Dit is ons nieuw hondje Kira, een kruising van een waterhond en een Podenko. Ze is sinds 7 februari 2024 bij ons en druk bezig ons hart te veroveren. Het is een lief, aanhankelijk hondje, dat zich op een week snel aan ons heeft aangepast. Ze is heel vinnig en nieuwsgierig, een heel ander hondje dan Noleke.
This is our new dog Kira, a cross between a water dog and a Podenko. She has been with us since February 7, 2024 and is busy winning our hearts. She is a sweet, affectionate dog who quickly adapted to us within a week. She is very quick and curious, a very different dog than Noleke.
DEAR VISITOR,
MY BLOG EXISTS ALREADY 13 YEARS.
ON 06/06/2024 MORE THAN 2.056.610
VISITORS FROM 134 DIFFERENT NATIONS ALREADY FOUND THEIR WAY TO MY BLOG.
THAT IS AN AVERAGE OF 400GUESTS PER DAY.
THANK YOU FOR VISITING MY BLOG AND HOPE YOU ENJOY EACH TIME.
The purpose of this blog is the creation of an open, international, independent and free forum, where every UFO-researcher can publish the results of his/her research. The languagues, used for this blog, are Dutch, English and French.You can find the articles of a collegue by selecting his category. Each author stays resposable for the continue of his articles. As blogmaster I have the right to refuse an addition or an article, when it attacks other collegues or UFO-groupes.
Druk op onderstaande knop om te reageren in mijn forum
Zoeken in blog
Deze blog is opgedragen aan mijn overleden echtgenote Lucienne.
In 2012 verloor ze haar moedige strijd tegen kanker!
In 2011 startte ik deze blog, omdat ik niet mocht stoppen met mijn UFO-onderzoek.
BEDANKT!!!
Een interessant adres?
UFO'S of UAP'S, ASTRONOMIE, RUIMTEVAART, ARCHEOLOGIE, OUDHEIDKUNDE, SF-SNUFJES EN ANDERE ESOTERISCHE WETENSCHAPPEN - DE ALLERLAATSTE NIEUWTJES
UFO's of UAP'S in België en de rest van de wereld In België had je vooral BUFON of het Belgisch UFO-Netwerk, dat zich met UFO's bezighoudt. BEZOEK DUS ZEKER VOOR ALLE OBJECTIEVE INFORMATIE , enkel nog beschikbaar via Facebook en deze blog.
Verder heb je ook het Belgisch-Ufo-meldpunt en Caelestia, die prachtig, doch ZEER kritisch werk leveren, ja soms zelfs héél sceptisch...
Voor Nederland kan je de mooie site www.ufowijzer.nl bezoeken van Paul Harmans. Een mooie site met veel informatie en artikels.
MUFON of het Mutual UFO Network Inc is een Amerikaanse UFO-vereniging met afdelingen in alle USA-staten en diverse landen.
MUFON's mission is the analytical and scientific investigation of the UFO- Phenomenon for the benefit of humanity...
Je kan ook hun site bekijken onder www.mufon.com.
Ze geven een maandelijks tijdschrift uit, namelijk The MUFON UFO-Journal.
Since 02/01/2020 is Pieter ex-president (=voorzitter) of BUFON, but also ex-National Director MUFON / Flanders and the Netherlands. We work together with the French MUFON Reseau MUFON/EUROP.
ER IS EEN NIEUWE GROEPERING DIE ZICH BUFON NOEMT, MAAR DIE HEBBEN NIETS MET ONZE GROEP TE MAKEN. DEZE COLLEGA'S GEBRUIKEN DE NAAM BUFON VOOR HUN SITE... Ik wens hen veel succes met de verdere uitbouw van hun groep. Zij kunnen de naam BUFON wel geregistreerd hebben, maar het rijke verleden van BUFON kunnen ze niet wegnemen...
14-06-2024
A Radio Telescope Captured the Noise Humanity Leaks Into Space
A Radio Telescope Captured the Noise Humanity Leaks Into Space
ROLSES had a bumpy ride aboard the Odysseus Lander earlier this year, but it still pulled off some cool science.
A radio telescope on its way to the Moon captured a “selfie” of our planet’s radio waves, updating a vintage 1990s science experiment by Carl Sagan.
The ROLSES instrument rode to the Moon aboard Intuitive Machines’ Odysseus lander in February 2024, which arrived in a crater near the lunar South Pole in February. Along the way, the team measured the spectrum of radio waves rippling out into space from Earth. It’s not possible yet to decipher all that radio traffic, but it provides an electronic fingerprint of a civilization busily chattering over the airwaves — and leaking that chatter out into space. University of Colorado physicist Jack Burns and his colleagues hope to compare Earth’s radio fingerprint to their observations of other worlds from a telescope they plan to build on the far side of the Moon.
One of the antennas on the ROLSES instrument deployed partway to the Moon, so Burns and his colleagues decided they might as well take some measurements of Earth — and it’s a good thing they did, because they only got about 20 minutes’ worth of data once ROLSES landed on the Moon.
INTUITIVE MACHINES AND JACK BURNS
EVERYTHING GETS A REBOOT THESE DAYS
Along the way to the Moon, ROLSES repeated a famous Carl Sagan experiment from 1993: It captured the spectrum of radio waves pouring from our planet out into space. What they measured was an electronic fingerprint of all the wavelengths of radio broadcasts that passing aliens could see if they, too, pointed a radio spectrometer at Earth. They hope the data will give them a more detailed idea of what to look for in radio data from planets around nearby stars.
In 1993, Carl Sagan used the Galileo spacecraft — then on its way to Jupiter — to measure Earth’s atmospheric composition and radio signature.
“The presence of narrow-band, pulsed, amplitude-modulated radio transmission seems uniquely attributable to intelligence,” wrote Sagan in his 1993 paper in the journal Nature. “These observations constitute a control experiment for the search for extraterrestrial life by modern interplanetary spacecraft.” In other words, Sagan hoped that an alien’s-eye view of Earth from Galileo could help astronomers interpret what they saw in observations of planets orbiting other stars. If we could see what the signs of life on Earth looked like from a distance, then we might recognize them if we ever saw them on a distant world.
Astronomical instruments have come a long way since 1993, both literally and figuratively. With the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), astronomers are finally able to measure how light filters through the atmospheres of planets like the TRAPPIST-1 worlds as they pass in front of their stars. And the radio spectrometer on ROLSES could measure Earth’s radio output in much more detail than the Galileo spacecraft’s instruments could.
“We can re-do the Sagan experiment from 1993 with a much improved radio spectrum,” says Burns in a presentation at the 244th American Astronomical Society conference on Monday.
In case you ever wondered what Earth’s radio signature looks like from space, this is it.
JACK BURNS ET AL.
MAKING THE MOST OF AN AWKWARD SITUATION
ROLSES was meant to spend about 8 days gathering data about how much radio energy from Earth, and the Sun, reaches the southern pole of the Moon. But Intuitive Machines’ Odysseus Lander had a difficult landing in Malapert A crater, and it came to rest with one broken leg, leaning on a nearby slope at about a 30-degree angle. That left the lander’s high-gain antenna pointed at the lunar surface, instead of back toward Earth.
“We were supposed to have 8 days worth of data. We ended up with an hour and a half to 2 hours worth of data,” says Burns.
ROLSES spent only about 20 minutes doing radio astronomy from the surface of the Moon — still a major first and (Burns and others hope) a precursor to full-scale radio observatories on the far side of the Moon. Because the observation time was so short, the data is more noise than signal. The rest, about an hour and a half of much clearer data, was collected on the way to the Moon, when ROLSES wasn’t supposed to have been up and running at all, which underscores how much of spaceflight still relies on being able to improvise quickly.
This artist’s illustration shows LuSEE-Night, ROLSES’s future successor on the Moon.
FIREFLY AEROSPACE
WHAT’S NEXT?
Burns and his colleagues have ambitious plans for their hour and a half of data from ROLSES.
“As a control experiment, what we're looking forward to is comparing this Earth spectrum to ones of nearby exoplanets that we hope to observe with our FARSIDE array of radio telescopes,” says Burns. FARSIDE would be an array of 128 radio antennas arranged over about 6 square miles of the Moon and connected to a base station. It’s received some design funding from NASA so far.
The FARSIDE antennas will listen for faint signals from the Cosmic Dark Ages, but Burns also wants to use them to scan about 2,000 nearby star systems for signs of intelligent, radio-using life — and compare those signals with the ones Galileo and ROLSES measured coming from Earth.
Burns and his colleagues are also working with Texas-based Lunar Resources, INc. to design a 5-square-mile array of radio antennas sprawling across a lunar plain. Picture something like an old-fashioned television antenna; now picture roughly 100,000 of them, lined up end-to-end in a series of zig-zags. Combined, those antennas will act as one giant radio receiver.
Picture something like an old-fashioned television antenna; now picture roughly 100,000 of them, lined up end-to-end in a series of zig-zags.
The concept competing with Farview is basically a lunar version of the now-defunct Arecibo Observatory (RIP) called the Lunar Crater Radio Telescope, a semicircle of wire mesh about a third of a mile wide, lining the bottom of a 1.9-mile-wide crater on the Moon. Both projects have received some funding from NASA for development and design, but neither is fully funded for actually building or launch.
Before either of those ambitious projects actually break lunar ground, two more small radio telescopes will launch to the Moon in 2026. One is a second, upgraded version of ROLSES. The second is LuSEE-Night, which, if everything goes to schedule, will land on the far side of the Moon in January 2026 and deploy a pair of spring-loaded, 20-foot-long radio antennas. The little telescope will test whether the far side of the Moon is really as good a vantage point for radio astronomy as everyone hopes. It will also give us our first, albeit low-resolution, glimpse of the galaxy at the low radio frequencies we can't see from Earth.
The Inner and Outer Milky Way Aren’t the Same Thickness, and that’s Surprising
At first glance, the universe and night sky seem largely unchanging. The reality is very different, even now, a gas cloud is charging toward the Milky Way Galaxy and is expected to crash into us in 27 million years. A team of astronomers hoping to locate the exact position of the expected impact site have been unsuccessful but have accidentally measured the thickness of the Milky Way! Analysing radio data, they have been able to deduce the thickness of the inner and outer regions and discovered a dramatic difference between the two.
The team of astronomers from the US National Science Foundation’s Green Bank Observatory were attempting to study the Smith Cloud. This high velocity cloud of hydrogen gas is located in the constellation Aquila at a distance of somewhere between 36,000 and 45,000 light years. Previous studies from the Green Bank Observatory have shown the cloud contains at least 1 million times the mass of the Sun and measures 9,800 light years long by 3,300 light years wide.
A false-color image of the Smith Cloud made with data from the Green Bank Telescope (GBT). New analysis indicates that it is wrapped in a dark matter halo. Credit: NRAO/AUI/NSF
The plan was simple enough, to observe the spot where the cloud is currently interacting with the Milky Way. The observation is tricky enough though as the cloud is on the far side of the Milky Way and there is a lot of stuff in the way! The team, led by Toney Minter used the 20m Green Bank Telescope to search for dust and emissions from hydroxyl molecules (composed of a hydrogen and oxygen molecule.) What the team expected to see was a difference in composition in the region of the Milky Way interacted with the cloud which, should have very little dust and hydroxyl molecules. Clouds in the Milky Way tend to have both so a difference should be detectable.
The Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope. Credit: Jay Young.
Minter was candidly open about the study joking ‘I knew there was a low probability that I’d find what I was looking for—and I didn’t,. But this is all part of the scientific process. You learn from what you DO and DON’T find.’
Disappointingly the team did not detect any differences in composition but what they did find was equally as interesting. The study revealed information about the Milky Way itself and the structure of its inner regions. Minter and his team had to look through the Milky Way’s inner regions for their study and what they were able to determine was the thickness of the layer of molecules in the inner Galaxy. The information enabled them to deduce the scale height of the clouds of molecular gas in the inner Milky Way. The results showed that the layer of molecules in the inner region measured 330 light years thick while those in the outer parts measured twice as much, around 660 light years.
The discovery still leaves questions unanswered. The observation certainly shows the difference in thickness between the inner and outer regions but it doesn’t give any clue as to what is driving the difference. Further observations are now required to follow up on this discovery to try and model the underlying process. Of course one other question remains unanswered and that is the nature and mechanics of the Smith Cloud and how it will impact our own Galaxy. Far from being disappointed though, Minter stated ‘That’s why astronomy is exciting, our knowledge is always evolving’
Many space fans have been following the successful launch of the Boeing Starliner, another commercial organisation aiming to make space more accessible. It successfully reached the International Space Station, delivering Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams into orbit but it wasn’t without a hitch. Three of its thrusters experienced problems and there were ‘five small leaks on the service module.’ The crew and ground teams are working through safety checks of power and habitability. To ensure a safe return of the astronauts NASA has extended the mission by four days to 18th June.
Boeing Starliner is a reusable (partly) spacecraft designed to transport crews to low Earth orbit. NASA is the lead customer so, once certification has been achieved, will be used to deliver astronauts regularly to the ISS. It consists of a crew capsule that can be used ten times and an expendable service module. Measuring 4.6 metres in diameter it is slightly larger than the Apollo Command module that was a part of the historic Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins mission to the Moon.
The Apollo 10 command/service module nicknamed “Charlie Brown” orbiting the Moon as seen from the lunar module. Credit: NASA
The Boeing Starliner launch marked its first crewed trip into orbit, with the objective of data collection for certification by NASA for regular crewed missions to ISS. The tests are numerous and include; running the spacecraft in minimal power mode (for when docked to ISS), checking suitability to support crew on its own in the event of an emergency, performing habitability studies for a four person crew and a multitude of other system checks. The module has been docked to ISS since 6th June.
Teething problems for any new module are always expected but when the word ‘leak’ pops up it is most definitely a cause for concern. In the case of Starliner, five small leaks have been detected in the service module helium manifolds. When Starliner launched, the ground team already knew there was one leak in the propulsion system but now, four more have been detected! The flight engineers initially suspected a flaw in a manifold seal or possibly even faulty installation but now, with the four additional leaks they’re trying to understand if there is a common problem.
The leaks are not the only problem that has been experienced. As Starliner approached ISS, it relied upon precise pulses from the 28 reaction control thrusters. During this critical phase of the docking process, five of them failed. More accurately, the spacecraft control software deduced they were not working and deselected them. The first docking window was missed as a result but the crew were able to test and restart four of the five engines allowing them to safely dock. Engineers are still looking into the thruster problem but are confidence it will allow the safe return of the astronauts.
International Space Station. Credit: NASA
As for the helium leak, flight engineers have examined the leak rate and confirmed that Starliner has sufficient margin to support a return trip to Earth. With Starliner docked to the ISS the manifolds are all closed preventing any helium loss until the return trip which takes just seven hours. Even with the manifolds open and the rate of leak there is sufficient helium to support 70 hours of flight time.
Ground support teams are continuing to work through the problems and the return plan. They will explore tolerances and possible operational mitigations for the remainder of the mission. As the team depart from the ISS, no earlier than 18th June they will slowly adjust orbit away from the Space Station. A deorbit burn will be completed before entering the atmosphere and landing in south-western United States.
Video: Ret. Navy Rear Admiral sounds alarm over UFO
Video: Ret. Navy Rear Admiral sounds alarm over UFO
The Department of Defense released 3 unclassified Navy videos from 2004 and 2015 showing “unidentified aerial phenomena” on April 27, 2020. (DOD/Released)
A video that initially surfaced in 2021 depicting unidentified objects surrounding a Navy ship is again raising concerns over potential Maritime security threats.
In the video, which was shared by News Nation, the USS Omaha appears to be surrounded by numerous unidentified flying objects (UFOs). Due to the video source, the Department of Defense analyzed the video.
While the footage was deemed to be likely unaltered, according to a preliminary report issued by the Pentagon, the recorded objects were not considered to be a matter of immediate national security concern.
Instead, the report provided five potential explanations for the objects, including airborne clutter, natural atmospheric phenomena, classified U.S. government programs, foreign adversary systems (technology released from other governmental sources), and “other.”
The report, however, admits limitations to the study and assessment, noting, “The limited amount of high-quality reporting on unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) hampers our ability to draw firm conclusions about the nature or intent of UAP.” The entire report was not made available to the general public, with an annex to the report remaining “classified.”
Tim Gallaudet, a retired rear admiral in the U.S. Navy, remains concerned over the phenomenon. In a March 2024 report for the Sol Foundation, Gallaudet stated, “The fact that unidentified objects with unexplainable characteristics are entering US water space and the DOD is not raising a giant red flag is a sign that the government is not sharing all it knows about all-domain anomalous phenomena.”
The objects in the video display capabilities that “jeopardizes U.S. maritime security, which is already weakened by our relative ignorance about the global ocean,” Gallaudet said, according to Fox News. Gallaudet is urging further research and study of UAP, arguing that the endeavor is “scientifically valid” and that “to meet the security and scientific challenges, transmedium UAP and USOs should be elevated to national ocean research priorities.”
To facilitate that research, the Pentagon reestablished a UAP task force in 2020. According to Defense Scoop, by the end of fiscal year 2024, the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) is expected to reach full operational capability.
Exploring the phenomena of precognitive dreams involves examining their definition, context within history, and intriguing theories about the nature of time as it relates to dreams.
Dreams May Predict the Future
A new study finds that while some neurons replay past events during sleep, others surprisingly anticipate future experiences, potentially explaining how dreams can sometimes predict the future.
Summary: A new study reveals that some neurons in the brain not only replay past events during sleep but also anticipate future experiences, which may explain how dreams can sometimes predict the future. This research, published in Nature, involved observing individual neurons in the hippocampus of rats during rest after navigating a maze. The study utilized a novel machine-learning approach to track the spatial tuning of neurons, discovering that while many neurons stabilize memories during sleep, others adapt to anticipate future experiences, highlighting significant neuroplasticity during sleep.
Key Takeaways:
Predictive Dreams:The study found that some neurons in the brain not only replay past events during sleep but also anticipate future experiences, potentially explaining the phenomenon of predictive dreams.
Neuroplasticity During Sleep:Researchers observed that neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to form new neural connections, occurs during sleep as some neurons change their representations to anticipate future experiences.
Innovative Methodology: The study employed a statistical machine-learning approach to track neuron activity during sleep, providing new insights into how the brain consolidates and anticipates experiences even in the absence of stimuli.
Some dreams may, in fact, predict the future: New research has found that during sleep, some neurons not only replay the recent past but also anticipate future experiences.
The discovery is one in a series of insights afforded by a study on sleep and learning published in Nature by a team of researchers from Rice University and the University of Michigan. The research offers a view of how individual neurons in the hippocampus of rats stabilize and tune spatial representations during periods of rest following the animals’ first time running a maze.
“Certain neurons fire in response to specific stimuli,” says Kamran Diba, PhD, an associate professor of anesthesiology at Michigan and corresponding author on the study, in a release. “Neurons in the visual cortex fire when presented with the appropriate visual stimulus. The neurons we’re studying show place preferences.”
Neuronal Activity During Sleep
Together with collaborators in Michigan’s Neural Circuits and Memory Lab led by Diba, Rice neuroscientist Caleb Kemere, PhD, has been studying the process by which these specialized neurons produce a representation of the world after a new experience. Specifically, the researchers tracked sharp wave ripples, a pattern of neuronal activation known to play a role in consolidating new memories and, more recently, also shown to tag which parts of a new experience are to be stored as memories.
“For the first time in this paper, we observed how these individual neurons stabilize spatial representations during rest periods,” says Kemere, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering and bioengineering at Rice, in a release.
Sleep is critical for memory and learning; science has quantified this age-old intuition by measuring performance on memory tests after a nap as opposed to after a period of waking or even sleep deprivation.
Insights from Previous Studies
A couple of decades ago, scientists also discovered that neurons in the brains of sleeping animals that had been allowed to explore a new setting just before resting were firing in ways that replayed the animals’ trajectories during exploration.
This finding aligned with the knowledge that sleep helps new experiences crystallize into stable memories, thus suggesting that the spatial representations of many of these specialized neurons in the hippocampus are stable during sleep. However, the researchers wanted to see if there was more to the story.
“We imagined that some neurons might change their representations—reflecting the experience we’ve all had of waking up with a new understanding of a problem,” Kemere says in a release. “Showing this, however, required that we track how individual neurons achieve spatial tuning, ie, the process by which the brain learns to navigate a new route or environment.”
Tracking Neuronal Preferences
The researchers trained rats to run back and forth on a raised track with a liquid reward at either end and observed how individual neurons in the animals’ hippocampus would “spike” in the process. By calculating an average spiking rate over many laps back and forth, the researchers were able to estimate the neurons’ place field—or the area in the environment that a given neuron “cared” about most.
“The critical point here is that place fields are estimated using the behavior of the animal,” Kemere says in a release, highlighting the challenge of assessing what happens to place fields during rest periods when the animal is not physically moving through the maze.
“I’ve been thinking for a long time about how we can evaluate the preferences of neurons outside of the maze, such as during sleep,” Diba says in a release. “We addressed this challenge by relating the activity of each individual neuron to the activity of all the other neurons.”
This was the study’s key innovation: The researchers developed a statistical machine-learning approach that used the other neurons surveyed to map out an estimate of where the animal was dreaming of being. They next used those dreamed positions to estimate the spatial tuning process for each neuron in their data sets.
New Findings
“The ability to track the preferences of neurons even without a stimulus was an important breakthrough for us,” Diba says in a release.
Both Diba and Kemere commended Kourosh Maboudi, a postdoctoral researcher at Michigan and the lead author on the study, for his role in the development of the learned tuning approach.
The method confirmed that the spatial representations that form during the experience of a new environment are, for most neurons, stable across several hours of postexperience sleep. But as the researchers had anticipated, there was more to the story.
“The thing that I loved the most about this research and the reason that I was so excited about it is finding that it’s not necessarily the case that during sleep the only thing these neurons do is to stabilize a memory of the experience,” Kemere says in a release. “It turns out some neurons end up doing something else.
“We can see these other changes occurring during sleep, and when we put the animals back in the environment a second time, we can validate that these changes really do reflect something that was learned while the animals were asleep. It’s as if the second exposure to the space actually happens while the animal is sleeping.”
Neuroplasticity Observed
This is significant because it constitutes direct observation of neuroplasticity as it is happening during sleep. Kemere underscored that almost all plasticity research, which examines the mechanisms that allow neurons to rewire and form new representations—looks at what happens during waking periods as stimuli are being presented rather than during sleep when the relevant stimuli are absent.
“It seems like plasticity or rewiring in the brain requires really fast timescales,” Diba says in a release, pointing to the fascinating relationship between the duration of actual experience, “which can take up the span of seconds, minutes but also hours or days,” and actual memories, “which are super compressed.”
“If you remember anything, the memory, it’s instant,” Diba says in a release, referencing a famous literary passage by French modernist writer Marcel Proust in which a childhood memory unspools a whole lost world of past experience at barely a moment’s notice.
Future of Brain Science
The study is an example of advancements in neuroscience enabled in the past few decades by technological progress in the design of stable, high-resolution neural probes as well as by machine learning-backed computation power.
In light of these advancements, Kemere says brain science stands poised to make significant progress in the future, while at the same time expressing concern for the impact of recent budget cuts on continued research.
“It’s quite possible that if we were starting this work today, we might not have been able to do these experiments and get these results,” Kemere says in a release. “We’re definitely grateful that the opportunity was there.”
The researchers developed a new approach to analyzing neuron activity. (Kamran Diba)The new approach meant that as well as linking physical spaces in the maze with specific neuron activity in real time, the team could also work backwards and map neuron activity to points in the maze while the rats were dozing
Some Dreams May, in Fact, Predict Future, Neuroscientists Say
Some Dreams May, in Fact, Predict Future, Neuroscientists Say
University of Michigan anesthesiologist Kamran Diba and colleagues have found that during sleep, some neurons not only replay the recent past but also anticipate future experience.
To track the spatial tuning of neurons dynamically during offline states, Maboudi et al. used a new Bayesian learning approach based on the spike-triggered average decoded position in ensemble recordings from freely moving rats.
“Certain neurons fire in response to specific stimuli,” Dr. Diba said.
“Neurons in the visual cortex fire when presented with the appropriate visual stimulus. The neurons we’re studying show place preferences.”
In their research, Dr. Diba and co-authors aimed to study the process by which these specialized neurons produce a representation of the world after a new experience.
Specifically, they tracked sharp wave ripples, a pattern of neuronal activation known to play a role in consolidating new memories and, more recently, also shown to tag which parts of a new experience are to be stored as memories.
“For the first time in this paper, we observed how these individual neurons stabilize spatial representations during rest periods,” said Dr. Caleb Kemere, a neuroscientist at Rice University.
“We imagined that some neurons might change their representations — reflecting the experience we’ve all had of waking up with a new understanding of a problem.”
“Showing this, however, required that we track how individual neurons achieve spatial tuning, i.e., the process by which the brain learns to navigate a new route or environment.”
The researchers trained rats to run back and forth on a raised track with liquid reward at either end and observed how individual neurons in the animals’ hippocampus would ‘spike’ in the process.
By calculating an average spiking rate over many laps back and forth, the researchers were able to estimate the neurons’ place field — or the area in the environment that a given neuron ‘cared’ about most.
“The critical point here is that place fields are estimated using the behavior of the animal,” Dr. Kemere said.
“I’ve been thinking for a long time about how we can evaluate the preferences of neurons outside of the maze, such as during sleep,” Dr. Diba added.
“We addressed this challenge by relating the activity of each individual neuron to the activity of all the other neurons.”
The scientists also developed a statistical machine learning approach that used the other neurons surveyed to map out an estimate of where the animal was dreaming of being.
They next used those dreamed positions to estimate the spatial tuning process for each neuron in their data sets.
“The ability to track the preferences of neurons even without a stimulus was an important breakthrough for us,” Dr. Diba said.
The method confirmed that the spatial representations that form during the experience of a new environment are, for most neurons, stable across several hours of postexperience sleep.
But as the authors had anticipated, there was more to the story.
“The thing that I loved the most about this research and the reason that I was so excited about it is finding that it’s not necessarily the case that during sleep the only thing these neurons do is to stabilize a memory of the experience. It turns out some neurons end up doing something else,” Dr. Kemere said.
“We can see these other changes occurring during sleep, and when we put the animals back in the environment a second time, we can validate that these changes really do reflect something that was learned while the animals were asleep.”
“It’s as if the second exposure to the space actually happens while the animal is sleeping.”
This is significant because it constitutes direct observation of neuroplasticity as it is happening during sleep.
“It seems like plasticity or rewiring in the brain requires really fast timescales,” Dr. Diba said.
This research is described in a paper in the journal Nature.
K. Maboudi et al. 2024. Retuning of hippocampal representations during sleep. Nature 629, 630-638; doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-07397-x
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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
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.
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".
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."
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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".
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."
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".
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!
During the May 20 solar storm, so much energy from the storm struck the surface that black-and-white images from Curiosity’s navigation cameras danced with “snow” — white streaks and specks caused by charged particles hitting the cameras. Courtesy: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Planet Earth is in for some amazing geomagnetic storms in the next year or so. That’s because it’s in a period of peak activity called “solar maximum” (solar max, for short). But, what happens at other planets, especially Mars, during this time? Mars mission scientists got a sneak peek at the effect of a major solar storm thanks to one hitting the Red Planet on May 20th, 2024.
During that event, the Curiosity Mars rover’s Radiation Assessment Detector (RAD) measured a very sharp increase in radiation during the solar storm. At the same time, the navigation camera captured views of a wind gust stirring up surface dust. The radiation count was the highest the instrument has seen since the rover landed on Mars. In space, the Mars Odyssey orbiter’s star camera also experienced a shower of solar particles. The bombardment knocked the camera out for a short time. During its recovery time, the spacecraft continued collecting data. That included information about the x-rays, gamma rays, and other charged particles streaming from the Sun.
NASA’s MAVEN spacecraft also collected data about the bombardment from the May 20th event. “This was the largest solar energetic particle event that MAVEN has ever seen,” said MAVEN Space Weather Lead, Christina Lee of the University of California, Berkeley’s Space Sciences Laboratory. “There have been several solar events in past weeks, so we were seeing wave after wave of particles hitting Mars.”
The purple color in this video shows auroras on Mars’ nightside. The ultraviolet instrument aboard NASA’s MAVEN orbiter detected them between May 14 and 20, 2024. The brighter the purple, the more auroras that were present. Credit: NASA/University of Colorado/LASP
What Protects Planets from the Solar Storm?
There’s not much we as a species can do to protect our planet from a solar storm. However, we’re lucky—we have a strong magnetic field to ward off the worst solar outbursts. Mars is not so lucky. It doesn’t have as much of a magnetic field to ward off the deadly radiation. Space weather experts estimated that if someone had been standing on the Martian surface during that storm, they would have been irradiated with the equivalent of 30 chest X-rays in just a short time.
That storm, and others have sparked auroras on Mars (as well as on Earth). A storm earlier in May sparked off major auroral displays on Earth on May 10-11, but otherwise didn’t severely damage any vital systems. Solar storms, however, do offer a good chance for scientists to track the Sun’s outbursts as they rampage across the Solar System. The data they get gives more insight into solar activity. However, the data from the Mars missions also provides a chilling look at just what kind of risky environment Mars is for future explorers.
Sheltering from the Solar Storm on Mars
Here on Earth, if we have plenty of notice of a solar outburst, people can get ready for the inevitable damage a solar storm can cause. For example, satellite operators can prepare their assets to protect them. NASA can advise astronauts in space to take shelter and other precautions. Ground-based power and telecommunications operators have plans in place to protect their systems from the tremendously strong ground currents that get stirred up by solar storms.
But, what if you’re on your way to Mars when a storm hits? Or, you’re actually ON Mars? Those questions occupy a lot of study time at NASA and other space agencies. People in space, whether orbiting Earth or en route to the Moon or Mars can take shelter inside their craft. In those cases, they have to depend on hardened shelters to keep them safe. But, on Mars, things are different. There’s no strong magnetic field to ward off the strong particles from the Sun. Inhabitants will have to take shelter, according to Don Hassler of Southwest Research Institute’s Solar System Science and Exploration Division.
“Cliffsides or lava tubes would provide additional shielding for an astronaut from such an event. In Mars orbit or deep space, the dose rate would be significantly more,” Hassler said.“I wouldn’t be surprised if this active region on the Sun continues to erupt, meaning even more solar storms at both Earth and Mars over the coming weeks.”
What Happened on May 20th?
The storm that Curiosity recorded began with an X12-class solar flare. That’s one of the strongest solar flares recorded and, if it had been aimed at Earth, could have caused some major damage. As it turns out, Mars was in the pathway of that flare and a subsequent coronal mass ejection. It launched a cloud of charged particles through space. When the outburst from the flare and the CME arrived at Mars, it triggered auroral displays on the Martian night side. At the same time, the outbursts showered the surface with charged particles. If someone had been on Mars and working outside a shelter, they would have been dosed with the equivalent of 30 chest X-rays. That’s not a deadly exposure, but over time if someone experienced many such events, the damage to their body would add up.
Luckily, the storm did no damage to Curiosity or any of the spacecraft at Mars. But, that won’t always be the case, and mission planners can use the data from this storm and others to figure out how best to protect future explorers.
A NASA video about how a solar storm affected Mars.
UFOs could be due to 'stealth civilization' on Earth as scientists reveal potential bases
UFOs could be due to 'stealth civilization' on Earth as scientists reveal potential bases
Efforts to declassify vast swathes of classified information surrounding UFOs has led to scientists trying to ensure all possible angles and explanations are being considered
Questions over Earth's popularity with UFOs could be explained by claims from a pair of Harvard University boffins they have been hiding on or in Earth all along. The pair claim there could be a one in 10 chance that the secret civilisation could have been “cryptoterrestrial” – meaning hiding among us.
In a new study, they said: “While this notion may sound unlikely on first hearing, many observers are persuaded that it is at least conceivable,” adding, “not least because whole swathes of our planet remain virtually unexplored and uncharted.”
They are pointing to a variety of uninhabited and unexplored areas in our immediate proximity, including deep-ocean trenches and unexplored caves on the dark side of the moon. The paper is set to appear in the Journal of Philosophy and Cosmologythis month, where the scientis say: “If another intelligent species had inhabited Earth (or Mars) long before Homo sapiens, it is possible that we could have no idea”.
Why are some areas UFO hotspots(Image: Facebook)
It comes amid efforts in the US government to declassify vast swathes of information surrounding UFOs, and this paper marks scientists trying to ensure all possible angles and explanations have been considered.
The study identified a number of places on Earth and nearby as areas worth investigating for cryptoterrestrial life’s secret base including isolated parts of Alaska known for UFO sightings and disappearances.
Yonaguni is one such area of interest(Image: Getty Images)
They also point to signs of civilisation that predate known civilisation, including a submerged stone structure at Yonaguni Jima in Japan. The Earth’s interior, which is largely unexplored, was also highlighted as a source of interest.
The team wrote: “The internal structure of Earth is still mostly a mystery,” adding, “For instance, it was recently found that the mantle transition zone (255 to 410 miles underground) acts as a large reservoir of water.”
Why do we have so many UFO sightings? (stock)(Image: Getty Images)
They said it was possible that hundreds of miles under the Earth's surface "another hominid species, or even a branch of Homo sapiens, could have adapted to live underground".
UFOs are no laughing matter on Capitol Hill. Beyond alleging the existence of surreptitious government programs to retrieve and reverse-engineerexotic craft of “non-human” origin, Congress mandated that the Department of Defense document and report any UFO incidents “associated with military nuclear assets, including strategic nuclear weapons and nuclear-powered ships.”
Lawmakers are right to focus on the nexus between UFOs and nuclear technology. Many of the best-known and most credible unexplained sightings occurred in alarming proximity to our most sensitive nuclear assets and facilities.
In 2004 and 2015, for example, U.S. Navy fighter jets flying off nuclear-powered aircraft carriers recorded the three UFO videos that catalyzed significant public and congressional interest in the phenomena.
But interactions between UFOs and ultra-sensitive U.S. nuclear assets date back nearly eight decades. New Mexico, ground zero for America’s nuclear weapons development programs, is the site of a remarkable number of baffling, unsolved UFO incidents.
In late 1948, for example, dozens of pilots, defense personnel and scientists associated with the famed Los Alamos and Sandia nuclear weapons programs began seeing mysterious “green fireballs” in the sky. Such objects were frequently observed flying on a perfectly horizontal trajectory, often moving directly toward nearby aircraft. In 1949, two major Los Alamos conferences on the incidents, which drew the likes of famed nuclear weapons physicist Edward Teller, failed to identify the source of the phenomena.
Related video:
Lawmakers grill Department of Energy secretary on UFOs around nuclear sites (FOX News
Lincoln LaPaz, then one of the world’s leading authorities on meteorites, observed the “fireballs” personally and, in partnership with the Air Force, conducted a thorough study of the mysterious phenomena. As Time and Life magazines reported contemporaneously, LaPaz “blasted” the notion that the objects were meteorites, bolides or other naturally occurring phenomena.
The bizarre incidents, along with their apparent connection to nuclear weapons research, remain unexplained.
Nearly a decade after the first “green fireball” sightings, an extraordinary UFO incident was reported at Kirtland Air Force Base, a key nuclear weapons testing and storage facility in New Mexico.
On Nov. 4, 1957, two control tower operators with more than 20 years of combined experience said they watched from a remarkably close range as an elongated wingless and engineless object descended slowly over the runway and hovered over the base’s nuclear weapons storage area. The craft then shot off at a remarkable speed. Radar confirmed the presence of the unknown object, which was ultimately lost from scopes as it shadowed a departing cargo plane at an uncomfortably close distance of half a mile.
A few years later, on April 24, 1964, Socorro, New Mexico, police officer Lonnie Zamora reported observing a similarly strange, elongated UFO, this time on the ground. Upon seeing Zamora’s approaching cruiser, he said, two small human-looking beings beside the UFO entered the craft, which then rapidly departed. Amid a national media frenzy, authorities mounted a sweeping investigation of the incident.
Army and Air Force officers, FBI agents and meteorite expert LaPaz all vouched for Zamora’s credibility and reliability. Moreover, a passing motorist corroborated his account, stating that he had briefly observed the craft, along with Zamora’s vehicle. A fellow Socorro police officer, arriving moments after the UFO would have departed, discovered a visibly shaken Zamora as well as smoldering vegetation where the craft would have been standing.
Importantly, this extraordinary encounter took place in the vicinity of the Trinity Site, where the first nuclear weapon was detonated in July 1945.
One of the most perplexing reported UFO incidents, involving a multitude of simultaneous radar and visual observations, occurred in the skies over two of the largest nuclear weapons storage facilities outside of the U.S.
During the Cold War, British air bases RAF Lakenheath and Bentwaters hosted U.S. forces and nuclear weapons.
Over several hours on the night of Aug. 13, 1956, radar stations at Lakenheath and Bentwaters tracked multiple unidentified objects conducting extraordinary maneuvers, often at astounding speeds, in the skies above these two key nuclear-equipped bases.
The bizarre radar tracks were corroborated visually by witnesses on the ground and via radar and visually by pilots in at least two aircraft. Perhaps most remarkably — and disturbingly — radar operators watched in shock as the mysterious object outmaneuvered and subsequently chased the first of two British fighter jets scrambled to intercept it.
Twenty-four years later, it happened again. In a series of startling incidents in December 1980, the deputy base commander of RAF Bentwaters and several Air Force personnel reported observing mysterious objects at close range in a forested area just south of the base. According to the deputy commander, the UFOs were also observed via radar.
In an affidavit, the commander, who initially intended to debunk UFO rumors swirling around the base, stated that at least one of the mysterious objects projected “beams of light” around the nuclear weapons storage area at RAF Bentwaters. Audio recorded during the incident seems to corroborate such observations. According to the commander, other UFOs “moved in sharp angular patterns as though they were doing a grid search.”
In 1979, just one year before the events in eastern England, the New York Times and the Washington Post had reported on a series of alarming incidents at key nuclear weapons facilities in the United States.
The Post, citing then-recently released Defense Department documents, reported that “a string of the nation’s supersensitive nuclear missile launch sites and bomber bases were visited by unidentified, low-flying and elusive objects” in the fall of 1975. The incidents involved “unknown entities and brightly lighted, fast-moving vehicles that hovered over nuclear weapons storage areas and evaded all pursuit efforts.”
“Numerous daily updates,” the Times reported, “kept the Joint Chiefs of Staff informed of these incursions.”
The unnerving events have notable parallels to allegations by former Air Force missile officers, that UFOs had rendered nuclear weapons inoperable at Minot Air Force Base in 1966 and Malmstrom Air Force Base in 1967.
Astronomer J. Allen Hynek, the Air Force’s long-time scientific consultant on UFOs, described how an unknown object high above Minot’s nuclear silos interfered with a missile command station’s communications equipment in August 1966. A local Minot, N.D., newspaper reported the extraordinary incident shortly after Hynek talked about it.
Hynek also described how a Border Patrol officer observed a metallic, disk-shaped object at remarkably close range just days before and not far from the Minot incident.
According to the officer, the silvery disk “was on its edge floating down [the] side of [a] hill wobbling from side to side about 10 feet from the ground.” The craft then “flattened out” and hovered briefly, exposing a “dome on top,” before tilting “back on edge” and disappearing “rapidly into the clouds.”
This incident was reported in the middle of a large field of Minot nuclear missile silos, the closest being only a mile and a half away. And the Border Patrol officer also reported that his radio stopped working as the metallic disk moved closer to him.
Hynek interviewed the officer and was left “personally satisfied that he is above reproach.” Moreover, according to government records, the officer “was not seeking publicity” and “stated that if his sighting was publicized he would deny any knowledge of the occurrence.”
In recent years, a weeks-long series of bizarre “drone” incidents observed by dozens of individuals in rural Colorado, Nebraska and Wyoming left federal and state officials stumped. Notably, some of the strange sightings were “clustered in an area that has quite a few [nuclear missile] sites.”
The nearby Air Force base denied any involvement in the perplexing incursions. Following an exhaustive, multi-agency investigation, the Federal Aviation Administration concluded “with high confidence” that the odd incidents were “not covert military activities,” which only deepens the mystery.
In one instance, a Nebraska deputy sheriff reported “observing 30 to 50 [objects] flying independently of each other with a larger ‘mothership’ hovering for hours.”
At the same time, multiple reports described the objects as flying “in a grid pattern,” seemingly reminiscent of the “grid search” movements observed during the 1980 UFO incidents over the Bentwaters air base in England.
Some witnesses and media outlets undoubtedly observed planes and hobbyist drones during the 2019-20 incidents. But one of the objects passed just 200 feet above a Kansas Highway Patrol officer, who said that the brightly lit craft “made absolutely no sound at all, even though the wind was calm.”
Another witness, a retired meteorologist, also reported there was no sound as one of the objects “hovered over a [nuclear] missile command station within sight of his farm.”
In an astounding historical parallel, over the course of three nights in 1965, more than 140 Air Force personnel stationed at the same nuclear missile silos in Wyoming and Nebraska had reported nearly 150 mysterious craft exhibiting the same characteristics — “flashing lights,” “no sound” and only flying at night — as the unknown objects during the 2019-2020 incidents.
Marik von Rennenkampff served as an analyst with the State Department’s Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation. He was also an Obama administration appointee at the U.S. Department of Defense.
Harvard scientists say aliens could be living on earth in ‘stealth civilisation’
Harvard scientists say aliens could be living on earth in ‘stealth civilisation’
by RYAN PRICE
They could be walking amongst us.
A team of scientists from Harvard and Montana Technological University have published a new report that suggests that aliens could currently be living on earth in deep underground bases and disguising themselves as humans.
In a new research paper, titled ‘The Cryptoterrestrial Hypothesis‘, the scientists estimate that there is a one in 10 chance that the true solution to the UFO mystery could be ‘cryptoterrestrial’ — meaning they belong to an advanced species hiding on Earth.
The work is a collaboration between scientists who have independently tried to make sure that all viable theories are considered for the UFO mystery, which has seen a major effort effort for government declassification in recent months.
Studies conducted on recent activities of intelligent beings could suggest that they “exist in stealth here on Earth (e.g., underground), and/or its near environs (e.g., the Moon), and/or even ‘walking among us’ (e.g., passing as humans).”
The group admit that “while this notion may sound unlikely on first hearing, many observers are persuaded that it is at least conceivable, not least because whole swathes of our planet remain virtually unexplored and uncharted.”
They claim the theory “deserves genuine consideration in a spirit of epistemic humility and openness.”
The article proposes that “if another intelligent species had inhabited Earth (or Mars) long before Homo sapiens, it is possible that we could have no idea.”
Multiple regions on Earth and near Earth were cited in the new study as worthwhile candidates for investigating the chances of a ‘cryptoterrestrial’ species’ secret base.
Remote and sparsely populated regions such as the ‘Alaskan Triange’ and large underwater caves and structures such as Yonaguni Jima in Japan feature as prominent examples.
TAORMINA (Sicily), ITALY – SEPTEMBER 18: Caves are explored during a scuba dive on September 18, 2023 off the coast of Taormina (sicily), Italy.
With 80 percent of our oceans unmapped, it would be a big job to rule the possibility out.
The researchers didn’t stop there, even suggesting that these cryptoterrestrials may take on different, non-human primate or even reptile forms.
Beyond residing deep underground, they even speculate that this mysterious species could even be concealing themselves on the Moon or have mastered the art of blending in as human beings, a folk theory that has inspired countless works of science fiction.
Another explanation, as put forward by controversial Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb, suggests that other ancient civilizations may have lived on “planets like Mars or Earth” but a “billion years apart and hence were not aware of each other.”
Of course, these are all “far-fetched” hypotheses, as the scientists themselves admit, and deserve to be regarded with plenty of skepticism.
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- Gemiddelde waardering: 0/5 - (0 Stemmen) Categorie:ALIEN LIFE, UFO- CRASHES, ABDUCTIONS, MEN IN BLACK, ed ( FR. , NL; E )
Phil Schneider and the Alien Wars: A Mysterious Tale of Government Secrets
Phil Schneider and the Alien Wars: A Mysterious Tale of Government Secrets
In the realm of UFO lore and conspiracy theories, few figures are as enigmatic as Phil Schneider. A geologist and engineer, Schneider claimed involvement in covert government projects that included constructing underground military bases. His accounts, if true, expose a world of secretive operations, extraterrestrial encounters, and advanced technology that challenge our understanding of reality.
Background: The Man Behind the Claims
Phil Schneider’s professional life was steeped in secrecy. He worked on high-security projects, including the construction of deep underground military bases. Schneider’s career in geology and engineering afforded him a high level of security clearance, which, according to him, brought him into contact with classified information and extraterrestrial beings.
Shocking Allegations: Encounters with Aliens
Schneider is perhaps best known for his allegations regarding the Dulce Base incident in 1979. He claimed that during a routine operation to build an underground facility in Dulce, New Mexico, he and his team drilled into a cavern that was home to large, foul-smelling alien beings. A confrontation ensued, resulting in the death of 60 humans, according to Schneider. He himself was injured, losing several fingers and sustaining other serious injuries.
Government Secrets and Advanced Technologies
Schneider did not stop at sharing tales of alien encounters. He also disclosed information about black budget projects and advanced technologies supposedly developed in collaboration with extraterrestrial beings. He asserted that the U.S. government had been aware of UFOs since 1933 and had been involved in secret projects costing billions annually. Schneider described metals that could withstand extreme temperatures and mentioned weapons and surveillance technologies far beyond the publicly known capabilities.
Public Whistleblower: From Secretive Engineer to Public Speaker
In the 1990s, Schneider transitioned from a secretive government worker to a public whistleblower. He began giving lectures, displaying what he claimed were physical artifacts from his encounters, and warning about the dangers of unchecked government secrecy. His public presentations were filled with shocking claims, including the existence of numerous underground bases worldwide and a sinister agenda involving extraterrestrial races.
The Mysterious Death of Phil Schneider
On January 29, 1996, Schneider was found dead under suspicious circumstances. The official cause of death was a stroke, but the coroner’s report hinted at possible strangulation. This discrepancy fueled speculation that Schneider had been assassinated to silence him. His widow reported that intelligence agencies had confiscated much of his photographic and documentary evidence, further deepening the mystery.
Legacy and Ongoing Debate
Schneider’s claims continue to polarize the UFO and conspiracy theory communities. Skeptics question the lack of verifiable evidence and the extraordinary nature of his stories. However, his accounts have left a lasting impact, keeping the debate about government secrecy and extraterrestrial life alive.
Revelations from the Past: The Role of Oscar Schneider
Adding another layer to the intrigue, Phil Schneider discovered classified documents and photographs in his father’s belongings after his death. Oscar Schneider, Phil’s father, was revealed to have been involved in the Philadelphia Experiment and Operation Crossroads, both shrouded in conspiracy theories. These discoveries linked Phil’s own experiences with historical events that have long been the subject of speculation.
Collaboration and Tragedy: The Alien Digest
Phil Schneider was not alone in his quest to reveal the truth. He collaborated with Ron Rummel, a former Air Force intelligence agent, to publish “The Alien Digest.” This magazine sought to expose government secrets about extraterrestrial life. However, their collaboration ended abruptly when Rummel was found dead under mysterious circumstances in 1993, an event that further fueled conspiracy theories.
VIDEO:
The Mysterious case of Phil Schneider and Alien Wars
Phil Schneider’s life and claims paint a picture of a world filled with hidden truths and dangerous secrets. Whether or not his allegations hold up to scrutiny, they have undeniably contributed to the ongoing fascination with UFOs and government conspiracies. Schneider’s legacy is a testament to the enduring allure of the unknown and the lengths to which individuals will go to uncover it. As we continue to explore these mysteries, the case of Phil Schneider remains a provocative and controversial chapter in the annals of conspiracy theory and extraterrestrial lore.
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!
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).
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.'
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.'
Er bestaat een waterkringloop Amos 9:6 vermeldt het ook in één deel: 'Hij roept om de wateren van de zee en giet ze uit over het oppervlak van het land.' En dat doet Job 36:27-28 ook: 'Hij trekt de waterdruppels omhoog, die als regen naar de stromen sijpelen; de wolken gieten hun vocht neer en overvloedige regenbuien vallen op de mensheid.'
Er bestaat een waterkringloop Een ander voorbeeld is te vinden in Psalm 135:7, waar staat: 'Hij laat wolken opstijgen van de uiteinden van de aarde; hij zendt bliksem met de regen en laat de wind uit zijn voorraadschuren komen.'
De zondvloed is waarschijnlijk echt gebeurd De zondvloed en de ark van Noach is een van de meest populaire verhalen uit de Bijbel. En volgens geologisch bewijs zou de zondvloed van Noach echt kunnen hebben plaatsgevonden.
De ark zou hebben gefunctioneerd Volgens Genesis 6:13-22 waren Gods instructies aan Noach als volgt: 'De ark moet 140 meter lang, 23 meter breed en 14 meter hoog zijn.'
De ark zou hebben gefunctioneerd Het blijkt dat de wiskunde correct is. Volgens berekeningen gemaakt door natuurkundestudenten aan de Universiteit van Leicester in 2014, zou de ark daadwerkelijk drijven en solide genoeg zijn om twee paren van elke diersoort te kunnen dragen.
Er zijn talloze sterren aan de hemel Natuurlijk weten we dat het universum veel sterren heeft. En met veel bedoelen we wel een biljoen sterren per melkwegstelsel. En er wordt geschat dat er ongeveer 100 miljard sterrenstelsels in het heelal zijn!
Er zijn talloze sterren aan de hemel De Bijbel vermeldt dit in Jeremia 33:22: 'Ik zal de nakomelingen van mijn dienaar David en de Levieten die voor mij dienen zo ontelbaar als de sterren aan de hemel en zo onmetelijk als het zand aan de kust.'
Sterren verschillen onderling De Bijbel vermeldt ook dat de helderheid of grootte van sterren varieert. 'De zon heeft een soort pracht, de maan heeft een andere soort pracht en de sterren weer een andere; elke ster verschilt van pracht.' (Korinthiërs 15:41).
Hemellichamen hebben niet het eeuwige leven We weten nu dat sterren en andere astronomische lichamen sterven. De wetenschap heeft dit bevestigd, maar de Bijbel vermeldt het ook.
Het universum is gemaakt van onzichtbare deeltjes Hebreeën 11:3 luidt: 'Door geloof begrijpen we dat het heelal op Gods bevel werd gevormd, zodat het zichtbare niet werd gemaakt uit het zichtbare.'
Het universum is gemaakt van onzichtbare deeltjes It sounds like the Bible is talking about atoms. Protons, neutrons, and electrons on their own are invisible to the naked eye. Atoms make up pretty much everything, including us.
David zou Goliath daadwerkelijk hebben kunnen verslaan Een kleine jongen die een reus verslaat klinkt misschien onwaarschijnlijk, maar het verhaal van David en Goliath in 1 Samuël 17 verteld het net iets anders.
David zou Goliath daadwerkelijk hebben kunnen verslaan Een katapult is misschien niet het krachtigste wapen, maar de stenen uit Elah Valley waren gemaakt van bariumsulfaat, dat extreem massief is en Goliath zou daarmee gemakkelijk uitgeschakeld kunnen worden.
David zou Goliath daadwerkelijk hebben kunnen verslaan Maar er is meer. Als reus leed Goliath waarschijnlijk aan Acromegalie (overproductie van groeihormoon). Dit kan problemen met het gezichtsvermogen veroorzaken en het centrale (perifere) gezichtsvermogen kan beperkt zijn, wat handig zou zijn geweest voor David.
De zon stopte echt met schijnen Er vond namelijk een verduistering plaats. Jozua 10:12 luidt: 'Op de dag dat de Heer de Amorieten aan Israël overgaf, zei Jozua tot de Heer in het bijzijn van Israël: 'Zon, sta stil boven Gibeon, en jij, maan, over de vallei van Ajalon.''
Wezens kunnen niet leven zonder bloed De meesten van ons zijn bekend met het verhaal van Adam en Eva uit de Bijbel. Mensen hebben in feite een vrouwelijke biologische voorouder genaamd Mitochondriale Eva, die voorafgaat aan onze soort: Homo sapiens. Er is echter één ding dat ons alle levende wezens verbindt: bloed.
Wezens kunnen niet leven zonder bloed 'Want het leven van een schepsel is in het bloed, en ik heb het u gegeven om voor uzelf te verzoenen te doen op het altaar; het is het bloed dat verzoening doet voor iemands leven' (Leviticus 17:11).
Ontsmetten is echt belangrijk De pandemie heeft ons allemaal pro's gemaakt in het ontsmetten van onze handen en kleding om verspreiding van ziektekiemen te voorkomen, maar de Bijbel noemde het belang ervan al lang geleden.
De zieken moeten zich isoleren Hoewel er zich later in de geschiedenis behoorlijke quarantaines ontwikkelden, adviseerde de Bijbel al 'de getroffen persoon zeven dagen af te zonderen', en als ze niet beter zijn, 'ze nog zeven dagen te isoleren' (Leviticus 13:1-5).
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.'
Harvard Scientists Say There May Be an Unknown, Technologically Advanced Civilization Hiding on Earth
Harvard Scientists Say There May Be an Unknown, Technologically Advanced Civilization Hiding on Earth
A provocative hypothesis.
Image by Getty / Futurism
What if — stick with us here — an unknown technological civilization is hiding right here on Earth, sheltering in bases deep underground and possibly even emerging with UFOs or disguised as everyday humans?
In a new paper that's bound to raise eyebrows in the scientific community, a team of researchers from Harvard and Montana Technological University speculates that sightings of "Unidentified Anomalous Phemonemona" (UAP) — bureaucracy-speak for UFOs, basically — "may reflect activities of intelligent beings concealed in stealth here on Earth (e.g., underground), and/or its near environs (e.g., the Moon), and/or even 'walking among us' (e.g., passing as humans)."
Yes, that's a direct quote from the paper. Needless to say, the researchers admit, this idea of hidden "crypoterrestrials" is a highly exotic hypothesis that's "likely to be regarded skeptically by most scientists." Nonetheless, they argue, the theory "deserves genuine consideration in a spirit of epistemic humility and openness."
The interest in unexplained sightings of UFOs by military personnel has grown considerably over the past decade or so. This attention grew to a peak last summer, when former Air Force intelligence officer and whistleblower David Grusch testified in front of Congress, claiming that the US had already recovered alien spacecraft as part of a decades-long UFO retrieval program.
That hasn't dissuaded these Harvard researchers, though. In the paper, they suggest a range of possibilities, each more outlandish than the next.
First is that a "remnant form" of an ancient, highly advanced human civilization is still hanging around, observing us. Second is that an intelligent species evolved independently of humans in the distant past, possibly from "intelligent dinosaurs," and is now hiding their presence from us. Third is that these hidden occupants of Earth traveled here from another planet or time period. And fourth — please keep a straight face, everybody — is that these unknown inhabitants of Earth are "less technological than magical," which the researchers liken to "earthbound angels."
UFO sightings of "craft and other phenomena (e.g., 'orbs') appearing to enter/exit potential underground access points, like volcanoes," they write, could be evidence that these cryptoterrestrials may not be drawn to these spots, but actually reside in underground or underwater bases.
The paper quotes former House Representative Mike Gallagher, who suggested last year that one explanation for the UFO sightings might be "an ancient civilization that’s just been hiding here, for all this time, and is suddenly showing itself right now," following Grusch's testimony.
The researchers didn't stop there, even suggesting that these cryptoterrestrials may take on different, non-human primate or even reptile forms.
Beyond residing deep underground, they even speculate that this mysterious species could even be concealing themselves on the Moon or have mastered the art of blending in as human beings, a folk theory that has inspired countless works of science fiction.
Another explanation, as put forward by controversial Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb, suggests that other ancient civilizations may have lived on "planets like Mars or Earth" but a "billion years apart and hence were not aware of each other."
Of course, these are all "far-fetched" hypotheses, as the scientists admit, and deserve to be regarded with plenty of skepticism.
"We entertain them here because some aspects of UAP are strange enough that they seem to call for unconventional explanations," the paper reads.
"It may be exceedingly improbable, but hopefully this paper has shown it should nevertheless be kept on the table as we seek to understand the ongoing empirical mystery of UAP," the researchers conclude.
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RESEARCHERS SAY THERE’S A VULGAR BUT MORE ACCURATE TERM FOR AI HALLUCINATIONS
RESEARCHERS SAY THERE’S A VULGAR BUT MORE ACCURATE TERM FOR AI HALLUCINATIONS
THIS IS A COMPELLING PHILOSOPHICAL ARGUMENT.
GETTY / FUTURISM
Not Just Nomenclature
It's not just your imagination — ChatGPT really is spitting out "bullshit," according to a group of researchers.
In a new paper published in the journal Ethics and Information Technology, a trio of philosophy researchers from the University of Glasgow in Scotland argue that referring to chatbot's propensity to make crap up shouldn't be referred to as "hallucinations," because it's actually something much less flattering.
Hallucination, as anyone who's studied psychology or taken psychedelics knows well, is generally defined as seeing or perceiving something that isn't there. Its use in the context of artificial intelligence is clearly metaphorical, because large language models (LLMs) don't see or perceive anything at all — and as the Glasgow researchers maintain, that metaphor misses the mark when the concept of "bullshitting" is right there.
"The machines are not trying to communicate something they believe or perceive," the paper reads. "Their inaccuracy is not due to misperception or hallucination. As we have pointed out, they are not trying to convey information at all. They are bullshitting."
Calling Bull
At the crux of the assertion from researchers Michael Townsen Hicks, James Humphries, and Joe Slater is philosopher Harry Frankfurt's hilarious and cutting 2005 epistemology opus "On Bullshit." As the Glaswegians summarize it, Frankfurt's general definition of bullshit is "any utterance produced where a speaker has indifference towards the truth of the utterance." That explanation, in turn, is divided into two "species": hard bullshit, which occurs when there is an agenda to mislead, or soft bullshit, which is uttered without agenda.
"ChatGPT is at minimum a soft bullshitter or a bullshit machine, because if it is not an agent then it can neither hold any attitudes towards truth nor towards deceiving hearers about its (or, perhaps more properly, its users') agenda," the trio writes.
Rather than having any intention or agenda, chatbots have one singular objective: to output human-like text. Citing the lawyer who used ChatGPT to write a legal brief and ended up presenting a bunch of "bogus" legal precedents before the judge, the UG team asserts that LLMs have proven themselves adept bullshitters — and that sort of thing could become more and more dangerous as people keep relying on chatbots to work for them.
"Investors, policymakers, and members of the general public make decisions on how to treat these machines and how to react to them based not on a deep technical understanding of how they work, but on the often metaphorical way in which their abilities and function are communicated," the researchers proclaim. "Calling their mistakes 'hallucinations' isn’t harmless: it lends itself to the confusion that the machines are in some way misperceiving but are nonetheless trying to convey something that they believe or have perceived."
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Alien Tech Unveiled: Navy Scientist Confirms Secret UAP Program
Alien Tech Unveiled: Navy Scientist Confirms Secret UAP Program
In a groundbreaking revelation at the Scientific Coalition for UAP Studies (SCU) conference, investigative journalist Ross Coulthart shared insights into Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAPs), shedding light on secretive programs involving non-human technology and biologics. Coulthart, renowned for his investigative prowess, embarked on a journey from skepticism to firm belief in the existence of these phenomena, fueled by testimonies from credible sources, including high-ranking military personnel.
From Skeptic to Believer
Ross Coulthart’s transformation from a skeptic to a fervent investigator of UAPs is a narrative worth noting. Initially doubtful, his perspective shifted dramatically after encounters with key figures like David Grusch, who claimed knowledge of secretive UAP retrieval and reverse engineering programs. Coulthart’s extensive background in journalism, focused on crime and corruption, added weight to his investigation into these mysterious phenomena.
Government Cover-Ups and Media Silence
One of the central themes of Coulthart’s keynote was the persistent government cover-up and the mainstream media’s failure to adequately address the UAP issue. He criticized the systematic disinformation campaigns aimed at ridiculing and dismissing UAP sightings, despite the U.S. government’s admissions of their existence. Private aerospace companies and government officials were implicated in maintaining the secrecy, often misusing funds and exploiting legal loopholes to conceal information.
Testimonies from Credible Sources
Coulthart’s investigation was bolstered by testimonies from credible witnesses, including former U.S. Navy scientist Nat Kobitz. Kobitz, who served as the Navy’s Director of Science and Technology Development, revealed his involvement in a classified program focused on retrieved non-human technology and reverse engineering efforts. He recounted being briefed on operations that involved recovering alien spacecraft and attempting to understand and replicate their advanced technology.
Historical Context and Official Deception
The historical context provided by Coulthart highlighted a long-standing strategy of debunking and discrediting UAP reports. He referenced the CIA’s Robertson Panel, established 70 years ago, which aimed to reduce public interest in UAPs through a mass media campaign. This panel recommended using television, movies, and popular articles to strip UAPs of their “aura of mystery,” effectively reducing public gullibility and susceptibility to propaganda.
The Call for Transparency
Coulthart’s speech culminated in a passionate call for transparency and accountability. He urged the public and Congress to demand the truth about UAPs, emphasizing the misuse of laws to hinder governmental oversight. Coulthart stressed that without public pressure, the truth about UAPs might remain concealed for decades, urging voters to push for changes and hold officials accountable.
An Emotional Appeal
In a fervent appeal, Coulthart criticized the diversion of trillions of dollars to secretive programs while neglecting public infrastructure. He urged Americans to demand transparency, invoking the spirit of the greatest generation that once made the nation proud. His frustration with the current state of affairs was palpable, as he called for a collective effort to uncover the truth and restore the country’s greatness.
Ross Coulthart’s revelations at the SCU conference have brought the issue of UAPs to the forefront, highlighting the need for transparency and accountability. His journey from skepticism to belief, supported by credible testimonies and historical context, underscores the significance of this issue. As the public and lawmakers grapple with these revelations, the call for truth and openness in the face of decades of secrecy becomes increasingly urgent. Coulthart’s passionate plea serves as a reminder of the power of investigative journalism and the importance of public vigilance in uncovering hidden truths.
Rain will probably never fall on Mars’ giant volcano, Olympus Mons (our condolences to the MMC). But a glittering swath of frost covers the Martian mountaintop on chilly mornings, according to new research, suggesting that the planet has an active, if sparse, water cycle.
A team of scientists recently discovered frozen water in an unlikely place on Mars: 13.5 miles above the surface, nestled near the peak of our Solar System’s largest mountain, Olympus Mons (which is also a volcano, though its last eruption was 25 million years ago.) For a few hours each morning during the colder Martian seasons, huge patches of frost settle in the ancient calderas of Mars’s Tharsis Mountain range, which includesOlympus Mons. The recent study is the first time scientists have seen frost anywhere near the planet’s equator, and it could suggest new places to look for water and potential signs of life on Mars.
The frost is visible in blue in this image of Olympus Mons.
ESA/DLR/FU BERLIN
FROST-CAPPED MOUNTAIN PEAKS IN THE MARTIAN TROPICS
Valentinas and his colleagues spent five years poring over data from an instrument called CaSSIS (Color and Stereo Surface Imaging System) aboard the European Space Agency’s Trace Gas Orbiter. In 2018, the scientists thought they had glimpsed frost in the high calderas of Olympus Mons and some of the other dormant volcanoes of Tharsis, and more data from the Mars Express Orbiter confirmed what they had seen. The team spent the next five years studying more than 30,000 images of the region, captured at different times of day and in different seasons, to piece together a record of how the frost came and went.
It turns out that during Mars’s colder months, a super-thin layer of frost forms at the peaks of the towering mountains and in their calderas — the collapsed craters formed by cataclysmic volcanic eruptions millions of years ago. The icy layer is only about as thick as a human hair, and it lasts just a few hours before it evaporates under the heat of the Martian Sun. However, it covers such a wide swath of ground that even that thin, short-lived frost layer contains about 150,000 tons of water, enough to fill 6 Olympic swimming pools. And in the mostly-dry environs of modern Mars, that’s a lot of water.
“We thought it was improbable for frost to form around Mars’s equator, as the mix of sunshine and thin atmosphere keeps temperatures during the day relatively high, at both the surface and the mountaintops — unlike what we see on Earth, where you might expect to see frosty peaks,” says Valentinas in a recent statement.
Valentinas and his colleagues suggest that there’s something about air circulation around the tops of the mountains and through the calderas that creates a microclimate that’s cool enough and humid enough to allow frost to form on cold mornings. Building computer simulations of how the frost forms and evaporates could help scientists understand Mars’s water cycle, such as it is, in more detail.
Rijm ontdekt op de hoogste vulkanen van Mars: "Altijd gedacht dat zoiets onmogelijk was"
Rijm ontdekt op de hoogste vulkanen van Mars: "Altijd gedacht dat zoiets onmogelijk was"
Artikel door Wim De Maeseneer
In de winter wordt wel eens gewaarschuwd voor rijm- en ijsplekken op de weg. Rijm is de witte laag die je soms op je gazon ziet als het in de winter vriest. Het zijn de fijne waterdruppels uit de lucht die condenseren op het gras of op de weg en dan bevriezen. Voor het eerst is er bewijs dat er zich ook rijm op Mars kan vormen.
Op de kilometers hoge toppen van enkele vulkanen is een dun laagje rijm ontdekt, dat tijdens het koude seizoen elke dag verschijnt rond zonsopgang en enkele uren later weer verdampt in het zonlicht. Dat blijkt uit waarnemingen van 2 Europese satellieten rond Mars: de ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) en de Mars Express.
Nochtans werd altijd gedacht dat er op die plek, dicht bij de evenaar van Mars, onmogelijk water kon bevriezen. "Tot nog toe dachten we dat de temperaturen aan de evenaar te hoog zouden zijn, zowel op het oppervlak als op de bergtoppen, door het zonlicht en de dunne atmosfeer", zegt onderzoeker Adomas Valantinas die de studie heeft geleid. "Er moeten dus ongewone processen meespelen waardoor er zich toch rijm kan vormen."
Belgische bijdrage
Wat die ongewone processen dan wel zouden kunnen zijn, dat onderzochten wetenschappers van de Koninklijke Sterrenwacht van België. "Onze modellen van de luchtcirculatie op Mars hebben aangetoond dat vochtige lucht inderdaad kan condenseren tot rijm van water op de bodem van caldera's (de grote krater aan de top van een uitgedoofde vulkaan, red.), gedurende de nacht en vroege ochtend. Vergelijkbaar met wat kan worden waargenomen op aarde", klinkt het in een persbericht.
"In die caldera's zou de temperatuur toch iets kouder kunnen zijn. Net koud genoeg om toch rijm te kunnen vormen", vult Karolien Lefever van het Koninklijk Belgisch Instituut voor Ruimte-Aeronomie (BIRA) aan. Het is mede dankzij het NOMAD-instrument van het BIRA, aan boord van de ExoMars-satelliet, dat de rijm kon worden ontdekt.
Credit: Adomas Valantinas
Deze vroege ochtendopname van Olympus Mons (LST = 7:20 uur, Ls = 346,7°, lat = 18,2°N, lon = -133,2°E) is gemaakt door de Mars Express High Resolution Stereo Camera (MEX-HRSC). Deze foto toont voor het eerst de aanwezigheid van rijm van water op de top van de vulkaan, de hoogste vulkaan op Mars en in het hele zonnestelsel.
Mars is miljoenen jaren lang geteisterd door grote vulkaanuitbarstingen en dat is op het oppervlak nog altijd goed te zien. De vulkanen waar het over gaat, bevinden zich in het Tharsisgebied, een enorm vulkanisch plateau op de evenaar van Mars. Hier liggen de grootste vulkanen van ons zonnestelsel.
Olympus Mons torent 25 kilometer boven het oppervlak uit en is de grootste bekende vulkaan. Hij is meer dan 600 kilometer breed. Er liggen nog verschillende andere vulkanen van 10 kilometer hoog en meer. Ter vergelijking: de hoogste vulkaan ter wereld, de Ojos del Salado in Chili, is net geen 7 kilometer hoog.
"Hoewel het om een heel dun laagje gaat, ongeveer de dikte van een menselijk haar, bedekt het een enorm groot gebied. Alles samen komt het overeen met zo'n 150.000 ton water, dat elke dag tussen de atmosfeer en het oppervlak wordt uitgewisseld."
"Deze ontdekking is een nieuw, klein puzzelstukje in het beter begrijpen van de watercyclus op Mars", zegt Lefever. "Waterijswolken en waterdamp werden eerder al gedetecteerd op Mars. En we weten dat die wolken een heel belangrijke rol spelen in de watercyclus, omdat ze water van de polen naar de droge gebieden aan de evenaar brengen."
"Als we ooit mensen naar Mars willen sturen, dan zal die kennis over de watercyclus zeker van pas komen. Want het zal belangrijk zijn voor astronauten om zelf drinkwater te maken, om water te maken om zich te wassen en om planten te laten groeien, bijvoorbeeld. "
The Milky Way’s Last Merger Event Was More Recent Than Thought
The Milky Way is only as massive as it is because of collisions and mergers with other galaxies. This is a messy process, and we see the same thing happening with other galaxies throughout the Universe. Currently, we see the Milky Way nibbling at its two satellite galaxies, the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds. Their fate is likely sealed, and they’ll be absorbed into our galaxy.
Researchers thought the last major merger occurred in the Milky Way’s distant past, between 8 and 11 billion years ago. But new research amplifies the idea that it was much more recent: less than 3 billion years ago.
This new insight into our galactic history comes from the ESA’s Gaia mission. Launched in 2013, Gaia is busily mapping 1 billion astronomical objects, mostly stars. It measures them repeatedly, establishing accurate measurements of their positions and motions.
A new paper published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society presents the findings. It’s titled “The Debris of the ‘Last Major Merger’ is Dynamically Young.” The lead author is Thomas Donlon, a post-doctoral researcher in Physics and Astronomy at the University of Alabama, Huntsville. Donlon has been studying mergers in the Milky Way for several years and has published other work on the matter.
Each time another galaxy collides and merges with the Milky Way, it leaves wrinkles. ‘Wrinkles’ obviously isn’t a scientific term. It’s an umbrella term for several types of morphologies, including phase space folds, caustics, chevrons, and shells. These wrinkles move through different groups of stars within the Milky Way, affecting how the stars move through space. By measuring the positions and velocities of these stars with great precision, Gaia can detect the wrinkles, the imprint of the last major merger.
“We get wrinklier as we age, but our work reveals that the opposite is true for the Milky Way. It’s a sort of cosmic Benjamin Button, getting less wrinkly over time,” said lead author Donlon in a press release. “By looking at how these wrinkles dissipate over time, we can trace when the Milky Way experienced its last big crash—and it turns out this happened billions of years later than we thought.”
The effort to understand the Milky Way’s (MW) last major merger involves different pieces of evidence. One of the pieces of evidence, along with wrinkles, is an Fe/H-rich region where stars follow a highly eccentric orbit. A star’s Fe/H ratio is a chemical fingerprint, and when astronomers find a group of stars with the same fingerprint and the same orbits, it’s evidence of a common origin. This group of stars is sometimes called ‘the Splash.’ The stars in the Splash may have originated in a Fe/H-rich progenitor. They have odd orbits that stand out from their surroundings. Astronomers think they were heated and their orbits altered as a by-product of the merger.
There are two competing explanations for all of the merger evidence.
One says that a progenitor dwarf galaxy named Gaia Sausage/Enceladus (GSE) collided with the MW proto-disk between 8 and 11 billion years ago. The other explanation is that an event called the Virgo Radial Merger (VRM) is responsible for the stars in the inner halo. That collision occurred much more recently, less than 3 billion years ago.
This is a Hubble Space Telescope image of the globular cluster NGC 2808. It might be the old core of the Gaia Sausage. Image Credit: By NASA, ESA, A. Sarajedini (University of Florida) and G. Piotto (University of Padua (Padova)) http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2007/2007/18/image/a/ (direct link), Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2371715
“These two scenarios make different predictions about observable structure in local phase space because the morphology of debris depends on how long it has had to phase mix,” the authors explain in their paper.
The wrinkles in the MW were first identified in Gaia data in 2018 and presented in this paper. “We have observed shapes with different morphologies, such as a spiral similar to a snail’s shell. The existence of these substructures has been observed for the first time thanks to the unprecedented precision of the data brought by Gaia satellite, from the European Space Agency (ESA)”, said Teresa Antoja, the study’s first author, in 2018.
This AI-generated image illustrates the MW’s ‘wrinkles’ from the last major merger event. Image Credit: University of Barcelona.
But Gaia has released more data since 2018, and it supports the more recent merger scenario, the Virgo Radial Merger. That data shows that the wrinkles are much more prevalent than the earlier data and the studies based on it suggest.
“For the wrinkles of stars to be as clear as they appear in Gaia data, they must have joined us less than 3 billion years ago—at least 5 billion years later than was previously thought,” said co-author Heidi Jo Newberg, from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. If the wrinkles were much older and conformed to the GSE merger scenario, they’d be more difficult to discern.
“New wrinkles of stars form each time the stars swing back and forth through the center of the Milky Way. If they’d joined us 8 billion years ago, there would be so many wrinkles right next to each other that we would no longer see them as separate features,” Newberg said.
This doesn’t mean there’s no evidence for the more ancient GSE merger. Some of the stars that hint at the ancient merger may be from the more recent VRM merger, and some may still be associated with the GSE merger. It’s challenging to figure out, and simulations play a large role. The researchers in previous work and in this work ran multiple simulations to see how they matched the evidence. “Our goal is to determine the time that has passed since the progenitor of the local phase-space folds collided with the MW disc,” the authors write in their paper.
“We can see how the shapes and number of wrinkles change over time using these simulated mergers. This lets us pinpoint the exact time when the simulation best matches what we see in real Gaia data of the Milky Way today—a method we used in this new study too,” said Thomas.
“By doing this, we found that the wrinkles were likely caused by a dwarf galaxy colliding with the Milky Way around 2.7 billion years ago. We named this event the Virgo Radial Merger.” Those results and the name come from a previous study from 2019.
As Gaia delivers more data with each release, astronomers are getting a better look at the evidence of mergers. It’s becoming clear that the MW has a complex history.
The VRM likely involved more than one entity. It could have brought a whole group of dwarf galaxies and star clusters into the MW at around the same time. As astronomers research the MW’s merger history in greater detail, they hope to determine which of these objects are from the more recent VRM and which are from the ancient GSE.
“The Milky Way’s history is constantly being rewritten at the moment, in no small part thanks to new data from Gaia,” adds Thomas. “Our picture of the Milky Way’s past has changed dramatically from even a decade ago, and I think our understanding of these mergers will continue to change rapidly.”
“This finding improves what we know of the many complicated events that shaped the Milky Way, helping us better understand how galaxies are formed and shaped—our home galaxy in particular,” said Timo Prusti, Project Scientist for Gaia at ESA.
Landing on Pluto May Only Be A Hop Skip and Jump Away
There are plenty of crazy ideas for missions in the space exploration community. Some are just better funded than others. One of the early pathways to funding the crazy ideas is NASA’s Institute for Advanced Concepts. In 2017 and again in 2021, it funded a mission study of what most space enthusiasts would consider only a modestly ambitious goal but what those outside the community might consider outlandish—landing on Pluto.
Two major questions stand out in the mission design: How would a probe arriving at Pluto slow down, and what kind of lander would be useful on Pluto itself? The answer to the first is one that is becoming increasingly common on planetary exploration missions: aerobraking.
Pluto has an atmosphere, albeit sparse, as confirmed by the New Horizons mission that whizzed past in 2015. One advantage of the minor planet’s relatively weak gravity is that its low-density atmosphere is almost eight times larger than Earth’s, providing a much bigger target for a fast incoming aerobraking craft to aim for.
Fraser discusses future missions to Pluto.
Much of the NIAC Phase I project was focused on the details of that aerobraking system, called the Enveloping Aerodynamic Decelerator (EAD). Combined with a lander, that system makes up the “Entrycraft” that the mission is designed around. Ostensibly, it could alternatively contain an orbiter, and there are plenty of other missions discussing how to insert an orbiter around Pluto. Hence, the main thrust of this paper is to focus on a lander.
After aerobraking and slowing down to a few tens of meters a second, from 14 km/s during its interplanetary cruise phase, the mission would drop its lander payload, then rest on the surface, only to rise again under its own power. The answer to the second question of what kind of lander would be useful on Pluto is – a hopper.
Hoppers have become increasingly popular as an exploration tool everywhere, from the Moon to asteroids. Some apparent advantages would include visiting a wide array of interesting scientific sites and not having to navigate tricky land-based obstacles. Ingenuity, the helicopter that accompanied Perseverance paved the way for the idea, but in other words, the atmosphere isn’t dense enough to support a helicopter. So why not use the current favorite method of almost all spacecraft – rockets?
Fraser discusses the results from New Horizons.
A hopper would fire its onboard thrusters to reach the area on Pluto’s surface and then land elsewhere. It could then do some science at its new locale before taking off and doing so again somewhere else. The NIAC Phase I Final Report describes five main scientific objectives of the mission, including understanding the surface geomorphology and running some in-situ chemical analysis. A hopper structure would enable those goals much better than a traditional rover at a relatively low weight cost since Pluto’s gravity is so weak.
Other objectives of the report include mathematical calculations of the trajectory, including the aerobraking itself and the stress and strain it would have on the materials used in the system. The authors, who primarily work for Global Aerospace Corporation and ILC Dover, two private companies, also updated the atmospheric models of Pluto with new New Horizons data, which they then fed into the aerobraking model they used. Designing the lander/hopper, integrating all the scientific and navigation components, and estimating their weights were also part of Phase I.
The original launch window for the mission was planned as 2029 back in 2018, though now, despite receiving a Phase II NIAC grant in 2021, that launch window seems wildly optimistic. Since the mission would require a gravity assist from Jupiter, the next potential launch window would be 2042, with a lander finally reaching the surface of Pluto in the 2050s. That later launch window is likely the only feasible one for the mission, so we might have to wait almost 30 years to see if it will come to fruition. Sometimes crazy ideas take patience – we’ll see if the mission team has enough of that to push it onto the surface of one of the most interesting minor planets in the solar system.
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Over mijzelf
Ik ben Pieter, en gebruik soms ook wel de schuilnaam Peter2011.
Ik ben een man en woon in Linter (België) en mijn beroep is Ik ben op rust..
Ik ben geboren op 18/10/1950 en ben nu dus 73 jaar jong.
Mijn hobby's zijn: Ufologie en andere esoterische onderwerpen.
Op deze blog vind je onder artikels, werk van mezelf. Mijn dank gaat ook naar André, Ingrid, Oliver, Paul, Vincent, Georges Filer en MUFON voor de bijdragen voor de verschillende categorieën...
Veel leesplezier en geef je mening over deze blog.
