Earthquakes and mysterious light beams: Has the UK got its own Bermuda Triangle?

Josh Milton

Most sightings were made in the early hours yesterday

(Picture: North Yorkshire Weather Updates)

Two things happened yesterday that took people in the UK by surprise – multiple sightings of beams of towering light and an earthquake.

So… what on earth is going on?

At around 5.30am, people told Metro they saw a beam of light poking out from behind houses and trees.

They were mainly seen in towns and villages near the coastline, from Newton Stewart, Scotland, to Colchester, Essex, some 300 miles away.

Later that same day, an earthquake hit the north of England, rattling most of Lancashire and the Lake District at 11.23pm.

That epicentre in Silverdale is right in the centre of a triangle of some of the sightings of the mysterious lights.

Is this a sign that aliens are trying to communicate with us? Was the quake the thud of Mr Bean falling from the sky? Or does the UK have its very own Bermuda Triangle?

Metro has looked at the facts.

Lighting sightings

Darren Steger-Lewis, 38, spotted the vertical light while out for a morning run at 5.30am at Ness Point – the most easterly point of England.

The administrative manager for a mobility scooter manufacturer said the light was out at sea and was crystal clear.

His first thought was that it must have been solar activity, but he did wonder if it might be little green men.

Nothern Lights in the sky over UK

Darren said: ‘The alien thought did naturally cross my mind, but the question arose: If we were being visited, would Lowestoft really be the destination of choice?’

Wayne Jensen, 43, told Metro he saw the beacon at about 5am in Mildenhall, Suffolk.

He said: ‘I have absolutely no idea what it was, but it definitely wasn’t man-made. My guess is something to do with gases in the atmosphere.’

It didn’t need to be ‘man-made’ though – beams are commonly reported during alleged sightings of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena, otherwise called UFOs.

However, Jim NR Dale, a meteorologist with the British Weather Services, told Metro there’s probably a much more mundane, but still spectacular, explanation.

Dale said they are more likely ‘light pillars’, an atmospheric optical illusion.

North Yorkshire Police told Metro the force is not aware of any reports of UFOs in the region, either.

Seismic Silverdale

Hours later, at 11.23pm, there was another natural phenomenon that woke up the people of Lancashire – an earthquake that felt like an underground explosion.

Fiona Johnston said: ‘Well, last night I felt the earth move. I was laid in bed reading around 11.30pm when the end of my bed moved.

‘It felt exactly like it did when Alfie [my deceased dog] would attempt to jump on the bed. I honestly thought it was him coming back to visit me because he was very much on my mind last night and I’d been watching videos of him.’

Fiona, like many others roused from their sleep, was relieved to hear that it was a tremor.

The UK experiences around 300 tremors every year, but only 20 or so are strong enough to be felt.

Can Barrow really be compared with the Bermuda Triangle?

Countless aircraft, boats and people have vanished in the area connecting Virginia’s Norfolk, Puerto Rico and Bermuda.

Officials and scientists have debunked the idea that aliens or a mysterious force in the 500,000 square mile section of the Atlantic Ocean is to blame.

Yet, the myth is so enduring that any eerie cluster of incidents anywhere tends to get the Triangle treatment.

What are ice pillars

Also called ice pillars, light pillars are a type of atmospheric optics, or the way light travels through the atmosphere.

When it’s nippy outside around sunrise or sunset, clouds that are normally high in the atmosphere drift down towards the Earth’s surface.

Within these clouds are millions of ice crystals that, when an artificial light from a ground source shines through them, reflect it like tiny mirrors.

If the light comes from the sun, they’re rather aptly called ‘sun pillars’.

Ice can cause all sorts of illusions, such as the ghostly blur of diamond dust, when these teeny-tiny mirrors reflect streetlights.

Physicist Les Cowley, a physicist who studies atmospheric optics, said: ‘So, keep an eye on the sky during those cold winter nights, as you never know when you might be treated to the awe-inspiring sight of light pillars illuminating the darkness.’

Metro’s verdict

In all seriousness, the strongest explanation here is coincidence.

When you introduce Colchester to the Beamuda Triangle map, you’re left with something more closely related to a four-sided shape.

But the Morecambe Wonky Diamond doesn’t have quite the ring to it, does it?

{ https://metro.co.uk/news/ }

05-12-2025 om 22:05 geschreven door peter  

{ https://scientias.nl/nieuws/natuur-klimaat/ }

05-12-2025 om 21:29 geschreven door peter  

Skeptic to Believer - The US is Ready for UAP and UFO Disclosure

{ https://www.youtube.com/ }

05-12-2025 om 21:03 geschreven door peter  

A nearly 22-minute video titled 'The Roswell Incident' has been quietly uploaded to the National Archives, reigniting interest in the infamous 1947 crash.

The footage combines still images and motion-control camera shots sourced from the published Roswell Report, as well as various magazines and books about UFOs. 

It opens with a shot of the book 'The Roswell Report: Fact Versus Fiction in the New Mexico Desert' and ends with a stark black-and-white image that appears to show a crash site, with debris scattered across a massive crater in the ground.

The video has flooded the internet, with users claiming the crater bears a striking resemblance to eyewitness reports, suggesting it could be 'the first pictures of the 1947 UFO crash site.'

Major Jesse Marcel, who recovered debris from the crash, described the scene as 'a large area heavily scattered with metallic debris from a single impact point that scarred the earth.' 

Some viewers have also pointed to a dark formation on the right side of the image, claiming it resembles an alien body. 

UFO expert Mark Lee told the Daily Mail that the crater image was likely included to add intrigue. 

'In my opinion, it's either a hoax,' he said. 'Just because it's been added to the National Archives doesn't give it scientific validation. If it came out as a release from the military or Congress, I would take it a lot more seriously.'

Lee also noted that the 'alien' in the photo is nothing more than a case of pareidolia, a psychological response to seeing faces and other significant and everyday items in random stimuli.

A video titled 'The Roswell Incident' was uploaded to the National Archives. Social media users claim an image in the footage shows UFO debris (left) and an alien body (right)

The newly uploaded video appears to focus on 'The Roswell Report: Fact Versus Fiction in the New Mexico Desert,' a 1995 book that attributes the crashed 'UFO' debris to Project Mogul.

Project Mogul was a top-secret US military program from 1947 to 1949 that used high-altitude balloons equipped with microphones to detect sound waves from Soviet atomic bomb tests. 

A 1994 military investigation concluded that the debris found at the Roswell site was likely pieces of a high-altitude balloon from Project Mogul, not an extraterrestrial spacecraft. 

Despite this official explanation, the newly uploaded video has sparked debate online, with viewers offering widely differing interpretations.

'National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) has uploaded a video of the Roswell 1947 UAP Crash site,' one user shared.

Another user posted on X: 'Like noted UFO researcher Grant Cameron has stated plenty of times, sometimes the disclosure of the real deal is a purposefully placed needle in the haystack. Roswell: slow drip…drip, drip, drip.'

In addition to the debris spotted in the footage, one user shared: 'Grey alien in the official video from the Roswell crash site.'

However, some social media suggested the footage 'is B-roll for the Roswell Report, and the images being posted do not show the Roswell debris site, nor does it even claim it's the actual debris site.'

Major Jesse Marcel, who recovered debris from the crash, described the scene as 'a large area heavily scattered with metallic debris from a single impact point that scarred the earth.' He said the debris could not melt or heat up and could not be punctured

One user posted: 'It’s clearly B-roll for that Roswell presentation the government put together in 1996. Someone must have found this and uploaded it in the last couple of days.'

Others have suggested a dead alien can be seen in the image, pointing to what Marcle said following the Roswell incident.

'I later found out that the pilot of the aircraft was a Captain Henderson, who apparently saw far more than just the debris from the impact site... he may in fact have seen the remains of a crew,' the now deceased major said. 

In July 1947, a rancher reported pieces of debris scattered over his land.

Authorities were called to the scene and, after investigating the wreckage, determined the pieces were from a flying saucer.

The lal paper's front page story reported that the Roswell Army field recovered a flying saucer on a New Mexico Ranch after metallic-looking, light but strong material was scattered across the land

The local paper's front page story reported that the Roswell Army Field recovered a flying saucer on a New Mexico Ranch after metallic-looking, light but strong material was scattered across the land.

'The intelligence office of the 509th Bombardment Group at Roswell Army Air Field announced at noon today that the field has come into the possession of a Flying Saucer,' Roswell Daily Record reported on July 8, 1947.

The statement was given by Marcel, who was the first on the scene and led the investigation, which he determined were pieces from an extraterrestrial vehicle. 

He also said that the material spread out from this point into a triangular-shaped area 200 to 300 feet wide at the end of the field, and 3/4 of a mile long.

Shortly after the 'UFO' discovery made headlines, the War Department in Washington released a statement claiming the debris was the remains of a weather balloon.

The US Air Force stated the weather balloon was part of Project Mogul's airborne system invented by Columbia University, New York University and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.

It was designed to search the atmosphere for weak reverberations from nuclear-test blasts.

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05-12-2025 om 20:49 geschreven door peter  

Mysterious fire erupts at Roswell site linked to 1947 UFO crash

• READ MORE: Roswell footage uploaded to National Archives shows crashed 'UFO debris and alien bodies' 

By STACY LIBERATORE, US SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY EDITOR

A major fire broke out late Thursday at the Roswell Air Center, just south of the legendary Hangar 84, a site long tied to the infamous 1947 UFO crash. 

Fire crews rushed to the scene after the blaze was reported around 7:55pm local time on East Earl Cummings Loop.

Authorities initially feared the fire could trigger a dangerous explosion due to hazardous materials and oxygen bottles stored nearby, prompting an expanded safety perimeter and rapid evacuation of nearby facilities.

Roswell firefighters worked quickly to contain the flames, declaring the fire under control by 9:45pm Thursday. What caused the fire is currently unknown.

At this time, no injuries have been reported, and officials have not confirmed the cause of the fire or whether any historically significant objects were affected.

The incident has already sparked speculation among UFO enthusiasts, who have long linked Hangar 84 to alien lore and the mysterious 1947 Roswell crash. 

As investigators comb the site for answers, the fire raises fresh questions about what secrets might still be hidden at the heart of this legendary location.

As news of the fire spread, the internet erupted with theories about the mysterious event.

A major fire broke out late Thursday at the Roswell Air Center near Hangar 84 that is linked to the 1947 UFO crash

On Reddit, one user posted: 'They are destroying the evidence.' Another shared: 'Chances are they were storing alien bodies in this hangar for over 80 years, but then when a documentary came out, they were like 'alright boys, they all know now. Time to light it up and skedaddle.''

One person shared on X: 'Well, isn't that super interesting and an oddly timed 'coincidence'.. that right as the public starts getting all curious about our past… weird fire breaks out for no reason right next to Hangar 84.'

Authorities have yet to share more updates about Thursday's fire.

The Roswell incident captured imaginations worldwide when the US Air Force issued a press release stating that it had recovered debris from a 'flying disc.'

In July 1947, a rancher reported pieces of debris scattered over his land.

Authorities were called to the scene and, after investigating the wreckage, determined the pieces were from a flying saucer.

The local paper's front page story reported that the Roswell Army Field recovered a flying saucer on a New Mexico Ranch after metallic-looking, light but strong material was scattered across the land.

Major Jesse Marcel, who recovered debris from the crash, described the scene as 'a large area heavily scattered with metallic debris from a single impact point that scarred the earth.'

Authorities do not know the cause of the fire, but are conducting an investigation

Major Jesse Marcel, who recovered debris from the crash, described the scene as 'a large area heavily scattered with metallic debris from a single impact point that scarred the earth.' He said the debris could not melt or heat up and could not be punctured

The local paper's front page story reported that the Roswell Army field recovered a flying saucer on a New Mexico Ranch after metallic-looking, light but strong material was scattered across the land

'The intelligence office of the 509th Bombardment Group at Roswell Army Air Field announced at noon today that the field has come into the possession of a Flying Saucer,' read Marcel's statement in the Roswell Daily Record on July 8, 1947. 

He also said that the material spread out from this point into a triangular-shaped area 200 to 300 feet wide at the end of the field, and 3/4 of a mile long. 

But less than 24 hours later, military officials reversed course, announcing that the debris had only come from a crashed weather balloon, sparking America's fascination with UFOs and allegations of a government cover-up ever since. 

The US Air Force stated the weather balloon was part of Project Mogul's airborne system invented by Columbia University, New York University and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.

It was designed to search the atmosphere for weak reverberations from nuclear-test blasts.

Project Mogul was a top-secret US military program from 1947 to 1949 that used high-altitude balloons equipped with microphones to detect sound waves from Soviet atomic bomb tests.

A 1994 military investigation concluded that the debris found at the Roswell site was likely pieces of a high-altitude balloon from Project Mogul, not an extraterrestrial spacecraft.

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/index.html }

05-12-2025 om 20:29 geschreven door peter  

Is life out there? NASA finds essential sugars on ancient asteroid Bennu more than 200 million miles away

• READ MORE: NASA baffled by rock on Mars that 'doesn't belong there'

By SHIVALI BEST, SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY EDITOR 

How life began on Earth is one of the biggest remaining questions in science. 

Now, NASA has taken a major step towards answering this query. 

The US space agency has discovered essential sugars on Bennu – an ancient asteroid 200 million miles away from Earth. 

The five–carbon sugar ribose was found on the asteroid, as well as six–carbon glucose. 

This marks the first time this sugar has been found in an extraterrestrial sample.

The researchers, led by a team at Tohoku University in Japan, emphasise that these sugars are not evidence of aliens. 

Instead, they could provide key clues to the origins of life here on Earth. 

'Although these sugars are not evidence of life, their detection, along with of amino acids, nucleobases, and carboxylic acids in Bennu samples, show building blocks of biological molecules were widespread throughout the solar system,' the team explained. 

How life began on Earth is one of the biggest remaining questions in science. Now, NASA has taken a major step towards answering this query. The US space agency has discovered essential sugars on Bennu – an ancient asteroid 200 million miles away from Earth

Bennu is an asteroid made from rocks that formed nearly 4.6 billion years ago. 

Every six years, the asteroid – which is around 500 metres wide – passes close to Earth, coming within 186,000 miles of our planet.  

In 2020, NASA's OSIRIS–REx mission seized upon a close flyby, collecting samples from Bennu and returning them to Earth three years later, on 24 September 2023. 

Since then, scientists have been analysing the samples to learn more about the conditions in our solar system billions of years ago. 

In the latest study, the Tohoku University team set out to understand whether or not Bennu contains the building blocks of life. 

Here on Earth, the sugars deoxyribose and ribose are key building blocks of DNA and RNA, respectively.

DNA is the primary carrier of genetic information in cells, while RNA performs numerous essential functions. 

'All five nucleobases used to construct both DNA and RNA, along with phosphates, have already been found in the Bennu samples brought to Earth by OSIRIS–REx,' said Dr Yoshihiro Furukawa, who led the new study. 

The five–carbon sugar ribose was found on the asteroid, as well as six–carbon glucose. This marks the first time this sugar has been found in an extraterrestrial sample.

In 2020, NASA's OSIRIS–REx mission seized upon a close flyby, collecting samples from Bennu and returning them to Earth three years later, on 24 September 2023

Asteroid Bennu

Size: 500 metres wide 

Age: Formed from rocks dating back 4.5 billion years

Orbit and rotation: Makes one orbit around the sun every 1.2 years, and one full rotation every 4.3 hours 

Formation: Likely formed in the Main Asteroid Belt between Mars and Jupiter

The new discovery of ribose means that all of the components to form the molecule RNA are present in Bennu.'

This isn't the first time ribose has been found on an extraterrestrial object. 

In fact, the sugar has previously been found in two meteorites recovered on Earth. 

However, the key difference in the Bennu sample is that deoxyribose – the key building block of DNA – was not found.    

'If Bennu is any indication, this means ribose may have been more common than deoxyribose in environments of the early solar system,' the researchers explained. 

According to the researchers, the findings support the 'RNA world' hypothesis. 

This suggests that the first forms of life relied on RNA as the primary molecule to store information and to drive chemical reactions necessary for survival. 

'Present day life is based on a complex system organized primarily by three types of functional biopolymers: DNA, RNA, and proteins,' explained Dr Furukawa. 

Read More

• Terrifying simulation reveals exactly what will happen if asteroid Bennu crashes into Earth in 2182 

'However, early life may have been simpler.'

The researchers also found evidence of glucose on Bennu.

This marks the first evidence that an important energy source for life as we know it was also present in the early solar system. 

While Bennu provides key clues about life on Earth, it also poses a threat to our planet. 

A recent study found that there is a one-in-2,700 chance of a collision with Earth in September 2182. 

WHAT COULD WE DO TO STOP AN ASTEROID COLLIDING WITH EARTH?

Currently, NASA would not be able to deflect an asteroid if it were heading for Earth but it could mitigate the impact and take measures that would protect lives and property.

This would include evacuating the impact area and moving key infrastructure.

Finding out about the orbit trajectory, size, shape, mass, composition and rotational dynamics would help experts determine the severity of a potential impact.

However, the key to mitigating damage is to find any potential threat as early as possible.

NASA and the European Space Agency completed a test which slammed a refrigerator-sized spacecraft into the asteroid Dimorphos.

The test is to see whether small satellites are capable of preventing asteroids from colliding with Earth.

The Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) used what is known as a kinetic impactor technique—striking the asteroid to shift its orbit.

The impact could change the speed of a threatening asteroid by a small fraction of its total velocity, but by doing so well before the predicted impact, this small nudge will add up over time to a big shift of the asteroid's path away from Earth.

This was the first-ever mission to demonstrate an asteroid deflection technique for planetary defence.

The results of the trial are expected to be confirmed by the Hera mission in December 2026.

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/index.html }

05-12-2025 om 12:35 geschreven door peter  

Astrophysicists have created terrifying simulations that reveal how black holes naturally create dazzling displays detected from billions of light-years away. 

In the stunning imagery, the black holes appear in the centre as a dark, blank space – simply because no light can be reflected from them. 

But blossoming around these 'destructive monsters' are colourful, vibrant patterns of richly-textured purple, pink and orange. 

These amazing light shows are generated by material emitting energy as it falls into the black hole, whether it's gas, dust or matter. 

The experts at Simons Foundation in New York managed to observe these unforgiving regions of space using light spectrum data fed to powerful computers. 

'The colour represents how dense the gas is,' study author Lizhong Zhang told the Daily Mail. 'The more bright the colour, the more dense the gas around the black hole.'

Black holes are intense sources of gravity that hoover up surrounding dust and gas, as well as planets and even other black holes.

If a human fell into one of these cosmic monsters, the forces of gravity would be so strong that they would undergo 'spagettification'. 

Astrophysicists have created terrifying simulations of how black holes naturally create dazzling displays. Near this black hole (shown in the centre), a 'highly turbulent' accretion flow forms a dense, thin thermal disk that remains remarkably stable

The simulations reveal how material flowing around and into stellar mass black holes creates intense light shows of pink, purple and orange 

Due to their intense gravitational pull, black holes draw material such as gas, plasma and dust into a swirling, orbiting bright orange disc called an 'accretion disk'. 

This hot disk orbiting the black hole is its main source of light – and is why we're able to detect black holes in other galaxies billions of light-years away. 

Already, high-resolution images have been produced of 'supermassive' black holes – those that have masses hundreds of millions to billions of times that of our sun.

Supermassive black holes evolve over years or even centuries and drive the evolution of galaxies.  

However, the comparatively smaller 'stellar' black holes cannot be observed in the same way, appearing only as pinpoints of light, the team say. 

To model stellar black hole accretion, the team used two of the world’s most powerful supercomputers, Frontier and Aurora, at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Argonne National Laboratory, in Tennessee and Illionois respectively.

These 'exascale' computers are capable of performing a quintillion operations per second – a billion billion calculations, or 1 followed by 18 zeroes.

Using the supercomputers, the researchers calculated the behaviour of material swirling and zipping around stellar black holes. 

The study focused on stellar black holes which form from the gravitational collapse of a massive star at the end of its life cycle

As scorching gas and dust flow around and into a black hole, they glow with fierce intensity across the light spectrum

Even with the computational power, the researchers still required complex mathematics and algorithm optimised for exascale computing to get accurate results. 

Through their simulations, the research team showed how matter behaves as it spirals toward stellar mass black holes.

The matter forms 'highly turbulent' radiation-dominated disks, launching chaotic winds and sometimes even producing powerful jets. 

Near the black hole, the 'dense but thin' accretion disk 'remains remarkably stable' despite the turbulent flow of material fuelling it, the team report. 

The disk is embedded within a 'magnetically dominated' envelope that helps stabilise the whole system.    

The findings, published in The Astrophysical Journal, marks the first time physical processes in stellar black hole accretion have been calculated and presented accurately.

Previous simulations took shortcuts by simplifying the calculations of radiation and treating radiation as a sort of fluid, which does not reflect its actual behaviour. 

Scientists lifted the veil on the first images ever captured of a black hole in April 2019. The glowing orange ring shows the event horizon of M87, in the Virgo galaxy cluster

In the future, the team want to determine if their computer method applies to all types of black holes, such as supermassive black holes, which exist in the centers of most large galaxies. 

Sagittarius A*, the supermassive black hole at the center of our galaxy, has a mass more than 4 million times that of our sun. 

Black holes are so far away that getting an image of one was only managed in 2019, using a massive network of Earth telescopes. 

However, we have a very good chance of seeing a black hole explosion by 2035. 

Another team of scientists recently reported there's a 90 per cent chance of at least one black hole exploding in the next 10 years. 

If and when it happens, telescopes positioned in space and here on Earth should be able to capture the event.

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/index.html }

05-12-2025 om 12:22 geschreven door peter  

Why Some Species Evolved Consciousness While Others Remained Unaware

Gary Manners

Scientists at Ruhr University Bochum have uncovered compelling evidence about one of evolution's greatest mysteries: why consciousness developed in some species but not others. Their groundbreaking research examines the evolutionary advantages of conscious experience and reveals that birds may have solved the puzzle of awareness through a completely different brain architecture than mammals Phys.org.

The question of consciousness has puzzled scientists for decades, but new research suggests the answer lies not in what consciousness is, but rather in what purpose it serves. According to Professors Albert Newen and Onur Güntürkün, understanding the function of consciousness is essential to explaining why oak trees remained non-conscious while crows developed sophisticated awareness. The research, published in the journal Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, challenges long-held assumptions about brain structure and conscious experience, demonstrating that evolution can achieve similar solutions through remarkably different pathways.

• Why Consciousness May Have Evolved To Benefit Society Rather Than Individuals
• Is The Final Frontier Of Human Consciousness An Electrical Field?

Three Levels of Consciousness Serve Different Survival Purposes

Newen and Carlos Montemayor have identified three distinct types of consciousness, each serving unique evolutionary functions. The first and most primitive is basic arousal, which developed to trigger alarm responses in life-threatening situations. This fundamental form enables organisms to recognize bodily damage through pain - an extraordinarily efficient mechanism for detecting threats to survival. When an animal feels pain from an injury, this conscious experience immediately signals danger and triggers defensive responses like fleeing or freezing.

The second evolutionary stage brought general alertness, allowing organisms to focus selectively on important stimuli while filtering out less relevant information. This capability enables a creature to notice smoke during a conversation and immediately shift attention to search for fire. Beyond simple cause-and-effect learning, targeted alertness permits the identification of complex correlations and scientific relationships in the environment. This advancement represents a crucial step in cognitive evolution, enabling more sophisticated interactions with the world.

The third and most advanced form is reflexive self-consciousness, which allows organisms to reflect on themselves, their past experiences, and potential futures. Humans develop this ability around 18 months of age, as demonstrated by the classic mirror test where toddlers recognize their own reflection. Some animals, including chimpanzees, dolphins, and remarkably, magpies, have also passed this test. This form of consciousness enables better social integration and coordination with others, suggesting that awareness evolved partly to facilitate complex social behaviors.

The researchers used the experimental of the "mirror-audience test" in roosters to measure their self-consciousness. The tested rooster was placed in an arena divided by a transparent glass (A,C) or a mirror (B,D).

(Maldarelli & Gunturkun/Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences)

Birds Achieved Consciousness Without a Cerebral Cortex

Perhaps the most surprising discovery involves avian consciousness. Gianmarco Maldarelli and Onur Güntürkün demonstrate that birds possess fundamental forms of conscious perception despite lacking the cerebral cortex that mammals rely upon for awareness. When pigeons encounter ambiguous visual stimuli, they shift between different interpretations just as humans do. More remarkably, crows display nerve signals that correspond to their subjective perception rather than the physical stimulus itself - a hallmark of conscious experience.

The avian brain contains functional structures that meet theoretical requirements for conscious processing through entirely different architecture. The NCL (nidopallium caudolaterale), which serves as the bird equivalent to the mammalian prefrontal cortex, enables highly integrated and flexible information processing. The connectome of the avian forebrain—mapping all information flows between brain regions—shares striking similarities with mammalian brains, meeting many criteria of established consciousness theories like the Global Neuronal Workspace theory.

• Big Difference Between Neanderthal and Modern Human Brain Development Revealed
• The Amazing Study of CEMI Field Theory and Why It's Important to Our Wellbeing

Recent experiments reveal different types of self-perception in birds beyond the traditional mirror test. While some corvid species pass the mirror test, other ecologically relevant experiments have shown additional forms of self-consciousness in different bird species. Pigeons and chickens can differentiate between their mirror reflections and actual conspecifics, adjusting their behavior according to context - evidence of situational, basic self-consciousness that mirrors capacities previously thought exclusive to mammals.

Ancient brain structure evolution theory of Scala Naturae showing brain development proceeding from simple to more complicated with the addition of new brain regions as evolution progressed. This erroneous view is compared with a modern understanding of brain structure evolution that reveals a basic common structure evolved in the vertebrate brain and various regions expanded to accommodate each specific animal's needs.

(Pablo Carlos Budassi/CC BY-SA 4.0)

Consciousness Emerged Earlier and More Widely Than Previously Believed

The implications of this research extend far beyond understanding birds. These findings suggest that consciousness represents a much older and more widespread evolutionary phenomenon than scientists previously assumed. The fact that birds developed conscious processing without a cerebral cortex demonstrates that different brain structures can achieve similar functional solutions - a principle that fundamentally reshapes our understanding of how awareness evolves.

This discovery also raises profound questions about consciousness in other species. If birds with their radically different brain architecture can achieve awareness, what other animals might possess forms of consciousness that we have failed to recognize? The research team suggests that scientists may need to look beyond traditional markers of consciousness, such as specific brain structures, and instead focus on functional capabilities and behavioral indicators. This shift in perspective could revolutionize how we assess consciousness across the animal kingdom, potentially revealing awareness in species previously dismissed as simple automatons operating purely on instinct.

The research ultimately tries to answer a crucial question of the evolution of consciousness as follows: consciousness evolved not as a single solution to a universal problem, but as multiple adaptive responses to various environmental and social challenges. Species that developed consciousness gained significant survival advantages through improved threat detection, flexible learning capabilities, and enhanced social coordination. Meanwhile, organisms like oak trees, which solved survival challenges through entirely different strategies such as chemical signaling and structural adaptations, never required conscious awareness.

• Top image: AI Generated representation of a woman and her consciousness.
• Source: AI Visual Vault/Adobe Stock

By Gary Manners

References

• Maldarelli, G., & Güntürkün, O. 2025. Conscious birds. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. Available at: https://royalsocietypublishing.org/rstb/article/380/1939/20240308/235178/Conscious-birdsConscious-birds
• Newen, A., & Montemayor, C. 2025. Three types of phenomenal consciousness and their functional roles: unfolding the ALARM theory of consciousness. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. Available at: https://royalsocietypublishing.org/rstb/article/380/1939/20240314/235161/Three-types-of-phenomenal-consciousness-and-their
• Phys.org. 2025. Examining why some species developed consciousness while others remained non-conscious. Available at: https://phys.org/news/2025-11-species-consciousness-conscious.html

{ https://www.ancient-origins.net/ }

04-12-2025 om 23:59 geschreven door peter  

Paleo Diet Myth: Humans Were Mass Processing Plants 170,000 Years Ago

Gary Manners

Archaeological research once again dispells the widespread belief that our Paleolithic ancestors were primarily meat-eaters, revealing instead that they were sophisticated plant food processors who thrived on a diverse diet thousands of years before the advent of agriculture. The study, published in the Journal of Archaeological Research by researchers from the Australian National University and the University of Toronto Mississauga, demonstrates that early humans were grinding wild seeds, pounding starchy tubers, and detoxifying bitter nuts as far back as 170,000 years ago.

"We often discuss plant use as if it only became important with the advent of agriculture," explained Dr. Anna Florin, co-author of the study titled "The Broad Spectrum Species: Plant Use and Processing as Deep Time Adaptations." According to Phys.org, the research fundamentally challenges the popular narrative of Paleolithic humans as hyper-carnivorous hunters. 

"However, new archaeological discoveries from around the world are telling us our ancestors were grinding wild seeds, pounding and cooking starchy tubers, and detoxifying bitter nuts many thousands of years before this," Florin added.

• 170,000-Year-Old Human Diet Contained Roast Vegetables
• Ancient Paleo Diet Debunked: Human Ancestors Loved Carbs

Grinding stones were a 'major evolutionary success' as they allowed people to unlock the energy in plants by making flour.

(José-Manuel Benito Álvarez/ CC BY-SA 2.5)

The Broad Spectrum Species Hypothesis

The research introduces a compelling alternative to the traditional Broad Spectrum Revolution hypothesis, which suggested that humans only diversified their diets around 10,000 years ago due to environmental pressures and population growth. Instead, the study proposes the "broad-spectrum species" hypothesis, arguing that dietary flexibility and plant food processing have been fundamental human characteristics throughout our evolutionary history. This ability to process plant foods allowed early humans to unlock essential calories and nutrients, enabling them to colonize and thrive in diverse environments across the globe.

Dr. Monica Ramsey, the study's other co-author, emphasized that processed plant foods were crucial to early human survival. "This ability to process plant foods allowed us to unlock key calories and nutrients, and to move into, and thrive in, a range of environments globally," Ramsey stated in a press release. She colorfully summarized the findings:

"Our species evolved as plant-loving, tool-using foodies who could turn almost anything into dinner."

• Prehistoric Neanderthal and Human Chefs Cooked Up Complex Meals
• Stone Age People Were Eating Porridge 32,000 Years Ago

Archaeological Evidence of Ancient Food Processing

One of the primary challenges in recognizing the importance of plant foods in ancient diets has been the preservation bias in the archaeological record. Animal remains, particularly bones, survive far better than plant materials over millennia. However, recent discoveries across multiple continents have revealed extensive evidence of sophisticated plant food processing dating back far earlier than previously imagined. Researchers have analyzed plant macrofossil assemblages that show evidence of diverse processing techniques, including cooking, peeling, fat extraction, pounding, and roasting.

These processing activities were often employed in multi-step, labor-intensive sequences that demonstrate remarkable technological sophistication. By processing plant foods through various methods, early humans were able to extract nutrients and energy more efficiently, improve palatability, and enhance digestibility. The thermal processing of plant foods has been documented at early human and Neanderthal sites in Africa, Southwest Asia, and southern Europe dating back as far as 170,000 years ago.

Map of all archaeological sites with direct evidence for early plant food use, dating from ≥35 kya, as well as, Ohalo II; listed in chronological order.

(Florin & Ramsey/Journal of Archaeological Research)

Implications for Human Evolution and Modern Diets

The findings have profound implications for understanding human evolution and the popular modern "paleo diet" movement. Contrary to the meat-centric narrative often promoted by paleo diet advocates, the research demonstrates that humans have never been hyper-carnivores. Instead, our ancestors exhibited remarkable dietary flexibility, adapting their food choices to available resources and environmental changes. This adaptability, particularly the ability to process diverse plant foods, directly contributed to our evolutionary success as a species.

The research team's work reveals that processed plant foods were not a late addition to human diets prompted by agricultural development, but rather a fundamental component of human nutrition throughout our existence. This challenges the premise of strict paleo diet interpretations that emphasize heavy meat consumption while minimizing the importance of plant-based foods, particularly those requiring processing. The evidence suggests that our ancestors were omnivorous opportunists who skillfully exploited whatever food resources their environments provided, using innovative technologies to make these resources more nutritious and accessible.

• Top image: Tribe of Prehistoric Hunter-Gatherers Wearing Animal Skins Grilling and Eating Meat in Cave.
• Source: Hunman/Adobe Stock

By Gary Manners

References

• Florin, S.A., et al. 2025. The Broad Spectrum Species: Plant Use and Processing as Deep Time Adaptations. Journal of Archaeological Research. Available at: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10814-025-09214-z
• Phys.org. 2025. Archaeological study challenges paleo diet, revealing humans have long eaten 'processed plant foods'. Available at: https://phys.org/news/2025-12-archaeological-paleo-diet-revealing-humans.html
• Discover Magazine. 2025. Early Humans Mastered Plant Processing 170,000 Years Ago, Challenging the Paleolithic Meat-Eater Myth. Available at: https://www.discovermagazine.com/early-humans-mastered-plant-processing-170-000-years-ago-challenging-the-paleolithic-meat-eater-myth-48340

{ https://www.ancient-origins.net/ }

04-12-2025 om 23:46 geschreven door peter  

Overview

A set of previously classified photographs taken during the 1960s and 1970s has been released by the National Archives, showing brief, intense luminous bursts above several U.S. nuclear testing sites. The images, captured by high‑speed cameras that were originally installed to document underground detonations at the Nevada Test Site, the Pacific Proving Grounds, and the Johnston Island range, have reignited scientific interest in the long‑standing correlation between unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) and nuclear facilities. While the Department of Energy (DOE) has not offered an official explanation, researchers say the newly available visual data could provide fresh clues about the nature of these unexplained events.

The Declassified Images

The photographs, spanning roughly 1963 to 1975, depict momentary flashes of light appearing seconds after a scheduled test blast, often hovering above the cloud tops before dissipating. In one frame taken on July 12, 1966, over the Nevada Test Site, a bright, disc‑shaped illumination rises to an altitude of about 12 kilometers and lingers for less than a second. A second image from the Pacific Proving Grounds on March 4, 1972 shows a similar burst occurring at night, producing a “star‑like” flare that was not recorded by any of the test’s instrumentation.

“The clarity of these frames is remarkable,” said Dr. Emily Carter, senior researcher at the Center for Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Studies. “Because the cameras were calibrated for nuclear‑explosion monitoring, we have precise timestamps, exposure settings, and geographic coordinates, which are rarely available for UAP sightings.” The agency responsible for the original footage, the Defense Nuclear Agency (DNA), declassified the material as part of a broader 2024 release of Cold‑War era surveillance records.

Scientific Analysis

A multidisciplinary team led by Dr. Carter has begun a forensic review of the images, comparing them against known atmospheric and optical phenomena such as meteors, auroras, and electrical discharges. Preliminary findings suggest the bursts differ in several key respects: they occur directly above the test sites, appear at consistent altitudes, and exhibit a luminous intensity that exceeds typical meteoric events of comparable size. Moreover, the flashes are not synchronized with the detonations themselves, ruling out direct nuclear‑induced plasma effects.

“We have consulted with atmospheric physicists and aerospace engineers, and the data does not fit conventional explanations,” noted Dr. Luis Ortega, an atmospheric scientist at the University of Nevada, Reno. “The bursts lack the spectral signatures of lightning or re‑entry debris, and they do not correspond to any known satellite or aircraft activity recorded at the time.” The team plans to employ spectral analysis on the original negatives, a technique that could reveal the composition of the light source and help determine whether the phenomena are natural, man‑made, or something else entirely.

---

Historical Context

The association between UAP and nuclear sites is not new. Since the 1950s, pilots and ground personnel have reported unexplained lights and objects near test facilities, prompting investigations such as Project Blue Book and the 1979 “Project Condign” study in the United Kingdom. In 2020, the U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence released a preliminary assessment acknowledging that UAP incidents are “more frequent near high‑value assets, including nuclear weapons installations.” The newly declassified images add visual documentation to a body of anecdotal reports that have long been dismissed as folklore or instrumentation error.

Implications and Next Steps

While the photographs do not constitute definitive proof of extraterrestrial technology, they underscore a persistent gap in the scientific record regarding aerial anomalies near critical national security installations. The DOE has indicated it will cooperate with independent researchers, and a joint task force comprising the Department of Defense, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and civilian scientific bodies is slated to convene later this year to evaluate the findings.

“The responsible path forward is rigorous, transparent analysis,” emphasized Senator Maria Delgado (D‑NV), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. “If there is a genuine unknown phenomenon affecting our nuclear infrastructure, we owe it to the American people to understand it fully.” As the investigation proceeds, the declassified images stand as a rare, high‑resolution glimpse into a mystery that has lingered for decades, offering the scientific community a concrete dataset on which to build future research.

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{ https://usubjects.com/ }

04-12-2025 om 23:30 geschreven door peter  

Overview

On the evening of December 9, 1965, a brilliant fireball streaked across the skies of the northeastern United States and southern Ontario. The phenomenon was reported by thousands of observers from Michigan to New York, and by residents of the small Pennsylvania town of Kecksburg, located about 30 miles south of Pittsburgh. Within minutes of the flash, witnesses described a “thump” and a brief vibration, after which a metallic, acorn‑shaped object allegedly came to rest in a densely forested area near the town. The incident quickly became known as the “Roswell of Pennsylvania,” and it has remained a focal point for UFO researchers, military historians, and meteorite specialists for six decades.

Eyewitness Accounts

Local resident Bill Bulebush recounted that the object “moved just like it was controlled” before striking the ground. He claimed to have approached the crash site and found a 10‑foot-long, glowing, acorn‑shaped craft that emitted sparks before he fled when other people arrived. Volunteer firefighter James Romansky, who initially thought the event might be a plane crash, reported seeing a metallic object with a smooth, tapered body and a series of rivets along its surface. The Greensburg Tribune‑Review quoted military officials as saying the object “appeared to be an unidentified flying object, possibly the same one seen streaking across seven northeastern states and Canada.” While the accounts vary in detail, they share consistent descriptions of a controlled descent and an unusual, non‑natural shape.

Official Response

Within hours of the sighting, U.S. Army, National Guard, and State Police units established a perimeter around the alleged impact zone. The Greensburg Tribune‑Review noted that the area was “cordoned off on the order of U.S. Army and State Police officials,” and that “no one was allowed near the area,” fueling speculation about possible radioactive or classified material. Military spokespeople told United Press International that no rockets had been launched that night, and the Air Force denied involvement in any test flight. However, the rapid deployment of troops and the removal of the object—reported to have been taken away on a military truck—suggested a level of secrecy that has kept the case alive in public memory.

Competing Theories

Researchers have offered three primary explanations for the Kecksburg event.

1. Meteorite – Some scientists argue that the fireball was a natural bolide that fragmented and landed in the woods, with the “acorn‑shaped” description arising from a partially melted stone. No recovered meteorite has ever been publicly identified, and the lack of a crater or typical impact evidence challenges this view.

2. Soviet Satellite – Cold‑War analysts note that the timing coincides with the launch of Kosmos 961, a Soviet reconnaissance satellite that re‑entered Earth’s atmosphere in late 1965. If a fragment survived re‑entry, it could explain the metallic construction and the military’s interest in securing the debris before it fell into Soviet hands.

3. Classified U.S. Device – A third hypothesis posits that the object was a top‑secret U.S. test vehicle, such as a high‑altitude balloon or a prototype aerospace craft. The swift military response and the removal of the object without public disclosure align with standard procedures for safeguarding classified technology.

Each theory has supporters, but none has been definitively proven. The lack of official documentation—most of which remains classified or has been lost—prevents a conclusive determination.

Legacy and Ongoing Inquiry

The Kecksburg incident continues to attract attention from both scholarly and popular audiences. In recent years, the Pennsylvania Center for the Book has catalogued the event as part of the state’s cultural heritage, while UFO investigative groups have organized annual “Kecksburg Days” gatherings to interview surviving witnesses. A 2024 Freedom of Information Act request yielded a handful of declassified memos indicating that the Air Force’s Project Blue Book examined the case but concluded that “insufficient data exist to determine the nature of the object.”

As the 60th anniversary approaches, historians emphasize the need for rigorous, evidence‑based analysis rather than speculation. Whether the object was a meteor, a Soviet satellite fragment, or a classified American craft, the Kecksburg incident remains a reminder of the challenges inherent in investigating anomalous aerial phenomena—especially when national security concerns intersect with public curiosity.

{ https://usubjects.com/ }

04-12-2025 om 23:05 geschreven door peter  

Overview

In a recent episode of his widely followed podcast, Joe Rogan and his guests delved into the longstanding enigmas of the Egyptian pyramids, focusing particularly on new radar evidence suggesting the existence of intricate underground structures beneath these ancient monuments. The discussion touched on advanced ancient engineering, possible lost civilizations, and the intersection of myth and emerging science—prompting new questions about humanity's distant past.

Underground Structures and Advanced Engineering

Rogan referenced synthetic aperture radar scans conducted by Italian researchers, which have reportedly revealed vast subterranean complexes beneath the pyramids. According to the guests, these scans indicate the presence of columns and spiral tubes forming what could be interpreted as an "energy grid" extending as deep as two kilometers underground. One guest, who had interviewed the Italian team, explained: "There are these structures, tubes, huge tubes that are the stranding underneath and we have noticed... these tubes have a sort of spiral nature."

The scale and complexity of these findings raise questions about the technological capabilities of ancient builders. Rogan emphasized the logistical marvel of the pyramids, noting that more than two million stones—some weighing up to 90 tons—were precisely aligned and transported over great distances. The conversation speculated that the society responsible may have possessed health and engineering technologies surpassing those currently known to mainstream archaeology.

Ancient Cataclysms and Lost Civilizations

The discussion also bridged ancient myth and geological science, highlighting Plato’s account of Atlantis. As recounted, the date given for Atlantis’s destruction—9,600 BC—aligns with a well-documented geological phenomenon known as Meltwater Pulse 1B, a sudden, massive sea level rise that occurred around 11,600 years ago. Rogan and his guests pointed out that this era coincides with the end of the Younger Dryas, a period marked by dramatic climatic upheaval.

"Nobody disputes that there was a Meltwater Pulse 1B. And it raised sea levels massively, literally overnight," one guest noted, suggesting that such cataclysms could have erased evidence of earlier advanced societies, supporting theories of lost civilizations far older than traditionally accepted by historians.

Sumerian Kings List and Longevity Speculation

The conversation shifted to ancient Mesopotamia, specifically the Sumerian Kings List, a document that blends historical rulers with legendary figures claimed to have reigned for tens of thousands of years. Rogan and his guests observed the strange juxtaposition of myth and reality, with some kings' reigns corresponding to plausible human lifespans and others described as living for millennia.

They speculated on the possibility of ancient longevity technologies, citing modern experiments in life extension. Rogan referenced hyperbaric chamber therapies and research on cellular aging, including studies showing the lengthening of telomeres—a marker of youthfulness—through specific medical protocols. He remarked, "We're real close to being able to do weird [stuff] right now. And there’s a lot of people that believe that if you can make it to 90 right now, you're going to be able to make it to like 300 years old." The implication: if ancient societies had cracked such technologies, it could help explain their monumental achievements.

The Ongoing Mystery

While the podcast acknowledged the speculative nature of some claims, it underscored the growing body of evidence that challenges the conventional timeline of human civilization. The combination of advanced underground structures, the alignment of mythic dates with geological events, and enigmatic ancient records like the Sumerian Kings List invites further scientific investigation.

For now, the mysteries beneath the pyramids remain unsolved, but as Rogan and his guests concluded, "There’s something strange under the pyramids," and the search for answers continues to captivate both researchers and the public alike.

{ https://usubjects.com/  }

04-12-2025 om 22:46 geschreven door peter  

Overview

A resurfaced 1990 US Air Force study titled "Electric Propulsion Study" is challenging decades of mainstream scientific consensus by validating controversial research into anti-gravity propulsion. The document, prepared by Science Applications International Corporation, examines the Biefield-Brown Effect—a phenomenon long dismissed by academic physics as mere ion wind—as a genuine candidate for exotic propulsion. This revelation suggests that classified research into technologies with potential UFO-like capabilities persisted well into the late 20th century.

Biefield-Brown Effect: From Fringe to Feasible

For decades, the Biefield-Brown Effect, discovered by Thomas Townsend Brown in the 1920s, has been relegated to the fringes of physics. Brown claimed that high-voltage, asymmetric capacitors could produce thrust through an interaction with gravity, not just by pushing air. Mainstream science has typically explained reported effects as "ion wind," or electrical devices moving by pushing against surrounding air, thus dismissing any gravitational connection.

However, the 1990 Air Force study directly contradicts this view. "It places the Biefield-Brown configuration at the top of its list of legitimate propulsion candidates," the video transcript notes, highlighting the study’s willingness to endorse phenomena that academic institutions have long ignored or denied. The study evaluates the underlying physics of the effect as a real, potentially gravitational phenomenon deserving of further military research.

Mass Fluctuation and Reactionless Propulsion

One of the most striking proposals in the document is the idea that electrical charge and mass may be interconvertible. According to the study, rapidly modulating the energy stored in a capacitor could lead to "genuine fluctuations in mass." This suggests the possibility of dynamically reducing an object’s weight—a concept that, in lay terms, constitutes anti-gravity.

The report goes further, exploring the possibility of violating the traditional law of momentum conservation. "If momentum conservation is broken or bypassed, you can generate thrust without expelling anything," the video points out. This reactionless propulsion is precisely the kind of technology that could explain the silent, high-acceleration, and exhaust-free maneuvers often reported in UFO sightings.

Gravitational Engineering and Energy Potential

The study also delves into unified field theories, suggesting that "power densities 10 billion times greater than nuclear reactions become possible and accessible" under certain interactions. To put this in perspective, nuclear energy already eclipses chemical energy by several orders of magnitude. If such energy densities were achievable, it could revolutionize technology and society overnight.

Additionally, the document proposes that gravitational components of electromagnetic waves could be amplified at specific frequencies. This blurs the line between electromagnetism and gravity, hinting at the engineering of gravity itself by tuning electromagnetic systems. The report even claims that electromagnetic energy could penetrate a superconducting Faraday cage—a device typically impervious to such signals—if transformed into a mixed gravitational mode.

Implications and Continuing Research

While the resurfacing of this study does not provide direct evidence that operational anti-gravity craft exist, it does show that serious military and scientific investigation into these concepts continued far beyond their public dismissal. The presence of such ideas in a formal Air Force document, presented without sensationalism, suggests that classified research may have pursued technologies once thought impossible.

The findings link directly to the behaviors reported in numerous UFO encounters: silent operation, high acceleration, and lack of visible exhaust. While the true extent of the research remains classified, the study’s technical assertions present a significant crack in the facade of mainstream scientific narratives—raising new questions about the limits of physics and the potential for breakthrough propulsion systems.

{ https://usubjects.com/  }

04-12-2025 om 22:38 geschreven door peter  

Chinese officials are warning that the country’s humanoid robotics industry could be forming a massive bubble.

As Bloomberg reports, strategists from the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), which serves as the country’s state-run macroeconomic management agency, say that extreme levels of investment could be drowning out other markets and research initiatives.

It’s a notable shift in tone as the humanoid robot industry continues to attract billions of dollars in investment. Aided by advancements in artificial intelligence opening up new use cases — and plenty of unbridled enthusiasm — for the tech, investors are pouring untold sums into over 150 humanoid robot companies in China alone, according to the NDRC.

Many of those companies are producing robots that are extremely similar to each other, overspending that could overwhelm the market. Bike-sharing apps, for instance, flooded the market in China in 2017 and 2018, with dozens of them crowding each other out at the same time. The outcome: streets littered with unused bikes.

“Frontier industries have long grappled with the challenge of balancing the speed of growth against the risk of bubbles — an issue now confronting the humanoid robot sector as well,” NDRC spokeswoman Li Chao told reporters last week, as quoted by Bloomberg.

China has established itself as a clear global leader in the space, with Morgan Stanley predicting the humanoid robot market could surpass a whopping $5 trillion by 2050. Citigroup is even more optimistic, expecting the market to hit $7 trillion by that point.

New offerings by companies like Unitree have made bipedal robots far more affordable and advanced than ever before. Unitree’s G1 robot, in particular, has garnered tons of attention for its flashy abilities to throw punches in the ring or play basketball.

A burgeoning industry of far smaller Chinese competitors has cropped up as well, fueling even more investment — as well as concern from policymakers that the industry could be growing too fast.

Last month, Chinese robotics company UBTECH claimed it had rolled out the “world’s first mass delivery” of industrial humanoid robots. Startup AgiBot’s A2 also set a Guinness World Record for the longest distance ever walked by a humanoid robot, with its A2 covering over 66 miles while live-swapping its battery over and over.

Despite plenty of enthusiasm, turning humanoid robots into a viable and affordable product with a clear-cut use case remains a major challenge. Case in point, the current crop of androids still struggles significantly with completing household tasks, particularly without the help of a nearby human teleoperator.

To speed up the process of finding real-world applications, the NDRC is hoping to spread industrial resources across the country, while also accelerating research and development for “core technologies.”

The risks of a bubble are certainly there. Without consolidation, China’s market could soon be flooded with armies of largely identical humanoid robots — which is either a terrifying prospect, considering the possibility of them putting us all out of work, or risks a market crash if it turns out they’re not particularly good at real work.

More on humanoid robots: 

• Whistleblower Says He Was Fired for Warning Execs That New Robot Could Crush Human Skull

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{ https://futurism.com/category/robots-and-machines }

04-12-2025 om 22:20 geschreven door peter  

The tech industry has become obsessed with the idea of humanoid robots, bipedal androids designed to complete tasks on behalf of their flesh-and-blood counterparts.

But as many experts have argued, having robots walk around on two legs and manipulate the world around them with two hands and arms may not always be the most efficient option. After all, plenty of industrial robots use wheels to roll around a warehouse, or feature one large, strong, and multi-pivoting arm instead of relying on several weaker ones.

Besides, the existing crop of humanoid robots is capable of a lot more than walking around and waving their hands.

Look no further than a video shared by robot tinkerer and researcher Logan Olson last month, which shows how a humanoid robot can turn itself into a surprisingly creepy crawling machine while using the full extent of its four limbs’ freedom of movement. The footage shows the robot dropping down to all fours in less than a second, unnervingly bending its arms and legs to crouch down and scuttle across a concrete patio — like a demon straight out of a horror movie.

Agility Robotics AI research scientist Chris Paxton, who recently reshared the video, used the footage as a reminder that a “lot of these robots are ‘faking’ the humanlike motions.”

“It’s a property of how they’re trained, not an inherent property of the hardware,” he wrote. “They’re actually capable of way weirder stuff and way faster motions.”

“Human motion is most efficient for humans; robots are not humans,” he added in a follow-up.

It’s a particularly pertinent topic as companies like Tesla, Figure, and China’s Unitree race to commercialize humanoid robots for the mass market. While companies have made major strides — in a separate tweet, Paxton argued that “running is now basically commoditized” — experts have questioned if it’s really the best form factor for every job.

Case in point, Chris Walti, the former lead of Tesla’s humanoid robot Optimus, told Business Insider earlier this year that humanoid robots simply don’t make much sense on the factory floor.

“It’s not a useful form factor,” he said at the time. “Most of the work that has to be done in industry is highly repetitive tasks where velocity is key.”

The human form “evolved to escape wolves and bears,” he added. “We weren’t designed to do repetitive tasks over and over again.”

While a creepy-crawling robot, as demonstrated in Olson’s video, admittedly may not be the pinnacle of productivity, it serves as a great — albeit nightmare-inducing — reminder that humanoid robots are technically capable of a lot more than masquerading as a human being, while walking around, shaking hands, and giving out popcorn.

At the same time, a humanoid robot distending its joints to crawl along the floor likely won’t endear it to humans, either.

“That is terrifyingly cool,” one user wrote in response to Olson’s video.

“I just s*** my pants,” another user confessed.

More on humanoid robots: 

• When You Read the Fine Print, Humanoid Robots Are Going Absolutely Nowhere

{ https://futurism.com/ }

04-12-2025 om 21:55 geschreven door peter  

Top astronaut removed from NASA mission after SpaceX 'classified' photos breach

• MORE: Stranded astronauts finally escape station… but now three MORE are trapped

By CHRIS MELORE, US ASSISTANT SCIENCE EDITOR

A veteran Russian astronaut has been removed from an upcoming NASA mission after allegedly violating an international arms trafficking law. 

Oleg Artemyev is said to have been accused of photographing classified documents and rocket equipment at a SpaceX facility in Hawthorne, California, and then 'smuggling' that information out of the building on his phone in late November.

The 54-year-old was scheduled to be part of the SpaceX Crew-12 mission, led by NASA, heading to the International Space Station (ISS) in early 2026.

He has been replaced by fellow cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev, and Russia's official space agency Roscosmos said the change was made because of 'Artemyev's transfer to another job'.

However, other reports from Russia have said the move was made for much more serious reasons, claiming that Artemyev violated the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) by allegedly photographing and leaking the SpaceX materials.

ITAR is a set of US government rules that tightly control the export, sharing, or transmission of sensitive defense-related technologies, information, and items, including spacecraft components and technical blueprints.

Russian investigative outlet The Insider reported that an international probe has been launched into Artemyev's actions. 

At the moment, there are no claims that the alleged incident took place in order to harm the US. However, the case would amount to espionage if it is proven that Artemyev collected the photos with the intent to deliver them to a foreign government to gain an advantage over the US.

Cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev is believed to have been accused of photographing sensitive documents and equipment at the SpaceX facility in California

Artemyev was working at the SpaceX building in Hawthorne in preparation for Crew-12's 2026 mission to the International Space Station

The Daily Mail has reached out to NASA and SpaceX for comment regarding the allegations against Artemyev.

Russian media also reported that the cosmonaut has already been 'booted out of America' as space and national security officials investigate the alleged incident.

Space industry analyst Georgy Trishkin revealed on his Telegram channel that the veteran cosmonaut committed a 'serious violation' of the ITAR laws, which can carry both civil and criminal punishments if investigators were to determine he is guilty.

He added that the change was made with no official announcement by NASA or SpaceX, noting that the allegations seem credible since Artemyev was removed less than three months before the Crew-12 mission.

'My contacts confirm that a violation occurred and an interdepartmental investigation has been launched,' Trishkin told The Insider.

'It's very difficult to imagine a situation in which an experienced cosmonaut could inadvertently commit such a gross violation.'

The space industry expert also claimed that NASA was trying to make sure the scandal did not become public knowledge.

Artemyev had flown to the ISS on three previous missions, in 2014, 2018 and 2022. He has spent a total 560 days in space and performed eight spacewalks lasting over 53 hours. The 2026 mission would have been his first in the SpaceX Dragon Capsule.

Artemyev was removed from the 2026 mission to accept a 'transfer to another job', according to the Russian space agency Roscosmos

The Crew-12 SpaceX mission to the International Space Station is set to take off in early 2026, and another Russian cosmonaut has replaced Artemyev. Pictured: SpaceX's Dragon Capsule

The ITAR restrictions were created by the US Department of State in 1976 to protect national security by preventing unauthorized access to important data and equipment that could benefit enemy nations.

READ MORE

EXCLUSIVE

• Neuralink's 'Patient 4' feared missing months after getting revolutionary brain chip... now his wife tells the REAL heartbreaking story

In this case, Artemyev is alleged to have violated the law because he is a foreign national illegally capturing images of materials deemed 'restricted' by the US government. Allegedly leaving SpaceX headquarters with those images on his phone would amount to 'exporting' the information without US government approval.

If the claims against Artemyev are proven to be true, breaking ITAR laws can lead to fines of more than $1million per violation.

In the most serious cases, where a violator is found to be committing espionage against the US, the State Department noted that criminal penalties include up to 20 years in prison.

Even in less serious cases, violators can also be banned from government contracts, including working with NASA and SpaceX on future missions.

If the incident is proven true, it could also strain joint missions between NASA and Roscosmos, as cosmonauts will likely face increased monitoring while they work at US-based facilities.

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{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/index.html }

04-12-2025 om 21:33 geschreven door peter  

The real-life Pixar lamp! Adorable desk robot can talk and move just like the cartoon - and it even comes with a pair of privacy sunglasses

• READ MORE: Disney brings Olaf from Frozen to life with AI and robotics 

By JONATHAN CHADWICK, ASSISTANT SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY EDITOR 

Pixar's adorable hopping lamp has been brought to life – and he could soon be lighting up your own desk at home. 

Developed by California firm Interaction Labs, Ongo the robotic smart lamp can move, see, hear and even talk. 

A promo clip shows the 'ambient desk lamp companion robot' peering curiously at objects and people around him while giving help around the home. 

And to allay any privacy concerns, he even comes with a pair of sunglasses blocking his view. 

Karim Rkha Chaham, co-founder and CEO Interaction Labs, said the 'expressive' bot can even remember users and anticipate their needs.

'Think of it as a cat trapped inside the body of a desk lamp,' he said. 

On X, commentators called the design 'incredible', 'epic', 'very cool' and an 'amazing-looking piece' of tech. 

One said it's 'definitely something I would have at home and not a creepy humanoid robot', while another added it 'might be the cutest robot on the market'.  

According to the company, the cute desk lamp 'lights up your desk and your day' and brings ' a familiar magic presence' to your home

Developed by California firm Interaction Labs as a tribute to the Pixar character, Ongo the smart lamp can move, see, hear and even talk 

Ongo has movements designed by Alec Sokolow, the Oscar-nominated writer of Pixar film Toy Story as well as Garfield: The Movie and Evan Almighty. 

As the promo video shows, Ongo spins on its base and self-adjusts its axis just like the legendary Pixar character. 

Depending on the user's needs, he can adjust levels of light that are emitted from his 'eyes' and bring them closer, for when reading a book after nightfall for example. 

Ongo utters cheery greetings, helpful advice and instructions such as 'Hey, don't forget your keys' and 'Maybe try a dash of balsamic' during cooking. 

Another adorable scene shows Ongo bopping to the sound of music in the next room when his owners are having a party. 

According to the company, the cute desk lamp 'lights up your desk and your day' and brings 'a familiar magic presence' to your home. 

'It brings your space to life with movement, personality and emotional intelligence,' Interaction Labs says on its website. 

'It remembers what matters, senses how you feel, and supports you through the day with small, thoughtful interactions.

'Ongo senses the rhythm of your day and responds with quiet understanding, reading the subtle shifts in your environment.' 

Ongo comes with 'fun' opaque sunglasses that snap on with magnets for when users want total privacy

Karim Rkha Chaham, co-founder and CEO Interaction Labs, said the 'expressive' bot can even remember users and anticipate their needs

One commentator posted: 'definitely something I would have at home and not a creepy humanoid robot'

Much like smart products packed with cameras, Ongo has an awareness of its surroundings but it processes vision on the device itself and never sends clips out to the cloud for company staff to watch.

When users want total privacy without Ongo peering in, they can put 'fun' opaque sunglasses over his eyes that snap on with magnets.  

On X, several users said they found Ongo's voice 'annoying' and 'grating', but Chaham said it can be customised along with his personality. 

The co-founder also admitted that the promo clip is computer-generated, but it gives users a good idea of what to expect as prototypes are being worked on – so it's not quite ready yet. 

He said: 'Will be posting more and more videos of us interacting with the prototype.' 

Ongo is available to pre-order on the company's website, with a fully refundable 'priority access deposit' costing $49/£38.38. 

This deposit secures users a unit from the first batch and will be taken from the product's final price – which Chaham said will be 'about $300' (£225) – and those who pay now will get Ongo when shipping begins summer next year. 

Ongo is an obvious nod to Pixar's original lamp, called Luxo Jr., which has appeared on the production logo of every Pixar film since the first one, Toy Story, back in 1995. 

'That's not what a chair looks like': Ongo keeps an eye on his users and offers helpful suggestions and reminders - such as when they're trying to put furniture together

Pixar's lamp, called Luxo Jr., has appeared on the production logo of every Pixar film since the first one, Toy Story, back in 1995

In the short sequence, Luxo Jr. is seen hopping into view and jumping on the capital letter "I" in "PIXAR" to flatten it before turning his head. 

Toy Story director John Lasseter created the character in August 1986, modeling it after his own Luxo brand lamp. 

Luxo Jr. starred in his own short film of the same name that year, also directed by Lasseter, in which he appears with a larger lamp, 'Luxo Sr'. 

It was also in 1986 that the animation studio was purchased by Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, having been owned by George Lucas' Lucasfilm. 

After a run of hugely-successful films including Toy Story, A Bug's Life, Monsters Inc and Finding Nemo, Disney acquired Pixar in 2006. 

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/index.html }

04-12-2025 om 21:13 geschreven door peter  

What really crashed in the New Mexico desert in 1947? Daily Mail's ALEXA CIMINO investigates in the new Conspiracy Vault episode

Conspiracy Vault returns with a new investigation - and this time, it's stepping into the case that sparked America's modern fascination with UFOs.

After debuting with the Dyatlov Pass mystery, the series now turns its focus to the event that changed everything: Roswell.

Hosted by US Reporter Alexa Cimino, this episode digs into one of history's most debated incidents through five key objects pulled from the vault - artifacts that shaped the narrative, fueled speculation, and cemented Roswell as the cornerstone of UFO lore.

The investigation leads to the New Mexico desert in the summer of 1947, when a rancher discovered strange metallic debris scattered across his land - including foil-like material that allegedly snapped back into shape when crushed, and thin, rigid beams marked with unusual, glyph-like symbols.

A military press release soon announced the recovery of a 'flying saucer' - the first time the US government had ever publicly claimed to have captured an unidentified craft. 

But the very next day, officials reversed course. 

Newspapers that had splashed the sensational headline suddenly printed retractions. Witnesses insisted the material they handled was unlike anything used in conventional aircraft, while the photographs released by the military showed debris that many argued did not match what was first collected from the ranch.

The second installment of Conspiracy Vault delves into the Roswell Incident

Depending on who you ask, the Roswell crash was either a classified military project cloaked in confusion… or the first recovered evidence of something not made by human hands.

Despite repeated government assurances that the case is closed, new documents, witnesses, and theories continue to emerge - keeping the nearly 80-year-old mystery alive.

Conspiracy Vault reconstructs how the Roswell narrative took shape, why it remains fiercely disputed, and what might still be hidden behind decades of secrecy.

Watch the full episode now on The Crime Desk YouTube Channel and stay tuned for new investigations dropping monthly.

RELATED VIDEOS

WATCH HERE

https://youtu.be/0Sz7o_339-A

Daily Mail Reporter, Alexa Cimino, takes a look at the 5 key pieces of evidence from the Roswell Incident and discusses the theories that could potentially explain what really happened in New Mexico that fateful day in 1947.

CHAPTERS

00:00 - 00:22 - Intro

00:22 - 03:40 - Evidence + Theory #1

3:40 - 06:50 - Evidence + Theory #2

6:50 - 09:50 - Evidence + Theory #3

9:50 - 13:35 - Evidence + Theory #4

13:35 - 17:55 - Evidence + Theory #5

17:55 - 18:47 - Conclusion

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/index.html }

03-12-2025 om 23:07 geschreven door peter  

Five years ago, on December 5, 2020, the Hayabusa2 spacecraft dropped a capsule containing samples of material collected on the asteroid Ryugu into Earth’s atmosphere. Scientists are still studying them and finding substances that can tell us a lot about the past of the Solar System.

Hayabusa spacecrafts

The Japanese space program is usually talked about as something that’s way behind the American, Russian, and Chinese ones. But there’s one thing that’s way ahead of all of them. That’s using innovative ways to speed up in space.

And while solar sails remain an experiment, the use of ion engines has already yielded very important results. We are talking about two spacecraft from the Hayabusa series, which delivered samples from asteroids to Earth. December 5 marks the fifth anniversary of the second spacecraft dropping a capsule with samples from the asteroid Ryugu onto our planet.

And while solar sails remain an experiment, the use of ion engines has already yielded very important results. We are talking about two spacecraft from the Hayabusa series, which delivered samples from asteroids to Earth. December 5 marks the fifth anniversary of the second spacecraft dropping a capsule with samples from the asteroid Ryugu onto our planet.

Its small size and therefore gravitational pull make this task easier. However, for spacecraft with conventional chemical engines, it remains unattainable. Ion engines, in which charged particles are accelerated by a magnetic field, are another matter. Their thrust is small, but the speed of the jet is several times higher than that provided by rockets that launch spacecraft into orbit.

This allows fuel to be used much more economically and acceleration to be maintained for much longer. And this was perfectly suited to the tasks of flying to an asteroid. The Hayabusa spacecraft, whose name refers to the peregrine falcon, had four engines. They were powered by solar panels, used xenon as a working fluid, and provided acceleration for the 510 kg spacecraft.

The spacecraft also carried containers for samples and a device for collecting them, communication systems, and equipment necessary for landing on the asteroid. The first spacecraft also carried a small robot, while the second carried two robots, plus a stationary MASCOT module.

Hayabusa2 flight

The flight of Hayabusa2 was entirely determined by the results of the first spacecraft’s journey, which was extremely problematic. From its launch in 2003, it was expected that by 2007, it would have collected samples from the near-Earth asteroid Itokawa and returned to Earth. But something kept happening during the flight.

First, during the initial landing, Hayabusa lost the miniature robot MINERVA, which simply could not stay on the surface and flew off into space. Then the spacecraft itself touched down rather unsuccessfully on the surface of the space rock, so it was unclear until the very end whether it had managed to collect any material. And finally, on its way back to Earth, its propulsion system failed, so it was even considered lost for some time.

In the end, specialists managed to start some of the ion engines, and Hayabusa was able to reach Earth in 2010 and drop a capsule with samples onto the surface. Incidentally, it turned out to be not empty at all and gave scientists the first sample of material delivered from an asteroid. But it was clear that a second attempt was needed to get everything right this time.

This was the mission of Hayabusa2, which began on December 3, 2014. The target was the carbonaceous asteroid 162173, a member of the Apollo group of near-Earth asteroids. During the probe’s 2015 flight, it was named Ryugu after the palace of the dragon lord of the seas in the Japanese fairy tale about Urashima Tarō.

On July 7, 2018, Hayabusa2 entered orbit around Ryugu, which had a diameter of 920 m and resembled a nut in shape. On September 21 of the same year, two small robots were lowered to the surface. This time, they were able to stay on the surface long enough to transmit images back to Earth. Then, on October 3, the MASCOT module landed on the surface and was able to conduct research on Ryugu’s chemical composition on site.

But researchers on Earth still wanted to obtain something for their laboratories. So, on February 22, 2019, the probe itself descended to the surface of Ryugu and took samples of material from its surface. But that was not all. Japanese researchers also wanted to obtain materials from its depths. Therefore, the probe took off from the asteroid and fired a copper projectile at it on April 5 of the same year.

As a result, a crater was formed, and some rock samples from the depths of the asteroid settled on the surface near it. These were needed by Hayabusa2, which landed on the asteroid’s surface for the second time on July 11, 2019, filled another container, and took off. The probe remained in Ryugu’s orbit until November 13, 2019. One of its ion engines failed on the way, but this did not prevent the mission from being completed.

What scientists learned from Ryugu samples

On December 5, 2020, Hayabusa2 dropped a capsule containing samples collected on Ryugu into Earth’s atmosphere. It landed at the Woomera Range Complex in Australia. A team of specialists quickly retrieved it and took it to a laboratory, where they opened it and began studying the samples.

The first thing that scientists noticed when studying the samples was that they resembled black sand. The soil delivered by Hayabusa2 turned out to be the darkest of all samples extracted in space. This, along with chemical analysis, allowed scientists to establish a connection between Ryugu and carbonaceous meteorites found on Earth.

Determination of the physical characteristics of these samples showed that they are quite fragile and porous. This allowed us to solve an old mystery: why are there so many carbonaceous asteroids in space, but very few meteorites of similar composition have been found on Earth? It turns out that they do not survive collisions with our planet’s atmosphere, being destroyed in it.

The second important discovery was published in January 2025. Carbonate and sodium sulfate, as well as chlorides, were found in samples from Ryugu. These could only have formed in hot water conditions.

This means that the asteroid was previously part of a much larger body that was closer to the Sun. It may belong to the Elania or Pulana group. According to scientists’ estimates, Ryugu is only 8.9 million years old.

The third important discovery made during the study of samples from the Hayabusa2 capsule is that a bunch of organic substances were found in Ryugu. These include all twenty essential amino acids, aliphatic amines, carboxylic acids, aromatic hydrocarbons, and nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compounds.

Perhaps this news is the most important of all. Because, despite the fact that Ryugu broke away from its parent body relatively recently, the material it is made of has remained unchanged since the formation of the Solar System. This means that even back then, in interplanetary space, all the components necessary for biological evolution were already present.

The question of where it began has long been a source of concern for scientists. It is quite possible that the first biochemical reactions did not even take place in the protoplanetary disk, but in the gas and dust cloud from which the Solar System was formed. Samples from Ryugu support this theory.

It is not over yet

But that’s not all. After dropping the capsule with the samples, Hayabusa2 did not burn up in Earth’s atmosphere, as its predecessor did. It flew on, and so the mission continues even 11 years after its launch. The spacecraft still has three engines and fuel for them, as well as equipment for photographing and remotely studying asteroids.

And now the Japanese probe is continuing its mission. In July 2026, it is scheduled to fly past asteroid (98943) Torifune, which belongs to the silicate class and has a diameter of about 500 m. Hayabusa2 is expected to fly at a distance of 10 km from it.

After that, the probe will continue to orbit the Sun and will approach 1998 KY26 in 2031. Like other objects studied by Hayabusa2, it belongs to the Apollo group of near-Earth asteroids. However, observations of this space rock, which is only 11 m in diameter, have shown that it may be extremely interesting.

In 2023, after the Hayabusa2 flight program was approved, 1998 KY26 was classified as a dark comet. This asteroid does not form a tail or coma, but it experiences acceleration similar to that of a comet. It is expected to contain a significant amount of water, so it will be interesting to see during the flyby whether anything evaporates from its surface, creating jet streams.

However, it is possible that the Hayabusa2 mission will not end there. If its equipment remains functional and there is enough xenon in the tanks for new maneuvers, its mission may be extended again.

• Posted in Articles, Observations

{ https://universemagazine.com/en/articles-en/ }

03-12-2025 om 22:44 geschreven door peter  

The European Space Agency (ESA) has published an interesting image taken by the Mars Express spacecraft. It shows a very unusual crater, whose structure resembles a butterfly.

Usually, in a collision that causes a crater to form, material will be ejected in all directions. However, this is not always the case. In the case of the butterfly crater, the space rock fell at a low, shallow angle, resulting in the interesting and unusual shapes that can be seen in the Mars Express image.

As a result of the collision, two separate sections of material were ejected north and south of the crater, creating two elongated “wings” of raised ground. The “wings” of this unique butterfly crater are rather vague and irregular, but they can be seen in the lower left and upper right parts of the main crater, which resembles a walnut. It has an atypical oval shape and measures 15 by 20 km.

Some of the debris forming the wings (mainly visible just above the crater) also appears smoother and more rounded, almost resembling a mudflow. This indicates that it mixed with water or ice from beneath the surface of Mars, which melted during the impact.

The butterfly crater is far from the only interesting feature of this place. The rest of the frame is mostly flat, drawing attention to a group of steep, flat-topped rock formations known as mesas. The higher areas of land here have been gradually eroded away, and the remaining hills are those that have managed to withstand erosion over time.

The mesas stand out sharply against the brownish surroundings thanks to layers of exposed dark material at their edges. As on Earth, it is probably rich in magnesium and iron and was formed by eruptions. In the past, this region experienced fairly powerful volcanic activity, resulting in the accumulation of lava and ash deposits over time, which were buried by other materials.

Signs of lava can be seen in the form of “wrinkled ridges”: folded patterns that formed when lava flows cooled and contracted, causing the surface to crumple.

Earlier, we reported on how mysterious rocks revealed the history of Mars’ tropical climate.

• According to ESA

• Posted in News, Science

{ https://universemagazine.com/en/articles-en/ }

03-12-2025 om 22:23 geschreven door peter