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EVIDENCE OF ANCIENT HUMAN INTERACTIONS WITH INTELLIGENT “LOST” SPECIES OFFERS CLUES TO THEIR MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE

MICAH HANKS

Led by Joshua Akey from Princeton University, the team says it has discovered evidence of such genetic exchanges dating back as far as 250,000 years. This data challenges existing theories about human migrations in the ancient world and what factors may have steered human evolution over time.

The new findings point to a far deeper level of interaction that once occurred between ancient humans and our Neanderthal cousins.

THE NEANDERTHAL ENIGMA

First discovered in 1856, what eventually came to be recognized as the first known Neanderthal bones were found in a limestone quarry in the Neander Valley near Düsseldorf, Germany. The discovery introduced these mysterious archaic hominins to the paleoanthropological record and prompted serious scientific interest in what factors shaped human evolution over time.

According to Akey and his team, multiple different waves of interbreeding between Neanderthals and modern humans appear to have taken place.

“We now know that for the vast majority of human history, we’ve had a history of contact between modern humans and Neanderthals,” Akey recently said.

Liming Li, a professor at Southeast University in China who was also a contributor to the study, called the team’s findings “the first time that geneticists have identified multiple waves of modern human-Neanderthal admixture.”

COMMON ORIGINS WITH AN INTELLIGENT “LOST” SPECIES

The findings help to confirm that around 600,000 years ago, modern humans and Neanderthals split from an earlier common ancestor. More than 350,000 years would pass before each group developed distinctive physical characteristics that clearly defined them as separate species.

However, over the course of the 200,000 years leading up to their disappearance, humans continued to interact with Neanderthals. In their research, Akey and the team used genomes collected from 2,000 living humans, as well as genomes from three Neanderthals and one Denisovan, to map the flow of genetic information between these groups spanning a period of about 250,000 years.

Additionally, the team’s research was aided by a machine learning tool called IBDmix, which helped them identify three major waves of contact that occurred between 200,000 and 250,000 years ago, 100,000 to 120,000 years ago, and a final wave between 50,000 and 60,000 years ago, just before the last known Neanderthals vanished from the fossil record.

The team made additional insights into the presence of modern human DNA in Neanderthal genomes, an approach that helped identify that offspring from such interbreeding events were likely to remain in Neanderthal populations, with no traces present in the genomes of living humans.

According to Akey and his team, this very dynamic state of early human movement also complements archaeological evidence of cultural and tool exchanges that were believed to have occurred between these hominin relatives.

Finally, the Princeton research team’s findings offer a revision to past estimates of the size of Neanderthal populations. They reveal that past figures were interpreted as being greater than they actually were, reducing the breeding population of Neanderthals the team observed in their data by close to 1000 individuals

Although Akey prefers the notion of slow assimilation into human populations over the idea of extinction, he nonetheless concedes that the disappearance of the Neanderthals had been foreshadowed by population decline over a fairly long period.

“Neanderthals were teetering on the edge of extinction, probably for a very long time,” Akey says.

Ultimately, the steady growth in modern human populations coinciding with the slow decline and assimilation of Neanderthals resulted in their absorption. Akey and his team’s research strongly support this gradual assimilation model, offering what may be the clearest picture yet of the rise and fall of the enigmatic Neanderthals.

“Modern humans were essentially like waves crashing on a beach, slowly but steadily eroding the beach away,” Akey said in a statement.

“Eventually, we just demographically overwhelmed Neanderthals and incorporated them into modern human populations.”

Akey and his team’s findings were published in a recent study, “Recurrent gene flow between Neanderthals and modern humans over the past 200,000 years,” which appeared in the journal Science.

• 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/tech/ }

15-07-2024 om 21:42 geschreven door peter  

It has been nearly two decades since a mysterious humanoid encounter took place high up in the Himalayas, and the group of eminent glaciologists and geologists of ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization), who had observed this strange humanoid entity for nearly 45 minutes, are still baffled by what they had witnessed and what it all means. 

The bizarre event unfolded on September 27, 2004, on the penultimate day of a week-long expedition undertaken by the Ahmedabad-based, Space Application Centre (SAC) of ISRO. The 5-member team of scientists were camping in the Samudra Tapu glacier region, roughly 14,500 feet above sea level, not far from the ethereal Chandratal Lake which is steeped in local legends about otherworldly beings. The objective of the expedition was to study the Samudra Tapu glacier using satellite data, and other means.

One of the earliest accounts of the incident had been published in SiliconIndia, a few days after it had occurred. Although brief, it contained some intriguing details. Apparently, the humanoid entity was spotted at around 7 am, and it had “hovered around for about 45 minutes, some 200 metres from the stunned scientists.” Anil Kulkarni, the marine and water resources scientist of ISRO, went on to provide more details about the incident:

“There were balloons attached to this unusual object. It had ‘legs’ but we could not see the ‘hands’. It was moving closer to the hilltop. The object started moving in our direction when we started walking towards it. But when our porters made a noise, it moved away towards the hilltop,” he said. The object remained stationary for about five minutes after reaching the hilltop, then moved away in another direction before it disappeared, he added. “Interestingly when it was exposed to the sun, it turned black and in the shadow of the hill, it became white,” the scientist said.[1]

Nearly a year after the incident had occurred, a more detailed account of the events of that unusual day was published in the India Today magazine. The report states,

Around 6.45 a.m., as the scientists were preparing to leave their tents, one of the porters spotted a white object on top of an adjacent mountain ridge, and screamed: "Sir, the snow man is coming."
Anil Kulkarni, a senior ISRO scientist who has been mapping glaciers for a quarter century, and his team members saw what appeared to be a robot floating a few inches above the ground, approaching the camp along the mountain slope. Kulkarni and his co-researcher, geologist Sunil Dhar, pulled out their digital cameras and began shooting the object even as the team raced towards the mountain to investigate.
The oblong object, between 3 and 4 feet high, kept moving down the slope towards the team. It had a cylindrical head with two balloon-type attachments, a body, hands and two legs. “It seemed to be walking, planting and pacing its steps like a human being,” recalls Dhar.[2]

The scientists were flummoxed by what they had seen. They submitted the photographs to ISRO, and each of the scientists gave their versions of what had happened on that day. The report was circulated to the army and the SASE (Snow and Avalanche Study Establishments) - the only agencies stationed in high altitude areas. 

According to Kulkarni, the object could have been an UFO or an advanced espionage device capable of complex maneuverability. “It is a riddle beyond human perception,” said Dhar who, along with Kulkarni, contacted robotic labs across the world to determine what is technologically possible in unmanned flying vehicles. “But there is no known matching technology yet in the civilian realm to explain the mysterious object we saw so up close,” according to Kulkarni. “It didn't look like a man-made object,” opined geologist Rajesh Kalia.[3]
But, if it was not a balloon, UAV, spying robot, or any kind of man-made object for that matter, what could it possibly be?

If we put on our Sherlock Holmes hat, and apply that famous logic of his i.e. “When you have eliminated all which is impossible, then whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth,” then we are inevitably led to the conclusion that, what the team of scientists had seen at Samudra Tapu was a humanoid being, possibly of alien origin! 

This is not the first time that bizarre humanoid entities of a similar nature have been sighted, although it is certainly one of the first cases where a team of experienced scientists were the witnesses, which is why the matter received mainstream coverage. A quick perusal of some of the UFO and humanoid reports from around the world reveals that, what the ISRO scientists had seen on that day conforms to a general pattern. But first, let us take stock of some of the conspicuous attributes of this humanoid entity. 

1. It was a dwarf, humanoid being, between 3 to 4 feet tall. 
2. It had a large cylindrical head, hands and legs. 
3. It had two balloon-type attachments, probably on its head. 
4. It had robot-like movements, and appeared to pace its legs like a human. 
5. It floated a few inches above the ground, as it came down the mountain slope. It effortlessly went up the slope in a similar manner
6. It appeared white, but turned black when sunlight fell on it. 
7. It seemed to be a curious, non-threatening entity, which came down from the hilltop to “observe” the team of scientists and, perhaps, even interact with them, but moved away when it sensed the excitement and anxiety of the group. 

Similar sightings of dwarf humanoid beings with oversized heads, dressed in a silvery or gray suit, and walking in a robotic manner while floating a few inches above the ground, have been reported from all parts of the world for more than half a century. In some cases, the humanoid beings were spotted coming in and out of an UFO. Typically, these types of sightings are dismissed as hallucinations, observational mistakes or made-up stories, but now that a team of highly experienced scientists, who are trained in making observations at high altitudes, have seen a similar humanoid entity at close quarters for more than 45 minutes, it is a matter that cannot be treated flippantly any more. 

Let’s peruse some of the similar cases that have been reported over the years. One of the earliest sightings of a similar nature occurred way back in 1937, at a place near the small town of Chashniki in the Vitebsk Region of Belarus. A 7-year old girl named Ludmila Chepik was shepherding some cows and collecting flowers on a meadow near the River Uloy when suddenly she saw a “man” descending from the sky towards her without a parachute. 

“He descended to about 1 to 2 meters from her. The man was approximately 113 cm – 143 cm in height (dwarf like), of athletic built, with broad shoulders and a disproportionately large head. The man wore dark, tight-fitting clothing and had a helmet on his head, with a cone-shaped or “bulb” shaped protrusion on top. His face was visible, reddish in color and was wearing something resembling a transparent visor. The entity spent approximately 1 minute with the witness. He opened his visor, produced a protracted smile at the girl, looked around, and touched the grass with an oval device in his hands. After that, he waved his hands, and zoomed soundlessly up into the sky at high speed. After gaining an altitude of about 100 meters, he seemed to compress into a ball and dissolve into thin air.”[4]

On September 2, 1954, in Coldwater, Kansas, 12-year old John Jacob Swaim had just finished driving a tractor when he saw something downright bizarre.

“A dark complexioned little man about the size of a 5-year old child, with pointed nose & ears, was crouching about 20 feet away. The little man wore shiny clothing and carried 2-foot long cylinders on his back. He ran, apparently floating, to a 50 foot disc hovering 5 feet above the ground, jumped in, and took off without tilting the saucer, lights shone from windows as it flew off faster than a jet. At the site were found numerous pear shaped footprints 2" x 4.5", with very narrow heels.”[5]

In the idyllic city of Clermont Ferrand, in the Puy-de-Dome administrative department of France, something out of the ordinary had transpired in March 1969. 

“On the slopes of the bare hill, Puy-de-Chanturgue, Miss B. saw, about 600 feet away, 3 little humanoid forms of squat aspect and uniform gray color. Without touching the ground, they were moving rapidly back and forth. After she had watched these “gnomes” for 3 to 4 minutes they suddenly disappeared.”[6]

In August 1973, Edmund, a 19-year old youth from the Amparo settlement, in the Novo Friburgo municipality of Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, was in the fruit garden of the farm when he noticed agitation among the nearby fruit trees. He went out to investigate the matter, and saw a strange spherical object with metallic sheen, around 2 meters wide, hovering just above the ground and revolving slowly. As he gazed at it from a distance of about 4 meters,

“At this point an aperture appeared in the side of the craft with a loud bang; from it emerged a small humanoid figure in a one-piece suit that covered his head. Strapped to his back was a rather large, squarish backpack. The entity did not walk, but floated, with a "feverish" swinging of arms and legs in midair. The entity approached Edmund to within a distance of a meter, at which time the youth became panic stricken and fled, seeking others at the farmhouse. As he ran off, he looked back and saw the little being still “hovering” in the air at the spot where he stopped when the boy ran off.”[7]

A number of strange humanoid sightings were reported during the UFO invasion of Italy in 1978, of which a couple surprisingly similar to what the Indian scientists saw in the high Himalayas. On August 28, 1978, at 02:30 a.m., near Chieti, Italy, a baker named Amerigo Rocci was on his way to work when his car broke down. While checking under the hood, a powerful bright light illuminated the area around him.

“Approaching the light he noticed five strange figures, the height of an eight-year old child. The figures moved in unison in "synchronized" movements and appear to float 25 cm above the road. The figures wore a dark gray tight-fitting diver's suits that covered them from head to toe. They had thick necks and from the top of their heads protruded an “antenna” like device resembling a funnel. The beings were about 500 meters away and Rocci was not able to see any facial features. The beings glided away in single file from the witness, who noticed that the last figure was carrying something resembling a “shovel” like apparatus.”[8]

Another equally inexplicable event occurred in San Vito Chietino, Italy, on December 23, 1978. At around 8:30 pm, the Bucco family was returning from visiting relatives when a dazzling light began to follow their vehicle. The light overtook the vehicle and the vehicle suddenly stopped without the driver applying the brakes. 

“Then, at the same time a strange little man crossed road in front of the vehicle in bounding jumps. While Francesco and Fiorentina Bucco saw only one humanoid, the other two passengers in the vehicle reported seeing two. The figure or figures wore brown astronaut like suits, large helmets with black square visors, and 5-digit white gloves. The beings were about 1 meter in height, and moved over the road in unison, in a strange robot-like manner, floating 20-35 cm above the road, as if moving and bouncing on an invisible cushion. Mr. Bucco noticed a green flashlight like object wrapped over the humanoid's shoulder.”[9]

A mystifying account was reported from the small town of Los Zazos in the Tucuman province of Argentina, which had many of the classic ingredients of a humanoid encounter. A goat-herder called Flores de Mamani, was walking her animals back to her ranch along an isolated hillside when she suddenly felt paralyzed, completely unable to move. 

“She was leaning back against a rock when she saw, a hovering sphere very close to her position. The normally fierce dog remained quiet and the goats remained very still. A door-like opening became visible on the sphere and two little men came out. They wore brown diver's suits, and had what appeared to be backpacks on their backs. The witness attempted to scream but could not. The beings were about 4 feet tall, heavy set and there appeared to be some stripes on their shiny brown suits. They wore helmets with a glasslike visor. She also noticed what appeared to be two antennas coming out of their suits. They seemed to glide just above the ground. The sphere was described as shiny and silvery with several multi-colored lights around it. 
One of the little men then approached the witness grabbed her arm and tied a rubber hose around it, and then he proceeded to extract blood from the witness arm using a syringe like instrument. She felt no pain. The other little man then proceeded to milk one of the goats that remained completely still. Soon the little men glided back to the silvery sphere and went inside. The sphere then shot away at tremendous speed.”[10]

The dwarf humanoids seem to be very interested in collecting samples, for, in many humanoid sighting reports they have been seen collecting samples of vegetation or soil and putting them into the cylinders strapped to their back. They have also been seen poking the ground with long stick-like devices and digging holes with shovels. It’s almost as if they are interdimensional scientists keeping tabs on the planetary health and ecosystem.

Some witnesses have described these humanoid entities as “gnomes” (from Latin gnomus, meaning "earth-dweller") – that legendary race of dwarf people possessing various magical abilities, who are said to live in lavish comfort in underground chambers. The gnomes were said to be a wise, intelligent race who were beneficent to humans and were proficient in smithing, crafting, and mining. In ancient and medieval mythologies, gnomes were believed to guard mines and subterranean treasures. The Encyclopedia Brittanica tells us that, in Germanic legends, “Mine-dwelling dwarfs were usually more capricious and spiteful than their mountain brothers. They could be heard moving about the lower levels and were sometimes seen by miners, who took care to placate them by gifts of food.”

This is why the next report is so important – for it is one of those rare humanoid sighting that took place inside a mine.

This fascinating encounter took place on August 27, 1989, deep within a mine 1070 meters below the earth’s surface in Donetsk, Ukraine. An electrical worker in one of the mines was working the night shift when he suddenly saw two strangers standing at the end of the electric train depot. The figures moved slowly along the garage, stopping from time to time and studying different areas and equipment located there. Finally, the witness gathered up enough courage to confront the strangers, and walking out of his hiding place he yelled, “Who are you? What are you doing here? “and began to walk slowly towards the pair. 

“After taking several steps he looked closely and literally became numb with fear as he realized that the entities standing before him were not human. They were short creatures, dwarf-like with sallow facial complexions, and features he could not recognize as human. Both were dressed in silvery colored coveralls and their chest they had lighted circles and luminous dots circling around, like the screen of an oscillograph. After standing for a while, the entities turned around and walked away, quickly moving away floating just above the ground. In several seconds they vanished behind a bend on the underground tunnel.”[11]

Now that we have looked at a few similar humanoid sighting reports that have come in from all over the world over the past century or so, it becomes quite obvious that what the Indian scientists had witnessed in the Samudra Tapu glacier region of the Himalayas, some 14,500 feet above sea level, was not something unique or unprecedented. Everything that the scientists had noted about the humanoid entities has been reported elsewhere: the silvery suits, the oversized heads, the helmets with a pair of “balloon” or “funnel” or “bulb”-shaped extensions on top, the robot-like movements while floating a few inches above the ground, etc. Typically, such reports go unnoticed, but since the sighting in the Himalayas was reported by a group of respected scientists it generated more interest, at least in India.

It’s time to roll up our sleeves and tackle the big question: Who are these humanoid entities that have been spotted around the world, including the upper reaches of the Himalayas, and have been seen getting in and out of UFOs? Some witnesses have described them as “gnomes”, and since these entities have also been sighted inside mines, the “gnome” angle definitely needs to be explored. Perhaps, the gnomes are not imaginary beings as they have been made out to be, and maybe there is something to the ancient stories that speak of them.  

In India, the dwarfs or gnomes were called yakshas (also yakhhas, jakkhas or jakhs). They were the custodians of the earth’s wealth and were regarded as the protectors of sacred sites and villages. Yakshas statues were placed outside temples, on either side of the entrances, to ward off intruders. Not long ago, people used to set up altars for them under trees, made offerings of food and prayed to them for wealth, protection and fertility. A lot of interesting details about the yakshas have been recorded in the ancient Indian texts, which I shall probably discuss at a later time, but a couple of points stand out in relation to this case.

Firstly, in ancient Indian legends, the yakshas have often been associated with the flying vehicles called “vimanas”. The Ramayana relates that, in the Treta Yuga, after killing the rakshasha Ravana in a fierce battle, Rama had returned from Lanka to Ayodhya on the spacious, dome-shaped, vimana called “Pushpaka”, which was gilded and shone like the sun and was operated by thoughts or voice instructions.[12] The Pushpaka vimana originally belonged to Kuvera, who was the “chief of the yakshas”, and it had been snatched away from him by his half-brother Ravana, who was a rakshasha i.e. giant. 

Incidentally, the yakshas had access to many such vimanas. As per the Puranic Encyclopedia, Ravana had attacked Kuvera's city Alaka located on Mount Kailash, and "in the fight that followed, between Kubera and Ravana, the former fell down unconscious. But the yakshas brought two vimanas and carried Kubera to the palace.”[13]

The association of the yakshas with vimanas bolsters the argument that they could be the dwarf humanoids reported in UFO sightings. Another intriguing point about the yakshas throws light on the humanoid encounter that took place in the Himalayas. While yakshas were said to inhabit remote forests, hills and lakes, their favorite haunt was the Himalayan ranges. In the Mahabharata, there are many passages that highlight this. For instance,

“This Himalaya is inaccessible, and abounds with Yakshas (dwarfs) and the Rakshasas (giants), and searching about for me, they will be distracted.”[14]
“We shall now ascend that white rock, the mountain Mandara (one of the peaks of the Himalayas), inhabited by the Yakshas, Manibhadra and Kuvera, king of the Yakshas.”[15]

One of the mighty peaks of the Himalayan range is Mount Kailash, which is sacred to the Hindus, Buddhists and to all the mountain folk, and is an important place of pilgrimage. Kuvera’s city Alaka was said to be established on the summit of Kailash. The Mahabharata states, “It was here, on the breast of Kailasa, O Galava, that Kuvera, was installed on the sovereignty of the Rakshasas (giants), the Yakshas (dwarfs), and the Gandharvas (elves).” In the book Yaksas, the renowned scholar and art-historian Ananda Coomaraswamy, who was also a curator at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, wrote of Kuvera that,   

“His city Alaka (or Alakapuri) situated on Mt. Kailasa (also the abode of Siva) is a magnificent walled town, where dwell not only Yaksas, but also Kinnaras (sirens), Munis (sages), Gandharvas (elves) and Raksasas (giants)...Kubera has many beautiful palaces, groves, gardens, etc., on Mt. Kailasa. These need not be referred to in detail, but it may be remarked of the grove Caitraratha that its trees have jewels for their leaves and girls as their fruits.”[16]

Let’s look at a few images of Mount Kailash (6638 m), which is located in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China. Even though it is not a very high peak, being nearly 2000 m lower than Mount Everest, it has never been scaled. And that’s because the peak has a pyramidal shape with steep sides, and some sections are almost vertical which makes climbing impossible. The inhospitable climatic conditions and almost perennial snow cover makes the task even more challenging. 

The Chinese government had imposed restrictions on climbing the sacred peak – so as not to offend the religious sentiments - once the region came under the control of China in 1951, but prior to that many mountaineers had tried to work out a route to the summit, but failed.  In 1926, Hugh Ruttledge studied the north face of Mount Kailash, and described it as “utterly unclimbable”. His mountaineering colleague Colonel R. C. Wilson attempted to climb via the southeast ridge, when he ran into heavy snowfall, and aborted the effort.

My question is, when we look at the imposing, awe-inspiring images of Mount Kailash, does it seem like it could have ever hosted the walled city of Kuvera called Alaka, complete with palaces, groves and gardens? Absolutely not. You can’t even stand steadily on those steep, treacherous, snow-covered slopes on a windy day, let alone build a city. In which case, one needs to ask, why did the Indian texts make such an extravagant claim? Was it a made-up story, or could there be more to this than meets the eye?

My guess is that, Kuvera’s city Alaka may have been built “inside” Mount Kailash and not on its summit or slopes. In other words, there may exist giant, well-lit, and lavishly decorated caverns inside the Kailash Mountain where the yakshas and other magical beings live. Isn’t that what is said of the gnomes, in general? While they usually live underground, they also inhabit the interiors of mountains, and “gnome tunnels” were said to lead to fabulous places inside mountains. A Welsh story written by Walter Map at around 1183 CE, in De Nugis Curialmn, tells of a dwarf king who led Herla, and ancient king of the Britons, to his own kingdom. 

“He [Herla] and his guide entered a very lofty cliff and after a space of darkness they passed into the light, seemingly not of the sun but of many lamps, like the palace of the sun in Ovid’s description.”[17]

Apparently, a similar belief is still associated with Mount Demerdzhi in Crimea, which is a popular tourist destination, for, on the slope of the mountain lies the so-called “Valley of Ghosts” that contains a large number of stone formations resembling humans, animals, mysterious creatures, pyramids and other puzzling objects. The region generally remains enveloped in a characteristic haze, and when the light conditions change the stone formations seem to magically change their shape and color. Although these formations are said to have been “naturally formed”, it is not impossible that some of them may have been sculpted by intelligent hands eons ago, and then suffered erosion over time.

In Albert Rosales, “1978 Humanoid Reports”, there is an entry about an odd incident that occurred on Mount Demerdzhi in June 1978.

A local teenager, Andrey, from the nearby town of Alushta had climbed to the top of Mount Demerdzhi and had camped there to spend the night. During the night a bright light pointed directly at his face suddenly awakened him. He opened his eyes and saw the outlines of several human-shaped figures. They had domed-shaped heads connected directly to their shoulders. Their faces were not visible or were absent…Apparently the witness was paralyzed and everything was brightly lit around him. Andrey felt no fear or any other emotions during the encounter; he soon fell asleep and could not remember anything else. A local legend states that Demerdzhi is hollow and had been excavated thousands of years before by a race of dwarfs in an effort to extract supposed treasures buried within. A local clairvoyant, Lenura Azizova, claims that there still exists an ancient underground alien base under the mountain.”[18]

The possibility of a “city of the yakshas” being concealed inside Mount Kailash is not a very outlandish proposition, if we think about it. Not only do we have analogous stories coming down to us from ancient times, but there are persistent local beliefs along similar lines in other parts of the world.

Now that we have explored the Himalayan humanoid encounter from a few different perspectives, what would you say happened on that intrigue-filled day at the Samudra Tapu glacier? I would reckon that the scientists saw a “juvenile” yaksha, who was ambling around the mountainside, going about his normal routine of collecting samples of soil, snow and vegetation, when he chanced upon the group of scientists who had camped there. The yaksha may not have seen humans, or at least interacted with them, before, and was led on by his curiosity. But on sensing the agitation within the group, it moved away and probably returned to his “yaksha city” hidden in the interiors of the mountains to tell his friends what he had just seen.

It may feel somewhat strange to hear of “yakshas” or “gnomes” being talked about as real entities, but a couple of thousand years ago no-one would have batted an eyelid to hear what I just proposed. Yakshas were an integral part of the belief systems of the people in the subcontinent, and many “yakshas shrines” were erected in their honor. Much has been forgotten over time as the inter-dimensional interactions began to dry up, but the increased sightings since the 1950s suggest that we could be living at a time when contact is re-established.     

References

[1] "UFO photo puts Indian scientists in fix", SiliconIndia, 06 October 2004, https://www.siliconindia.com/shownews/ufo-photo-puts-indian-scientists-in-fix-nid-25663-cid-2.html
[2] Ramesh Vinayak, "UFO sighting in Himachal Lahaul-Spiti district remains a mystery", INDIA TODAY Feb 13, 2006, https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/science-and-technology/story/20060213-ufo-sighting-in-himachal-lahaul-spiti-district-remains-a-mystery-783701-2006-02-12
[3] Ibid.
[4] Albert Rosales “1937 Humanoid Reports” Case # 4, Source: Aleksandr Kuzovkin, Selected reports of UFO observations in the USSR, 1982
[5] Albert Rosales “1954 Humanoid Reports” Case # 63, Humcat 1954, Source: Sheriff Floyd Hadley & Rev. Albert Baller
[6] Albert Rosales “1969 Humanoid Reports” Case # 51, Humcat 1969, Source: LDLN Circle of Clermont Riom
[7] Albert Rosales “1973 Humanoid Reports” Case # 103, Humcat 1973, Source: SBEDV Bulletin # 104
[8] Albert Rosales “1978 Humanoid Reports” Case # 189, Source: Archivio S.U.F.
[9] Albert Rosales “1978 Humanoid Reports” Case# 303, Source: Archivio S.U.F.
[10] Albert Rosales “1990 Humanoid Reports” Case# 13, Source: Pablo Villarrubia Mauso 
[11] Albert Rosales “1989 Humanoid Reports” Case# 210, Source: Gennadiy Ya. Leszshenko, “Edge of the Unknown or What is Behind the Curtain” Donetsk, 1994.
[12] Valmiki Ramayana, 6.124 - 126, https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/the-ramayana-of-valmiki/d/doc424752.html
[13] Vettam Mani, Puranic Encyclopedia, Motilal Banarsidass, 1975.
[14] Mahabharata 3.178.8839
[15] Mahabharata 3.139.7068
[16] Ananda K. Coomaraswamy, Yaksas, The Smithsonian Institution, 1928, p. 6.
[17] Vernon J. Harward Jr., The Dwarfs of Arthurian Romance and Celtic Tradition, E. J. Brill, Leiden, 1958, p 6-20
[18] Albert Rosales “1978 Humanoid Reports” Case# 132, Source: Anton Anfalov

{ https://mysteriousuniverse.org/ }

15-07-2024 om 00:00 geschreven door peter  

AI Focused Black Knight Satellites, Up Close And Personal, UFO UAP Sighting News.

Hey all, I was asked on X and Youtube by many people to put the Dark Knight satellites through the ai program and see what happens. Well I did and it sharpened them a lot and brought the surface of the space craft into focus. It is said that these satellites are tens of thousand of years old or older. That they cannot be approached or they will paralyze the oncoming spacecraft. Tell me your thoughts of what these are and why they are in Earths orbit and why did NASA move the links three times before giving up?

Scott C. Waring 

{ https://www.ufosightingsdaily.com }

14-07-2024 om 23:14 geschreven door peter  

Het mysterie van de “oudste computer ter wereld” na 2000 jaar ontrafeld, dankzij zwaartekrachtgolven

Door Janine

Freeth et al./Scientific Reports - 2021

Als we een computer beschouwen als een mechanische rekenmachine, dan is de oudste tot nu toe gevonden computer het Mechanisme van Antikythera. Dit oude technologische wonder dateert van meer dan 2000 jaar geleden en is al lange tijd een mysterie dat moet worden opgelost. Terwijl sommige onderzoeken het in verband brachten met de Egyptische zonnekalender, heeft een recente studie aangetoond dat het mechanisme de Griekse maankalender volgt, en dat niet alleen. Aan de basis van de nieuwe ontdekking liggen in feite zwaartekrachtgolven: laten we eens kijken hoe dit mogelijk is!

Het Mechanisme van Antikythera

Als je hem vandaag de dag ziet, in zijn 82 fragmenten die zijn ondergebracht in het Nationaal Archeologisch Museum in Athene, in Griekenland, lijkt hij niet meer dan een vrijwel verwoeste vondst. In werkelijkheid wordt het Mechanisme van Antikythera beschouwd als 's werelds oudste computer, een machine die de astronomische bewegingen van de maan, zonsverduisteringen en de positie van de zon kon voorspellen, evenals die van de vijf destijds bekende planeten.

Het was in feite een geavanceerd astronomisch instrument, gebouwd tussen de derde en eerste eeuw voor Christus en samengesteld uit een complex systeem van tandwielen en tandraderen. In de loop der jaren hebben verschillende studies het Mechanisme van Antikythera diepgaander geanalyseerd en de interne tandwielen en gemechaniseerde werking van de structuur onthuld. Kortom, 's werelds oudste computer werd ontworpen om Babylonische astronomische cycli, Platonische wiskunde en Griekse astronomische theorieën te combineren. Het doel: de beweging van hemellichamen voorspellen op basis van de Egyptische zonnekalender. Of misschien niet?

Mechanisme van Antikythera en zwaartekrachtgolven: de nieuwe studie

Freeth et al./Scientific Reports - 2021

Een recent onderzoek door onderzoekers van de Universiteit van Glasgow heeft de heersende interpretatie over het gebruik van de Antikythera in twijfel getrokken. Met behulp van geavanceerde methoden die zijn ontwikkeld op het gebied van onderzoek naar zwaartekrachtgolven was het feitelijk mogelijk om te onthullen dat de component die verantwoordelijk was voor de kalender 354 of 355 gaten had, één voor elke dag van het jaar. Dus geen 365, zoals in de Egyptische zonnekalender, maar 354 of 355, zoals in de Griekse maankalender. Dit zijn de woorden van Graham Woan, een van de auteurs van het onderzoek:

De precisie van de plaatsing van de gaten zou extreem nauwkeurige meettechnieken en een ongelooflijk vaste hand vereisen om ze te maken. Het is een prachtige symmetrie dat we de technieken die we vandaag de dag gebruiken om het universum te bestuderen, hebben aangepast om een ​​mechanisme beter te begrijpen dat mensen bijna twee millennia geleden hielp de hemel te volgen.

De oudste computer ter wereld, van meer dan 2000 jaar geleden tot nu

Marsyas/Wikimedia Commons - CC BY-SA 3.0

De technieken die zijn ontwikkeld op het gebied van onderzoek naar zwaartekrachtgolven zijn, zoals we hebben gezien, gebruikt om het mysterie van het Mechanisme van Antikythera te ontrafelen. Wat echter opvalt is, afgezien van de feitelijke kalender die dit instrument meer dan 2000 jaar geleden moest meten, de realisatie ervan. Want om de 354 of 355 gaten te maken en de Griekse maankalender te meten was een vaardigheid nodig die de komende duizend jaar niet meer zou worden gezien. Voor een even nauwkeurige astronomische klok had men moeten wachten op het Astrarium van Giovanni Dondi, dat rond 1300 werd gebouwd.

Kortom, het Mechanisme van Antikythera blijft een buitengewone getuigenis van het vernuft van het oude Griekenland en het vermogen om kunst, wetenschap en vakmanschap te combineren in een uniek artefact. Wat voor velen de oudste computer ooit gevonden is, is daarom veel meer: het bewijs van een wereld die inmiddels ruim 2000 jaar verdwenen is, maar vandaag de dag levendiger is dan ooit.

Source:

• https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-84310-w
• https://bhi.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/07-HJJuly24-AOTM-2.pdf

{ https://www.curioctopus.nl/ }

08-07-2024 om 22:12 geschreven door peter  

There doesn’t seem to be an overall pattern to their appearance, but whoever is behind the monoliths (possibly the work of copycats, or maybe even a collective belonging to a larger organization), they do know how to get everyone’s attention with their unique construction and placement, resulting in waves of media attention following each appearance.

Monoliths also have fairly deep roots in science fiction, particularly as methods of communication from other (usually alien) societies, which further amplifies their intrigue. Given their cultural significance, before diving into the history of these mysterious monoliths, let me quickly clarify that I approach this topic with skeptical curiosity. I’m curious to know why someone would go to all the trouble to erect one of these structures, which appear to be made with everyday items like poured concrete and possibly sheet metal (sorry to burst anyone’s bubble that hoped this could be signs of alien contact, and yes, I’m an X-Files fan, too).

I pondered questions like these as I began to make my way north toward Bellvue.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE MONOLITH APPEARANCES

In 2020, multiple different types of monoliths appeared across the globe. The structure seemed to be the same for the first three monoliths: a long, tall tower made of mirrored glass with all four vertical sides the same size.

In the case of the first three appearances, the monolith disappeared and then seemed to “reappear” somewhere else (though whether it was the same structure or something that looked similar is unknown).

It should also be mentioned that in several cases, the monoliths have seemingly “disappeared,” although in several instances it is known that they were dismantled and removed by authorities or landowners (as was the case with the monolith in Bellvue shortly after I visited it).

On November 18, 2020, the first monolith appeared in Utah’s Red Rocks County, creating a media circus of fascination mixed with speculation. This monolith quickly disappeared (with a YouTuber claiming to have removed the structure). The second monolith appeared nine days later, on November 27, 2020, in the Romanian city of Piatra Neamt. This second monolith also disappeared on December 1, leaving a large hole in the ground.

The third monolith quickly followed the first two, popping up in Pine Mountain in Atascadero, California, on December 2, 2020. According to a Vox article, the third monolith was disassembled and reappeared elsewhere on December 4, though I haven’t seen other articles mention the reappearance of the California monolith.

It’s important to note that each of the three appearances differed slightly. According to one article, the Romanian Monolith was covered with circles, while the Utah monolith had a smooth surface. They all generally seemed to be the same shape and size, which is why they are often grouped. I should note here that this does not mean they’re connected, though the structures are more similar than the ones that follow these three appearances.

After December 2020, the world seemed to go a bit monolith-crazy as copycat structures popped up around the globe, from Pennsylvania to the Netherlands to Joshua Tree and beyond. One headline after another showcased new monolith “appearances,” even if later they seemed to be proven as mimics or faked entirely. A Business Insider article claimed that December 2020 had over 87 monolith sitings.

Suddenly, all monolith sightings stopped, creating more of an aura of mystique around them as they faded from headlines.

Then, in March 2024, a monolith was spotted on the Welsh landscape. In mid-June 2024, another mysterious monolith appeared in the desert outside Las Vegas. Comparing photo images with the original three monoliths, it seems more similar to those structures than others, as it is a tall, uniformly shaped tower. Las Vegas authorities later took down this monolith. Less than two weeks later, the Colorado Monolith appeared.

Now, with more structures reappearing, the media and the general public are beginning to lean into monolith mania again, connecting these structures with science fiction references, perhaps to understand better why these monoliths are reappearing.

THE SCIENCE FICTION ROOTS OF MONOLITHS

With each monolith appearance, the media usually references extraterrestrials in some fashion. This is mainly due to the popular culture connotations of monoliths, such as Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Still from '2001: A Space Odyssey'

MGM

As a science journalist and science communicator, I am fascinated by the connections between science fiction and science fact, especially when we can utilize science fiction techniques to make science more digestible and accessible to all audiences.

However, in the case of the monoliths, little factual science is being communicated. Instead, awe, curiosity, and speculation swirl in an almost impenetrable fog as people wonder if aliens could have made these structures.

It’s easy to see why people may ask this, as 2001: A Space Odyssey is probably the most popular reference to monoliths and uses a monolith in the film as a way for aliens to communicate with humans. In a later interview, Kubrick stated that, “From the very outset of work on the film, we all discussed means of photographically depicting an extraterrestrial creature in a manner that would be as mind-boggling as the being itself.”

However, 2001: A Space Odyssey isn’t the only science fiction work that references or uses monoliths as plot devices. My personal favorite is science fiction writer Robert Charles Wilson’s use of the monolith in his 2001 book Chronoliths, where strange monoliths appear across the globe, made of an indestructible unknown material. The monoliths in Wilson’s book also bear an inscription to a mysterious warlord named Kuin, who had a military victory 20 years into the future. When I heard about the Nevada monolith,  I actually texted a single word to my husband, who introduced me to Wilson’s writings: “chronoliths.”

• Kenna Hughes-Castleberry is the Science Communicator at JILA (a world-leading physics research institute) and a science writer at The Debrief. Follow and connect with her on X or contact her via email at kenna@thedebrief.org

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

06-07-2024 om 23:30 geschreven door peter  

However, an investigation by The Debrief based on documents obtained through Colorado Open Records Act (CORA) requests, as well as interviews with investigators who probed the mysterious deaths, have revealed new details about the incidents that perplexed state officials and local cattle farmers on Colorado’s Western Slope last year.

AN UNSETTLING DISCOVERY

THE ORDEAL BEGAN in early October 2022, with the discovery of several calf carcasses strewn about the 13,000 contiguous deeded acres that comprise the family-owned and operated LK Ranch, located eight miles southeast of Meeker, Colorado.

Bordering Colorado’s scenic White River National Forest, one of the country’s most-visited national parks, the ranch is operated by the Klinglesmith family, a well-known and respected mainstay of the Meeker community and past recipients of a Wildlife Landowners of the Year recognition by Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

“The Klinglesmiths are the epitome of the rural, hard-working cattle rancher,” said Baily Franklin, Meeker District Wildlife Manager at the time of the family’s recognition, “and they serve as tremendous role models in northwestern Colorado.”

On October 4, 2022, the family discovered a total of 19 calf carcasses on their property, along with the remains of one adult cow. Eighteen of the calves were all located within just 1.5 miles of one another, and Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Wildlife Services were quickly notified.

“We were first notified about October 4 of a livestock producer that had found some dead cattle,” said CPW Northwest Region Manager Travis Black in an interview with The Debrief. Black said a local CPW District Wildlife Manager and the USDA Wildlife Services control specialist were accompanied by another local officer from a neighboring region during an initial visit to the location where the remains were located.

“Several carcasses had tails missing and marks consistent with canine teeth,” the Klinglesmith family would later report in an update on the investigation that appeared on November 28, 2022. While the carcasses appeared to display hemorrhaging in locations where CPW investigators are trained to look for signs of depredation by canines, the possibility that wolves might have been involved presented unique challenges for investigators trying to determine whether an animal was responsible for some of the killings.

“Our district wildlife officers are trained in identifying depredation primarily from bears and [mountain] lions,” Black told The Debrief.

“Wolves [are] a new one for us,” Black said, although emphasizing that the neighboring CPW officer who assisted in the early investigations had recently undergone training specifically focused on recognizing wolf depredation.

“The local district wildlife officer had twenty-plus years doing this job,” Black said. “It’s not like this was a new guy that didn’t know what he was doing.”

Necropsies were carried out on several of the earliest calf discoveries to aid in determining their cause of death. On October 7, an additional calf carcass was discovered, this time in the Wilson Pasture area along the east fork of Flag Creek, according to a partially redacted document providing a timeline of the discoveries obtained by The Debrief through an Open Records Act request.

Two days later, on October 9, another carcass was discovered at West Miller Creek, and over the course of the next two weeks, the total number of dead calves would climb to 42, excluding two additional deaths resulting from sick calves found by the Klinglesmith family on October 9 believed to have been suffering from Brisket disease, a condition found in cattle residing at high altitudes that sometimes results in heart failure.

A map indicating locations of calf remains discovered near Meeker, Colorado, in October 2022

(Credit: Colorado Parks and Wildlife).

However, as the investigation continued and additional cattle remains were discovered, one perplexing common trait began to emerge: only a handful seemed to show what CPW officials believed to be signs of wolf depredation.

“The three individuals involved, along with the landowner, decided that there were some injuries on a handful of these calves,” Black told The Debrief. “And I’m talking about four or five of them, not all eighteen.”

“A lot of those dead calves didn’t show any physical marks on the outside, but there were a handful of them that they determined were consistent with wolf depredation,” Black said.

“That does not mean that we said wolves did it.”

However, as investigators worked to understand what factors—or combinations of them—were behind the cattle deaths, the question over wolf involvement only promised to further aggravate a brewing storm that Colorado officials had long been dreading; one with roots that extend all the way back to the early 19th century, and the era of government-sanctioned wolf hunting in America.

OF WOLF AND MAN

DURING THE MIDDLE of the nineteenth century, beavers and other animal populations were in acute decline due to a demand for their pelts. As a result, many professional hunters turned their attention toward a new quarry that was capable of demanding comparable prices in the burgeoning fur trade.

Employing poison traps baited with elk, bison, or other natural prey of the canine predators to help ensure their pelts could be retrieved intact, between the years of 1870 and 1877 as many as 100,000 wolves were killed annually.

The era of the “Wolfers” had begun.

A Wolfer with his hounds, pictured near Amidon, North Dakota, in 1904

(public domain).

More than two centuries earlier, the first bounty systems on wolves were instituted in European settlements in America. A cash reward of a penny for each of the animals killed was instituted in Massachusetts Bay Colony as early as 1630, and by 1818 with the declaration of the “War of Extermination” against wolves and bears in Ohio, several more states began adopting bounty systems against wolves.

Shortly before its establishment as a state on August 1, 1876, a bounty system was established in what would become the State of Colorado in 1869. Similar bounty systems were established in Wyoming, Montana, and other states during the ensuing decades. By the turn of the century, wolf populations had declined significantly in many parts of America. In 1915, the first official government wolf hunters were hired, remaining in action until June 30, 1942. During this period, more than 24,132 wolves were killed under the direction of the United States government.

Artist’s depiction of former Presdient Theodore Roosevelt engaging in a wolf hunt in 1907

(public domain).

By the 1960s, wolf populations in the contiguous 48 states had reached record-low numbers, with scattered pockets of the remaining 350 to 750 animals existing in parts of extreme northeastern Minnesota. With the passing of the Endangered Species Preservation Act in 1966, the timber wolf became the first species of American wolf that officially became recognized as endangered under federal law.

The protection of this single wolf species didn’t stop the animals from being killed, however. Between 1969 and 1974, in response to ongoing depredation of livestock, a Directed Predator Control Program conducted by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources still resulted in the killing of an average of 64 wolves each year, with $50 incentives offered to designated trappers in various parts of the state who harvested wolves. It wasn’t until the Endangered Species Act of 1973 was enacted by Congress and implemented under the direction of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) that gray wolves and subspecies like the eastern timber wolf and Rocky Mountain wolf finally saw federal protection.

Recovery plans to help re-establish the decimated American wolf populations began in the late 1970s in various states, mostly undertaken by the USFWS, although the reinstatement of trapping resulting from the depredation of livestock continued for short periods in several states.

By the end of the century, work to manage wolf populations in various states continued. Throughout the early 2000s, the reclassification of gray wolf populations into three distinct population segments, as well as the proposed delisting of wolf species and other developments related to wolves in America, resulted in several legal controversies (an entire timeline of events detailing these events can be found at the website of the International Wolf Center).

Photo 1084F, taken in North Park, Colorado, depicts a wolf spotted in the wild in July 2019. The photo was later submitted anonymously to CPW

(Credit: Colorado Parks and Wildlife).

In October 2020, the gray wolf was removed from the Endangered Species Act list of endangered animals in the contiguous 48 United States. In November of that same year, Proposition 114, a ballot initiative that sought to reintroduce wolves west of the continental divide in Colorado, went to vote and was passed. Now recognized as state statute 33-2-105.8, it directs the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission to develop a gray wolf reintroduction and management plan no later than December 31, 2023. It also allocates state funding to aid livestock owners “in preventing conflicts with gray wolves and pay fair compensation for livestock losses.”

Then, in October 2022 as dozens of dead calves were being found on the LK Ranch southeast of Meeker, Colorado, CPW officials realized they had a real problem on their hands.

That would especially be the case if wolves were found to be responsible.

CATTLE DEATHS AND CONSPIRACY CLAIMS

AS THE INVESTIGATIONS continued, Colorado officials remained baffled by the strange cattle deaths. Despite the questions that remained, a handful of the incidents did appear to present indications of canine activity. On October 7, 2022, CPW issued a news release revealing to the public that investigations into possible wolf depredations on U.S. Forest Service Land in the Meeker area were underway.

“This is an active investigation and CPW is working closely with the livestock producer to collect additional evidence, including looking for scat and tracks in the area,” the release stated. “If the depredations are confirmed as being caused by wolves, CPW will work in partnership with the livestock producer to implement approved hazing methods and respond to any damage claims submitted.”

“It is important to note,” the release added, “that no wolf reintroductions have taken place yet in Colorado and recent depredation incidents are not related to or a result of wolf reintroduction efforts in Colorado.”

Despite its careful wording, pushback following the CPW’s October news release came almost immediately.

“I received emails, mostly from wolf advocates, that were concerned that misinformation was being provided to the public and to ranchers,” Black told The Debrief, who said he became an easy target for parties who believed CPW was siding with local livestock producers worried about how the reintroduction of wolves could potentially impact their business.

“I was accused of collusion,” Black said, “and cooperation with livestock producers to try and stir up, you know, fear of wolves.”

“And it couldn’t be further from the truth,” Black said of the allegations. “We were just trying to follow an investigative process and figure out exactly what happened in a very unusual case.”

According to a copy of a livestock depredation guide produced for internal use by CPW officials that The Debrief obtained, wolf depredation is usually indicated by wounds inflicted to the hindquarters, flanks, throat, and front legs of large animals like cattle. Wolves also prefer most often to feed on the viscera and hindquarters of large livestock first, although large bones “may be chewed or broken while smaller bones may be consumed,” and such feeding patterns “are not always obvious on prey killed by packs.”

The guide also provides details on the spacing of puncture wounds left by canine teeth, noting the difference between those of wolves and coyotes generally involves a wider width when wolf depredation is involved. The spoor left by wolves is also larger than that of coyotes, with adult wolf tracks generally around 4.75 to 5 inches in length and 4 inches wide.

A Colorado Parks and Wildlife wolf support work summary dated October 24, 2022, states that biologists from the White River National Forest set up ten wildlife cameras in the area on October 11, 2022, just days after the initial group of dead calves were found.

“Reconyx cameras were used and placed on trees 7-9 meters across from another tree scented with a lure attractant,” read a copy of the document obtained by The Debrief. Additionally, a pair of howling stations were established along Forest Road 217 on the same day the cameras were installed.

“We removed all cameras on October 21st,” the document states. “No wolves were photographed on our cameras during the deployment window of October 11-21.”

Additionally, howling surveys conducted during the same period the cameras remained in use produced no audio recordings of wolves, and investigations along muddy areas near where one recently deceased calf body had been discovered “showed no canine tracks,” and “no scat was noted.”

At least a few scat samples collected and analyzed at other locations by CPW investigators “did not provide any DNA amplification,” according to emails reviewed by The Debrief, although a total of 14 hair samples were also collected during this period. One of the hair samples provided no amplification, and 12 were identified as bovine. Intriguingly, the final sample was determined to belong to a “wild canid,” although the research molecular biologist who performed the analysis said it had “a messy analysis and indicated coyote,” but added that “not much should be read into that as the sample was very degraded.”

The Debrief reached out to the biologist who provided these results, although the individual declined to comment further based on their limited involvement with the CPW’s investigation.

The question remained, then, as to what had been responsible for the deaths of more than 40 cattle around Meeker, Colorado, within a few short weeks. By now, with little evidence to support the presence of wolves in the area, some investigators were leaning toward the possibility that a very different kind of killer might have been involved.

A killer of the unseen kind.

ON THE TRACK OF AN INVISIBLE KILLER

AS THE DAYS wore on and more dead calves continued to be found, investigators were becoming convinced that the evidence in hand simply did not support the conclusion that wolves could have had any significant involvement. Eventually, a new possible explanation came to their attention: a soil-based pathogen called clostridium chauvoei associated with a condition called black leg, known to sometimes occur in both cattle and sheep.

“As we researched this clostridial disease and outbreaks in other regions of the world with large casualties, some similarities to this situation were recognized,” the Klinglesmith family wrote in their November 2022 update. Still, one of the prevailing questions involved what circumstances might have caused a large number of cattle to suddenly fall victim to this unseen pathogen.

According to one study cited in the family’s November update, “when the oxygen tension drops in areas of muscle in which spores are present, usually as a consequence of blunt trauma and associated tissue hemorrhage, degeneration, and necrosis, the spores germinate, proliferate, and produce toxins that are responsible for most clinical signs and lesions of black leg.” Such conditions would also seem to be consistent with the small number of initial cattle deaths around Meeker that displayed evidence of canine depredation.

Another possible factor involved a management decision among producers in the area to change the normal vaccination schedule, which usually entailed a spring and fall dose of 8-way vaccine, and instead administer a pair of fall doses. “The 8-way vaccine contains and protects against eight clostridial strains,” the Klinglesmith family wrote in their November update. “This change in vaccine protocol allowed us to focus spring immune responses on the four main respiratory viruses, and Pasteurella.”

“Our goal in changing vaccine protocol was to administer fewer antibiotics throughout the summer months for respiratory sicknesses,” the family wrote, “and we were successful in this aspect.”

However, the change in vaccine protocol may have also left several cattle that season susceptible to any forms of clostridium that might be present. In their update, the Klinglesmiths noted that “if in fact a clostridial was triggered by an attack, with a return to our original vaccine protocol we should be able to avoid the heavy casualties,” thereby reducing “our losses to a few depredation casualties,” and maintaining a strategy that “fits the research and experience consistently reported in the Northern Rockies.”

Ultimately, the results from pathology tests for the presence of clostridium chauvoei would be the final say in the matter. But before those tests could be completed, the sobering number of unexplained cattle deaths occurring around Meeker had already become the subject of significant attention from the media, which only further complicated an already uneasy situation for CPW officials.

It certainly didn’t help that among the speculations now in circulation were new claims of a “mysterious creature” that could have been responsible for the killings.

MYSTERIOUS MUTILATIONS AND KILLER CREATURES

THROUGHOUT THE EARLY 1970s, a wave of unsettling livestock deaths and mutilations captured the attention of people across the nation, deaths the likes of which Colorado had its fair share.

“Given the rate of human slaughter in any large American city, it might not seem too important that between April and September of this year 129 cattle were mutilated in the state of Colorado,” read an article by Alexander Cockburn in the December 1975 issue of Esquire. Similar stories appearing around the time drew attention from politicians like U.S. Senator from New Mexico Harrison Schmitt, as well as U.S. Senator Floyd Haskell of Colorado, who began to appeal to then-Attorney General Griffin B. Bell and the Federal Bureau of Investigation for help in the matter.

One of several FBI documents detailing cattle mutilation incidents reported in the U.S. during the 1970s

(Credit: FBI).

“If the FBI will not enter the investigation of mysterious livestock deaths in Colorado and some adjacent states, then Sen. Floyd Haskell, D-Colo., should take the matter to Congress for resolution,” read a Denver Post article on September 3, 1975. The FBI, citing the absence of “interstate transportation” that would warrant attention from federal authorities, advised that “Our jurisdiction was explained to Senator Haskell and he said that he understood our statutory limitations,” according to a September 12, 1975 memorandum (the FBI’s entire collection of files related to animal mutilations can be read online here).

Quite unlike the cattle deaths that occurred near Meeker, Colorado, last Autumn, the cattle mutilation incidents that peaked during the mid-1970s reportedly involved animals found dead with selected organs and other body parts removed, and often blood drained from their carcasses. Between 1973 and 1976 alone, more than 1500 alleged cattle mutilations in 22 U.S. states were reported, prompting speculations about everything from satanic cults and secretive government research efforts to UFOs.

Although many of the cattle mutilation incidents from throughout the decades remain unsolved, nothing that conclusively links them to cultists, government agencies, or aliens with a flavor for filet mignon has ever surfaced. However, the persistence of such stories throughout the decades—tales now legendary among many Colorado cattle producers—did little to help the situation when dead calves started appearing around Meeker last October.

Black recalled one phone call he received from a family member who “asked if we had aliens or something.”

“There were a lot of kinda wild theories thrown out there,” Black told The Debrief.

By the end of November 2022, characterizations of the Meeker cattle deaths as having involved an “elusive predator” or a “mystery killer” began appearing after the publication of an article in the New York Post which, although correct in most of the details about what was known at the time about the evolving investigations by CPW and other Colorado officials, built intrigue by attributed dozens of the cattle deaths to an unknown predator “that has left no tracks.”

The remains of another calf found during investigations into cattle deaths near Meeker, Colorado, last fall

(Credit: Colorado Parks and Wildlife).

Based on emails from officials obtained by The Debrief through Colorado Open Records Act requests, the sensational media coverage of the situation did not go unnoticed by CPW investigators, who were growing increasingly frustrated by the elusive source behind the cattle deaths.

“I’m sure you’re aware of the consternation about the deaths of Lenny Klinglesmith’s cattle, and it seems to be getting worse,” read one email reviewed by The Debrief, where an official referred to an article by one news outlet as “not very good in multiple ways.”

“I’m sure you can appreciate that the press will write a story (both good and bad), and that is out of our control,” another email message read.

“If some want to jump to conclusions, that is their prerogative,” it continued. “Yes, the speculation isn’t helping,” the official wrote. “Neither will pushing for a final answer without due diligence.”

Another email exchange on November 30, 2022, noted that “The media continues to twist this story how they see fit,” adding that “One side wants to downplay wolf involvement. The other wants to blame wolves.”

Speaking with The Debrief, Black recalled his own frustrations over the media coverage the CPW’s investigation generated.

“We can’t control what the media says,” Black told The Debrief. “We tried to provide as detailed information as we could during this event, and they tend to pick and choose pieces of that or take some of it out of context and develop their own story.”

However, the details of that story would only become more complicated once the results of pathology tests for possible clostridium infection finally returned.

INCONCLUSIVE ANALYSIS  

ON OCTOBER 20, 2022, results from the Colorado State University Diagnostic Laboratory returned with pathology results from samples collected at the scene of several of the Meeker cattle deaths. While noting the presence of “significant autolysis in the skeletal muscle sections which makes interpretation difficult,” the results of the analysis nonetheless concluded that “there is no evidence of necrosis or active inflammation to suggest Black Leg,” the infectious bacterial disease associated with clostridium chauvoei.

Another series of samples tested by the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory yielded similar results on October 21, 2022, indicating “no microscopic lesions in the tissues examined that explain the cause of death in this animal.”

“This is frustrating,” Black wrote in an email to another CPW official dated Wednesday, November 30, 2022. “Initial assessments made by [District Wildlife Managers] and Wildlife Services staff said there were multiple injuries consistent with wolf depredation. I’ve seen some of the photos… I understand why they made that assumption. However, there is no other supporting evidence.”

Partially redacted theodolite image of cattle remains photographed during investigations in October, 2022, obtained by The Debrief through a Colorado Open Records Act Request

(Credit: Colorado Parks and Wildlife)

“Then the possibility of Clostridium bacteria came up,” Black’s email continued. “This seemed to answer a lot of questions. Then samples and lab analysis failed to positively point to this as [the] cause of death.”

“It also creates a lot of room for conjecture,” Black wrote. “Did wolves chase the cattle or attack them initially and cause a low oxygen environment within tissue that exacerbated the bacteria and created a toxin? Or is this natural progression of the disease?”

“Nobody can seem to give us a definitive answer.”

THE INVESTIGATION ENDS, AND QUESTIONS REMAIN

ON FEBRUARY 7, 2023, four months after the first dead calves were discovered near Meeker, CPW announced that it was closing its investigation, despite there being no conclusive explanation that could account for all the cattle deaths.

“CPW investigators could not determine the exact cause of death for a few calves with hide damage and trauma consistent with a canine attack,” the news release stated

According to the CPW release, the discovery of a pack of nine dogs seven miles from where the cattle deaths occurred that were blamed for harassing wildlife, “cast doubt on whether wolves were in the area.”

“CPW is working with the Rio Blanco County Sheriff’s office on a call-by-call basis and will deal with any domestic dog issues according to legal processes,” the release added.

Black was quoted in the release saying that while some cattle displayed wounds that were “consistent with injuries from large canines,” there had been “no confirmation of wolves in the area,” adding that “we do not have specific evidence to determine what species of canid caused the depredations.”

In Colorado, a 90-day window is allotted for producers to present proof of loss when deaths suspected to be the result of animal depredation occur. Following last October’s cattle deaths, the investigation by CPW was officially closed after the expiration of this window period.

“The Klinglesmith family would like to thank the local DWMs and veterinary staff for the many hours spent in the field and in the office investigating this incident,” Lenny Klinglesmith was quoted saying in the release, which added that his family did not plan to pursue compensation for the losses “Due to lack of evidence of wolves in the area.”

One week later on February 14, The Humane Society of the United States reported that wolves had been ruled out as a cause behind the Meeker cattle deaths, admonishing CPW officials for assessments they said “led to anti-wolf hysteria” among residents and certain stakeholders on the Colorado Western Slope.

“A wildlife expert who examined photos of dead cows obtained by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) in an open records request has concluded that wolves are not to blame for the deaths of 41 cattle whose bodies were found near Meeker, Colorado in 2022,” the press release read.

According to a report based on a review of CPW documents provided by the HSUS, Carter Niemeyer, a former U.S. Department of Agriculture District Supervisor and Wolf Management Specialist wrote that there wasn’t any evidence that supported wolf involvement in the cattle deaths in Colorado last year.

“Based on the evidence in these photos,” Niemeyer wrote in his report, “it [is] my opinion that wolves had nothing to do with the death of Meeker cattle. I don’t really see any evidence of dog bites either. Although they can be less damaging, dogs can inflict serious injuries to the legs of cattle or even the faces/nose.”

“I believe the cattle died fairly quickly where they were standing,” Niemeyer continued, “and the cause had nothing to do with predation of any sort.” Niemeyer also raised the question of whether Brisket disease might have played a more significant role in the deaths, based on communications that referenced a pair of cattle deaths that were believed to have been caused by this condition.

“My question would be – If a couple of cattle died this way, it is reasonable to assume others did too,” Niemeyer wrote. “Brisket disease is a well-known and recognized condition in cattle that graze at high elevations in Colorado.”

“In conclusion, I did NOT see any evidence of wolf predation in any of the images provided,” Niemeyer wrote.

LINGERING QUESTIONS

FOR TRAVIS BLACK, what began as an investigation into how more than 40 cattle died in his home state last year blossomed into a controversy that eventually made its way into headlines around the world. At the heart of the investigation had been the concerns of a respected ranch family in Meeker, who felt an obligation to communicate with their neighbors in the region about the unsettling situation that had invaded their lives.

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

06-07-2024 om 22:31 geschreven door peter  

{ https://scientias.nl/ }

05-07-2024 om 23:41 geschreven door peter  

The new research, undertaken by scientists with the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), reveals the problems posed by warm seawater. This water seeps into the lower portions of ground-based ice, thereby accelerating not only ice melt but also its movement into the surrounding ocean.

Additionally, the results could help climate researchers develop a clearer picture of how Antarctic ice melt contributes to rising sea levels and other changes that could impact far-reaching areas around the world in the years ahead.

BAS researcher Alex Bradley, who specializes in ice dynamics and served as lead author of the new study, says his team has identified what they believe could be “a new tipping point in Antarctic ice sheet melting.”

 “This means our projections of sea level rise might be significant underestimates,” Bradley recently warned in a statement.

CHILLING DISCOVERIES WITHIN THE GROUNDING ZONE

Bradley and his team’s study focuses on the grounding zone, which describes an area beneath the Antarctic ice sheet where the ground-based ice on the continent meets the sea.

Land-based ice in Antarctica moves gradually over long periods, making its way into the ocean, where it begins to melt once it meets the seawater. However, over time, climate change has been accelerating both the movement of the ice sheets and warming the surrounding seawater. Such processes are identified as major contributors to sea level rise, which can affect coastlines all around the world.

This process of speeding along the movement of Antarctica’s ice is further quickened by the presence of warmer seawater.

“Ice sheets are very sensitive to melting in their grounding zones,” Bradley recently said, adding that grounding zone melt he and his colleagues have observed “displays a ‘tipping point like’ behaviour, where a very small change in ocean temperature can cause a very big increase in grounding zone melting, which would lead to a very big change in flow of the ice above it.”

When warm water begins to seep into the grounding zone, cavities open up, allowing additional water into the area, precipitating the melt. Even a small increase in water temperature would likely significantly impact the amount of melting that occurs.

“Our results point towards a stronger sensitivity of ice-sheet melting,” Bradley and his co-author write in their recent study, emphasizing that such dynamics contribute to “higher sea-level-rise contribution in a warming climate” than scientists had previously been able to discern from past studies.

Satellite image of the ice surface from Radarsat with the valleys and ridges of the buried ancient mountains mapped.

(Supplied: Stewart Jamieson, Durham University)

ABSENT FROM EXISTING MODELS

Given that such factors are currently absent from models scientists rely on to determine the amount of melt that can occur, it seems likely that warm seawater and its impact on ice within the grounding zone can account for some of the accelerated shrinkage of ice sheets observed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and others. This would also relate to ice sheets in other parts of the world apart from Antarctica such as Greenland, where similar ice melt has been observed to occur at rates faster than scientists expected based on existing models.

Bradly called the new data “missing physics” that, while remaining absent from current models, prohibits scientists from accurately projecting the potential impact of ice melt in the Earth’s polar regions.

“They don’t have the ability to simulate melting beneath grounded ice, which we think is happening,” Bradley says, adding that he and his colleagues are “working on putting that into our models now.”

This illustration shows what Antarctica would look like if the ice sheet were lifted from the continent. Highland A is a series of three hills in the East Antarctic.

(Supplied: Stewart Jamieson, Durham University)

Bradley and his team’s findings were detailed in a new study, “Tipping point in ice-sheet grounding-zone melting due to ocean water intrusion,” co-authored with Ian J. Hewitt and published in the journal Nature Geoscience on June 25, 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/ }

29-06-2024 om 00:35 geschreven door peter  

Nu in Las Vegas * Mythische en mysterieuze monoliet duikt weer op: toeval of niet?

In de natuur bij Las Vegas is er weer eentje verschenen: een zilveren monoliet. Zo reflecterend, dat de zuil bijna opgaat in het landschap eromheen. De afgelopen jaren doken zulke zuilen al vaker op, dus echt nieuw zijn ze niet meer. Hoe komt het dat we deze voorwerpen in de vrije natuur dan toch nog ervaren als mysterieus?

{ https://www.rtl.nl/ }

27-06-2024 om 22:39 geschreven door peter  

Een mysterieuze monoliet is verschenen in de woestijn van Las Vegas: niemand weet hoe hij daar is gekomen

 Door Janine

LVMPD/X

Een mysterieuze monoliet is verschenen in een bergketen in de buurt van Las Vegas, Nevada, maar niemand kan verklaren hoe hij daar is gekomen. Laten we er meer over te weten komen.

Monoliet ontdekt bij Las Vegas: waar komt hij vandaan?

LVMPD/X

De mysterieuze monoliet die in de bergen van Las Vegas is gevonden, stak uit de rotsen, maar zijn verschijning moet nog worden verklaard. Monolieten zijn solide geologische structuren die meestal uit één steen of rots bestaan en die door erosie aan het licht komen. De herkomst van het object in kwestie is echter onbekend.

Lokale autoriteiten hebben besloten om de formatie te verwijderen. Op de X-pagina van de Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department staat in een bericht van 21 juni 2024: "Velen van jullie hebben vragen gesteld over de mysterieuze monoliet die onlangs is gezien in het noorden van Las Vegas. Gistermiddag hebben we geassisteerd bij het verwijderen van het object omwille van de openbare veiligheid en het milieu." De politie heeft bekendgemaakt dat "het onbekend is hoe het object op zijn locatie is gekomen of wie er verantwoordelijk voor zou kunnen zijn." De afmeting van de monoliet is 19,5 meter.

Monolieten over de hele wereld, een mysterie begonnen in 2020

Meteen na de ontdekking werd de monoliet weggehaald, maar het bracht een mysterie aan het licht dat teruggaat tot 2020, toen deze vreemde lichtgevende objecten over de hele wereld begonnen op te duiken. De monoliet in kwestie werd gevonden door het zoek- en reddingsteam van de politie van Las Vegas in de buurt van Gass Peak, dat deel uitmaakt van het uitgestrekte Desert National Wildlife Refuge.

Momenteel is dit de laatste verschijning van deze mysterieuze gespiegelde zuilen. In november 2020 verscheen een soortgelijke monoliet in de rode rotswoestijn van Utah, Mountain West, VS. Daarna zijn er monolieten gezien in Californië, New Mexico, Roemenië en zelfs in het centrum van Las Vegas op Fremont Street. Het gemeenschappelijke kenmerk is dat ze plotseling verschenen en net zo snel weer verdwenen. Nick Street, de luitenant van het Utah Department of Public Safety, verklaarde: "Dit ding komt niet van een andere wereld".

Waarom de monoliet van Las Vegas werd verwijderd

LVMPD/X

De formatie in Utah was ingebed in de rotsen in een gebied dat zo verspreid lag dat de locatie aanvankelijk verborgen werd gehouden, om te voorkomen dat mensen erop uit zouden trekken om ernaar te zoeken en het risico liepen te verdwalen. De coördinaten werden echter ontdekt en veel nieuwsgierige toeristen gingen er met de auto naartoe, waarbij ze de natuur beschadigden en veel afval achterlieten. De reden waarom de autoriteiten besloten de monoliet uit Las Vegas te verwijderen, is om te voorkomen dat dezelfde dynamiek zich herhaalt.

Het Desert National Wildlife Refuge, een federaal gebied, is een enorm natuurreservaat waar dikhoornschapen, schildpadden en zeldzame planten leven, allemaal soorten die hier beschermd zijn. Op dit moment bevindt de monoliet, die bestaat uit een plaat reflecterend metaal gemodelleerd naar een prisma en gelast met betonijzer en beton, zich na uit de grond te zijn getrokken waar het een diep gat achterliet, in een geheime opslagplaats, in afwachting van een beslissing van de autoriteiten over de beste manier om zich ervan te ontdoen.

{ https://www.curioctopus.nl/ }

27-06-2024 om 22:27 geschreven door peter  

Fragment van een papyrus met verhalen over Jezus' kindertijd ontdekt: het onthult nieuwe details

Door Janine

Biblioteca statale e universitaria di Amburgo

Jarenlang bewaarde een bibliotheek in Hamburg, Duitsland, een oude papyrus, in de veronderstelling dat het een onbelangrijk document was. De waarheid is echter heel anders, althans volgens de twee experts die het fragment lange tijd hebben bestudeerd en de inhoud ervan hebben onthuld. Het zou de oudst bekende kopie zijn van een van de apocriefe evangeliën, die vertelt over de wonderen die Jezus verrichtte toen hij nog een kind was.

Het oudste exemplaar van het Kindheidsevangelie van Thomas bevindt zich in Hamburg: niemand wist het

We zijn in de Carl von Ossietzky Staats- en Universiteitsbibliotheek in de stad Hamburg, in Noord-Duitsland. Jarenlang werd gedacht dat een van de bewaard gebleven papyri niets anders was dan een alledaags document, een privébriefje of een boodschappenlijstje. In werkelijkheid, zeggen twee experts die de gelegenheid hebben gehad om het fragment van de papyrus te analyseren, zou het een van de belangrijkste documenten zijn om de eerste eeuwen van het christendom te begrijpen.

De studie, gepubliceerd in de Journal of Papyrology and Epigraphy, beweert dat dit fragment de oudste kopie is die ooit is gevonden van het Kindheidsevangelie van Thomas. Terwijl de eerdere versie dateert uit de 9e eeuw, zou de papyrus die in Hamburg bewaard werd minstens 1600 jaar oud zijn en geschreven zijn tussen de 4e en 5e eeuw. Toch bewaarde de bibliotheek het document jarenlang en niemand realiseerde zich ooit het belang ervan, totdat prof. Lajos Berkes het woord “Jezus” in de tekst opmerkte. En hij besloot op onderzoek uit te gaan.

Dit is wat de papyrus zegt over de kindertijd van Jezus

Het fragment bevat 13 regels geschreven in het Grieks en komt uit het laat-oude Egypte, toen het christendom al een wijdverspreide en waarschijnlijk staatsreligie was geworden. Zoals bevestigd door de twee geleerden die de papyrus analyseerden, Lajos Berkes en Gabriel Nocchi Macedo, gaat de inhoud niet over boodschappen of andere alledaagse zaken. In plaats daarvan vertelt het een verhaal uit de kindertijd van Jezus dat bekend staat als het levend maken van mussen van klei.

De episode is al bekend, omdat hij voorkomt in recentere kopieën van het Kindheidsevangelie van Thomas, en vertelt over het tweede wonder van de jonge Jezus. Op 5-jarige leeftijd is Jezus aan het spelen aan de oever van een rivier en maakt hij kleine musjes met klei. Jozef berispt hem omdat hij op een ongepaste dag werkt, waarop Jezus in zijn handen klapt en leven geeft aan de musjes, die wegvliegen van de rivier.

Een deel van de apocriefe evangeliën

Er wordt weinig gesproken over het Kindheidsevangelie van Jezus, dat wordt toegeschreven aan de apostel Thomas maar in werkelijkheid in de 2e eeuw is geschreven. Het is in feite één van de apocriefe evangeliën, teksten die zijn uitgesloten van de officiële bijbelse canonvorming van de Katholieke Kerk omdat ze vaak als onbetrouwbaar werden beschouwd of in ieder geval in tegenspraak zijn met de vier testamentaire evangeliën. Het Kindheidsevangelie vertelt bijvoorbeeld over een reeks wonderen die Jezus tussen zijn 5e en 12e levensjaar verrichtte, maar andere evangelies verzamelen gezegden, weer andere episoden uit het leven, enzovoort.

Het belang van de Hamburgse ontdekking ligt niet alleen in de oudheid van het handschrift, dat hoe dan ook een essentieel element is. Naast dit aspect stelt het bestuderen van een papyrus uit de 4e tot 5e eeuw ons in staat de verspreiding van deze evangeliën in de eerste eeuwen van het christendom te begrijpen. De ontdekking schuift de oudste kopie van het Kindheidsevangelie van Thomas daarom niet simpelweg enkele eeuwen terug, maar biedt nieuwe informatie over de context van het kopiëren en bestuderen van deze teksten. Die toen al buiten de traditionele canon werden beschouwd, maar die ons op de een of andere manier hebben bereikt.

{ https://www.curioctopus.nl/ }

22-06-2024 om 18:46 geschreven door peter  

Are Plants Really Intelligent?

The tall goldenrod (Solidago altissima), a North American species of goldenrod in the family Asteraceae, can perceive other plants nearby without ever touching them, by sensing far-red light ratios reflected off leaves. When goldenrod is eaten by herbivores, it adapts its response based on whether or not another plant is nearby. Is this kind of flexible, real-time, adaptive response a sign of intelligence in plants?

Plant induced responses to environmental stressors are increasingly studied in a behavioral ecology context. This is particularly true for plant induced responses to herbivory that mediate direct and indirect defenses, and tolerance. These seemingly adaptive alterations of plant defense phenotypes in the context of other environmental conditions have led to the discussion of such responses as intelligent behavior. In their paper, Kessler & Mueller consider the concept of plant intelligence and some of its predictions for chemical information transfer in plant interaction with other organisms.

Image credit: Becky.

“There are more than 70 definitions that are published for intelligence and there is no agreement on what it is, even within a given field,” said Professor André Kessler, a chemical ecologist at Cornell University.

“Many people believe that intelligence requires a central nervous system, with electrical signals acting as the medium for processing information.”

“Some plant biologists equate plant vascular systems with central nervous systems, and propose that some kind of centralized entity in the plant allows them to process information and respond.”

But Professor Kessler and his colleague, Cornell University doctoral student Michael Mueller, disagree with that idea.

“There is no good evidence for any of the homologies with the nervous system, even though we clearly see electrical signaling in plants, but the question is how important is that signaling for a plant’s ability to process environmental cues?” Professor Kessler said.

To make their argument for plant intelligence, the authors narrowed their definition down to the most basic elements: the ability to solve problems, based on the information that you get from the environment, toward a particular goal.

As a case study, Professor Kessler points to his earlier research investigating goldenrod and its responses when eaten by pests.

When leaf beetle larvae eat goldenrod leaves, the plant emits a chemical that informs the insect that the plant is damaged and is a poor source of food.

These airborne chemicals, called volatile organic compounds (VOCs), are also picked up by neighboring goldenrod plants, prompting them to produce their own defenses against the beetle larvae.

In this way, goldenrod move herbivores on to neighbors, and distribute damage.

In 2022, Professor Kessler and co-authors ran experiments to show that Solidago altissima can also perceive higher far-red light ratios reflected off leaves of neighboring plants.

When neighbors are present and goldenrods are eaten by beetles, they invest more into tolerating the herbivore by growing faster yet also start producing defensive compounds that help the plants fight off insect pests.

When no neighbors are present, the plants don’t resort to accelerated growth when eaten and the chemical responses to herbivores are markedly different, though they still tolerate quite high amounts of herbivory.

“This would fit our definition of intelligence. Depending on the information it receives from the environment, the plant changes its standard behavior,” Professor Kessler.

“Neighboring goldenrod also exhibit intelligence when they perceive VOCs that signal the presence of a pest.”

“The volatile emission coming from a neighbor is predictive of future herbivory.”

“They can use an environmental cue to predict a future situation, and then act on that.”

“Applying the concept of intelligence to plants can inspire fresh hypotheses about the mechanisms and functions of plant chemical communication, while also shifting people’s thinking about what intelligence really means.”

“The latter idea is timely, as artificial intelligence is a current topic of interest. For example, artificial intelligence doesn’t solve problems toward a goal, at least not yet.”

“Artificial intelligence, by our definition of intelligence, is not even intelligent. It is instead based on the patterns it identifies in information it can access.”

“An idea that interests us came from mathematicians in the 1920s who proposed that perhaps plants functioned more like beehives.”

“In this case, each cell operates like an individual bee, and the entire plant is analogous to a hive.”

“What that means is, the brain in the plant is the entire plant without the need of central coordination.”

“Instead of electrical signaling, there is chemical signaling throughout the superorganism.”

“Studies by other researchers have shown that every plant cell has broad light spectrum perception and sensory molecules to detect very specific volatile compounds coming from neighboring plants.”

“They can smell out their environment very precisely; every single cell can do it, as far as we know.”

“Cells might be specialized, but they also all perceive the same things, and they communicate via chemical signaling to trigger a collective response in growth or metabolism.”

“That idea is very appealing to me.”

• The team’s paper was published in the journal Plant Signaling and Behavior.
• André Kessler & Michael B. Mueller. Induced resistance to herbivory and the intelligent plant. Plant Signaling and Behavior, published online April 30, 2024; doi: 10.1080/15592324.2024.2345985

{ https://www.sci.news/ }

17-06-2024 om 23:31 geschreven door peter  

Exploring the First 2024 Crop Circle at Wilton Windmill

The Enigmatic Crop Circle at Wilton Windmill: A 2024 Marvel

The serene landscape of Wilton Windmill in Wiltshire has once again become the stage for an intriguing phenomenon – a crop circles reported on June 12th, 2024. This year’s formation, located just east of the historic windmill, has already captivated the imagination of enthusiasts and researchers alike. With a rich history of similar formations dating back to 2004, Wilton Windmill continues to be a focal point for these mysterious occurrences.

A History of Crop Circles at Wilton Windmill

Wilton Windmill is no stranger to crop circles. Over the past two decades, this peaceful and picturesque location has witnessed several intricate formations, including notable appearances in 2020, 2016, 2011, 2010, and 2004. Each of these formations has added to the site’s reputation as a hotspot for crop circle activity, drawing visitors and researchers from all over the world.

Discovering the 2024 Crop Circle

The discovery of the 2024 crop circle is shrouded in mystery. Located in a field of lush winter barley standing at approximately 120cm tall, the formation is not visible from surrounding areas. The farmer, known for his meticulous care of the land, has ensured easy access for visitors via a wooden gate and a mown grass strip alongside the field. However, the exact path into the formation is less obvious, encouraging respectful navigation to avoid trampling the crops.

A Detailed Look at the Formation

Spanning over 50 meters in width and 100 meters in length, the 2024 crop circle is significantly larger than it appears in aerial photographs. The design comprises a series of concentric circles and additional smaller circles connected by straight lines, forming a complex geometric pattern. Interestingly, the formation does not align with the existing tramlines, and its centers are off-tramline, adding to its mysterious allure.

Unique Features and Observations

One of the most striking features of this crop circle is the number of stalks bent at the first node, creating a semi-laid effect across the formation. This bending, approximately 150° at the nodes, suggests a pattern that is not a result of regrowth but possibly due to an unknown force. The texture of the laid crop, described as soft and partly messy, reveals interesting visual effects from above, hinting at a stippled or chequered pattern.

Challenges in Documentation and Research

Despite the intrigue, documenting the formation has been challenging. Current photographs lack detail and accuracy, making it difficult to capture the full essence of the crop circle. Additionally, the secrecy surrounding reporting sources in the English crop circle community hampers verifiable research. There is a clear need for high-quality overhead photographs and detailed field studies to better understand this phenomenon.

Theories and Hypotheses

As with all crop circles, the origins of the Wilton Windmill formation are the subject of much debate. Popular theories include:

• Extraterrestrial Involvement: Some believe that the precise and intricate design could be the work of extraterrestrial beings.
• Human Artistry: Others propose that these formations are created by skilled human artists using tools and careful planning.
• Natural Phenomena: A less widely accepted theory suggests that natural processes could be responsible for such formations.

A Call for Respectful Exploration

For those planning to visit the Wilton Windmill crop circle, it is crucial to respect the farmer’s land and follow the suggested access routes to avoid damaging the crops. By doing so, we can ensure that this mysterious and beautiful formation remains intact for further study and appreciation.

VIDEO:

• https://youtu.be/IXPNVEDLwBo

The 2024 crop circle at Wilton Windmill is a fascinating addition to the site’s history of enigmatic formations. Its complex geometry, unique physical characteristics, and the mystery of its origins make it a subject of great interest and speculation. As researchers and enthusiasts continue to explore this phenomenon, each new formation adds a layer to our understanding of these mysterious creations.

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

15-06-2024 om 20:31 geschreven door peter  

De voorspellingen van Nostradamus voor 2024 onthuld

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De voorspellingen van Nostradamus voor 2024 onthuld

Nostradamus was een Franse astroloog geboren aan het begin van de 16e eeuw. Hij werkte als arts, maar hij staat bekend om zijn veronderstelde vermogen om de toekomst te voorspellen, en er wordt gezegd dat hij veel grote wereldgebeurtenissen heeft voorzien. Sommigen beweren dat hij met succes de opkomst van Adolf Hitler, het begin van de coronaviruspandemie en zelfs de moord op de Amerikaanse president John F. Kennedy heeft voorspeld. Welnu, voorspellingen van de mysticus voor 2024 beweren dat er drama zou kunnen zijn voor de koninklijke familie, een uitbraak van oorlog en een grote tsunami.

Gefascineerd? LEES verder om een ​​huiveringwekkende voorspelling voor 2024 te ontdekken, met dank aan Nostradamus.

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Wie was Nostradamus?
Hoewel we hem maar bij één naam kennen, werd hij eigenlijk geboren als Michel de Nostredame. Nostradamus is de Latijnse vorm van zijn naam. Hij werd geboren op 14 December 1503 in het zuiden van Frankrijk in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence.

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Zijn eerste profetieën kwamen voort uit verdriet
Men gelooft dat Nostradamus de toekomst begon te voorspellen na de tragische dood van zijn vrouw en kinderen door een pestepidemie in Frankrijk. Hij begon door Europa te reizen en leerde over Joodse mystiek en astrologische technieken.

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Zijn grootste werk
Toen Nostradamus terugkeerde naar de Provence, publiceerde hij de eerste van zijn profetieën in 1555 in wat zijn grootste werk werd, 'De Profetieën'. Het boek bestond uit 942 voorspellingen.

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Zijn voorspellingen worden tot op de dag van vandaag geanalyseerd
Een van de redenen waarom de voorspellingen van Nostradamus mensen blijven fascineren, is omdat ze altijd vaag waren en nooit data bevatten.

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Voorspellingen voor 2024
Zijn voorspellingen konden daarom worden toegepast op verschillende dramatische gebeurtenissen door de eeuwen heen. Klik verder om te zien wat 2024 in petto zou kunnen hebben!

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Klimaatverandering wordt catastrofaal
Nostradamus gebruikte bijbelse beeldspraak als het ging om zijn visioenen van de wereld, vooral toen hij schreef over het einde van de wereld.

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Klimaatverandering wordt catastrofaal
En die beelden zijn geloofwaardiger geworden met de ontwikkeling van de klimaatverandering.

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Klimaatverandering wordt catastrofaal
Volgens verschillende interpretatoren van zijn profetieën leggen zijn eerdere geschriften de basis voor een wereld die geconfronteerd wordt met de catastrofale gevolgen van de opwarming van de aarde, en 2024 zal niet anders zijn

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Klimaatverandering wordt catastrofaal
Verschillende van zijn analisten wijzen op een tekst die kokende zeeën, rivieren en meren beschrijft, naast de voorspelling van een grote droogte. Zij suggereren dat dit het bewijs is dat Nostradamus klimaatverandering voorspelde die ertoe zou leiden dat delen van de aarde onleefbaar zouden worden voor mensen en dieren.

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Een enorme tsunami kan een grote hongersnood veroorzaken
Nostradamus voorspelde ook tsunami's, want hij beweerde dat een serie "grote overstromingen" delen van de wereld zal treffen, gevolgd door een "grote hongersnood".

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Een enorme tsunami kan een grote hongersnood veroorzaken
Zijn grimmige voorspellingen luiden als volgt: "De droge aarde zal meer uitgedroogd raken en er zullen grote overstromingen zijn."

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Een enorme tsunami kan een grote hongersnood veroorzaken
Hij schreef ook over een "zeer grote hongersnood door pestgolf", wat zou duiden op de mogelijkheid dat de tsunami landbouwgrond zou treffen.

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Een door oorlog verscheurde tijd
De afgelopen jaren werd de wereldwijde nieuwscyclus gedomineerd door het uitbreken van oorlog. In Februari 2022 viel Rusland Oekraïne binnen, waardoor de spanningen tussen de supermachten van de wereld toenamen.

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Een door oorlog verscheurde tijd
En in de herfst van 2023 verklaarde Israël de oorlog aan de Palestijnse militante groep Hamas na hun aanval, die leidde tot hevige bombardementen op de Gazastrook en nog eens duizenden doden.

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Een door oorlog verscheurde tijd
Analisten van het werk van Nostradamus beweren dat zijn teksten helaas nog meer conflicten voorspellen voor 2024.

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Verwacht een enorme zeeslag
Nostradamus voorzag specifiek escalerende conflicten in de oceanen, omdat niet alleen "grote overstromingen" zullen plaatsvinden, maar ook "angst" door de oceanen zal sijpelen.

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China zal betrokken raken bij conflict
Bovendien voorspelde Nostradamus "gevechten en zeeslagen" en zei hij dat een "rode tegenstander bleek zal worden van angst en de grote oceaan zal doen vrezen". Sommigen geloven dat de "rode tegenstander" zou kunnen verwijzen naar China.

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China zal betrokken raken bij conflict
De "zeeslag" zou kunnen verwijzen naar China's spanningen met Taiwan. Beijing heeft momenteel de grootste marine ter wereld.

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China zal betrokken raken bij conflict
Sommigen hebben dit zelfs geïnterpreteerd als een mogelijke confrontatie tussen China en de NAVO, wat zou duiden op het begin van een nieuw Chinees-Russisch pact.

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Er zou een nieuwe paus kunnen komen
Paus Franciscus, die op 17 December 2024 88 jaar wordt, heeft de laatste tijd gezondheidsproblemen. Hij beklom het hoogste ambt van het Vaticaan in 2013 na het aftreden van zijn voorganger.

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Er zou een nieuwe paus kunnen komen
In 2023 moest hij de VN-klimaatconferentie COP28 in Dubai overslaan vanwege een longontsteking en ademhalingsproblemen als gevolg van griep.

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Er zou een nieuwe paus kunnen komen
Volgens de voorspellingen van de astroloog zou Paus Franciscus binnenkort een vervanger kunnen krijgen. "Door de dood van een zeer oude paus, zal een Romein van goede leeftijd worden gekozen, Van hem zal worden gezegd dat hij zijn zie verzwakt, Maar lang zal hij zitten en in bijtende activiteit," schreef hij.

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Er zou een nieuwe paus kunnen komen
De geschreven regels voorspellen de dood van de paus en zijn vervanging door een jonge Romein. Hoewel "Romein" in dit geval aantoonbaar verwijst naar de Kerk zelf.

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Koning Charles III's regeerperiode zal worden ingekort
Eén belangrijke voorspelling van Nostradamus verwijst naar een "koning van de eilanden" die "met geweld wordt verdreven".

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Koning Charles III's regeerperiode zal worden ingekort
Hoewel er niet wordt verwezen naar een bepaald koninklijk boegbeeld, geloven sommige experts dat het om Koning Karel zou kunnen gaan. Nostradamus' bewering luidt: "Koning van de eilanden met geweld verdreven... vervangen door iemand die geen merkteken van een koning zal hebben."

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Koning Charles III's regeerperiode wordt ingekort
Analist en auteur Mario Reading gelooft dat de koning zou kunnen aftreden vanwege "aanhoudende aanvallen op zowel hemzelf als zijn tweede vrouw".

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Koning Charles III's regeerperiode zal worden ingekort
Hoewel prins William de volgende in lijn is, hebben sommige analisten beweerd dat de uitspraak "geen teken van een koning" suggereert dat prins Harry de troon zal bestijgen!

Bronnen:

• (Grunge)
• (New York Post)

{ https://www.msn.com/nl-be/}

13-06-2024 om 21:33 geschreven door peter  

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Deze delen van de Bijbel zijn waar
Zoals elke religieuze tekst, staat ook de Bijbel open voor interpretatie en is niet per se feitelijk accuraat. Echter blijkt dat sommige delen van de tekst volgens de wetenschap wel op waarheid berusten.

Nieuwsgierig naar wat er waar is van het meest verkochte boek aller tijden? LEES dan verder!

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De aarde is rond
Hoewel sommige samenzweringstheorieën iets anders beweren, heeft de wetenschap bevestigd dat onze planeet rond is. Dit wordt ook in de Bijbel genoemd: 'Hij troont boven de kring der aarde' (Jesaja 40:22).

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De kern van de planeet is heet
Job 28:5 vermeldt: 'De aarde, waaruit voedsel komt, wordt van beneden getransformeerd als door vuur.'

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De aarde zweeft in de ruimte
En als je op zoek bent naar Bijbelse bevestiging dat de aarde in de ruimte zweeft, zoek dan niet verder dan Job 26:7. Daar staat: 'Hij spreidt de noordelijke hemel uit over lege ruimte; hij hangt de aarde boven niets.'

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Er bestaat een waterkringloop
De waterkringloop, ook wel de hydrologische kringloop genoemd, is een bekend fenomeen. Het blijkt dat de Bijbel het meer dan eens vermeldt. Prediker 1:7 zegt: 'Alle stromen stromen in de zee, maar de zee is nooit vol. Naar de plaats waar de stromen vandaan komen, daar keren ze weer terug.'

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Er bestaat een waterkringloop
Amos 9:6 vermeldt het ook in één deel: 'Hij roept om de wateren van de zee en giet ze uit over het oppervlak van het land.' En dat doet Job 36:27-28 ook: 'Hij trekt de waterdruppels omhoog, die als regen naar de stromen sijpelen; de wolken gieten hun vocht neer en overvloedige regenbuien vallen op de mensheid.'

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Er bestaat een waterkringloop
Een ander voorbeeld is te vinden in Psalm 135:7, waar staat: 'Hij laat wolken opstijgen van de uiteinden van de aarde; hij zendt bliksem met de regen en laat de wind uit zijn voorraadschuren komen.'

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De zondvloed is waarschijnlijk echt gebeurd
De zondvloed en de ark van Noach is een van de meest populaire verhalen uit de Bijbel. En volgens geologisch bewijs zou de zondvloed van Noach echt kunnen hebben plaatsgevonden.

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De ark zou hebben gefunctioneerd
Volgens Genesis 6:13-22 waren Gods instructies aan Noach als volgt: 'De ark moet 140 meter lang, 23 meter breed en 14 meter hoog zijn.'

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De ark zou hebben gefunctioneerd
Het blijkt dat de wiskunde correct is. Volgens berekeningen gemaakt door natuurkundestudenten aan de Universiteit van Leicester in 2014, zou de ark daadwerkelijk drijven en solide genoeg zijn om twee paren van elke diersoort te kunnen dragen.

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Er zijn talloze sterren aan de hemel
Natuurlijk weten we dat het universum veel sterren heeft. En met veel bedoelen we wel een biljoen sterren per melkwegstelsel. En er wordt geschat dat er ongeveer 100 miljard sterrenstelsels in het heelal zijn!

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Er zijn talloze sterren aan de hemel
De Bijbel vermeldt dit in Jeremia 33:22: 'Ik zal de nakomelingen van mijn dienaar David en de Levieten die voor mij dienen zo ontelbaar als de sterren aan de hemel en zo onmetelijk als het zand aan de kust.'

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Sterren verschillen onderling
De Bijbel vermeldt ook dat de helderheid of grootte van sterren varieert. 'De zon heeft een soort pracht, de maan heeft een andere soort pracht en de sterren weer een andere; elke ster verschilt van pracht.' (Korinthiërs 15:41).

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Hemellichamen hebben niet het eeuwige leven
We weten nu dat sterren en andere astronomische lichamen sterven. De wetenschap heeft dit bevestigd, maar de Bijbel vermeldt het ook.

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Hemellichamen hebben niet het eeuwige leven
Mattheüs 24:35 luidt: 'Hemel en aarde zullen voorbijgaan, maar mijn woorden zullen nooit voorbijgaan.'

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Het universum is gemaakt van onzichtbare deeltjes
Hebreeën 11:3 luidt: 'Door geloof begrijpen we dat het heelal op Gods bevel werd gevormd, zodat het zichtbare niet werd gemaakt uit het zichtbare.'

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Het universum is gemaakt van onzichtbare deeltjes
It sounds like the Bible is talking about atoms. Protons, neutrons, and electrons on their own are invisible to the naked eye. Atoms make up pretty much everything, including us.

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David zou Goliath daadwerkelijk hebben kunnen verslaan
Een kleine jongen die een reus verslaat klinkt misschien onwaarschijnlijk, maar het verhaal van David en Goliath in 1 Samuël 17 verteld het net iets anders.

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David zou Goliath daadwerkelijk hebben kunnen verslaan
Een katapult is misschien niet het krachtigste wapen, maar de stenen uit Elah Valley waren gemaakt van bariumsulfaat, dat extreem massief is en Goliath zou daarmee gemakkelijk uitgeschakeld kunnen worden.

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David zou Goliath daadwerkelijk hebben kunnen verslaan
Maar er is meer. Als reus leed Goliath waarschijnlijk aan Acromegalie (overproductie van groeihormoon). Dit kan problemen met het gezichtsvermogen veroorzaken en het centrale (perifere) gezichtsvermogen kan beperkt zijn, wat handig zou zijn geweest voor David.

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Er zijn bergen onder water
Deze landvormen worden eigenlijk zeebergen genoemd en worden in de Bijbel genoemd.

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Er zijn bergen onder water
Psalm 104:6 luidt: 'U bedekte het met de waterige diepten als met een kleed; de wateren stonden boven de bergen.'

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De zon stopte echt met schijnen
Er vond namelijk een verduistering plaats. Jozua 10:12 luidt: 'Op de dag dat de Heer de Amorieten aan Israël overgaf, zei Jozua tot de Heer in het bijzijn van Israël: 'Zon, sta stil boven Gibeon, en jij, maan, over de vallei van Ajalon.''

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De zon stopte echt met schijnen
Dit was hoogstwaarschijnlijk een zonsverduistering, die onderzoekers hebben gedateerd op 30 oktober 1207 v.Chr..

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Wezens kunnen niet leven zonder bloed
De meesten van ons zijn bekend met het verhaal van Adam en Eva uit de Bijbel. Mensen hebben in feite een vrouwelijke biologische voorouder genaamd Mitochondriale Eva, die voorafgaat aan onze soort: Homo sapiens. Er is echter één ding dat ons alle levende wezens verbindt: bloed.

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Wezens kunnen niet leven zonder bloed
'Want het leven van een schepsel is in het bloed, en ik heb het u gegeven om voor uzelf te verzoenen te doen op het altaar; het is het bloed dat verzoening doet voor iemands leven' (Leviticus 17:11).

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Ontsmetten is echt belangrijk
De pandemie heeft ons allemaal pro's gemaakt in het ontsmetten van onze handen en kleding om verspreiding van ziektekiemen te voorkomen, maar de Bijbel noemde het belang ervan al lang geleden.

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De zieken moeten zich isoleren
Hoewel er zich later in de geschiedenis behoorlijke quarantaines ontwikkelden, adviseerde de Bijbel al 'de getroffen persoon zeven dagen af te zonderen', en als ze niet beter zijn, 'ze nog zeven dagen te isoleren' (Leviticus 13:1-5).

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Ontsmetten is echt belangrijk
Leviticus 11:28 zegt bijvoorbeeld: 'Iedereen die hun karkassen ophaalt, moet zijn kleren wassen, en ze zullen tot de avond onrein zijn. Deze dieren zijn onrein voor jullie.'

Bronnen:

• (Grunge)
• (Bible Gateway)

ttps://www.msn.com/nl-be/feed?ocid=msedgntp&pc=acts }

11-06-2024 om 23:41 geschreven door peter  

Seahenge werd opgericht tijdens een periode van intense kou, met als doel de zomer te verlengen en de warmere dagen terug te brengen, zo vermoedt een Engelse onderzoeker nu.

Op het strand in Norfolk, gelegen in het oosten van Engeland, werd in 1998 een mysterieuze, duizenden jaren oude houten cirkel ontdekt. Het monument, dat bestaat uit een omgekeerde boomstronk die omringd is door 55 nauwsluitende eiken palen, kwam aan het licht door verschuivende zandduinen. Sinds zijn ontdekking vragen wetenschappers zich al af waar dit monument in vervlogen tijden precies voor diende. En onderzoeker David Nance denkt het nu te weten.

Seahenge
Hoewel het raadselachtige monument oorspronkelijk bekend stond als Holme I, verwierf het al snel de bijnaam Seahenge vanwege zijn gelijkenis met Stonehenge en zijn ligging aan de kust. Wat we over het monument weten, is dat het zo’n 4000 jaar oud is en uit de oude Bronstijd stamt. Het lijkt te zijn gebouwd met hout dat dateert uit het voorjaar van 2049 vóór Christus. In eerste instantie werd het gebouwd op het zoutmoeras, ver verwijderd van de kustlijn. Door de moerassige omgeving ontstond er een laag turf die geleidelijk aan de houten structuren bedekte, waardoor ze werden beschermd tegen verval.

Functie
Ondertussen gaan al veel speculaties over de oorspronkelijke functie van het monument de ronde. Men vermoedde al eerder dat de cirkel is opgericht om de dood van een persoon te markeren. Sommigen denken dat het werd gebruikt voor begrafenissen, waarbij de overledenen binnenin werden gelegd om door aaseters te worden opgepikt. Maar nu brengt Nance in zijn onderzoek een ander idee naar voren.

Prehistorische klimaatverandering
Nance vermoedt dat Seahenge werd gebouwd als reactie op een periode van hevige klimaatverandering tegen het einde van het derde millennium vóór Christus. Zo zou het zijn opgericht tijdens een periode van extreme kou. Hij denkt dat dit gebeurde met het doel om rituelen uit te voeren die bedoeld waren om de zomer te verlengen en warmer weer terug te brengen. “Ongeveer 4000 jaar geleden, toen Seahenge werd gebouwd, waren er langdurige periodes van koud weer met strenge winters en late lentes,” licht Nance toe. “Dit zorgde voor problemen voor de mensen die langs de kust woonden. Het lijkt er sterk op dat dit monument werd gebouwd met als doel om de ernstige dreiging van het koude weer te stoppen.”

Koekoek
Om dit te ondersteunen, wijst Nance op de uitlijning van Seahenge met de zonsopgang tijdens de zomerzonnewende. “Het onderzoek naar de houten palen van Seahenge toonde aan dat ze in het voorjaar werden omgehakt,” licht Nance toe. “Het is aannemelijk dat deze palen werden geplaatst in overeenstemming met de opkomst van de zon tijdens de zomerzonnewende.” Hij denkt dat Seahenge opgericht werd om een oude legende na te bootsen waarbij een koekoek wordt gevangen om de zomer langer te laten duren. “Volgens de oude verhalen stopte de koekoek, die werd gezien als een symbool van vruchtbaarheid, op de zomerzonnewende met zingen,” zegt Nance. “Dan keerde hij terug naar de ‘Andere Wereld’, en verdween de zomer samen met hem.” Het lijkt erop dat het monument de vorm nabootst van twee veronderstelde winterverblijven van de koekoek uit de legende: een holle boom of de ‘bogen van de Andere Wereld’, gerepresenteerd door de omgekeerde eiken boomstronk in het midden.

Holme II
Nance bestudeerde ook ‘Holme II’ – een tweede, aangrenzende cirkel die dateert uit hetzelfde jaar, en die gecentreerd is rond twee plat gelegde eiken stammen. Voor Holme II verwijst hij naar legendes over ‘heilige koningen’ uit de IJzertijd in Ierland en noordelijk Groot-Brittannië. Volgens deze legendes werden deze koningen geofferd als er tegenspoed over de gemeenschap kwam. Dit werd gedaan in een poging om de godin Venus gunstig te stemmen en zo harmonie te herstellen. “Ze werden elke acht jaar ritueel geofferd tijdens Samhain (nu Halloween), in overeenstemming met de achtjarige cyclus van Venus,” legt Nance uit. “De structuren in Holme II, die verondersteld werden een doodskist vast te houden, waren gericht op de zonsopgang tijdens Samhain in het jaar 2049 vóór Christus, toen Venus nog steeds zichtbaar was.”

Al met al denkt Nance voor beide mysterieuze monumenten nu een sluitende verklaring te hebben gevonden. “Hoewel beide monumenten zijn opgericht voor verschillende rituelen, delen ze één gemeenschappelijk doel: het stoppen van het extreme koude weer,” besluit hij.

{ https://scientias.nl/ }

09-06-2024 om 00:32 geschreven door peter  

Now, scientists have learned that those aren’t the only massive lifeforms that dwell on Greenland’s ice, although new research is revealing how others have remained undiscovered for so long.

GREENLAND’S INVISIBLE “GIANTS”

Researchers studying Greenland’s icy ecosystem report the new discovery of gigantic viruses thriving on the region’s Arctic ice. These viruses could help manage local algal blooms and may even reduce the speed at which ice melts.

Lying dormant on the ice during the months, Greenland remains in darkness. As spring arrives, algae begin to bloom, causing large darkened areas on the ice sheet. This reduces the sunlight it reflects and induces faster melting, a process that could contribute to global warming.

Although they aBy extracting and sequencing mRNA from their samples, Perini and her team confirmed that viruses were present and living on the ice.

Unlike normal viruses, giant viruses can transcribe their DNA into mRNA themselves, whereas smaller varieties have to rely on hijacking the cells of their hosts. Many questions remain about these unusually large viruses, including what ecological roles they play and about their specific hosts.

Further studies are expected to reveal how these giant viruses interact in their Arctic ecosystem, and in the months ahead, Perini and her team plan to publish additional research on how these viruses infect microalgae, which could help to reveal new insights into the curious, “invisible” giants that thrive on the Greenland Ice Sheet.

Perini and her team’s paper, “Giant viral signatures on the Greenland ice sheet,” was published in the journal Microbiome in May.

• 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://youtu.be/WWvWSvEWnKs }

06-06-2024 om 17:54 geschreven door peter  

Yet what is perhaps the most intriguing about the thylacine is that, for many decades, alleged sightings of the creatures have continued, causing even some of the most skeptical wildlife experts to wonder whether the beloved Tasmanian tiger might have survived extinction, remaining alive but critically endangered in some of Tasmania’s most remote forests.

Last year, a comprehensive analysis of 1,237 thylacine sightings reported since 1910 indicated the possibility that the creatures might have indeed persisted until as recently as the 1980s, if not more recently. The study, led by Professor Barry Brook from the University of Tasmania and published in the journal Science of the Total Environment, based its evaluations on the quality of observations by assigning them a credibility rating, providing a fresh perspective on the timing and location of the thylacine’s potential last days.

According to the study’s findings, contrary to the widely accepted death of the last known thylacine in 1936, which marked its extinction, the species likely survived until sometime between the 1940s and 1970s, with the northwest of Tasmania near Waratah serving as its likely final stronghold.

Following the death of the last officially recognized thylacine in the 1930s, hopes remained that confirmation of the species’ existence would be obtained, but after several decades of intriguing sightings, the International Union for Conservation of Nature officially declared the thylacine extinct in 1982. However, Brook’s study also examined sightings of slightly lower reliability that were logged in later decades, which indicated an intriguing possibility: that at least a few representatives of Australia’s most iconic marsupial species may have lived long enough to have seen the arrival of the new millennium.

CREDIBLE SIGHTINGS

Among the most credible sightings of thylacines that occurred after their accepted extinction was a report by Hans Naarding, a park ranger who said he observed one of the creatures for several minutes while illuminated by torchlight in 1982. The sighting was deemed so credible that it resulted in a search for the species by Tas Parks, in cooperation with Dr. Eric Guiler, which lasted more than two years.

Peter Murrell, then Director of the Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service, cited the Naarding sighting as the best “in the history of the service,” which he called “irrefutable and conclusive” evidence of the creature’s survival.

Such sightings prompted numerous additional searches. Between 1982 and 1983, Parks and Wildlife Officer Nick Mooney attempted to confirm Naarding’s sighting during searches conducted near the Arthur River in northwestern Tasmania, which failed to find any conclusive evidence of the creatures. The following year, in 1984, Tasmanian Wildlife Park owner Peter Wright conducted similar unsuccessful searches. Then, in 1988, photographers Dave Watts and Ned Terry spent several years seeking evidence of Thylacines but eventually gave up their search in 1993.

Despite the failed searches, a few intriguing reports continued. In one instance, a thylacine was reportedly shot near Adamsfield, Tasmania, in the early 1990s, after which a photograph of one of the creature’s feet was compared with a specimen kept at Museum Victoria. Chris Rehberg, who manages the website Where Light Meets Dark, which collects information on sightings of rare fauna like the thylacine, wrote, “It is my opinion that the features shown in the photograph categorically demonstrate the animal to be Thylacine, to the exclusion of all other candidate species in Tasmania.”

COULD THE THYLACINE STILL EXIST?

Brook believes that while the 2023 study’s findings are compelling, there is a less than 1% chance that the creatures are still alive today. Still, some compelling—though unconfirmed—accounts and photographs could point to this intriguing possibility, which served as the basis for a 60 Minutes segment that aired in April 2024.

In May 2024, new photos allegedly depicting a Tasmanian tiger in the wild were publicized by wildlife biologist Forrest Galante on his YouTube channel. During an interview with the alleged photographer, identified only as “Zack,” Galante expressed the view that some of the images looked legitimate, but that he remained skeptical about at least one of the photos and planned to have them examined by an expert.

In 2022, The Debrief spoke with Professor Andrew Pask from the University of Melbourne, who, along with the U.S.-based company Colossal Biosciences, announced a cooperative effort with hopes of reviving the thylacine with help from modern genetic technologies.

Pask told The Debrief that he remains skeptical about the thylacine’s possible survival and that the creatures would likely have only lasted a few generations beyond the death of the last known thylacine in captivity in 1936.

Pask also emphasized that the loss of the thylacine played a significant role in destabilizing the environment in which the creatures once thrived.

“That role as an apex predator was incredibly important in the ecosystem in which it sits,” Pask told The Debrief. “There are no other marsupial apex predators at all.”

“When that animal was lost, it really affects that entire ecosystem. It really has massive effects on multiple other species,” Pask said.

While questions remain about how long thylacines may have persisted, as well as the seemingly very slim possibility that a few of the creatures may remain alive today, Australia’s most enigmatic marsupial lives on through stories, art, scientific endeavors, and even recent studies like those conducted by Brook, reminding modern generations of the fragile balance between humanity and nature, and helping to inspire interest in conservation that may help other species that are currently designated as critically endangered.

• 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/ }

01-06-2024 om 18:03 geschreven door peter  

The notion that giants once roamed the earth has been widely discussed and supported by photographs of their skulls and skeletons found worldwide. 

Ancient megalithic structures, enormous and enigmatic, prompt us to question their builders. It seems impossible that human beings could have constructed such structures. 

Take, for instance, the colossal stones of Sacsayhuamán in Peru. When The conquistadors asked theInca about the walls at Sacsayjuaman, the Inca told them the Giants had built it. 

Similarly, Malta, an island steeped in history and legend, houses mysterious megalithic structures that have baffled archaeologists for centuries. These massive stone temples, among the oldest globally, appear beyond the capabilities of prehistoric farmers. 

However, the intrigue doesn't stop there.

Legends speak of the Nephilim, giant beings believed to have built these monumental structures. Some theories even suggest their descendants might still reside underground today. 

We investigate the possibility of these giants, examining bones, elongated skulls, and mysterious hidden subterranean chambers called The Hypogeum.

  

{ https://ufosightingshotspot.blogspot.com/ }

01-06-2024 om 15:12 geschreven door peter  

Mystery Fireball Seen Breaking Up in Sky Over Southern Russia: Video

By Isabel van Brugen

A mysterious fireball was spotted breaking up in the sky over southern Russia on Wednesday, videos shared by locals show.

Footage showing the unknown flying object was shared on social media by residents from several regions, including Stavropol Krai, the Karachay-Cherkess Republic, Krasnodar Krai, and the Republic of Kalmykia. Russian state-run news agency RIA Novosti reported that some residents believed it was a falling meteorite or comet, while others said they thought they had seen a satellite or an "enemy object."

The videos showed the fireball breaking up into multiple parts as it moved slowly across the night sky. Newsweek has not independently verified the footage.

This comes weeks after social media users reported seeing mysterious spiral UFO sightings across the United States and Europe. Interest in unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) peaked last year after several experts testified before a Congress committee in July 2023 that they could pose a threat to national security. A Gallup poll conducted in 2021 found that 41 percent of Americans believe alien spacecraft have visited Earth, up eight points from 33 percent in 2019.

RIA Novosti reported, citing amateur astronomers, that the sighting could have been space debris burning at low speed.

The Telegram channel of the observational astronomy project, AstroAlert, said the burning object was likely a SpaceX Starlink satellite.

"The culprit of today's sky show has been found! This is most likely STARLINK-2653," the channel said, sharing a map purportedly showing its flight path.

"On this map, its final flight path is the lower orbit turning from white to green and then to the red line, going through the center of the Sahara Desert, the Mediterranean Sea, Turkey, the Black Sea, Sochi and further over the northern Caspian Sea."

"15 minutes before combustion (at 17:35 UT or 20:35 Moscow time), the spacecraft flew over the western coast of Africa near a point with coordinates 0° longitude and 0° latitude," the channel said.

Newsweek reached out to SpaceX for comment by email.

Russia this week announced that it had kickstarted the first stage of testing tactical nuclear weapons in the region. Personnel of the Southern Military District had started training and completing combat tasks with "special ammunition" for Iskander missile systems, the Russian defense ministry said in a statement.

There is no suggestion that the fireball spotted on Wednesday is linked to the tactical tests. Newsweek has reached out to Russia's Foreign Ministry for comment via email.

"The personnel of the aviation units of the Russian Aerospace Forces involved in the exercise practice are equipping aviation weapons with special warheads, including the Kinzhal hypersonic missiles, and flying into designated patrol areas," the statement said.

{  https://www.newsweek.com/ }

29-05-2024 om 22:14 geschreven door peter