• READ MORE: Pentagon UFO chief confirms 'alien tech' crash retrieval program

By MATTHEW PHELAN SENIOR SCIENCE REPORTER FOR DAILYMAIL.COM

Scores of new witnesses have emerged with more footage of the eerie 'drone' UFO swarms buzzing key US military sites, including 'a big fireball in a cube' over Area 51.

The Las Vegas-area witness who reported this bizarre cube-shaped object claims to have observed similar strange aerial lights in the area 'over 100 times' since June 2020, adding that these craft 'always seem to head towards Nellis Air Force base.'

Nevada's Nellis base and its sprawling complex about 40 miles northwest of Vegas — including top secret Area 51, now legendary within UFO lore — appear to have faced incursions by craft similar to those that plagued the Air Force in Virginia. 

For at least 17 nights last December, swarms of noisy small UFOs were seen 'moving at rapid speeds' and displaying 'flashing red, green, and white lights' within the highly restricted airspace over Virginia's Joint Base Langley–Eustis.

Vegas natives have posted videos confirming they too have seen more than one red, green or white UFO that 'wasn't flashing like a regular aircraft [or] like a satellite.'

Another witness, who documented one September 4, 2024 case from their own 60-night experience with the odd lights, hoped coming forward might help get answers.

'I live approximately 7 miles from Nellis,' they said. 'Past two months, every single night, I've seen numerous different things going on. Just wondering what it all is.'

General Glen VanHerck of North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), has pled with the US Secretary of Defense to authorize a full battery of electronic eavesdropping tools to get to the bottom of the Langley swarm and others like it.

One Las Vegas witness, who documented their own months-long experience with the odd lights near Area 51 on Sept. 4, 2024, hoped coming forward might end their own confusion: 'Just wondering what it all is.' Above, a still from that witness's video, dubbed Enigma #298748

'I lived under a commercial flight pattern near the airport, so I'm very familiar with what airplanes and conventional aircraft look and behave like,' one observer to a September 13, 2022 case (above) stated. 'This was not conventional,' they said of the 'very bright light'

The general, who led the mission to takedown the infamous Chinese spy balloon in February 2023, described Langley's 'drone swarm' wave as unlike any other reported.

And speaking to the Senate Armed Services Committee this past March, General VanHerck's successor as the head of NORAD, Air Force General Gregory Guillot, told lawmakers that still more baffling UFO cases over US bases continue to mount.

'I wasn't prepared for the number of incursions that I see,' General Guillot confessed.

While the new witnesses to the UFO sightings near Nellis were all civilians — working with consumer phone cameras and not the military-grade radar, infrared and NASA imaging tech deployed at Langley — their reports echo the Air Force's own.

'They were flashing weirdly not [like] the normal navigation lights,' one witness reported in their submission to a UFO-spotting app run by start-up Enigma Labs. 

The UFOs during this April 16, 2024 encounter, they said, 'were red in color' and 'traveling very close together.'

Another witness, who documented a November 21, 2023 event, stated that they saw an object that looked deceptively monochromatic until they re-examined the video.

'If you zoom into the actual recording various times, you'll see that it's a round shape and it's spinning and it's multicolored, not just green,' as they described it to Enigma.

Both Vegas witnesses said their sightings appeared to be near Nellis Air Force Base.

General Glen VanHerck (above), the commander of the US Northern Command and the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) from August 2020 to February 2024, said: 'If there are unknown objects within North America [we need to] go out and identify them'

For at least 17 nights in December 2023, swarms of small 'drones' were seen penetrating the highly restricted airspace above Langley Air Force Base in Virginia. Above, a photo taken by an eyewitness of one (or more) of these drones as provided to the Wall Street Journal and others

Above, two USAF F-22 Raptors fly over Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Virginia on June 14, 2018

The repeated appearance of terms like 'drones,' 'unmanned aerial vehicles' (UAV) and 'unmanned aerial systems' (UAS) in the Pentagon's own official reports on these unexplained cases has pointed many observers toward terrestrial explanations.

'Typically sightings near bases such as Nellis and Area 51 where there are a lot of experimental aircraft being tested are assumed to be advanced technology under development,' Enigma Labs consultant Alejandro Rojas told DailyMail.com.

'However, given the admission that UAV are flying in secured airspace over other Air Force bases,' he noted, 'we need to take a closer look at these.' 

Rojas, a seasoned UFO expert and cofounder of the nonprofit , told DailyMail.com that Enigma has received 'a lot of reports near Nellis Air Force Base.'

'Civilian reports and videos of potential incursions by unknown objects from the public are essential,' he added. 'The Pentagon is scratching its head over these.'

'Most cases we receive include videos, along with descriptions of how they move, what they look like, and the directions they come from and are headed to.' 

Although many wished to remain anonymous, several of Enigma's witnesses offered details that spoke to their own credibility, as well as to their efforts to find more prosaic explanations for the odd airborne phenomena that had left them stumped.

'I lived under a commercial flight pattern near the airport, so I'm very familiar with what airplanes and conventional aircraft look and behave like,' one Vegas-based observer to a September 13, 2022 case stated. 

'This was not conventional,' they said of the 'very bright light' they witnessed 'for at least 20 minutes' in the wee hours of the morning, around 4:45am Pacific time.   

Above, one still from Enigma #298748, a case documented on September 4, 2024. 'I live approximately 7 miles from Nellis,' the witness said. 'Past two months, every single night, I've seen numerous different things going on. Just wondering what it all is'

Above, a second still from Enigma #298748, documented on September 4, 2024

'The light was extremely bright, yellowish orange,' they noted. 'It was pulsing and it remain[ed] stationary [...] it seemed to be situated near Nellis Air Force Base.' 

'It was strange,' the witness continued. 'I also checked to make sure it wasn't a star or a planet or any atmospheric phenomenon. Two days later at the exact same time I saw the same object in the same airspace.'

Yet another witness also had repeat sightings around their own December 15, 2023 green light UFO, which made 'erratic movements' before 'just stopping in midair.'  

Only one of these half a dozen or so Vegas-area witnesses reached for otherworldly notions to explain what they saw: the witness to the 'big fireball in a cube' who taped a seemingly distant and very different amber-orange UFO, the night of May 6, 2024.

'They always seem to head towards Nellis [AFB],' the witness wrote. 'I don't believe they are man-made, probably in cahoots with the Air Force.' 

'I feel they are trying to communicate with me,' the woman continued in her report.

Only one these half a dozen or so of these Las Vegas-area witnesses reached for an otherworldly explanation to explain what they saw: the witness to the 'big fireball in a cube' who taped a different amber-orange UFO on video (above) the night of May 6, 2024

Nevada State Route 375 near Area 51 was named 'the Extraterrestrial Highway' in 1996 by the Nevada Commission on Tourism hoping to drawing tourists to this remote part of the state

'They zoom up and down sometimes [...] back and forth sometimes. They're very playful, and they always know where I am,' she added. 

Late last month, the deputy test director for US Northern Command (NORTHCOM) Jason Mayes, explained some of the policy hurdles facing America's domestic defense against any enemy drones encroaching upon sensitive US airspace. 

Mayes, commenting during the counter-drone experiment 'Falcon Peak 2025' at Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado, spoke to both legal and civilian safety issues that have plagued defensive measures to combat UAVs on US soil.

The entire phalanx of potential anti-drone tech available for US bases abroad — including surface-to-air interceptors, gun systems, lasers and high-power microwave weapons — are all currently 'off limits' for bases like Langley and Nellis.

'They're not appropriate for the homeland,' Mayes told reporters with The War Zone. 

More troubling still, even less drastic techniques like signal-jamming have proven tricky for domestic use, over understandable concerns about where a jammed UAV might crash or what other civilian systems nearby might fail due to 'friendly fire' from that jamming. 

'Given the impact of GPS denial, just across infrastructure and all that stuff,' Mayes noted, 'it is a very, very difficult capability to get permissions to utilize.' 

Above, the Area 51 Center in Nye, NV

Out of any of these methods, Mayes noted that blasting drones out of the sky with a focused laser might prove to be the method that meets with policymaker's blessing soonest. 

'I think that we could get to a point where we have approval for that here in the homeland,' Mayes told reporters.

'The biggest thing right now is the impact of the laser when it moves beyond its target. You know, how far is it going? What's that going to do? How long does the laser need to remain on target before it begins to inflict damage and so on, right?'

NORTHCOM's tests, of course, presume the solution to these events are all likely to be earthbound tech — or technology at all — an open question for many observers.

'These incursions highlight the need for a process to identify the objects and get data to the right people, whether that be foreign materials analysis groups inside the military [or] law enforcement,' Rojas told DailyMail.com. 

But: 'With more mysterious situations, like any determined to be dealing with material not made on this planet,' the longtime UFO researcher noted that 'getting that data to scientists who can transparently analyze the cases' will be paramount.

'This last group is the exciting stuff,' Rojas said. 'These are the cases where we will discover something new.' 

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/ }

11-11-2024 om 18:48 geschreven door peter  

America's top city for UFO sightings revealed - and the exact time of day you should watch the skies

By LAUREN ACTON-TAYLOR FOR DAILYMAIL.COM

If you are hoping to spot a UFO zipping across the evening sky, there is one major US city where your chances are highest, new research has revealed.

Phoenix, Arizona, has been ranked as America's supernatural hotspot, with a whopping 323 sightings in the last decade, according data from the National UFO Reporting Center compiled by BetUS. 

New York City came in second place with 313 reported incidents and Nevada, which is home to the infamous Area 51,  came in third with 309 alleged sightings.

While the data only goes as far back as 2013, Phoenix has long been a hotbed of paranormal activity - with its biggest UFO event occurring on March 13, 1997.

The city has earned the number one spot with a whopping 323 sightings in the last decade alone

Phoenix has long been a hotbed of paranormal activity - with its most major, and widespread, account of UFO sightings happening on March 13, 1997

On this date, hundreds of people reported seeing 'The Phoenix Lights'.  

The sightings were so widespread that even a 12-year-old Meghan McCain claiming she saw them - with what she witnessed that night leaving a mark.

After her mom allowed her 'to go out to the yard to take a look', McCain told the DailyMail.com that she saw 'giant, bright objects floating in a straight line in the distance'.

'Even today, it is hard to explain, and there are varying descriptions of what happened over Phoenix between approximately 7:30 pm and 10:30 pm,' she added.

Years later in 2016, locals in Gilbert, just southeast of Phoenix, claimed they had seen a strange set of three lights moving north to south in the East Valley area.

One resident, Todd, shared footage to his X account, writing in the caption: 'Did anybody else just see a UFO!?' 

Even more eerily, in 2019, a live-stream just outside Phoenix captured a purple beam of light bursting through the foreground, and multiple alleged UFOs were caught zipping through the night sky.

In 2019, a live-stream just outside Phoenix captured a purple beam of light burst through the foreground, and multiple UFOs were caught zipping through the night sky

Around 65 percent of Americans believe that intelligent life exists on other planets, according to Pew Research Center. 

The recent BetUS data showed that some of the other top scoring cities for UFO sightings are in close proximity to notorious locations known for suspected alien activity, such as Area 51 or Roswell, New Mexico. 

Roswell had been dubbed the 'UFO capital of the world' and was believed to be near the site of an alleged alien spaceship crash in 1947 known as the 'Roswell Incident'. 

In the same year, the National UFO Reporting Center was founded and it has processed more than 180,000 reports. 

In 2016, locals in Gilbert, just southeast of Phoenix, claimed to see a strange set of three lights moving north to south in the East Valley area

The city is home to the International UFO Museum and Research Center, which has been open for nearly 30 years and hosts an annual UFO Festival. 

Area 51 in Nevada, meanwhile, is one of the most notorious spots for alien conspiracy theories. The site became forever associated with aliens after an interview in 1989. 

Former government physicist, Robert Lazar, told a Las Vegas news station that the site housed and studied alien spacecraft. He has said it was his job to to recreate the technology for military use, according to National Geographic.    

Other top cities for UFO sightings include Portland, Oregon, in fourth place with 279 reports, and Tuscon, Arizona, ranked fifth with 244 . 

Roswell was dubbed the 'UFO capital of the world' following an alleged spaceship crash in 1947 known as the 'Roswell Incident'. Above, a sign directing Roswell, New Mexico visitors to the start of a '1947 UFO Crash Site Tour' circa 1997

Arizona Man gets excited filming 'UFO' sighting in Arizona

A man takes a selfie with his son in front of a sign at the Alien Research Center in Hiko, Nevada on September 21, 2019

Many cities listed were notably large, with more potential eyes looking at the sky and therefore a higher likelihood of a potential sighting. 

On the West Coast, six California cities featured on the list of 200 - with the state's highest ranking held by Los Angeles which came in seventh place with 222 sightings. 

According to the BetUS, July is best time of year to spot a UFO in New York, Ohio, Colorado and Oregon - with the most common time between 9pm and 10pm. 

For states such as California and Arizona, November is reportedly the best month to watch the skies. 

In 2019, potential evidence of alien life was announced by an Oxford research project, Breakthrough Listen, with hints that the proof would eventually be released to the public. 

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/ }

11-11-2024 om 18:22 geschreven door peter  

Four Chilling UFO Encounters That Changed History

For as long as humans have gazed up at the stars, questions about extraterrestrial life have captured the human imagination. While most UFO sightings have been easily explained, a few remain unexplained and have sparked curiosity, debate, and wonder. This article dives into four landmark UFO sightings—the Roswell crash, the Battle of Los Angeles, the Rendlesham Forest incident, and the Marfa Lights—that continue to challenge our understanding of the universe. These iconic encounters, filled with gripping eyewitness accounts and intriguing expert analyses, have inspired countless theories about the mysteries that may lie beyond our world.

The Roswell Crash: The “Cosmic Watergate”

The Roswell Incident of 1947 remains one of the most famous UFO cases in history. When an unknown object crashed on a ranch near Roswell, New Mexico, the U.S. military initially reported it as a “flying disc.” However, this statement was quickly retracted, with officials claiming the debris was from a weather balloon. This reversal only fueled public suspicion, leading many to believe that the government was hiding evidence of extraterrestrial life. Witnesses reported strange materials at the crash site, including what they described as “memory metal” that would return to its original shape. Over the years, Roswell has become synonymous with UFO lore, spawning countless theories about what actually crashed in the desert and whether it was truly extraterrestrial in nature.

The Battle of Los Angeles: An Unsolved WWII Mystery

In the early hours of February 25, 1942, less than three months after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the city of Los Angeles was gripped with fear. An unidentified object appeared on military radar, sparking an intense anti-aircraft barrage that lit up the night sky. Thousands of rounds were fired at the mysterious object, which remained undamaged and eventually disappeared without a trace. The official explanation later suggested the object was a weather balloon, but the public was not convinced. Some witnesses described a large oval shape caught in the crossfire, a detail that continues to fuel theories of an extraterrestrial encounter. The Battle of Los Angeles remains one of the most intense and well-documented UFO sightings, and its mystery continues to resonate with historians and UFO enthusiasts alike.

The Rendlesham Forest Incident: Britain’s Roswell

Known as “Britain’s Roswell,” the Rendlesham Forest incident took place over several nights in December 1980 near RAF Woodbridge in Suffolk, England. Military personnel reported seeing strange lights in the forest, and some claimed to have encountered a triangular craft emitting beams of light. Deputy Base Commander Colonel Charles Halt recorded his observations on an audio device, describing the eerie red and blue lights in detail. Radiation was reportedly detected at the landing site, and broken tree branches suggested something had indeed descended through the forest canopy. While some skeptics attribute the lights to a nearby lighthouse, many witnesses, including Colonel Halt, insist that what they saw was not a lighthouse but a structured craft of unknown origin. This high-profile case has led to extensive investigations and remains a prominent event in British UFO history.

The Marfa Lights: An Enigmatic Light Show in the Texas Desert

For over a century, mysterious lights have appeared in the desert near Marfa, Texas. Known as the Marfa Lights, these orbs have mystified locals and scientists alike. Witnesses describe seeing colorful lights that move against the wind, change direction, and sometimes vanish suddenly. While some scientists speculate that the lights may be caused by atmospheric conditions or natural gases, no theory has fully explained this phenomenon. Reports of the Marfa Lights date back to the late 1800s, before modern technology or vehicles could have been responsible. The lights have become a popular tourist attraction, drawing thousands of visitors each year to watch the glowing orbs dance across the dark Texas sky. The Marfa Lights continue to puzzle scientists and remain one of the most enduring mysteries in UFO lore.

VIDEO:

• The Most Chilling UFO Encounters Ever Documented!

• https://youtu.be/7tZgvrUPrRg

Each of these four iconic UFO encounters has captivated the public’s imagination, challenging what we know—or think we know—about the universe. The Roswell crash, the Battle of Los Angeles, the Rendlesham Forest incident, and the Marfa Lights each provide compelling evidence that there may be more to the UFO phenomenon than meets the eye. Whether these incidents are proof of extraterrestrial visitors or natural phenomena beyond our current scientific understanding, they continue to inspire questions about the mysteries of the cosmos. With new advancements in science and technology, perhaps one day we will finally uncover the truth behind these chilling encounters. Until then, these events remain a reminder of the boundless mysteries that lie in the unexplored realms of space and in our own understanding of reality.

VIDEOS

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

11-11-2024 om 17:18 geschreven door peter  

(Credit: USAF)

Now, additional confirmation of the incident has been obtained by Abbas Michael Dharamsey through documents he obtained through a FOIA request, copies of which were subsequently made available by researcher John Greenewald at his website, The Black Vault.

Although most of the information in the documents is redacted, a declassified summary of the incident is provided, along with a sketch depicting the appearance of one of the UAPs the pilot encountered.

Sketch of “UAP-1” as described by the unnamed USAF pilot during the 2023 UAP incident over the Gulf of Mexico (Credit: USAF via FOIA/A.M. Dharamsey/The Black Vault).

According to the declassified summary, the United States Air Force pilot successfully obtained a radar lock on four unidentified objects and subsequently obtained a screen capture of one of the UAPs, the only one with which visual contact was made.

The declassified summary, as well as the sketch provided to Dharamsey in the FOIA release, both depict an object resembling a NASA Apollo-era space capsule, which possessed a rounded, reddish orange illuminated bottom portion, while the upper section was described as “a three-dimensional cone shape” which featured what resembled “gunmetal gray segmented panels.”

The object, referred to as “UAP-1” in the summary, was observed operating at an altitude of around 16,000 feet, while two of the other objects detected solely on radar were observed at 17,000 and 18,000 feet above ground level. The fourth object was reportedly lost from radar, making any estimates of its altitude impossible for the pilot to obtain.

Although the above data on altitude was obtained, the summary states that no airspeeds were noted for the unidentified objects, although they did not outpace the pilot, who was able to close to within 4,000 feet of UAP-1, at which time the aircraft’s radar began to malfunction and remained disabled.

“Post-mission investigation revealed that a circuit breaker had triggered,” the brief declassified summary concludes, “but that maintenance technicians were unable to conclusively diagnose the fault.”

Sometime after the events described in the summary, Gaetz was reportedly shown the image obtained by the pilot during a visit to Eglin Air Force Base.

“Several months ago, my office received a protected disclosure from Eglin Air Force Base indicating there was a UAP incident that required my attention,” Gaetz later wrote in a post on X. Gaetz said that after learning of the incident, he requested a briefing on the situation and traveled to Eglin, accompanied during the visit by Reps. Tim Burchett (R-TN) and Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL).

Rep. Matt Gaetz speaks during last July’s UAP hearing

(Credit: Subcommittee on National Security, the Border, and Foreign Affairs).

“We were initially denied access to images, radar, and conversation with all members of the flight crew,” Gaetz said. However, Gaetz was eventually allowed to review the photograph obtained by the pilot involved in the UAP encounter.

Gaetz said that he was the only one who was shown the UAP image at the time and that he had an opportunity to speak with the pilot, who told him the objects were observed on radar “flying in a diamond formation.”

“The image was of a UAP that I am not able to attach to any human capability, from the United States or from any of our adversaries,” Gaetz said of the image he was shown.

Describing the incident during a hearing held by the Subcommittee on National Security, the Border, and Foreign Affairs last July, Gaetz also said he had observed a radar sequence obtained by personnel at Eglin during the incident that further corroborated the sighting.

Despite the object’s superficial resemblance to an “Apollo spacecraft,” the description of the incident provided in the newly released FOIA documents appears to describe four objects flying in formation, three of which were detected on radar and maintained altitudes close to 16,000, 17,000, and 18,000 feet respectively, and for a duration long enough that imagery of the nearest object, UAP-1, was obtained. Such circumstances would appear to rule out any conventional object resembling a known spacecraft during reentry, for which details would likely have been easily accessible.

In a posting on X, writer Mick West surmised that “it’s impossible to rule out that it was just a balloon (or four balloons).”

“It might also be an alien spaceship, but I’d put “balloon” at #1 with the current data,” West added.

Apart from balloons, reentry capsules, or alien spacecraft, another object that the pilot’s sketches of “UAP-1” bears a passing resemblance to was described by three witnesses decades ago during a harrowing encounter near Dayton, Texas in 1980.

On the evening of December 29 of that year, 51-year-old Betty Cash was driving home from dinner with her friend Vickie Landrum, 57, and Landrum’s seven-year-old grandson Colby when they observed a bright light in the distance. As the trio approached the stretch of the roadway where the light appeared to be hovering, what they initially mistook for a plane on approach for landing in Houston was revealed to be something else entirely.

A description of the object later offered by UFO chronicler Jerome Clark based on accounts provided by the witnesses described it as “intensely bright and a dull metallic silver … shaped like a huge upright diamond, about the size of the Dayton water tower,” with flames being emitted from the bottom of the object “flaring outward to create the effect of a large cone.”

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

10-11-2024 om 21:58 geschreven door peter  

10 Most Shocking Reveals From Netflix's Investigation Alien Documentary

Knapp is not altogether successful in his endeavor, despite his Peabody and Edward R. Murrow awards for his journalism, a lengthy stint as a TV newsman, and a clear enthusiasm for his thesis. Incontrovertible proof of alien habitation on Earth proves difficult for Knapp to come by, despite there being a wealth of UFO sightings and witnesses eager to share their stories. By the end of Investigation Alien, the audience is left with a collection of intriguing but unproven theories that still require a leap of faith. Here are 10 reveals from the film that Knapp suggests should change minds.

10. Animal Experimentation

Knapp's first port of call is a pair of Oregon ranchers, who have mysteriously lost cattle. Colby Marshall, from Burns, relates how five range bulls on his property were mutilated overnight, their blood siphoned and their genitals, lips, ears, and internal organs surgically removed. Dave Ward, a fifth-generation rancher nearby, has lost 20 cattle in the last 12 months in the same way. Local law enforcement insists a group of devil-worshipers might be responsible, but Knapp has other ideas: strange objects seen in the skies overhead suggest that aliens are experimenting with the livestock's harvested organs.

9. Violence in Colares

Turning to Brazil, Knapp highlights the famous sightings in 1977 in Colares, on the Amazon River, when locals were attacked by airborne vessels. 40 years on, Aurora Fernandes insists that she saw a rotating disc in the sky, from which sprung a red ray of light that pierced three holes in her chest. She smelled ether and described the sensation of having blood taken. Others in Icoraci were attacked in the same way between June 1977 and August 1978. Local journalist Carlos Mendez reports that CIA-like men appeared after the event and collected all the footage or records of the attacks.

8. The Jellyfish Alien

Back in Las Vegas, UFO journalist Jeremy Corbell and Knapp come across footage released by an unidentified whistleblower showing the eerie trail of an unidentified object, now known as the "Jellyfish" UFO, as it floats across a US military base in Iraq. The identity of the informant cannot be revealed as the action to leak the footage would constitute a felony. However, Knapp finds Marine veteran Michael Cincoski, who insists he watched the video while stationed on an Iraqi base in 2018. Circoski says that everyone on base was sworn to secrecy, but that the craft eventually dived into the sea.

7. Tampico And The USOs

The Jellyfish's underwater exploits open up an entirely new area of investigation for Knapp. He notes that many UFO sightings take place over or near a body of water, and ponders whether the 70% of the planet's surface being covered by water might yield a clue to their hiding place. He travels to Tampico, Mexico, where dozens of UFO encounters have been reported just off the coast. He finds that the locals attribute their lack of hurricanes to their UFO protectors, who, they believe, live under the sea. Local meteorologist, Amalia Avalos, laughs this off - it's simply the currents diverting warm water.

6. Kremer's Dot

Undeterred, Knapp enlists the help of underwater archaeologist Rory Kremer, who deep-dives the nearby Channel Islands in search of an underwater UFO headquarters, in an area a local fisherman has claimed his boat was encircled by a bright light, and pulled down, forcing him to cut the anchor. Kremer's examination of the ocean floor is inconclusive, but on one night his cameras pick up a bright dot in the sky, which zooms in and out, before plunging into the sea. Kremer and Knapp together deduce that their investigation is being observed by otherworldly beings.

5. The Arrow Report

In mid-investigation, Knapp's worldview is directly challenged by the very government agency he's seeking to persuade - the Pentagon's All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office released its report in January 2022, in which it claimed to have thoroughly investigated 512 incidents of Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP), and found "no empirical evidence" of alien technology. Enraged, Knapp quotes the famous Roswell incident in 1947, when the USAF issued a press release confirming they'd found a UFO, only to retract it 24 hours later claiming, laughably, that they'd mistaken it for a weather balloon.

4. Indonesian Jungle Sighting

Knapp resolves to counter the Pentagon's report with one of his own and continues his investigation. He turns to former US marine Michael Herrera, who reels Knapp in with a story from Western Sumatra, where, in 2009, Herrera was on a humanitarian mission. There Herrera saw a 300-foot vessel hovering over the brow of a hill, lights rotating and flashing. Herrera's story, however, had a twist: he says the machine was manufactured with rivets and seams. Herrera tells Knapp that he believes the government has copied alien technology to build their very own spaceship. The footage he took, unfortunately, was stolen.

3. The Council Bluffs Incident

George Knapp then finds himself in Council Bluffs, Iowa, chasing down Mike Moore, who in December 1997 was driving with his fire chief father when they saw a red light drop out of the sky. They visited the burning crash site and Mike took away some samples of twisted metal, which he had kept in a box for 25 years. Knapp sends the metal away for analysis and finds it's composed of randomly mixed titanium, magnesium, aluminum, silicon & iron, but not from anything out of this world. Disappointed but resolute, Knapp suggests aliens would be perfectly capable of manufacturing earthly metals.

Related

2. Phoenix Lights

Knapp's most persuasive evidence isn't new. The March 13, 1997, sightings over Sky Harbor airport in Phoenix are well known, and supported by none other than actor Kurt Russell, who was at the airport that day. A multitude of witnesses saw two lights suddenly appear in the night sky, and then four more, indicating a huge, mile-wide boomerang-shaped object. So widespread were the viewings, that the government felt the need to step in to prevent a public panic, claiming that the lights were nothing but flares. Knapp interviews several witnesses, some with authentic-looking photographic evidence, who insist otherwise.

1. Alien Time-Travel

Having failed to conclusively prove his case, Knapp turns to Mike Masters, an anthropology professor at Montana Tech, to answer the "why" question. In Investigation Alien, Masters takes Knapp to the Capitol Reef National Park, Utah to show him 4000-year-old rock paintings depicting men in spacesuits, and short alien-looking creatures with pointy heads and large wrap-around eyes. Intriguingly, Masters posits that after a few more hundreds of thousands of years of evolution, humans would likely look very much like the drawn characters, and drops the bombshell in Investigation Alien that visiting aliens today have likely traveled across time to visit their ancient ancestors.

{ https://screenrant.com/ }

10-11-2024 om 18:09 geschreven door peter  

Trump pledged to reveal the 'truth' about JFK, UFOs and Jeffrey Epstein... which secret will he expose first?

• Follow DailyMail.com's presidential election live blog for all the latest news and updates

By NIC WHITE FOR DAILYMAIL.COM

Donald Trump promised to get busy remaking the US in his image from his first day in office after his election victory over Kamala Harris.

Many policies on his wide-reaching agenda, though radical, cover bread-and-butter issues like immigration, the economy, and education.

He vowed mass deportations for undocumented migrants and asylum-seekers, a worrying purge of the public service, and controversial tariffs on China.

But Trump also made other promises from the unconventional to the bizarre that he may or may not implement, but will certainly be talking points from day one.

Donald Trump declares victory over Kamala Harris in the 2024 election

Declassifying JFK assassination files

The assassination of President John F Kennedy in Dallas on November 22, 1963, has fascinated the American public for decades - even after the Warren Commission ruled shooter Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone.

The secrecy around the investigation and claims of other gunmen and plots by the CIA, Cuba, and the Soviets fueled persistent conspiracy theories.

In 1992, a law was brought in which declared that all the documents about the assassination should be made publicly available by 2017, by which time Trump was in the White House.

About 320,000 files were supposed to be released, but the law allowed officials to postpone some of them on privacy and national security grounds.

Trump delayed the release of some documents until 2021 for those reasons, and released another 19,045 in 2018 with redactions.

President John F Kennedy was gunned down in Dallas on November 22, 1963. This is his motorcade minutes before he was shot

The Warren Commission ruled shooter Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone, but there are persistent conspiracy theories

Joe Biden again delayed the release of those files, but made about 13,000 more public over the course of his presidency so far.

But after securing the endorsement of Robert F Kennedy Jr, who is JFK's nephew, Trump promised to make all the rest public and pledged to do so 'early' in his presidency.

'This is a tribute in honor of Bobby. I will establish a new independent presidential commission on assassination attempts, and they will be tasked with releasing all of the remaining documents pertaining to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy,' he said at a rally in Phoenix in August.

RFK Jr believes the CIA was involved in his uncle's murder and wants the files made public to prove it.

Trump said the new commission would investigate all presidential assassination attempts, including his own.

He reiterated his plan to release the JFK documents on a podcast with right wing personality Lex Fridman on September 3.

'They also are pushing me on Kennedy, and I did release a lot, but I had people come to me and beg me not to do it. But I'll be doing that very early on,' he said.

'Kennedy's interesting because it's so many years ago. They do that for danger too, because it endangers certain people, etc etc.'

Trump previously said he got a lot of pushback in his efforts to declassify the files when he was president.

Gerald Posner, who wrote the 1993 Kennedy assassination book Case Closed, said wasn't so sure Trump would follow through.

'You had an opportunity to do it, you said you were going to do it, and you didn't do it,' he told the Washington Post. 

'Now, with the RFK Jr endorsement, maybe that's a quid pro quo, and maybe this time he'll actually do it.' 

Exposing the 'truth' about UFOs

Trump claims the question he is asked most about his time in office is what he learned about extraterrestrial contact.

He was asked on the Fridman podcast if he would 'help push the Pentagon to release more footage (of UFOs), which a lot of people claim is available'.

'Oh yeah, sure, I'll do that. I would do that. I'd love to do that. I have to do that,' he replied.

Trump's comment, along with his history of giving credence to UFO theories, sparked excitement about what he would expose.

UFO 'expert' Nick Pope claimed there was a 'strong possibility of bombshell UFO information being released' next year.

'It's the perfect storm: a maverick, populist President in his second term, and – thus – not up for re-election,' he told The Mirror.

'For those in the UFO community who believe there's been a decades-long conspiracy to cover up the truth about an alien presence, Trump in his second term offers the best-ever hope for pushing back against the Deep State and delivering Disclosure.

'I believe Trump views the subject in the same way as he views the JFK files, where, if there's top secret information still being withheld, it should be declassified and released.'

Trump has on several occasions claimed American military pilots shared UFO sightings with him that they couldn't explain.

'I have met with pilots... they are not conspiratorial, they are not crazy, and they tell me stories that they've seen things that you wouldn't believe,' he said in June.

He told influencer Logan Paul that he believed there was something out there.

'It's very possible there is something. And why wouldn't there be? You look at the universe and you see all of the different planets and you see... look, here we are, one relatively small planet. 

'Why wouldn't there be, on a planet that's 400 times the size? Why wouldn't there be something, somebody?' 

This position is still very different to believing aliens have actually visited Earth, and the CIA's official position is still that they have not.

Trump elaborated on his UFO thoughts in his podcast with Joe Rogan, again citing conversations with pilots.

'I interviewed a few people, it's never been my thing, I have to be honest. I have never been a believer,' he said.

'So I interviewed jet pilots that say they saw something. If you saw them you'd love to have them [on your show]...that were solid people, perfect, great pilots, everything. 

'And they said, 'we saw things sir that were very strange, like a round ball that wasn't a comet or meteor, it was something and it was going four times faster than an F22, which is a very fast plane. 

'And it was round, which in theory is a great shape [for flying].'

Trump added that while the sighted UFOs 'could be' drones or Chinese spy balloons, he remained swayed by the eyewitness accounts of the fighter pilots he spoke to. 

He added: [They are] solid, beautiful people. [They said] this is something sir, this is something. They're not conspiracy guys.'

Releasing the 'Epstein files'

Many Trump fans, including Elon Musk, want him to release all documents relating to the investigation of billionaire child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.

Epstein, who hung himself in jail, flew numerous well-heeled friends to his private Caribbean island, Little Saint James, where some of them sexually abused children.

The billionaire was known to have many famous friends and acquaintances in Hollywood, politics, and business, and many Americans want to know their level of involvement in his dealings.

Some documents became public last year from a defamation case with his alleged victim Virginia Roberts in 2015, but no one famous was incriminated.

There are rumors of a 'client list' but it has never been proved to actually exist.

Many Trump fans, including Elon Musk, want him to release all documents relating to the investigation of billionaire child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein (pictured in jail)

Trump was asked abut released Epstein-related documents during the Fridman podcast, including if the supposed 'client list' would be made public.

'It's very interesting, isn't it? It probably will be, by the way, probably,' he said.

'I'd certainly take a look at it. Now... Kennedy is very different from the Epstein thing but I'd be inclined to do the Epstein. I'd have no problem with it.'

Trump appeared more cautious in another interview, wary that people could be smeared by potential lies contained in the files.

'Yeah, yeah, I would. I guess I would because... I think that less so because, you know, you don't know you don't want to affect people's lives if it's phony stuff in there because it's a lot of phony stuff with that world,' he said.

'But I think I would or at least... Yeah I don't know about Epstein so much as I do the others (the JFK assassination and 9/11 files).'

Trump himself knew Epstein and was photographed with him (this one at Mar-a-Lago in 1997), but has consistently downplayed his involvement

Trump with Melania, Epstein, and the billionaire sex offender's right-hand women Ghislaine Maxwell at Mar-a-Lago club on February 12, 2000

Trump himself knew Epstein and was photographed with him, but has consistently downplayed his involvement.

'I'm not involved. I never went to his island, fortunately, but a lot of people did,' he said on the Fridman podcast.

However, hours of recorded interviews with Epstein by author Michael Wolff, who interviewed the billionaire for his Trump book Fire and Fury - well before his hideous crimes were exposed - told a different story.

Epstein, in the recordings given to the Daily Beast, called Trump his 'closest friend' and spoke extensively of their relationship. 

'Freedom cities' and flying cars

Trump, in a March 2023 campaign ad, said he planned to build 10 new cities on federal land he referred to as 'freedom cities'.

'In other words, we'll actually build new cities in our country again,' he said. 

'These Freedom Cities will reopen the frontier, reignite American imagination, and give hundreds of thousands of young people and other people, all hardworking families, a new shot at home ownership and in fact, the American Dream.'  

Trump waxed lyrical about how past generations had 'big dreams' and pursued impossible projects, but the country had 'lost its boldness'.

'Under my leadership, we will get it back in a very big way. If you look at just three years ago, what we were doing was unthinkable, how good it was, how great it was for our country,' he said.

'Our objective will be a quantum leap in the American standard of living.'

The freedom cities plan hasn't been mentioned since then, and may go the way of another bizarre idea from Trump's first term - buying Greenland from Denmark.

In the same video Trump said he planned to fill American driveways with flying cars and declared 'America, not China, leads the revolution in air mobility'.

'Dozens of major companies in the US and China are racing to develop vertical-takeoff-and-landing vehicles for families and individuals,' he said.

'Just as the United States led the automotive revolution in the last century, I want to ensure that America, not China, leads this revolution in air mobility. 

'These breakthroughs can transform commerce, bring a giant infusion of wealth into rural America, and connect families and our country in new ways.' 

Some companies are working on these projects, but they are a lot further off than the end of Trump's second term, if they are ever feasible.

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/ }

10-11-2024 om 17:28 geschreven door peter  

By ALEX HAMMER FOR DAILYMAIL.COM

Footage from a new docuseries that seeks to prove the existence of aliens appears to show an unidentified aircraft descending into the English Channel.

Netflix's Investigation Alien follows journalist and ufologist George Knapp as he assembles a crack-team to prove their existence - and it has yielded evidence such as this. 

An expedition commissioned for the Knapp docuseries captured the clip - their second sighting that night.

First, as they operated an ROV off the French coast of Normandy, they saw an illuminated object roughly 200 yards in the distance, first stationary, then speeding away.

It returned hours later, however, when everyone except the night crew was asleep - before plummeting into the waters below. An eagle-eyed mariner was able to capture it on film - seemingly leaving the minds behind the new series at a loss.

Footage filmed by an expedition commissioned by Netflix's Investigation Alien appears to show an unidentified flying aircraft descending into the English Channel

The brief clip appears to show an unidentified 'flying' object transforming into an unidentified 'submerged' object in real-time, experts said

'[This was] with everybody sleeping, with the exception of our night watch guy,' underwater archaeologist Rory Kremer tells Knapp of the clip, which appears to an unidentified 'flying' object transforming into an unidentified 'submerged' object in real-time

'Don't tell me it's going to go in the water,' Knapp says in response, as the orb descends.

'I'll be damned,' he adds after it happens, showing real confusion.

The series' main investigator and narrator, Knapp proceeds to ask for Kremer's professional opinion.

The archaeologist with over 20 years of experience admits he is equally stumped, despite his crew being the ones to capture the clip, 

 'So this is what it does when it thinks that nobody is watching?' Knapp asks before turning to Kremer. 'Have you ever seen anything like this?'

'A willy peter flare is the only thing I know like that that will hang up in the air, but that's not a flare, because there's no smoke going off of it,' the archaeologist says, admitting he has no real answers - at least ones that involve human technology.

'Look at that. It's under the water,' he goes on to exclaim, conceding to Knapp he does not know the craft's nature.

Underwater archaeologist Rory Kremer is seen speaking about the footage his crew caught off the Channel Islands with journalist and ufologist George Knapp, the series' main investigator

'I don't got any answers - do you?' he asks - leaving Knapp to posit that it could be evidence of a subterranean base. 

'You think it's got a base down there?' Knapp asks his friend.

'It could be. It could be.'

The two begin to speak about previous sightings in the region, which stretch back hundreds of years.

'Archaeology is your thing,' Knapp asks Kremer at this point. 'What do you think?'

Kremer responds by pointing to the native tribes that once inhabited the region - and their tales of unknown objects flying.

'All have oral histories of lights they cannot explain,' the expert said, telling Knapp how these sightings off the Channel Islands were 'usually attributed it to gods.'

'It has gone on a long time,' he continued, before touting the clip's importance.

'Archaeology is your thing,' Knapp asks Kremer at this point. 'What do you think?' Kremer responds by pointing to the native tribes that once inhabited the region - and their tales of unknown objects flying.

'I think we really scratched the surface here. There could very well be something underwater.'

Knapp, in a narration provided after the exchanged, agreed.

Pointing to previous reports of undersea anomalies seen skirting the skies as well,  he accused the government of keeping similar evidence under wraps, despite them likely being extraterrestrial in natured.

'I'm going to share this with some insiders I know [to] hopefully get more videos like this released to the public, to get to the bottom of what non human intelligence might be doing in our oceans,' Knapp said of the footage, which has yet to be released to the public.

'This is not us. It's from somewhere else,' he maintained.

The video, meanwhile, does not show the unidentified craft exiting the water after seemingly lowering in.

Investigation Alien - a 'paranormal docuseries [where] renowned UFO reporter [Knapp] investigates new evidence, interviews an array of experts and meets with emerging witnesses who are finally willing to go on the record' - released Friday.

It's now streaming on Netflix. 

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/  }

10-11-2024 om 17:03 geschreven door peter  

No Star Wars: Claims about Elon Musk and a “UFO fighter jet” are Pants on Fire!

Is Elon Musk preparing for real-life "Star Wars"? 

"Breaking News: Elon Musk unveils UFO fighter jet that defies physics," a Nov. 2 Facebook post said. "The spacecraft, named Ethereon, is said to be equipped with propulsion technology that transcends known aerodynamics, utilizing an anti-gravity drive system based on principles of quantum physics." 

The Facebook post is one of many making the same claim. Each post features a photo of a vessel, likely generated by artificial intelligence, each with a different design. 

(Screenshot of Facebook posts)

The posts earned thousands of likes, and commenters appeared to believe the claim, writing, "An amazing achievement!!!," and, "This is an amazing invention of man." 

Musk is no stranger to social media misinformation. He is the world’s richest man, a close ally of President-elect Donald Trump and the CEO of SpaceX, a rocket company that has had several successful launches into outer space. But viral claims about a gravity-defying fighter jet are invented. 

The Facebook post was flagged as part of Meta’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Meta, which owns Facebook, Threads and Instagram.)

PolitiFact reviewed Nexis news archives and found no reports of Musk "unveiling" a fighter jet created by SpaceX. The "updates" page on SpaceX’s website makes no mention of a new product that fits this description.

A gravity-defying, physics-shattering spaceship with an "infinite energy source" would have made major headlines – but none exist.

We rate the claim that Elon Musk unveiled a UFO fighter jet that defies physics Pants on Fire!

{ https://www.politifact.com/ }

10-11-2024 om 16:43 geschreven door peter  

Earth's ancient APOCALYPSE: Huge comet hit Earth 12,000 years ago - sparking an ice age that decimated humans, expert claims in controversial Netflix series

• Graham Hancock claims that an ancient super-civilisation lived in Antarctica 
• Scientists argue his claims are pseudoscientific and lack evidence 

By WILIAM HUNTER

It's common knowledge that the dinosaurs were wiped out by an asteroid 66 million years ago.

But what if that wasn't the only time in Earth's history that a space rock triggered an ancient apocalypse?

In a new Netflix series, controversial author Graham Hancock claims that an ancient super-civilisation in Antarctica was destroyed by a collision with a comet 12,000 years ago.

If true, Mr Hancock's theory would overturn almost everything we know about the story of human civilisation.

However, many experts are concerned that the story of 'Ancient Apocalypse' is misleading, with some dismissing it as 'pseudoscientific.'

In a new season of 'Ancient Apocalypse', controversial author Graham Hancock (pictured) argues that a comet triggered the destruction of an ancient civilisation in Antarctica 

What is the ancient apocalypse theory? 

Beginning in 1995 with his book 'Fingerprints of the Gods', Mr Hancock has been one of the most vocal supporters of the ancient apocalypse theory.

Conventional archaeological wisdom holds that humans first changed from nomadic hunter-gatherers to settled farmers between 10,000 and 12,000 years ago.

This would lay the foundations for the first urban civilisations to arise in Mesopotamia, somewhere around 6,000 years ago.

Mr Hancock, meanwhile, maintains that an ancient civilisation lived in what is now Antarctica for many thousands of years before this time.

Then, around 11,600-12,800 years ago, he claims a series of cataclysmic events led to the demise of these ancient peoples around the end of the Ice Age.

Mr Hancock claims that the Earth was hit by debris from a comet around 12,000 years ago, triggering changes in the climate which led to the end of the Ice Age

The documentary claims that Antarctica was home to an ancient super-civilisation which existed for thousands of years before most archaeologists believe farming was developed 

Mr Hancock describes this period as 'an abrupt episode of cataclysmic climate change', although it's referred to in science as the 'Younger Dryas'.

Controversially, he also claims that the rapid shift in climate patterns was caused by a collision with a comet in what he calls the 'Younger Dryas Impact Hypothesis'.

'12,800 years ago the Earth crossed the debris stream of a very large, disintegrating comet and was bombarded by hundreds of fragments, some large, some small,' Mr Hancock says.

'It was the resulting shock of these impacts and airbursts that triggered the Younger Dryas.'

However, before they vanished, this ancient civilisation supposedly travelled the world building monuments and teaching other people the foundations of civilisation.

In the show, Mr Hancock (pictured right) travels around the world to look for evidence in support of his eccentric theory 

In his new Netflix series, Ancient Apocalypse, Mr Hancock follows in the footsteps of these lost humans to find the traces of their history.

In the second season, Mr Hancock once again sets out to find evidence for his theory, this time focusing on the Americas.

Speaking to a number of archaeologists and, inexplicably, actor Keanu Reaves, Mr Hancock travels across the continent looking for structures which hint at a more ancient society.

Mr Hancock says: 'Ancient Apocalypse is my own story, in my own words, of my own boots-on-the-ground investigation into the controversial possibility of a lost civilization of the Ice Age.'

During the show, Mr Hancock meets with actor Keanu Reaves who expresses a distrust for the conventional narrative of human history 

Why is the ancient apocalypse theory controversial? 

While Mr Hancock's theories make for a great documentary, they don't stand up to much scientific scrutiny.

Numerous experts have pointed out that the evidence used in the show is at best flimsy and, at worst, outright misleading.

Dr Flint Dibble, an archaeologist at Cardiff University who spoke with Mr Hancock on The Joe Rogan Experience, told MailOnline: 'Most sites on the show are misrepresented in different ways, sometimes small, sometimes large.'

For example, in the first episode of the new season, Mr Hancock refers to the fossilised footprints at White Sands National Park, New Mexico.

Dr Dibble says: 'He states that archaeologists have not directly dated the footprints at white sands, when in fact the sediments under, part of, and above the footprints are directly dated by OSL [optically stimulated luminescence] providing a direct date for them.'

In the show, Mr Hancock claims that the fossilised footsteps at White Sands, New Mexico (pictured) have never been directly dated. This is completely untrue as the soil above, below, and part of the fossils have been dated

Likewise in season one, Mr Hancock claimed that the 11,000-year-old Göbekli Tepe site in Turkey was built by a society capable of farming.

While the initial excavators thought this was the case, new evidence has clearly shown that bones and seeds at the site were from wild animals - proving the monuments at Göbekli Tepe were built by hunter-gatherers.

In another incident, Mr Hancock interviews the architect Professor Hillman Natawidjaja, who claims that the Gunung Padang site in Indonesia is 25,000 years old.

Shortly afterwards Professor Natwidjaja's paper on the site was retracted due to a 'major error'.

Dr Dibble says: 'The theory is about a lost civilization from the end of the Ice Age, but ignores all the evidence from that period we do have that is distributing across the world, on every continent and in every region.

Experts say that Mr Hancock ignores all evidence which contradicts his theories and misrepresents a number of archaeological sites to support his view 

'It also ignores all the scientific evidence that has amassed over the last 40 years from organic remains that clearly dates the development of agriculture to after the Ice Age in different regions of the world, independently from one another.'

The expert reaction to the show has been so bad that, after the release of season one, many called for Netflix to strip it of its 'docuseries' label.

In an open letter to Netflix, the Society for American Archaeology (SAA) wrote: 'Archaeologists have investigated hundreds of Ice Age sites and published the results in rigorously reviewed journals.

'The assertion that Ancient Apocalypse is a factual “docuseries” or “documentary” rather than entertainment with ideological goals is preposterous.'

According to archaeologists, Mr Hancock has ignored all evidence which shows that agriculture emerged separately around the world about 12,000 years ago 

If Mr Hancock were simply incorrect, this might not have caused much of a stir.

However, some experts also see the theories put forward in Ancient Apocalypse as actively harmful.

In the show, Hancock not only promotes his own ideas, but also attacks scientists who he calls 'arrogant', 'patronising', and 'so-called experts'.

Dr Dibble says that this anti-intellectual streak is part of what makes the show so popular as Hancock rides a growing wave of opposition to experts.

While Dr Dibble says he wouldn't call the documentary 'dangerous', he adds: 'Hancock's narrative both on the show and on podcast appearances promotes a distrust in experts.'

Scientists warn that the documentary's disparaging attitude towards expert opinion promotes a wider distrust of science 

Likewise, a number of archaeologists argue that the narrative of world history Mr Hancock promotes could provide the basis for more harmful ideas. 

In the show, Mr Hancock argues that an ancient lost race is responsible for spreading civilisation to less advanced people around the world.

Experts point out that this implies indigenous people could not have created civilisation without outside assistance.

'It promotes a world view where many indigenous peoples around the world are not responsible for their cultural heritage,' Dr Dibble says.

This led Netflix to cancel a number of screenings of the documentary in Arizona and New Mexico following strong opposition from local tribal leaders. 

Some even argue that this theory shares striking similarities with ideas which have inspired white supremacists.

The documentary also implies that indigenous groups could not be responsible for their own achievements, a view which has been accused of being belittling and linked to theories of white supremacy

In some versions of the myth of Atlantis, which is a clear inspiration for the show, the ancient super-race of the lost city were white Arians.

This idea would go on to inspire some theories of white supremacy which draw on the notion of an ancient Arian race. 

While Mr Hancock does not explicitly mention race in the documentary, he has previously argued that caucasian people arrived in the Americas before Columbus. 

Likewise, Hancock has also claimed that the Aztec god Quetzalcoatl was described as having white skin, a red beard, and blue eyes.

Dr Dibble has pointed out that the trope of white-skinned heroes arriving to bring civilisation was used to justify the Spanish crown claiming lands in the Americas. 

In their open letter, the SAA wrote: 'The theory it presents has a long-standing association with racist, white supremacist ideologies.'

 { https://www.dailymail.co.uk/ }

09-11-2024 om 23:51 geschreven door peter  

'God of chaos' asteroid could trigger astroquakes when it skims past Earth on Friday the 13th

• READ MORE:  Inside the mission to meet a 'city-killer' asteroid before it hits Earth

By ELLYN LAPOINTE FOR DAILYMAIL.COM

When the 'God of Chaos' asteroid flies by our planet in five years, Earth's gravity could cause it to experience 'astroquakes,' scientists have predicted. 

Their research suggests that when the asteroid Apophis - named for the Egyptian God of Chaos - passes within just 19,000 miles of Earth, our planet's gravitational pull will cause it to violently shake.

The theoretical shaking could happen due to gravitational tidal forces, which are the stretching or pulling effect on an object caused by the uneven gravitational pull from another massive body.

The team identified two physical processes that could occur. One would cause rocks and dust to fly off the surface, and the other would trigger landslides that would happen gradually over tens of thousands of years. 

Both would ultimately change the surface structure of the four-billion-year-old asteroid.

Apophis, set for the flyby on April 13, 2029, is a 'city-killer' space rock the size of the Empire State Building. 

If it were to hit Earth directly, its impact would be equivalent to detonating tens or hundreds of nuclear bombs, according to The Planetary Society.

It wouldn't destroy the entire Earth, but it could easily annihilate a city, spreading destruction over a radius of hundreds of miles. 

This illustration shows Apophis' size relative to New York City. A direct hit from this asteroid wouldn't destroy the whole Earth, but it could wipe out a major metropolitan area

Scientists have paid close attention to this asteroid's path since it was first discovered in 2004. Initially, the chances of a potential impact in 2029 were relatively high at 2.7 percent.

But more recent studies have found that the odds are closer to one in two billion.   

A team of researchers led by Ronald-Louis Ballouz, an asteroid scientist at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, investigated what might happen to Apophis when it passes through Earth's gravitational field. 

Asteroids typically have weathered surfaces because they are constantly bombarded by meteoroids in a process called space weathering, Ballouz told Live Science, but astronomers have long observed space rocks that pass close to planets lack weathered surfaces. 

He suspected that the reason why could be because the planet's gravity removes the outer layer of the asteroid's surface.

To test this, the researchers created a computational models of Apophis and then simulated each model's path to Earth while tracking its physical changes, revealing our planet's gravitational pull could drive two different physical processes on Apophis.

The first is earthquake-like tremors that would likely begin about an hour before the asteroid reaches its closest distance from Earth and continue for some time after.

When Apophis encounters Earth's gravity, it could experience tremors strong enough to lift boulders from its surface and allow some rocks to escape into space, researchers say

It's difficult to say how intense this shaking will be. But Ballouz expects it will be strong enough to change Apophis' outer appearance, lifting boulders from the surface and allowing some rocks to escape into space.

The other process is a change in the asteroid's tumbling. Space rocks like Apophis don't rotate on an axis, as planets do. Rather, they tumble somewhat haphazardly through space. 

Earth's gravitational pull could alter Apophis' tumbling pattern, triggering landslides over the course of tens of thousands of years that could further 'refresh' its surface to reveal the layers beneath. 

Read More

• Earth's ancient APOCALYPSE: Huge comet hit Earth 12,000 years ago - sparking an ice age that decimated humans, expert claims in controversial Netflix series 

The research team's findings are currently available on the arXiv preprint database, and have been accepted for publication in the Planetary Science Journal.  

If Ballouz's hypothesis proves correct, it could explain why other asteroids that have been subjected to planetary gravity don't show signs of space weathering on their surfaces. 

But he and his team won't know for sure until NASA's OSIRIS-APEX mission rendezvous with Apophis during its 2029 flyby. 

This spacecraft will study the asteroid for 18 months to document any physical changes that it endured during its encounter with Earth. 

As for whether Apophis could directly hit Earth anytime soon, research has determined that we're safe for at least the next 100 years, according to the Planetary Society. 

But to prepare for the unlikely event that another 'city-killer' asteroid could collide with Earth, NASA's Planetary Defense Coordination Office is developing ways to deflect or destroy them before they make impact.

VIDEOS

What is the ‘God of Chaos’? New study reveals giant asteroid could hit Earth if…

Asteroid 'God of Chaos' could hit Earth sooner than expected according to experts from NASA

 { https://www.dailymail.co.uk/ }

09-11-2024 om 23:19 geschreven door peter  

Congress promises to 'pull back the curtain' on secret UFO research as whistleblowers prepare to testify

• READ MORE:  Pentagon reveals military's 'alien tech' crash retrieval program

By STACY LIBERATORE FOR DAILYMAIL.COM

US Congress has promised to 'pull back the curtain' on secret UAP research programs conducted in the shadows of the government in a court of law.

A second slew of hearings into UFOs is scheduled for November 13, led by the House Oversight Committee, with former military officials and an aerospace expert set to testify about their knowledge of secret US programs.

Lawmakers have promised 'to explore firsthand accounts of [UFOs]' and 'assess the federal government's transparency and accountability regarding their 'possible threats to national security.'

Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.), a member of the subcommittee, said: 'The Pentagon and Washington bureaucrats have kept this information hidden for decades, and we're finally going to shed some light on it. 

'We're bringing in credible witnesses who can provide public testimony because the American people deserve the truth. We're done with the cover-ups.'

There will be four witnesses set to testify under oath, including former Department of Defense Official Luis Elizondo and former NASA Associate Administrator Michael Gold.

Congress is set to hold a second hearing about UAPs that it promised will expose the truth to the American public, specifically about the research programs within the government. Pictured is the famous Tic Tac-shaped object seen in the sky over California on November 10, 2004 

Next week's hearing, set for 11:30am ET, will be a joint effort by Rep Nancy Mace (R-SC) and Rep Glenn Grothman (R-Wis.).

'This is our second hearing on the topic of UAPs and the American people are tired of the obfuscation and refusal to release information by the federal government, they said in a shared statement.

'Americans deserve to understand what the government has learned about UAP sightings and the nature of any potential threats these phenomena pose.

'We can only ensure that understanding by providing consistent, systemic transparency. We look forward to hearing from expert witnesses on ways to shed more light and bring greater accountability to this issue.'

The committee has not released details on cases to be presented on Wednesday but provided the list of witnesses.

Elizondo, a career US Army counterintelligence specialist, previously ran the military's Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program.

He recently hosted a private event in Philadelphia on October 28 to reveal an image of an alleged UFO 'mothership.'

There will be four witnesses set to testify under oath, including former Department of Defense Official Luis Elizondo (pictured)

Elizondo recently hosted a private event in Philadelphia on October 28 to reveal an image of an alleged UFO 'mothership.'

'There's a whole lot more here folks,' Elizondo told the audience in a leaked clip. 'I just want to give you kind of a small taste of what's going on 'behind the scenes.''

'We're having pilots, military pilots and civilian pilots in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, report what unimaginably seems impossible,' as Elizondo explained his 'real photo' of a UFO.

'They described it literally 'the mothership,' Elizondo said.

Investigative journalist Michael Shellenberger will also be sworn under oath.

Shellenberger — who is also an academic and a two-time candidate for California governor — went viral last month after publishing one of his anonymous whistleblower's accounts of an alleged UFO data collection program.

That classified UFO data retrieval effort, dubbed 'Immaculate Constellation,' was established in 2017 to 'detect' and 'quarantine' the military's best UFO imagery, along with its best videos, witness testimonies and electronic sensor evidence.

Dr Tim Gallaudet, former rear admiral in the US Navy, launched a probe in March into unidentified submersible objects (USOs), specifically strange sightings on the seabed off the coast of California.

Investigative journalist Michael Shellenberger will also be sworn under oath. He went viral last month after publishing one of his anonymous whistleblower's accounts of an alleged UFO data collection program

Gold is a former NASA Associate Administrator who was part of the agency's UAP study in October 2022, which focused solely on unclassified data.

Over nine months, the independent study team will lay the groundwork for future studies on the nature of UAPs for NASA and other organizations.

The hearing follows the bombshell case last year that was held by Burchett and Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla).

David Grusch - a former high-ranking intelligence official - was one of three military whistleblowers who testified under oath that they had firsthand encounters or knowledge about secret government programs involving technology that is 'non-human.'

He claimed that the US has been in possession of UFOs since 'the 1930s' and has been secretly back-engineering them and carrying out a public disinformation campaign to prevent the details from leaking publicly. 

Ryan Graves, a former pilot, Air Force and intelligence agency veteran David Grusch and Navy veteran fighter pilot Commander David Fravor spoke at the first hearing in 2023

During the hearing, Burchett asked Grusch: 'Personally, have you heard anyone [has] been murdered?' 

Grusch replied: 'I have to be careful answering that question. I directed people with that knowledge to the appropriate authorities.'

He was sworn in Wednesday, along with Ryan Graves, an esteemed former pilot, and Navy veteran fighter pilot Commander David Fravor, who witnessed the 2004 'Tic Tac' UFO.

Graves, a former F-18 pilot with over a decade of service in the US Navy, was the first to give opening statements.

'My testimony is based on information I've been given by individuals with a long-standing track record of legitimacy and service to this country, many of whom have shared compelling evidence in the form of photography, official documentation and classified oral testimony to myself and many various colleagues,' Graves told lawmakers, stating he was driven to share it by a 'commitment to truth and transparency.'

Burchett described the 2023 hearing as 'historical.' 

'I'd like to thank these three brave witnesses here. They took an oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States and, dagnammit, they're doing it,' he continued.

'We're not bringing little green men or flying saucers into the hearing — sorry to disappoint about half of y'all — we're just going to get to the facts.

'We're going to uncover the cover-up, and I hope this is just the beginning of many more hearings and many more people coming forward about this.'

 { https://www.dailymail.co.uk/ }

09-11-2024 om 21:00 geschreven door peter  

China unveils $36mil new stealth jet fighter built with 'stolen American military technology'

• READ MORE: China launches top-secret military spacecraft CSSHQ into orbit

By MATTHEW PHELAN SENIOR SCIENCE REPORTER FOR DAILYMAIL.COM

China has posted the first official photo of its brand 'new' stealth fighter.

But if you feel like you've seen it before, there might be a reason for that.

The J-35A jet is rumored to have been built using 'many terabytes' of stolen US military data.

A decade ago, documents leaked by ex-US intelligence contractor Edward Snowden laid out the case that radar designs, engine schematics and other top secret specs from America's $2 trillion stealth F-35 program had been hacked by Chinese spies. 

Photographed in a three-quarter profile, taxiing on the tarmac, the new J-35A is the land-based sibling to China's equally secretive and stealth J-35, which the emerging superpower plans to deploy from its growing fleet of naval aircraft carriers. 

The image came a week ahead of the fighter's November 12 debut at the China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition, held at Zhuhai Airport in Guangdong.

At the time of Snowden's leak, China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei told reporters that 'the so-called evidence that has been used to launch groundless accusations against China is completely unjustified.' 

But the similarities between the Chinese and the American jets are striking — both have the same characteristic internal weapons bays to maintain its radar-evading stealth shape and aerodynamic air-intake channels beneath their cockpits.

China posted the first official photo of its J-35A stealth fighter (above) on Tuesday, teasing the debut of a jet that's accused of originating with 'many terabytes' of stolen US military data

'For the first time, new equipment such as the medium-weight, stealth multi-role fighter J-35A, the HQ-19 surface-to-air missile and a new type of reconnaissance and strike unmanned aerial vehicle will be on display,' officials told CCTV state television.

But aside from providing the picture of the J-35A, Chinese military spokesman Colonel Niu Wenbo did not provide further details to CCTV on the new craft.

Both J-35 and J-35A were built off China's FC-31 stealth fighter prototype, which has been unofficially documented for years in leaks and snapshots, according to military aerospace author Thomas Newdick.

Newdick emphasized that — while espionage likely played a role in the development of China's fifth-generation stealth fighter fleet — the craft were not outright 'copies.'

'Critical outright differences' are discernable in the new photo, he noted, including twin-engines on the J-35A distinct from the F-35's massive single turbofan engine, and a more slender and sleek design that avoids the some of the F-35's design flaws. 

The J-35A is also reportedly faster than the F-35, capable of a maximum speed of Mach 2.0, compared to the American stealth fighter's top speed of Mach 1.6.

A former deputy captain with the Chinese Air Force's Bayi Aerobatic Team, Zhang Xinmin, told Aaj News that the J-35A had been custom made to withstand harsh conditions, like high-salt and high-humidity environments.

But, as Newdick wrote for The War Zone, 'clearly many elements' were 'at least heavily inspired if not cribbed from the F-35,' including its 'diverterless supersonic inlets' air-intakes on its engines and the shape of its cockpit canopy.

'Even its official designation [i.e. '35'] isn't trying to hide that reality,' Newdick said.

The clearest previous image of China's future carrier-borne stealth fighter known as J-35 surfaced in July of 2020 on Chinese social media Weibo (above)

Carrier fighter mockups of the J-35 (right) and J-15 (left) were spotted on the aircraft carrier Liaoning and posted to social media on what was then Twitter but is now X.com

The expensive program to develop and integrate three variations of the F-35 into America's fighting force has led to at least 29 incidents and accidents over the years.

Last May, an F-35B crashed shortly after attempting a takeoff at Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico. 

The F-35B is a variant designed for 'short takeoff and vertical landing' (STOVL), a bulk-adding technical specification that's notably absent from both J-35 models.

The J-35 is the second radar-evading stealth jet in China's military arsenal, after the J-20 'Dragon' which entered service in 2017. 

The J-20 is a 'heavy-duty stealth fighter jet' and the J-35 is a 'medium-sized multi-role stealth fighter jet,' according to Military analyst Wang Mingzhi.

'The primary distinction is that the J-20 focuses on air superiority missions, while the J-35A is versatile, capable of pursuing air superiority and accomplishing a variety of ground and maritime strike missions,' Wang explained.

'In future operations, these two aircraft can precisely target at both land and sea objectives in a coordinated manner, thus playing a crucial role for achieving air superiority,' the analyst continued in a post for China's Defense Ministry website.

The expensive program to develop and integrate three variations of the F-35 into America's fighting force has led to at least 29 serious incidents over the years. Above emergency workers respond to a crash of an F-35B near the Albuquerque International Airport on May 28, 2024

China's defense ministry said the J-35 was built by the Shenyang Aircraft Design and Research Institute, a subsidiary of the Asian country's Aviation Industry Corporation. 

Heavy state-planning and secrecy characteristic of the communist 'people's republic' has shielded the exact cost for any of China's stealth fighters from view — but a 2024 report by defense publication Janes priced the J-20 at $110 million.

But extrapolations, based on estimates from Zhou Chenming of Beijing-based Yuan Wang military tech think tank, place the J-35s at about $21 to $36 million each.

'The price of Chinese self-developed military weapon is normally one-fifth to one-third of the price of a similar US weapon,' Zhou said. And the current reported cost of America's F-35s are around $109 million apiece.

'The J-35 series is designed to be one platform with multiple variants for both Chinese air and naval forces,' the ministry said.

Analysts, including Newdick, have noted that China's new stealth fighter's J-35 version appears to be optimized for takeoff via an 'electromagnetic catapult launch system,' onboard China's latest and state-of-the-art carrier, Fujian.

But photos of fighter mock-ups show the jets will also be deployed from China's older aircraft carriers like Liaoning and Shenyang, via their 'ski-jump' takeoff ramps. 

Above, a visual timeline of the China's progess on the stealth J-35: the original FC-31 airframe (2014), the revised FC-31 (2016), the first J-35 prototype (2021) and an updated J-35 (2022) 

German magazine Der Spiegel was the first to publish the cache of Snowden documents in 2015 that revealed a top secret US government presentation alleging China's theft of 'many terabytes' of F-35 program data.

According to sources, the data breach occurred in 2007 — a cyberattack at the prime defense contractor undertaking America's effort to construct the F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter jet (F-35B), Lockheed Martin. 

Shortly after the Snowden leak, US officials claimed that 'classified F-35 information is protected and remains secure,' according to The Diplomat.

China's cyber-spying operation, which had been code-named 'Byzantine Hades' by US investigators, had first been revealed by Wikileaks in 2011.

Investigators claimed that they had traced the origin of some of these past hacks to a specific unit of the Chinese People's Liberation Army.

German magazine Der Spiegel was the first to publish the cache of Snowden documents in 2015 that revealed a top secret US government presentation (above) alleging China's theft of 'many terabytes' of F-35 program data. Investigators called the alleged op 'Byzantine Hades'

US officials broadly characterized that 'Byzantine Hades' hacking operation as a plot to 'cause serious damage to DoD interests,' according to the top secret power point presentation

It's unclear when US officials may have first suspected that 'Byzantine Hades' had also been working to obtain stealth fighter secrets from Lockheed. 

However they broadly characterized that operation as a plot to 'cause serious damage to DoD interests,' according to the top secret power point presentation leaked by Snowden.

Pushing back on these accusations, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong noted in 2015 that China has sought international collaborations to improve security and prevent hacking. 

'According to the materials presented by the relevant person, some countries themselves have disgraceful records on cybersecurity,' Hong added.

Infamously, Snowden's 2013 revelations as a former contractor to the National Security Agency (NSA) revealed a massive and questionably legal spying program by the agency. The revelations sparked international outrage.

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/ }

09-11-2024 om 20:40 geschreven door peter  

Shock photos show physical deterioration of stranded NASA astronaut Sunita Williams

• READ MORE: 'Gaunt' photo sparks health concerns about stranded astronaut

By ELLYN LAPOINTE FOR DAILYMAIL.COM

Photos have revealed NASA astronaut Sunita Williams' shocking weight loss as she and her crewmate remain stuck on the International Space Station (ISS). 

Williams, 59, and Barry Wilmore, 61, have been living on the ISS for five months after Boeing's faulty Starliner spacecraft was deemed unsafe to return them to Earth. 

A 'gaunt' photo of Williams taken on September 24 recently sparked concerns due to her 'sunken' cheeks which suggested she'd rapidly lost weight.

More recent images also show her with a pronounced facial structure and a thinner frame - a concern given she still has three months until she returns.  

Publicly, NASA has said Williams' is 'in good health' and that she's been undergoing 'routine medical evaluations'.

But behind the scenes, the space agency has been scrambling to 'stabilize the weight loss and hopefully reverse it,' according to a well-placed source. 

The unnamed NASA employee who is 'directly involved with the mission' told the New York Post that Williams has been 'unable to keep up with the high-caloric diets that astronauts must consume' while on the ISS.

Long-stay space missions take a toll on astronaut's health, especially women, leading to weight loss, muscle breakdown, bone loss, heart and vision problems and kidney stones.

NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore on June 5, gearing up for the Starliner launch that would deliver them to the International Space Station 

Female astronauts have been found to lose more weight - particularly through loss of muscle mass - than men during spaceflight.

'The pounds have melted off her and she's now skin and bones. So it's a priority to help her stabilize the weight loss and hopefully reverse it,' the NASA source told the New York Post. 

About a month ago, NASA doctors began working with Williams to help her regain weight, the source said, even before DailyMail.com's original story brought attention to her deterioration.

To stop and reverse her weight loss, Williams could have to eat up to 5,000 calories per day, the source added. 

For comparison, the average woman on Earth has to eat between 1,600 to 2,400 calories to maintain her weight. The source said that Williams started the mission at approximately 140 lbs.

Williams and Wilmore launched toward the orbiting laboratory on June 5 for what was supposed to be a 10 day mission, but have been stuck there for 156 days. 

Now, they are set to return to Earth on SpaceX's Crew-9 Dragon capsule. Williams, Wilmore and the four Crew-9 astronauts will journey home together in February 2025.

By then, the Starliner crew will have spent roughly eight to nine months on the ISS, depending on when in February they splash down. 

During that time, they will have endured microgravity, close quarters and high doses of space radiation.

A doctor has raised concerns about Williams' health, claiming this September 24 showed her looking 'gaunt'

Over the last five months, photos sent back to Earth have offered glimpses into the lives of Williams and Wilmore as they adapt to their unforeseen circumstances. 

Just hours before the Starliner launch on June 5, the crew was photographed beaming in their blue Boeing spacesuits as they geared up for their short mission.

In that photo, the astronauts - especially Williams - look strikingly different than in recent images, including the September snapshot. 

That image was one of several posted on the official ISS Instagram page that showed Williams, Wilmore and the other ISS astronauts making pizza together. 

It recently went viral as the public raised concerns over Williams' shocking appearance.  

In it, she appears 'gaunt,' Dr Vinay Gupta, a pulmonologist and veteran in Seattle, told DailyMail.com earlier this week.

'What you're seeing there in that picture is somebody that I think is experiencing the natural stresses of living at a very high altitude, even in a pressurized cabin, for extended periods,' he said. 

'Her cheeks appear a bit sunken - and usually it happens when you've had sort of total body weight loss.'

'Based on what I'm at least seeing in the photo, I don't think she's quite at a... place where I say her life's in danger.'

'But I don't think you can look at that photo and say she has sort of healthy body weight.'

The NASA source told the New York Post that they were shocked by the image. 'I gasped out loud when I saw the last picture,' they said.

'And it's something we're talking about, but not something we're obsessing about. It's a real concern and everyone is taking it seriously.' 

More recent photos, including one in which Williams and Wilmore pose for a group-shot with the other members of the Expedition 72 crew on October 4, show that Williams is still looking thin. 

NASA declined to comment on the statements made by the anonymous agency employee, and instead referred DailyMail.com back to their original statement which asserts that all astronauts aboard the ISS are 'in good health.' 

Wilmore (front left) and Williams (front right) pose with the other members of the Expedition 72 crew for a photo posted on October 4

The body burns more calories in space as it adjusts to the changes in gravity and tries to maintain its body temperature in cold, harsh conditions.

'They have to eat about 3,500 to 4,000 calories per day, just to maintain their current weight,' the NASA source said. 

'And when you start falling behind, your weight drops fast.' 

To prevent muscle and bone loss, astronauts exercise about 2.5 hours a day, which burns even more calories. 

'There's just things that the human body cannot adjust to, and one of which is, you know, she's probably losing more calories than she's intaking,' Dr Gupta said.

'Her body's probably working harder to do basic things, because the partial pressure of oxygen is lower than it would be on sea level.'

The problem of the body breaking down is a particular worry for women. 

A study assembled by NASA in 2014 found that women have greater loss of blood plasma volume than men during spaceflight.

And women’s stress response characteristically includes a heart rate increase while men respond with an increase in vascular resistance.

Read More

EXCLUSIVE

•  NASA gives health update on astronauts mysteriously hospitalized after space mission 

The loss of blood plasma causes your metabolic rate to temporarily increase while your body mobilizes resources to adjust to the loss of plasma.

And this response can slightly elevate your calorie burn, resulting in weight loss similar to what Williams may be experiencing.

Another study released by Ball University in 2023 also found that women lose more muscle than men in a microgravity environment such as spaceflight.

Williams and Wilmore still have to wait about three to four months until they can return to Earth on SpaceX's Crew Dragon. 

At this time, there is no evidence to suggest that Williams' alleged health decline will impact this timeline. 

Though the Starliner mission has extended significantly, Williams and Wilmore's ISS mission will not be the longest one ever completed by an astronaut.  

That record is held Russian cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub, who returned to Earth aboard Russia's Soyuz MS-25 spacecraft on September 23 after 374 days on the ISS.

More recently, a crew of four NASA/SpaceX astronauts returned to Earth on October 25 after a 232-day stay on the ISS. 

All four crewmembers were taken to the hospital after splashing down. Three received medical evaluations and were discharged that same day, while one was kept for overnight observation. 

NASA has not disclosed any details about why the astronauts required medical attention, or which one was kept overnight.

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/ }

09-11-2024 om 20:19 geschreven door peter  

The planet’s surface is characterized by features that indicate water’s presence. River channels, impact craters, and basins that were once paleolakes illustrate Mars’ complex climatic history. Mars is much different from Earth, but they both follow the same set of natural rules.

In Earth’s frigid climates, rivers can flow underneath thick, protective ice sheets. New research shows that a similar thing happened on Mars. The research is published in JGR Planets and is titled “Massive Ice Sheet Basal Melting Triggered by Atmospheric Collapse on Mars, Leading to Formation of an Overtopped, Ice-Covered Argyre Basin Paleolake Fed by 1,000-km Rivers.” The lead author is Peter Buhler, a Research Scientist at the Planetary Science Institute.

The research examines a period about 3.6 billion years ago when Mars was likely transitioning from the Noachian Period to the Hesperian Period. At that time, most of the surface water was frozen into large ice sheets in Mars’ southern region, according to the research. The planet’s CO₂ atmosphere suffered periodic collapses, and sublimated out of the atmosphere. Those collapses formed a layer of CO₂ 650 meters (0.4 miles) thick that created a massive ice cap over the South Pole. It insulated the 2.5-mile-thick (4 km) layer of frozen water that made up the ice sheets.

Buhler modelled how the CO₂ cap acted as a thermal blanket and showed that it released massive amounts of meltwater from the frozen pole. This water flowed down rivers, with the top layers freezing and insulating the liquid water underneath.

“You now have the cap on top, a saturated water table underneath and permafrost on the sides,” Buhler said. “The only way left for the water to go is through the interface between the ice sheet and the rock underneath it. That’s why on Earth you see rivers come out from underneath glaciers instead of just draining into the ground.”

According to Buhler’s work, enough water was liberated to fill the Argyre Basin.

The Argyre Basin is one of the largest impact basins on the planet, measuring roughly 1800 km (1100 mi) in diameter. This massive impact basin was formed billions of years ago by a comet or asteroid striking Mars. It drops about 5.2 km (3.2 mi) below the surrounding plains, making it the second deepest basin on Mars. Scientists have long thought that the basin once held water—as much as the Mediterranean Sea—and Buhler’s work shows how it may have filled.

“Eskers are evidence that at some point there was subglacial melt on Mars, and that’s a big mystery,” Buhler said. Eskers are long stratified ridges of sand and gravel deposited by meltwater streams that flow under glaciers. They’re common on Earth, where glaciers once covered the surface. Mars’ eskers support the idea that the same thing happened on that planet.

The subglacial rivers would have flowed underneath the ice, where they were insulated from the cold. When they exited the glacier, they would have oozed along until a thick enough ice cap formed to insulate them. Buhler says that the ice would’ve grown until it was hundreds of meters thick, and the water flowing under the ice caps would’ve been several feet deep. The water would’ve carved out river channels thousands of miles long, and there are several of those that go from the polar cap to the Argyre Basin.

“People have been trying to discover processes that could make that happen, but nothing really worked,” Buhler said. “The current best hypothesis is that there was some unspecified global warming event, but that was an unsatisfying answer to me, because we don’t know what would have caused that warming. This model explains eskers without invoking climatic warming.”

Argyre Basin is massive and voluminous, and proposed explanations for how it was filled with water were left wanting. It has approximately the same volume as the Mediterranean Sea. Buhler’s model shows that it took about ten thousand years for the basin to fill, and after it filled, the water emptied into plains about 8,000 km (5,000 miles) away.

This process happened repeatedly over a one-hundred-million-year era, with each event separated by millions of years.

“This is the first model that produces enough water to overtop Argyre, consistent with decades-old geologic observations,” Buhler said. “It’s also likely that the meltwater, once downstream, sublimated back into the atmosphere before being returned to the south polar cap, perpetuating a pole-to-equator hydrologic cycle that may have played an important role in Mars’ enigmatic pulse of late-stage hydrologic activity. What’s more, it does not require late-stage warming to explain it.”

Buhler’s work is supported by other research. “Previous literature supports the presence of a ~0.6 bar (atmospheric) CO₂ inventory, as utilized in the model, near the Noachian-Hesperian boundary,” he writes in his research. The history of Mars’ atmospheric pressure is backed up by cosmochemistry, mineralogy, atmosphere and meteorite trapped-gas isotopic ratios, geomorphology, and extrapolations of modern-day atmospheric escape.

“Thus, there is strong evidence that Mars had a sufficiently large mobile CO₂ reservoir to drive the atmospheric-collapse-driven melting scenario described in this manuscript, with collapse occurring at a time commensurate with Valley Network formation during Mars’ intense, Late Noachian/Early Hesperian terminal pulse of intense fluvial activity,” Buhler writes.

That period of Mars’ history stands out as its own distinct phase of geological activity, whereas changes were more gradual in the earlier Noachian Period. The Late Noachian/Early Hesperian saw intense valley network formation. Many of these valleys are deeply carved into the landscape, often cutting through older geological features. That suggests that the water flow was powerful and erosive. This fluvial activity also created large deposits of sediment, like the ones NASA’s Perseverance Rover is exploring in Jezero Crater.

Buhler’s research is partly based on modern-day observations of Mars’ atmospheric CO₂ and its cycles. Much of it is actually frozen and bound to the regolith. Mars’ rotational tilt shifts over a 100,000-year timeline. When it’s closer to straight up and down, the Sun hits the equator, and CO₂ is released from the regolith into the atmosphere. It eventually reaches the poles, where it’s frozen into the caps.

When Mars is tilted, the poles are warmed, and the CO₂ sublimates and is released into the atmosphere again. It eventually reaches the now-cooler regolith, which absorbs it. “The atmosphere is mostly just along for the ride,” Buhler said. “It acts as a conduit for the real action, which is the exchange between the regolith and the southern polar ice cap, even today.”

Buhler is still working with his model and intends to continue testing it more rigorously. If it successfully withstands more testing, our understanding of Mars will take a big leap forward.

{ https://www.universetoday.com/  }

09-11-2024 om 18:41 geschreven door peter  

By manufacturing satellites out of wood, the University of Kyoto scientists expect they will burn up when they re-enter Earth’s atmosphere at the end of their service. This will prevent potentially harmful metal particles from being generated when a retired satellite returns to Earth. The small satellite measures just 10 cm (4 in) on a side and weighs only 900 grams, making it one of the lightest satellites ever sent to space. Its name comes from the Latin word for wood (“lingo”) and CubeSat, a class of small satellites with a form factor of 10 cm cubes.

Before launch, the science team installed LingoSat in a special container prepared by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). According to a spokesperson for Sumitomo Forestry, LignoSat’s co-developer, the satellite will “arrive at the ISS soon and will be released to outer space about a month later.”

Once the satellite reaches the ISS, it will dock via the Kibo Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) before deployment. It will then spend the next six months in space, and data will be sent from the satellite to researchers who will monitor it for signs of strain. Ultimately, the goal is to determine if wooden satellites can withstand the extreme temperature changes and conditions in space. A second satellite, LingoSat 2, is a double-unit CubeSat currently scheduled for launch in 2026.

Further Reading: 

• The Guardian

{ https://www.universetoday.com/  }

09-11-2024 om 18:40 geschreven door peter  

Massive stars about eight times more massive than the Sun explode as supernovae at the end of their lives. The explosions, which leave behind a black hole or a neutron star, are so energetic they can outshine their host galaxies for months. However, astronomers appear to have spotted a massive star that skipped the explosion and turned directly into a black hole.

Stars are balancing acts between the outward force of fusion and the inward force of their own gravity. When a massive star enters its last evolutionary stages, it begins to run out of hydrogen, and its fusion weakens. The outward force from its fusion can no longer counteract the star’s powerful gravity, and the star collapses in on itself. The result is a supernova explosion, a calamitous event that destroys the star and leaves behind a black hole or a neutron star.

However, it appears that sometimes these stars fail to explode as supernovae and instead turn directly into black holes.

New research shows how one massive, hydrogen-depleted supergiant star in the Andromeda galaxy (M31) failed to detonate as a supernova. The research is “The disappearance of a massive star marking the birth of a black hole in M31.” The lead author is Kishalay De, a postdoctoral scholar at the Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research at MIT.

These types of supernovae are called core-collapse supernovae, also known as Type II. They’re relatively rare, with one occurring about every one hundred years in the Milky Way. Scientists are interested in supernovae because they are responsible for creating many of the heavy elements, and their shock waves can trigger star formation. They also create cosmic rays that can reach Earth.

This new research shows that we may not understand supernovae as well as we thought.

The star in question is named M31-2014-DS1. Astronomers noticed it brightening in mid-infrared (MIR) in 2014. For one thousand days, its luminosity was constant. Then, for another thousand days between 2016 and 2019, it faded dramatically. It’s a variable star, but that can’t explain these fluctuations. In 2023, it was undetected in deep optical and near-IR (NIR) imaging observations.

The researchers say that the star was born with an initial mass of about 20 stellar masses and reached its terminal nuclear-burning phase with about 6.7 stellar masses. Their observations suggest that the star is surrounded by a recently ejected dust shell, in accordance with a supernova explosion, but there’s no evidence of an optical outburst.

“The dramatic and sustained fading of M31-2014-DS1 is exceptional in the landscape of variability in massive, evolved stars,” the authors write. “The sudden decline of luminosity in M31-2014-DS1 points to the cessation of nuclear burning together with a subsequent shock that fails to overcome the infalling material.” A supernova explosion is so powerful that it completely overcomes infalling material.

“Lacking any evidence for a luminous outburst at such proximity, the observations of M31-2014-DS1 bespeak signatures of a ‘failed’ SN that leads to the collapse of the stellar core,” the authors explain.

What could make a star fail to explode as a supernova, even if it’s the right mass to explode?

Supernovae are complex events. The density inside a collapsing core is so extreme that electrons are forced to combine with protons, creating both neutrons and neutrinos. This process is called neutronization, and it creates a powerful burst of neutrinos that carries about 10% of the star’s rest mass energy. The outburst is called a neutrino shock.

Neutrinos get their name from the fact that they’re electrically neutral and seldom interact with regular matter. Every second, about 400 billion neutrinos from our Sun pass right through every person on Earth. But in a dense stellar core, the neutrino density is so extreme that some of them deposit their energy into the surrounding stellar material. This heats the material, which generates a shock wave.

The neutrino shock always stalls, but sometimes it revives. When it revives, it drives an explosion and expels the outer layer of the supernova. If it’s not revived, the shock wave fails, and the star collapses and forms a black hole.

In M31-2014-DS1, the neutrino shock was not revived. The researchers were able to constrain the amount of material ejected by the star, and it was far below what a supernovae would eject. “These constraints imply that the majority of stellar material (?5 solar masses) collapsed into the core, exceeding the maximum mass of a neutron star (NS) and forming a BH,” they conclude. About 98% of the star’s mass collapsed and created a black hole with about 6.5 solar masses.

M31-2014-DS1 isn’t the only failed supernova, or candidate failed supernova, that astronomers have found. They’re difficult to spot because they’re characterized by what doesn’t happen rather than what does. A supernova is hard to miss because it’s so bright and appears in the sky suddenly. Ancient astronomers recorded several of them.

In 2009, astronomers discovered the only other confirmed failed supernova. It was a supergiant red star in NGC 6946, the “Fireworks Galaxy.” It’s named N6946-BH1 and has about 25 solar masses. After disappearing from view, it left only a faint infrared glow. In 2009, its luminosity increased to a million solar luminosities, but by 2015, it had disappeared in optical light.

A survey with the Large Binocular Telescope monitored 27 nearby galaxies, looking for disappearing massive stars. The results suggest that between 20% and 30% of massive stars can end their lives as failed supernovae. However, M31-2014-DS1 and N6946-BH1 are the only confirmed observations.

SHOCKING Transformation: How a STAR Turns into a BLACK HOLE

We Just Found Neutron Stars Crashing Into Black Holes

{ https://www.universetoday.com/ }

09-11-2024 om 18:39 geschreven door peter  

US once considered a program to reverse-engineer alien spacecraft, Pentagon report reveals

But it never came to be, according to a new report.

08-11-2024 om 23:59 geschreven door peter  

“To date, AARO has not discovered any empirical evidence that any sighting of a UAP represented off-world technology or the existence a classified program that had not been properly reported to Congress,” the report said.

Citing investigations that revealed most sightings to result from the “misidentification of ordinary objects and phenomena,” the report acknowledged that “many UAP reports remain unsolved,” though adding that better data could lead to the resolution of some of the currently unresolved cases.

In advance of the report’s release, Tim Phillips, acting director of AARO on assignment from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), provided a briefing to a limited number of reporters on Wednesday, where he discussed the new report and revealed details about a new system called “Gremlin” designed to acquire real-time data on UAP. The Debrief did not participate in Wednesday’s media briefing.

Following the release of the report, Department of Defense spokesperson Sue Gough said in an email to The Debrief that “AARO reviewed all official USG investigatory efforts since 1945, researched classified and unclassified archives, conducted dozens of interviews and site visits, and partnered with the Intelligence Community and DoD officials responsible for special access program oversight.”

“AARO created a secure process in partnership with the highest-level security officials within the DoD, IC, and other organizations to research and investigate these claims,” Gough said. “AARO was granted full, unrestricted access by all organizations.”

Although there were notable exceptions, most media coverage of the new AARO report focused almost entirely on the lack of evidence linking UAP sightings to extraterrestrial technologies, as well as the absence of classified programs involved in the recovery of crashed vehicles of non-human origin.

Also commanding media attention had been revelations involving the existence of a proposed program pitched to the Department of Homeland Security in the 2010s under the codename “Kona Blue,” which involved a prospective reverse engineering program for any extraterrestrial technologies acquired by the U.S. government.

According to the AARO report, Kona Blue had been proposed by former members of a DIA program called the Advanced Aerospace Weapons Systems Application Program (AAWSAP), whose personnel are identified in the report as some of the main proponents behind ongoing assertions involving secret U.S. government UAP programs.

The report says that AARO investigators found no evidence that extraterrestrial craft or their occupants had ever been acquired by the U.S. military and that Kona Blue was ultimately rejected by DHS leadership due to a lack of merit.

Friday’s report was met with significant criticism online following its release, with many arguing that its findings were invalid, while others expressed skepticism over its assertions that no evidence of cover-ups involving crashed UAP retrieval programs had been found.

The report’s findings appear to run in stark contrast to whistleblower allegations that first received widespread public attention last June, involving an official complaint filed with the Intelligence Community Inspector General by David Grusch, a former U.S. intelligence officer whose duties included participation in the U.S. government’s investigations into UAP in recent years.

In January, Inspector General of the Intelligence Community Thomas Monheim spoke with members of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee during a classified briefing on UAP, with some who attended claiming it left them with more questions than answers regarding ongoing claims of secret programs and exotic technologies.

Following the release of AARO’s report on Friday, amidst all the attention surrounding what AARO investigators did or did not find, and programs that were proposed but never came to fruition, few mainstream outlets discussed the numerous intriguing allusions to legitimate advanced capabilities the U.S. possesses that are peppered throughout the report—many of which, in likelihood, actually have contributed to UAP sightings over the years.

These seemingly went unnoticed, as well as several factual errors that appear throughout the new report that, for some, potentially undermine the level of rigor AARO appears to have applied in its investigations.

Fact-Checking AARO’s Historical Report

Among the many mistakes that appear in the new report, one of the most glaring appears in references to the late Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and his involvement in helping acquire funding for a controversial UAP investigative effort run out of the Defense Intelligence Agency in the early 2000s. The report refers to the Democrat Senator’s home state as being New Mexico, whereas Reid was a U.S. Senator from Nevada.

In another instance, a famous sighting reported by pilot Kenneth Arnold near Mount Rainer, Washington in the summer of 1947 is described as having taken place on “June 23,” one day earlier than Arnold’s sighting occurred.

The report similarly claims Arnold described the objects he observed as being “saucer-like aircraft”, although this now-famous characterization was only later applied by members of the media who, at the time, were referencing Arnold’s description of their movement resembling “saucers” skipping across water.

In yet another example, the AARO report repeatedly refers to a statistical analysis of sightings collected by the U.S. Air Force’s Project Blue Book conducted by the Battelle Memorial Institute as “Project BEAR,” which had, in fact, only been a nickname given to the program by Blue Book’s original director, Edward J. Ruppelt. The project’s actual name—one that has now been known publicly for decades—was Project STORK.

“The name Project BEAR was an intentionally false name made by Edward Ruppelt,” wrote Robert Powell, an Executive Board Member with the Scientific Coalition for UAP Studies, in a  posting on X, “so as not to reveal the true name of the project.”

Powell also noted that the recent AARO report seemingly misstated the date of the Battelle project as having been issued in late 1954, whereas the date on the folder in the Air Force’s Project Blue Book files indicates a date of May 5, 1955.

Beyond mere problems with dates, AARO’s report makes further assertions that Battelle’s study, the results of which were published in a report titled Project Blue Book Special Report #14, “concluded that all cases that had enough data were resolved and readily explainable.” Quite the contrary, the study actually found that among the UFO sightings categorized within a reliability group of reports deemed “Excellent,” only 4.2% had “insufficient info,” whereas 33.3% of these cases remained “Unknown.”

In a posting on X, Marik von Rennenkampf, an analyst who worked with the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation, called the error “Blatantly, demonstrably false.”

Intriguing Accounts and Unsolved Cases

Despite the number of factual errors that appear throughout the final AARO report, there are nonetheless a handful of intriguing references in it that appear to describe advanced U.S. technologies, although again, few of these have received significant attention in mainstream coverage.

In one example, which describes an individual’s account provided during an interview with AARO investigators, the report states that “AARO was able to correlate this account with an authentic USG program because the interviewee was able to provide a relatively precise time and location of the sighting which they observed exhibiting strange characteristics.”

Test flight during the 1970s of Lockheed’s then-secret Have Blue, the code name for its stealth fighter

(Public Domain).

AARO concluded the technology mistaken for being an exotic UAP technology by the unnamed witness correlated with DoD tests “of a platform protected by a [Special Access Program]” occurring at roughly the same time. “The seemingly strange characteristics reported by the interviewee match closely with the platform’s characteristics,” the AARO report’s authors state, “which was being tested at a military facility in the time frame the interviewee was there.”

“This program is not related in any way to the exploitation of off-world technology,” the report’s authors emphasize, offering no further details on the technology that is believed to have been mistaken for a test involving an exotic craft.

The report’s authors later add that “All the programs assessed to be authentic were or—if still active—continue to be, appropriately reported to either or both the congressional defense and intelligence committees.”

In another instance, material believed to have been retrieved from a UAP was subjected to analysis by the U.S. Army, with subsequent analysis conducted by AARO and “a leading science laboratory,” concluding that “the material is a metallic alloy, terrestrial in nature, and possibly of USAF origin, based on its materials characterization.”

Although most of AARO’s reported findings dismissed any verifiable connections to exotic craft or genuine unexplained phenomena, linking them instead to known U.S. government programs, there are a handful of incidents AARO said it was still investigating, which included a series of widely discussed UAP events that occurred at U.S. strategic sites during the 1960s and 1970s.

“AARO is researching U.S. and adversarial activity related to these events,” the report states, “including any U.S. programs that tested defensive ballistic missile capabilities.”

The report also maintains AARO’s past positions regarding the likelihood that prosaic explanations exist for the majority of UAP sightings, although its authors nonetheless acknowledge that there are still some cases the Pentagon’s UAP investigative office has been unable to solve.

“A small percentage of cases have potentially anomalous characteristics or concerning characteristics,” the report’s authors write. “AARO has kept Congress fully and currently informed of its findings. AARO’s research continues on these cases.”

Questions Of Access and Ongoing Problems

Last April, during a Senate Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities hearing led by U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, Dr. Sean Kirkpatrick, then-Director of AARO, agreed when asked about AARO’s Title 50 accessibility by Senator Gillibrand that “having additional authorities for collection, tasking, counterintelligence… those are all things that would be helpful, yes.”

In the U.S., most activities conducted by the Intelligence Community, including covert action missions, foreign espionage, and other activities best suited for combating unconventional external threats, operate under what is known as Title 50 authority.

Although Dr. Kirkpatrick emphasized having “good relations” with other agencies during last April’s hearing, his statements gave the distinct impression that AARO had been operating solely under Title 10 authority for the duration of its mission at that time, which would seemingly place limitations on its ability to acquire information related to the Intelligence Community’s involvement with UAP investigations, including but not limited to exchanges of data and tasking collection assets.

Responding to questions from The Debrief, Pentagon spokesperson Susan Gough clarified that AARO does have access to U.S. intelligence information that falls under Title 50 authority.

“There is no impediment to AARO receiving all UAP-related information, past or present, regardless of level or origin of classification,” Gough told The Debrief. “By law, AARO may receive all UAP-related information, at all levels of classification, regardless of whether the original classification authority for such information is within DoD or the Intelligence Community.”

Although AARO does appear to have access to all the intelligence on UAP that it required, contrary to what was conveyed during last April’s Senate hearing, the Pentagon nonetheless continues to face challenges in its collection and management of information about UAP.

Earlier this year, an unclassified summary of a DoD Inspector General report evaluating the Pentagon’s activities related to UAP was released, which argued that the DoD lacks any comprehensive, coordinated means by which it can currently address UAP. The report further argued that the DoD’s apparent lack of coordination on the UAP issue could pose a threat to U.S. military forces and, more broadly, to national security.

“We determined that the DoD has no overarching UAP policy,” a portion of the DoD Inspector General report read, “and, as a result, it lacks assurance that national security and flight safety threats to the United States from UAP have been identified and mitigated.”

In a statement on Friday following the new AARO historical report’s release, Pentagon Press Secretary Major General Pat Ryder said the second volume of AARO’s historical review will be forthcoming later this year.

“AARO will publish a second volume that will provide analysis of information acquired by AARO after Nov. 1, 2023, including information received via interviews with current and former U.S. government personnel who contacted AARO via the secure reporting mechanism on AARO’s website,” Ryder said.

“Analyzing and understanding the historical record on UAP is an ongoing collaborative effort involving many departments and agencies, and the department thanks the contributing departments and agencies, as well as the interviewees who came forward with information,” Ryder added.

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

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

08-11-2024 om 23:24 geschreven door peter  

The egg or the chicken? An ancient unicellular says egg!

The first life forms to appear on Earth were unicellular, i.e. composed of a single cell, such as yeast or bacteria. Later, animals - multicellular organisms - evolved, developing from a single cell, the egg cell, to form complex beings. This embryonic development follows precise stages that are remarkably similar between animal species and could date back to a period well before the appearance of animals. However, the transition from unicellular species to multicellular organisms is still very poorly understood.

These cells divide without growing any further, forming multicellular colonies resembling the early stages of animal embryonic development.

Recently appointed as an assistant professor at the Department of Biochemistry in the UNIGE Faculty of Science, and formerly an SNSF Ambizione researcher at EPFL, Omaya Dudin and his team have focused on Chromosphaera perkinsii, or C. perkinsii, an ancestral species of protist. This unicellular organism separated from the animal evolutionary line more than a billion years ago, offering valuable insight into the mechanisms that may have led to the transition to multicellularity.

By observing C. perkinsii, the scientists discovered that these cells, once they have reached their maximum size, divide without growing any further, forming multicellular colonies resembling the early stages of animal embryonic development. Unprecedentedly, these colonies persist for around a third of their life cycle and comprise at least two distinct cell types, a surprising phenomenon for this type of organism.

Images of the multicellular development of the ichthyosporean Chromosphaera perkinsii, a close cousin of animals. In red we can see the membranes and in blue the nuclei with their DNA. The image was obtained using expansion microscopy.

© O. Dudin, UNIGE

‘‘Although C. perkinsii is a unicellular species, this behaviour shows that multicellular coordination and differentiation processes are already present in the species, well before the first animals appeared on Earth’’, explains Omaya Dudin, who led this research.

Even more surprisingly, the way these cells divide and the three-dimensional structure they adopt are strikingly reminiscent of the early stages of embryonic development in animals. In collaboration with Dr John Burns (Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences), analysis of the genetic activity within these colonies revealed intriguing similarities with that observed in animal embryos, suggesting that the genetic programmes governing complex multicellular development were already present over a billion years ago.

Marine Olivetta, laboratory technician at the Department of Biochemistry in the UNIGE Faculty of Science and first author of the study, explains: “It’s fascinating, a species discovered very recently allows us to go back in time more than a billion years”. In fact, the study shows that either the principle of embryonic development existed before animals, or multicellular development mechanisms evolved separately in C. perkinsii.

This discovery could also shed new light on a long-standing scientific debate concerning 600 million-year-old fossils that resemble embryos, and could challenge certain traditional conceptions of multicellularity.

VIDEOS

{ https://www.unige.ch/ }

08-11-2024 om 22:20 geschreven door peter  

Wat kwam er eerst, de kip of het ei? Onderzoekers zeggen nu: het ei!

In een prehistorisch eencellig organisme is een celdeling ontdekt die lijkt op die van een dierlijk embryo. En dat is interessant, want dit geeft aan dat embryonale ontwikkeling mogelijk al bestond voordat dieren zich ontwikkelden.

Al eeuwenlang vragen wetenschappers zich af wat er eerst was: de kip of het ei? Vorig jaar stelden onderzoekers nog dat het de kip was. Maar een nieuwe studie komt nu tot een andere conclusie. Volgens deze onderzoekers zijn er nu namelijk overtuigende aanwijzingen dat het ei toch echt het eerste was.

Eerste levensvormen
De eerste levensvormen op aarde waren eencellig, zoals gist of bacteriën. Later evolueerden dieren, meercellige organismen, die zich vanaf één cel, de eicel, ontwikkelden tot complexe wezens. Deze embryonale ontwikkeling verloopt in verschillende stadia die opvallende overeenkomsten vertonen tussen dierlijke soorten en mogelijk al stammen uit een tijd vóór de eerste dieren. De overgang van eencellige naar meercellige organismen wordt echter nog steeds niet volledig begrepen.

Chromosphaera perkinsii
In een nieuwe studie hebben onderzoekers de eencellige soort Chromosphaera perkinsii bestudeerd. C. perkinsii werd in 2017 gevonden in zeesedimenten rondom Hawaï en is een voorouderlijke soort van protisten. De eerste aanwijzingen voor het bestaan van deze soort op aarde gaan meer dan een miljard jaar terug, lang vóór de opkomst van de eerste dieren. Omdat dit eencellige organisme zich meer dan een miljard jaar geleden afsplitste van de dierlijke evolutielijn, verschaft het belangrijke inzichten in de processen die mogelijk geleid hebben tot de overgang naar meercelligheid. “Het is fascinerend dat een soort die pas recent is ontdekt, ons in staat stelt om meer dan een miljard jaar terug in de tijd te kijken”, zegt onderzoeksleider Marine Olivetta.

Multicellulaire structuren
Het onderzoek naar C. perkinsii leidt tot een opmerkelijke ontdekking. Zo ontdekten de wetenschappers dat de cellen, zodra ze hun maximale grootte hebben bereikt, zich delen zonder verder te groeien. Vervolgens vormen ze multicellulaire structuren. Opmerkelijk is dat deze structuren ongeveer een derde van hun levenscyclus intact blijven en minstens twee verschillende celtypen bevatten, wat een verrassend fenomeen is voor dit soort organisme. “Hoewel C. perkinsii een eencellige soort is, laat dit gedrag zien dat processen van multicellulaire coördinatie en differentiatie al aanwezig waren in deze soort, lang voordat de eerste dieren op aarde verschenen”, aldus onderzoeker Omaya Dudin.

Dierlijke embryo’s
Nog verrassender is de manier waarop deze cellen zich delen en de driedimensionale structuur die ze aannemen. Dit lijkt namelijk sterk op de vroege stadia van de embryonale ontwikkeling bij dieren. De analyse van de genetische activiteit in deze structuren vertonen dus opvallende overeenkomsten met die in dierlijke embryo’s.

Het ei
Deze waarnemingen wijzen op twee mogelijke verklaringen: ofwel de genetische programma’s voor embryonale ontwikkeling bestonden al vóór de opkomst van dieren, of C. perkinsii ontwikkelde zich onafhankelijk om vergelijkbare processen te vertonen. Dit zou betekenen dat de natuur al de genetische middelen had om ‘eieren te maken’ lang voordat het ‘kippen uitvond’.

Inzicht
Vergeet dus de kip, want mogelijk was toch het ei er het eerste. Deze ontdekking zou overigens ook nieuwe inzichten kunnen bieden in een ander langlopend wetenschappelijk debat over fossielen van 600 miljoen jaar oud die op embryo’s lijken. Bovendien zou het sommige traditionele ideeën over meercelligheid kunnen uitdagen.

Al met al werpt de studie, gepubliceerd in Nature, nieuwe perspectieven op de overgang van eencellige naar meercellige organismen en kan de manier waarop we de evolutie van multicellulaire levensvormen begrijpen, fundamenteel veranderen. De studie daagt ook traditionele opvattingen uit over de oorsprong van embryonale ontwikkeling en biedt stof tot nadenken over de evolutie van multicellulaire organismen als geheel.

Bronmateriaal

• "The egg or the chicken? An ancient unicellular says egg!" - Université de Genève
• Afbeelding bovenaan dit artikel:

{ https://scientias.nl/ }

08-11-2024 om 22:06 geschreven door peter