansees.

©Shutterstock

Levende harde schijf
DNA is efficiënter dan welke harde schijf dan ook. Wetenschappers van Harvard zijn erin geslaagd om ongeveer 700 terabytes aan gegevens op te slaan in één gram DNA.

©Shutterstock

Verschillend DNA
In zeldzame gevallen komt het voor dat één persoon twee verschillende sets DNA heeft. Bijvoorbeeld wanneer een embryo zijn eigen tweelingbroer in de baarmoeder opneemt.

©Shutterstock

Chimaera
Mensen met twee verschillende sets DNA worden menselijke chimaeren genoemd.

©Shutterstock

Niet betrouwbaar
DNA-bewijs kan om verschillende redenen onbetrouwbaar zijn in een rechtszaal. Eén reden is de zogenaamde ‘secundaire overdracht’ of ‘toevallige overdracht’, waarbij het DNA van een onschuldige man op een plaats delict kon worden gevonden nadat hij de crimineel de hand had geschud.

©Shutterstock

DNA-schade
Het DNA ondergaat tot een miljoen beschadigingen per dag in elke lichaamscel. Deze schade wordt gerepareerd dankzij de reparatie-eiwitten die door de cellen worden gestuurd. Als dit mislukt, kunnen de cellen worden vernietigd of omgezet in kankercellen.

©Shutterstock

Oude virussen
Acht procent van het DNA bestaat uit oude virussen die mensen infecteerden.

{ http://starsinsider.com/ }

26-12-2023 om 21:43 geschreven door peter  

Uri Geller's shock at seeing a UFO in an image sent to him by an Israeli Lieutenant Colonel led to an embarrassing moment for the spoon bender, with the image deemed a fake soon after posting

By Ewan Gleadow - News Reporter

Uri Geller's UFO encounter was proved bogus soon after he posted of the 'time warp' possibilities 

(Image: theurigeller/Twitter)

Illusionist Uri Geller is convinced there is an alien mothership floating around our solar system, keeping tabs on our day-to-day activities.

Spoon bender Geller, 77, took to Twitter/X and was seemingly stunned by a photograph of a UFO. But further research into the image revealed it was not the alien encounter he had believed it to be.

Writing on the social media platform, Geller sent out two photos sent to him by an Israeli Lieutenant Colonel of what was, at first, believed to be a floating ship in the skies of Israel.

READ MORE: 

• Ex-NASA alien chief claims ETs are already on Earth - but not where you think

• For the latest news and updates on potential UFOs across the globe, click here.

One community note later and Geller is looking a bit red faced after heralding the visit of aliens, when actually he was looking at an edited street lamp.

He wrote: "This photograph was taken by an Israeli Lieutenant Colonel who is a close friend, he was driving today by a sensitive installation in Southern Israel when he photographed this strange looking object simply hanging in the sky then he says it simply shot away!

"Alien mothership lurking in our solar system could be watching us with tiny probes, Pentagon official suggests!" Geller later suggested the incident could be an observation of a "time warp".

He added: "A draft paper by a Harvard scientist and the head of the Pentagon's UFO office has raised the idea an alien mothership could be in the solar system, sending out tiny probes dubbed 'dandelion seeds' to explore the planets within.

"Please all of you try to decipher this strange object in the photo and let me know what YOU think it is. Could this be some type of time warp?"

As it turned out, the answer to Geller's burning question was a resounding "no" as members of the public found the original photo of the alleged aircraft.

The UFO in question was actually a doctored image of a street lamp, which had its base digitally edited out and the subsequent result was enough to trick spoon-bending legend Geller into believing he had encountered life from another planet.

{ https://www.dailystar.co.uk/ }

26-12-2023 om 18:49 geschreven door peter  

This day in UFO history: The Rendlesham Forest UFO Incident of 1980

In the quiet, wintry scape of Rendlesham Forest, Suffolk, a series of events unfolded during the Christmas season of 1980 that would etch its name into UFOlogy annals forever. Known as Britain’s Roswell, the Rendlesham Forest UFO incident stands as a seminal and compelling narrative in the realm of unexplained phenomena.

The Encounter Begins 

It all commenced in the early hours of December 26, 1980. Military personnel from the nearby RAF Woodbridge witnessed an inexplicable array of lights descending into the dense forestry. Compelled by the possibility of a downed aircraft, they ventured into the darkness, only to encounter something far beyond their understanding. What they found was not the wreckage of a plane, but a strange, metallic, triangular craft, capable of moving through the trees with an eerie, almost otherworldly agility.

Continued Sightings and Enigmatic Evidence 

Over subsequent nights, the phenomena only escalated. More lights were seen, beams of unknown origin were spotted descending into the base, and personnel reported strange, static-filled voices on their radios. Perhaps the most unsettling was the radiation levels found at the supposed landing site, which were anomalously high. The physical effects reported by those who ventured near the craft included symptoms resembling radiation exposure, adding a layer of urgency and danger to the already baffling occurrences.

Government Response and Public Fascination 

The UK Ministry of Defence’s stance was one of dismissive caution; it deemed the event as posing no threat to national security and thus unworthy of further investigation. This, however, did little to quell the public’s fascination or the conviction of those who had witnessed the events firsthand. The witnesses, many of them seasoned military personnel, were adamant about what they had seen and experienced, insisting on the presence of an unidentified craft of unknown origin.

The Legacy and Lasting Questions 

Decades have passed since the lights first appeared in Rendlesham Forest, yet the incident remains a captivating enigma. Despite numerous theories ranging from lighthouse beams to top-secret aircraft, no explanation has fully accounted for all the witnessed events and gathered evidence. The Rendlesham Forest UFO incident continues to be a focal point for UFO enthusiasts and researchers, a case that seemingly resists conventional explanation and fuels the universal human quest for answers about what may lie beyond our understanding.

In a world where the search for extraterrestrial life has never been more intense, the Rendlesham Forest incident stands as a testament to the enduring allure of the unknown. It’s a story that continues to provoke, challenge, and inspire, a reminder that perhaps, in the vastness of the cosmos, we are not alone.

LINKS RELATED VIDEOS

https://youtu.be/rI5VmN_D9o8

https://youtu.be/6Y8wHmLgDks

https://youtu.be/RzlcWaqQItI

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26-12-2023 om 18:28 geschreven door peter  

BY CAROLYN COLLINS PETERSEN

Communication is Key

Now, as it turns out, humanity isn’t totally without experience in communicating with alien “others”. Our entire history is one of learning to send messages between cultures that don’t always speak the same language (with variable results). But, that supposes that we have humans trying to talk to each other. What about communications with beings who don’t share our body type, brain abilities, or even sensory apparatus? There’s precedent. Very recently, scientists reported some success in communicating with whales—an entirely different species. And, there have been other efforts, such as simulating a message from aliens as practice. Can we apply what we learn in those efforts to communications with “alien cultures”? It’s possible, but we need a whole new research discipline to do it.

Andreas Anton and his colleagues suggest that communicating with aliens is very much a part of exosociology. Starting with other life forms here on Earth is a great idea. “Communications with other species on Earth is a topic of interest to exosociology”, he wrote in an email. “Communication with extraterrestrial entities could present us with enormous challenges, contrary to what is often depicted in science fiction. We could have to deal with entities for whom we cannot even begin to assume similar sensory channels, perceptual spaces, spatiotemporal orientations, etc. We refer to such a situation as a confrontation with the “maximum stranger”. The more we learn about interaction and communication with species on our planet, the better communication and interaction with extraterrestrials could succeed.”

What Will First Contact with Aliens Be Like?

Anyone who reads or watches science fiction can cite their favorite stories about the inevitable meeting between ET and humans. They range from evil aliens in “War of the Worlds” and “Mars Attacks” to benevolent beings like those in “Childhood’s End”, “E.T.”, and “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” (to name a few). SF is one way to imagine what it will be like. However, Anton and his team looked beyond science fiction and analyzed a few more likely scenarios for first contact.

The first one they looked at is the “signal” scenario. Essentially, this is the “intercept a signal from far away” that forms the basis of current SETI search programs. Someday we’ll pick up a signal from outer space, similar in content to the one in the movie “Contact”. The chances are pretty good that it traveled a very long distance. That means any kind of “instant communication” back and forth is going to be tough. But, it would signal to us in a very clear way that we’re not alone, even if ET is thousands of light-years away. It would probably spur scientists to ramp up their searches for more signals from other civilizations. Not only that, but a whole cottage industry would spring up of people trying to decipher the messages. Maybe they’d even figure out a way to reply.

Of course, if the signal is from a nearby civilization, Anton, et al, write, “On the one hand, this could lead to national and international efforts to establish a dialog or even direct contact through space travel. On the other hand, fears about the consequences of contact among the terrestrial population are likely to increase with decreasing distance. A signal from a comparatively short distance would add an element of uncertainty to individual and collective (political, economic) planning for the future.”

First Contact and Technosignatures of ET

Another scenario doesn’t involve any kind of active contact. Instead, it assumes that we find evidence of past or present technological civilizations. That could be the discovery of a Dyson sphere around a distant planet, for example. Or, perhaps signals from weapons used during a long-ago war in a faraway stellar system. Like the “signal” scenario, the social and societal effects of technosignatures would also depend on distance. Finding evidence of something many thousands of light-years away isn’t likely to excite as much interest as one made fairly close by. But, the paper makes clear that the mere existence of these technological “clues” would affect our science and sociology in many ways. The authors write, “The scientific community would go to great lengths to learn more about the nature and capabilities of these extraterrestrial civilizations.” And, of course, there would be political and social ramifications.

Let’s say that somebody spots a Dyson sphere around a world. As a result, it’s possible that floodgates of funding would open up to help us understand that discovery. Whole new branches of science could develop as we figure out if we, too, could create one of these objects. Exosociology would benefit, too, as the authors point out. “In addition, the discovery of a technosignature would also have a strong impact on the social sciences and humanities and lead to new fields of research and questions. One of the central questions here is likely to be: What reasonable conclusions can be drawn about the extraterrestrial civilization from the discovered technological markers?”

An even bigger question deals with the political sphere. How will the leaders of Earth’s civilizations communicate the discovery of alien tech to their people? If the discovery was of a Dyson sphere, it could lead our political leaders to involve the military. Or, they might give more funding to science institutions to understand it. Of course, there’s always a question about whether the civilization that created the sphere poses a threat to us. That engenders another set of questions, along with planning for an “evil alien” scenario.

Meeting Aliens and Finding Spacecraft

Then there is the scenario of aliens showing up here on Earth. One of the more endearing traditions among Trekkies (fans of Star Trek) is to celebrate “First Contact Day” each year on April 5th. It commemorates the future date (in 2063) when humans and Vulcans first meet. It’s a lovely idea and presents a much-dreamed-about fictional interpretation of a benevolent meetup. We can only hope that it will happen that way. Certainly, such an encounter will also have incredibly profound effects on human societies.

If we DO end up having extraterrestrial visitors land on Earth for a visit, that brings us back to some important questions. How do we communicate with them? Should we fear them? Can we take advantage of their knowledge to improve our own science and societies? The communication challenge is something we’re working on now, with the whale project. However, beyond that, humans have shown throughout their history that communicating with “others” is problematic. It often leads to misunderstanding, wrong assumptions, and in the worse case, war. So, we need to focus on the “contact” part of “first contact”. That means improving our methods of communication and understanding among ourselves (and other species on THIS planet) if we want to have any hope of doing the same with ET, when and if they get here.

In recent years, another type of “contact” has been touted by a Harvard scientist who is convinced that an interstellar asteroid is, in fact, an alien spaceship. There’s little evidence to support that idea, and rather more scientific data to show that the rock (called ‘Oumuamua) is a rocky alien asteroid taking a trip through our solar system. But, it certainly excited a lot of talk and scientific interest. So that raises the question: what if we did find an alien artifact in our solar system?

There’d be a cultural impact as people rush to understand what it is, how old it is, and where it originated. And, that would ripple out through the science, political, and social science communities. The spacecraft would represent a technology that we’d like to have for ourselves and our own future space travel. Its existence would probably spur a race among countries to be the first to exploit that information.

So, How Do We Prepare for First Contact?

Right now, we’re lucky. We don’t have any solid evidence of life elsewhere or aliens on this planet. That lets us be a little bit ignorant about what to do since we haven’t had to worry about it. But, we should be prepared because everything will change when first contact is made. So, we need to be ready. Anton and his co-authors suggest the following: we think of the search for extraterrestrial intelligence as a high-risk research project that needs to be discussed openly. It’s a global risk, not just confined to one country. It’s also not just a scientific endeavor and any research done to discover other civilizations needs to be shared across all governments and political systems.

If first contact takes place, it’s going to be a global concern and international institutions will be involved. They’ll likely want to draw up policies and regulations, probably at the level of the United Nations. However, that doesn’t mean it becomes a secret. The first contact of any kind will be an incredibly extraordinary event. It will change the way we think about ourselves, our societies, and our planet. And, if history is any guide, we can either do it right, with advance preparation. Or, we can muddle through and hope that Mars doesn’t attack, or aliens with a hunger for more than knowledge of other species don’t see us as a tasty smorgasbord in space.

For More Information

• Meeting extraterrestrials: Scenarios of first contact from the perspective of exosociology

{ https://www.universetoday.com/ }

26-12-2023 om 01:24 geschreven door peter  

POSTED BY NANCY ATKINSON

Questions Remain on Chinese Rocket That Created an Unusual Double Crater on the Moon

In November, we reported how an impact on the Moon from a Chinese Long March rocket booster created an unusual double crater. For a single booster to create a double crater, some researchers thought there must have been an additional – perhaps secret – payload on the forward end of the booster, opposite from the rocket engines. But that may not necessarily be the case.

Other researchers feel the extra mass wasn’t anything secretive, but possibly an inert structure such as a payload adapter added to the rocket to support the primary mission payload.

Chang’e 5-T1 was an experimental robotic spacecraft, launched on October 23, 2014, by the China National Space Administration (CNSA) to test out the return capsule design planned for use on the future Chang’e 5 mission, China’s first-ever sample-return effort. Chang’e 5 landed on the Moon in November 2020 and successfully gathered lunar samples from the Moon’s Ocean of Storms region, with the container landing back on Earth on December 16, 2020.

Before engaging in the first sample return effort for the country (and first in over forty years), China wanted to test out procedures and their sample return capsule. That was one of the 5 T-1 mission’s goals.

“The rocket was carrying a ‘Service Module’ satellite with a sample return capsule attached,” said Phillip Stooke, professor emeritus at the University of Western Ontario, in an email to Universe Today.  “It would need a fairly substantial support structure (called a payload adaptor) to support the mass against the vibration and acceleration of launch.”

Stooke explained how the Service Module flew around the Moon and back to Earth, where it released the capsule to test its ability to survive atmospheric re-entry. Then the Service Module headed back out to the Earth-Moon L2 point, staying there for a few months before entering a low lunar orbit, possibly to perform a gravity mapping mission. The Service Module is still in lunar orbit.   

“The combination Service Module and capsule had a mass of 2,500 kg – 2.5 tons,” Stooke said, “so it can’t just sit on top of the rocket’s fuel tanks.  I can’t guess at the mass [of the payload adapter] but it would be quite significant.”

Payload adaptors for medium-sized payloads can weigh anywhere from 135 Kg (300 lbs.) to 225 kg (500 lbs) or more.

Chang’e 5-T1 did also have additional payloads, but they were small (and known to be onboard) and couldn’t account for the mass large enough to create a second crater. The two payloads were a small radiation exposure experiment for bacteria and plants, as well as the first commercial payload to the Moon called the 4M mission (Manfred Memorial Moon Mission) for the German space technology company OHB System, in honor of the company’s founder, Manfred Fuchs, who died in 2014. That payload weighed only 14 kilograms but contained two scientific instruments: a radio beacon to test a new approach for locating spacecraft and a radiation dosimeter (provided by the Spanish company iC-Málaga) to continuously measure radiation levels throughout the satellite’s circumlunar journey. The 4M mission was mounted in the equipment bay of the booster.

“There would be no reason to suspect the rocket had anything else attached to it other than 4M and the usual flight electronics,” said citizen scientist Scott Tilley, who monitors the orbits of artificial satellites of the Earth and the Moon. “There would also be some extra mass to support the payload adapter and related structure for supporting the payload stack, which was likely at the limit of the rocket’s capabilities.  Consider this is the first mission they launched toward the Moon with stacked payload.  It would have likely been more complex to mount and secure it than the other payloads, which were more self-contained.”

The ongoing debate on the extra mass and what it might be would not have ensued if not for two things: the unusual double crater created by this booster’s impact and the denial by Chinese foreign ministry officials that the space junk and the impact is from their rocket. They insist that the Chang’e 5T-1 rocket already burned up on its return trip to Earth in 2014. However, on March 1, 2022, the U.S. Department of Defense’s Space Command, which tracks low-Earth orbit space junk, released a statement saying that China’s 2014 rocket never de-orbited.

Additionally, Chinese officials have never commented on the nature of the double crater.

The crater was imaged by NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO).

“Typically, a spent rocket has mass concentrated at the motor end; the rest of the rocket stage mainly consists of an empty fuel tank,” wrote Mark Robinson, principal investigator with LRO Camera (LROC), back in June of 2022 when the images were released.

A team of researcher from the University of Arizona discovered the errant booster (it was initially thought to be an asteroid), tracking its movements to determine it came from the Chang’e 5-T1 mission. They also conducted spectroscopic analysis of the object from ground-based telescope observations during several Earth flybys, which showed conclusively that the object was the Long March 3C rocket body from the Chang’e 5-T1 mission. They were able to predict approximately where and when the booster would impact the Moon, which was why the LRO team could search for and easily find the impact crater in their data.  

Everyone was surprised the impact created a double crater. No other rocket body impacts on the Moon created double craters, as seen in these images of craters from four Saturn rocket boosters from Apollos 13, 14, 15, 17.

The researchers from the University of Arizona said there had to be additional, undisclosed mass at the front end of the rocket body.

“The results from the Bayesian analysis imply that there may have been additional mass on the front of the rocket body,” wrote Tanner Campell, Vishnu Reddy and several others in their paper “Physical Characterization of Moon Impactor WE0913A.”  “Comparing the pre- and post-impact images of the location shows two distinct craters side by side that were made by the Chang’e 5-T1 R/B. The double crater supports the hypothesis that there was additional mass at the front end of the rocket body, opposite the engines, in excess of the published mass of the secondary permanently affixed payload.”

Asked about the payload adaptor as the possible culprit for the excess mass, team member Vishnu Reddy didn’t want to venture a guess without more data.  

“It is hard to speculate on the support structure because we are not aware of anything like that on usual boosters sent to the Moon,” he said.

Tilley told Universe Today that among both amateur and professional satellite and rocket trackers, it is known that China’s space agency has “struggled” in the past with their aim for having these type boosters to re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere or get ejected from the Earth-Moon system to properly dispose of the object.

“The Chinese expected the rocket to re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere,” Tilley explained, noting details in a paper by LuxSpace, the company that operated the 4M mission. “That didn’t happen so it seems that part of their mission failed, which is likely why the Chinese denied it was their rocket later on.”

Subsequently, however, more recent missions, such as the booster for the Chang’e 5 sample return mission successfully re-entered Earth’s atmosphere and was properly disposed of.   

Another question about the impact is understanding the dynamics of why a single booster, even if it had substantial weight at each end, would create a double crater.

“Regarding the double crater,” Vishnu explained, “I think the booster impacted at a near vertical angle, so the engines created the first crater and the secondary mass toppled over and created the second crater.” Vishnu added, however, it is also possible that if the booster was tumbling and happened to be horizontal when it hit, it could create the two craters.

But like much of this unusual space drama story, questions still remain.

“That is why we leave the actual mechanism for a future paper when we have better data to model,” Vishnu said.

{ https://www.universetoday.com/ }

26-12-2023 om 01:07 geschreven door peter