Story by Arezki Amiri

A thin, stubbornly bright line showed up in data from the MeerKAT radio telescope that did not fit the usual rules of distance. The feature sat in a familiar part of the radio spectrum, but it was coming from so far away that signals like it typically fade into the background. Instead of smearing out, it stayed sharp enough to measure. That was the first hint that something was amplifying it.

The source already had a survey name that sounded more like a serial number than a destination: HATLAS J142935.3–002836. Astronomers had seen it before as a distorted, stretched-looking galaxy system, the kind that suggests gravity has bent the view. A report from Live Science described it as a “mega-laser,” but the real curiosity was why the line stayed detectable at all.

When the team calculated the distance, the scale became clearer. The system sits at redshift z = 1.027, placing it more than 8 billion light-years away in light-travel time. That means the radio waves began their journey when the universe was much younger than it is now. The MeerKAT radio telescope was effectively catching a signal that left long before Earth existed.

The 18-Centimeter Fingerprint

The crucial clue was the wavelength: about 18 centimeters. That specific “color” of radio light is strongly associated with the hydroxyl molecule (OH), a simple pairing of oxygen and hydrogen that can exist in vast clouds of gas. Under the right conditions, hydroxyl can behave like an amplifier, strengthening radiation at a very specific frequency.

• Related video: James Webb Just Saw Something That Shouldn't Exist at Our Solar System's Boundary
  

That amplification works like a laser in principle, but at radio wavelengths. Astronomers call it a maser, short for microwave amplification by stimulated emission of radiation. When a maser is powerful enough to be seen in other galaxies, it becomes a hydroxyl megamaser. In this case, the team argues the signal is bright enough to push beyond that label into a proposed new tier: gigamaser.

A photo of two radio dishes pointed up at the night sky

© Daily Galaxy US

The paper, published in arXiv, describes the emission as coming from the two main hydroxyl lines near 1667 MHz and 1665 MHz, which are the standard signatures astronomers look for. What mattered most was not just the presence of those lines, but how strong they appeared at this distance. That is what set this detection apart from earlier hydroxyl surveys.

A Merger Powering the Natural Amplifier

The host system is described as a violently merging galaxy. That matters because the brightest hydroxyl megamasers are often found where galaxies collide and gas becomes dense and chaotic. Mergers can compress clouds, stir turbulence, and create thick, dusty regions where molecules pile up. Those are exactly the conditions that can “pump” hydroxyl into the right state to amplify radio emission.

“This system is truly extraordinary,” said Dr Thato Manamela of the University of Pretoria. “We are seeing the radio equivalent of a laser halfway across the universe.” The phrasing is dramatic, but the mechanism is straightforward: a merger creates dense, energized gas, and hydroxyl molecules amplify radio emission at the 18-centimeter wavelength.

Diagram showing how the megamaser was observed via gravitational lensing

© Daily Galaxy US

The researchers from the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory also point to signs of intense activity in the host. Earlier studies of the same system suggest a very high rate of star formation, consistent with a merger that is rapidly converting gas into new stars. That context helps explain why the hydroxyl signal could be so bright in the first place, even before any extra help from gravity along the line of sight.

The Foreground Galaxy Acting like a Lens

Distance alone still does not explain everything. The signal looks bright because it had help on the way to Earth. Between us and the merger sits an unrelated galaxy positioned almost perfectly along the same line of sight. Its gravity bends space-time and focuses the background emission, boosting what arrives at Earth.

This effect is called strong gravitational lensing. It does not create new light, but it redirects more of the existing light toward us, like a natural magnifying glass. That is why the same system looks distorted in images and unusually intense in radio data. In an explainer, Universe Today described the foreground galaxy as a kind of “cosmic telescope,” which matches how astronomers talk about lensing in practice.

Side by side images of the Einstein ring from the study taken by different telescopes

© Daily Galaxy US

Because lensing boosts the brightness, the team is careful about what “brightest” means. The paper emphasizes how luminous the signal appears to us, not what it would look like without the lens. The proposed gigamaser label is tied to this observed power, combining an extreme environment in the background galaxy with a fortunate alignment in the foreground.

What Meerkat Saw, and What Comes Next

The detection did not require a long campaign. The team reports confirming the signal with only a few hours of observing time, using dozens of dishes working together as the MeerKAT radio telescope array. That short integration is one reason the find is being treated as a proof of capability, not just a one-off curiosity. It shows that wide surveys could uncover more distant hydroxyl systems if the telescope looks in the right way.

The same dataset also contained an additional clue: a separate absorption feature from neutral hydrogen (H I), another common gas tracer. That matters because it suggests the system contains multiple layers of gas, not just the molecular material producing hydroxyl emission. Together, the features help build a more complete picture of what a gas-rich merger looked like at this point in cosmic history.

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{ The Daily Galaxy }

17-03-2026 om 20:44 geschreven door peter  

Story by Pranjal Nath

Artemis II: NASA now targets March 20 for SLS rocket rollout to launchpad

The rollout of the Artemis II SLS rocket from the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) to Launch Pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida has been postponed, NASA announced. The 4-mile crawl of the rocket stack atop the Crawler-Transporter 2 will now take place on March 20, 2026, at the earliest, instead of March 19. "A rollout on March 20 would still preserve the possibility of launching at the beginning of the April launch window, though teams also are keeping a close eye on the weather in the coming days," the space agency added. A total of 7 launch windows are available in the month starting with April 1, with April 2 having been added to the previous list of launch opportunities.

NASA attributed the delay to an electrical harness for the flight termination system on the SLS core stage that needed replacement. While teams have addressed the situation, preparations to ready the rocket for the move are still underway. The Exploration Systems team will handle the rollout, which could potentially take up to 12 hours.

NASA's Artemis II sits in the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on January 16, 2026, in Cape Canaveral, Florida.

(Image Source: Getty Images | Joe Raedle)

The SLS rocket stack reached the VAB on February 25, 2026, so that teams could look into the helium flow issue that had surfaced after the second wet dress rehearsal. This rollback came as a disappointment to many because of how successful the second wet dress rehearsal was deemed to be, given how the agency had managed to keep the hydrogen leak well within safety limits. Once the rocket reached the VAB, engineers traced the issue to a quick-disconnect seal through which helium flows from the ground to the rocket. 

The ICPS has two umbilicals. The lower, larger aft plate supplies liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen and has a helium quick disconnect and hazardous gas sensing.

(Image Source: NASA; Image Edited by Starlust Staff)

"Our combined engineering teams across our ground systems and SLS teams came up with a design fix," explained Exploration Ground Systems Program Manager Shawn Quinn during the press briefing held on Thursday. That design fix was implemented on a test article, and we have successfully tested it, and we have qualified it for use on Artemis II, and the modified QD is already on the upper stage." 

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman looks out as NASA's Artemis II is rolled from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Pad 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on January 17, 2026.

(Cover Image Source: Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

With the Artemis program, the aim is to restore a “golden age of innovation and exploration" to reach the Moon and eventually Mars with human explorers. Beginning with the launch of this particular mission, NASA hopes to increase its launch cadence to allow itself and its partners to make steady incremental steps towards reaching its goals, as opposed to steep learning curves with fewer launches. Owing to the numerous delays since Artemis I took off in 2022, many of the aspects of the program were called into question. This led NASA to make sweeping changes to its plans, which assigned the objective of human lunar touchdown to Artemis IV, slated for 2028.

More on Starlust

• You can track Artemis II mission in real time, thanks to this new NASA platform
• All about Christina Koch, the first woman to fly around the Moon as part of Artemis II

{ Starlust }

17-03-2026 om 18:32 geschreven door peter  

Story by Amy Granger

The story of Moses is central to Jewish, Christian, and Islamic traditions.

He led the Israelites out of Egypt, received the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai, and guided a wandering nation toward the Promised Land.

Yet, one of the most enduring mysteries about Moses is the fate of his body. According to the Bible, Moses died at the age of 120 on Mount Nebo, but “no one knows his burial place” (Deuteronomy 34:6).

This unique detail has sparked centuries of speculation, debate, and legend. Unlike other key figures whose tombs became sites of veneration, Moses’ grave remained hidden.

Scholars, theologians, and historians have suggested a variety of reasons for this secrecy.

Here are five compelling explanations for why Moses’ body was never found, each reflecting religious, symbolic, and historical interpretations of his life and death.

1. God Himself Hid Moses’ Body

© Shutterstock© Shutterstock

The Bible explicitly states that God Himself buried Moses and that no one knew the location of his grave.

Many scholars suggest this was deliberate to prevent idolatry or inappropriate veneration.

In ancient times, the graves of great leaders often became pilgrimage sites or places for offerings, and hiding Moses’ burial may have prevented such practices.

• Related video: The Exodus of Moses || Strangers In A Strange Land

By keeping his body concealed, God emphasized that Moses’ authority and legacy came from divine guidance rather than physical remains.

This act may also symbolize that Moses’ mission was spiritual rather than tied to earthly power.

His leadership and teachings were meant to be followed through faith and law, not through worship of his mortal remains.

The hidden grave reinforces the idea that God’s plans transcend human control and that ultimate authority belongs to Him alone.

2. To Prevent Political Exploitation

© Shutterstock

Another possible reason Moses’ body was never found relates to political concerns. The Israelites were a nomadic people entering a complex, often hostile region.

A known burial site of such a revered leader could have become a rallying point for rebellion or power struggles.

Rival factions might have attempted to use Moses’ remains to legitimize claims to leadership or to influence the community.

By hiding the grave, God may have protected the Israelites from internal division and external threats.

The absence of a physical tomb prevented the misuse of Moses’ authority for personal gain or political manipulation.

This explanation frames the hidden burial as a strategic act that preserved social cohesion and prevented exploitation of Moses’ symbolic status.

3. To Maintain His Spiritual Legacy

© Shutterstock

Moses’ significance lies primarily in his spiritual achievements and leadership, not in his physical presence.

Hiding his body ensured that future generations would focus on his teachings and the law rather than becoming fixated on relics or physical remains.

This approach aligns with the broader biblical pattern of emphasizing faith, obedience, and divine covenant over material objects.

By removing the possibility of a shrine or tomb, God ensured that Moses’ influence would remain rooted in moral guidance, scripture, and leadership principles.

The hidden burial shifts attention from the tangible to the eternal, reinforcing the idea that spiritual legacy matters more than earthly remains.

It serves as a reminder that Moses’ authority and inspiration were intended to be transmitted through teaching, story, and obedience to God’s commands.

4. Symbolic Meaning of an Unmarked Grave

© Shutterstock

Some theologians interpret Moses’ unmarked grave as highly symbolic.

It may represent humility, the impermanence of life, or the separation between human achievement and divine destiny.

Unlike kings or heroes who sought lasting monuments, Moses’ hidden burial emphasizes that ultimate honor comes from God rather than public recognition.

It also highlights the mysterious nature of divine intervention: even the greatest leader’s end can be concealed, reminding humanity of the limits of human understanding.

This symbolism has inspired interpretations in literature, art, and religious thought, suggesting that the unknown burial place serves as a metaphor for faith, mystery, and the eternal nature of God’s plan.

By keeping his grave secret, the narrative conveys lessons about humility, trust, and the ephemeral nature of earthly life.

5. Possible Historical and Practical Reasons

© Shutterstock

From a historical perspective, some scholars suggest practical reasons for the absence of Moses’ tomb.

The Israelites were wandering in a desert environment, with limited capacity to perform elaborate burials.

Mount Nebo is steep and remote, which would have made marking or preserving a grave difficult.

Additionally, oral traditions and early record-keeping may have intentionally avoided specifying locations to protect sacred spaces from desecration.

Over time, any physical markers may have been lost due to natural erosion, human movement, or intentional concealment.

This practical explanation complements theological and symbolic interpretations, showing how environmental, cultural, and historical factors could have contributed to the enduring mystery of Moses’ unlocated burial.

It demonstrates that faith and historical circumstances often intersect to create lasting enigmas.

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{ Angely Numbers }

17-03-2026 om 18:17 geschreven door peter  

Key points

• Many people think intelligent extraterrestrial life likely exists but assume others are skeptical.
• Participants estimated a 67% likelihood of extraterrestrial intelligence but thought others would say 21%.
• This gap reflects pluralistic ignorance—misjudging others’ beliefs keeps people silent.

Source: AI-Generated

For decades, conversations about UFOs—now often referred to as unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP)—have occupied an unusual place in public life. Many people are curious about the possibility of extraterrestrial intelligence, yet most people are cautious about discussing them with others because of stigma and fear of being judged.

New research suggests that this hesitation may reflect our psychology rather than skepticism.

Most Believe in Extraterrestrial Intelligence

A recent study by Avi Loeb at Harvard University, and colleagues, surveyed 6,060 participants recruited through the Prolific research platform, which is widely used in behavioral research [1]. The sample consisted largely of highly educated adults, many holding college or graduate degrees.

Instead of asking a simple yes-or-no question about extraterrestrial intelligence, participants were asked to estimate the probability that intelligent extraterrestrial life exists somewhere in the universe. Respondents provided numerical estimates between 0% and 100%.

When researchers averaged the responses, participants’ mean estimate was about 67%, suggesting that on average people believe intelligent extraterrestrial life is more likely than not to exist.

Another way of examining the results highlights how widespread this belief is. The researchers found that about 95% of participants gave probability estimates greater than 50%, meaning they believed it is more likely than not that intelligent extraterrestrial life exists somewhere in the universe [1].

In other words, nearly everyone in the sample leaned toward believing intelligent life beyond Earth probably exists, even if their degree of certainty varied.

The Cosmic Closet: A Massive Perception Gap

The most striking finding in the study was not simply what people believed—it was what they thoht others believed.

After reporting their own probability estimate, participants were asked to estimate the probability that people in their social circles believed intelligent extraterrestrial life exists.

The difference was dramatic. Participants’ average personal estimate was about 67%. Their estimated belief of others was about 21%.

This produced a 46-percentage-point gap between personal belief and perceived social belief [1].

In other words, many people believed intelligent extraterrestrial life was plausible but assumed others were far more skeptical.

The researchers referred to this phenomenon as the “cosmic closet.” People privately hold a belief but assume it is socially unpopular, leading them to underestimate how widely it is actually shared.

The Psychology of Pluralistic Ignorance

This pattern closely resembles a well-known concept in social psychology called pluralistic ignorance.

Pluralistic ignorance occurs when individuals privately hold a belief but mistakenly assume that most other people disagree. Because individuals want to avoid social embarrassment or reputational risk, they often remain silent about their views. That silence then reinforces the illusion that the belief is uncommon even when many people privately share it [2].

Classic research demonstrates this dynamic in areas such as college drinking norms. Students often believe their peers are more comfortable with heavy drinking than they themselves are, even though most students privately feel similar reservations. Because everyone assumes others approve of the behavior, few people challenge the perceived norm [3].

The same mechanism may help explain the “cosmic closet.” If individuals assume curiosity about extraterrestrial intelligence will be dismissed as irrational, they may keep their views to themselves even when many others privately share that curiosity.

When Perception Shapes Reality

Norm misperception can have real consequences. When people underestimate how widely a belief is shared, they may hesitate to discuss it publicly, explore it academically, or pursue it professionally.

Psychologists have observed similar dynamics in other domains. Research shows that many people underestimate how common experiences such as anxiety, depression, or loneliness actually are, which can make individuals reluctant to talk about their own struggles. Fear of being judged or stigmatized often leads people to stay silent even though many others are experiencing similar challenges [4].

Researchers have also found that people frequently overestimate how extreme the views of political opponents are, contributing to perceptions of deeper polarization than survey data actually shows [5]. When individuals believe their views differ sharply from the perceived majority, they may stay silent to avoid social conflict.

This creates a feedback loop.

When people remain silent because they believe their views are uncommon, that silence prevents others from realizing how widely the belief is actually shared. As a result, skepticism appears more widespread than it really is.

In effect, people remain quiet to conform to a social norm that may exist largely because everyone else is also remaining quiet.

Expert Opinion Barely Changed People’s Views

The researchers also tested whether revealing expert opinion would influence participants’ beliefs.

Some respondents were shown survey results indicating that many astrobiologists—scientists who study the origins and distribution of life in the universe—consider extraterrestrial life plausible.

Interestingly, this information had only a small effect on participants’ probability estimates [1]. Even after seeing expert opinions, participants’ beliefs changed very little.

This suggests that people’s beliefs about extraterrestrial intelligence may not depend strongly on expert authority. Instead, individuals may rely more on intuitive reasoning about the vastness of the universe or broader worldview assumptions when forming their judgments.

{  https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb }

16-03-2026 om 22:25 geschreven door peter  

Missing Air Force General Case Draws FBI and Online Conspiracy Theories

The disappearance of a retired Air Force general who once oversaw billions of dollars in military research has drawn federal investigators into the search and fueled a wave of online conspiracy theories about classified programs and unidentified flying objects.

Retired Maj. Gen. William “Neil” McCasland, a former commander of the Air Force Research Laboratory, has been missing since Feb. 27, when he disappeared from his home in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Local authorities are leading the investigation, but federal agencies, including the FBI, have joined the search as the case continues to attract national attention. 

While investigators have not identified a clear explanation for his disappearance, McCasland’s background overseeing some of the Air Force’s most advanced science and technology programs has made the case a magnet for speculation online.

Authorities say the investigation remains active and have urged anyone with information to contact law enforcement. 

A Career at the Center of Air Force Research

McCasland spent more than three decades in the Air Force and ultimately served as commander of the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), one of the military’s most influential science and technology organizations.

AFRL manages research programs that shape the future of air and space power, including advanced propulsion systems, directed energy weapons, aerospace materials and satellite technologies.

At the time of his leadership, the laboratory oversaw roughly $2.2 billion in Air Force science and technology programs, along with additional externally funded research and development projects.

The role placed McCasland among the Air Force’s most senior science leaders, responsible for guiding long-term research investments and coordinating efforts across the Pentagon, universities and defense industry partners.

Programs developed through AFRL help transition experimental technologies into operational military capabilities used by service members around the world.

During McCasland’s tenure, AFRL played a central role in developing technologies that later became key components of modern U.S. military capability. The laboratory helped advance work on directed-energy weapons, advanced satellite systems, hypersonic research and next-generation sensors, while partnering with universities and defense contractors to transition experimental technologies into operational systems used by the Air Force and Space Force today.

Leaders of AFRL often interact with classified programs and emerging technologies years before they become publicly known, which helps explain why the disappearance of a former commander has drawn unusual attention online.

McCasland retired from the Air Force in 2013 after more than three decades of service. 

Federal Authorities Join the Search

Local authorities in Bernalillo County, New Mexico, are leading the investigation, but federal agencies have provided additional resources as the search expanded.

The FBI’s Albuquerque field office has joined the effort to assist with investigative support and search coordination. 

Federal agencies often provide specialized resources in missing-person cases, including forensic analysis, digital investigations and coordination across jurisdictions.

Authorities have conducted extensive search operations around Albuquerque, including neighborhood canvassing, drone flights and searches with trained K-9 teams.

Volunteers and neighbors have also assisted with the search effort, helping distribute information and examine areas near McCasland’s home where he might have traveled.

So far, investigators have not publicly identified evidence of foul play.

Timeline of the Day He Disappeared

Some of the clearest details about the day McCasland vanished have come from his wife, Susan McCasland Wilkerson.

According to information she shared publicly, a repairman visited their home around mid-morning on Feb. 27. Wilkerson later left for a doctor’s appointment, and when she returned about an hour later, McCasland was gone (KRQE News, Albuquerque).

Investigators say his phone and glasses were left behind in the house, while several other items were missing, including his wallet, hiking boots and a .38-caliber revolver. 

The disappearance prompted authorities to issue a Silver Alert and launch a large search effort across the surrounding area.

Wife Pushes Back on Conspiracy Theories

As the case spread online, Wilkerson has repeatedly pushed back against speculation linking her husband’s disappearance to UFO secrets or classified military programs.

In a public Facebook post addressing the rumors, she wrote that her husband had no secret knowledge about extraterrestrial technology or materials.

“Neil does not have any special knowledge about the ET bodies and debris from the Roswell crash stored at Wright-Patt,” she wrote. (People Magazine; Newsweek)

She also said that while McCasland once had access to classified programs during his military career, he retired more than a decade ago and his knowledge would now be outdated.

“It seems quite unlikely that he was taken to extract very dated secrets from him,” she wrote.

Frustrated by the speculation, she later used humor to address the rumors circulating online.

“Though at this point with absolutely no sign of him, maybe the best hypothesis is that aliens beamed him up to the mothership,” she wrote, adding that no sightings had been reported over the nearby Sandia Mountains. 

Her comments highlight how quickly misinformation can spread online when high-profile individuals become the focus of missing-person cases.

Why Conspiracy Theories Are Spreading

Much of the speculation surrounding McCasland’s disappearance stems from his past role overseeing advanced Air Force research programs.

One of the most widely circulated theories online suggests his disappearance could somehow be tied to classified UFO or unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) programs. The speculation has been amplified by McCasland’s brief involvement with a company connected to former Blink-182 musician Tom DeLonge that explored public discussion of UAPs. 

Other theories circulating on social media suggest that McCasland may have had knowledge of secret aerospace or weapons programs that made him a target.

There is currently no evidence supporting those claims, and investigators have not indicated that his former work is connected to his disappearance.

Experts say speculation around national security programs is common whenever high-profile military figures are involved in unexplained events.

The combination of McCasland’s rank, his leadership role in the Air Force’s primary research laboratory and the secrecy that often surrounds advanced defense technology has created a perfect environment for online rumors.

The Search Continues

For now, investigators say their focus remains on locating McCasland and determining what happened after he left his home in late February.

Authorities continue to ask the public to report any information that might assist the investigation.

The disappearance of a retired senior military leader is rare, and for many who once worked alongside him in the defense science community, the unanswered questions surrounding the case remain troubling.

Until authorities uncover new information, the search for McCasland continues, along with the hope that the mystery surrounding his disappearance will soon be resolved.

RELATED

{ https://www.military.com/daily-news }

16-03-2026 om 22:08 geschreven door peter  

In what sounds like a scene from a science fiction thriller, a humanoid robot has been arrested by police after terrifying an elderly woman in China. 

According to local authorities, the 70–year–old woman was startled by the robot when she suddenly noticed it standing behind her. 

A viral clip shows the woman yelling and waving her bag at the diminutive bot, which repeatedly raises its arms in the air.

Footage then shows two police officers escorting the Unitree G1 down the road, with one leading the robot by its shoulder. 

Police told reporters that the woman had stopped to check her phone when the robot halted behind her, waiting for her to clear the path.

The elderly pedestrian was then 'frightened' to discover that the robot was silently following her down the road.

Following the incident, the woman told police that she was feeling unwell and was taken to hospital for a check–up and treatment. 

After doctors confirmed there was no physical altercation between her and the robot, the unnamed woman said that she wouldn't be filing a complaint against the bot's operator.  

A bizarre video shows the moment a humanoid robot is arrested by police after terrifying an elderly woman in China

The altercation occurred at 21:00 local time outside a residential complex in Macau, China. 

In the video, according to a translation by the Macau Post, the woman can be seen yelling: 'You're making my heart race!

'You've got plenty to do, so what's the point of messing around with this? Are you freaking crazy?'  

While the robot was not officially arrested, police did remove it from the scene and returned it to its operator, a man in his 50s, who was reminded to exercise caution.

However, on social media, the short clip of a robot being escorted away by police has sparked a wave of memes, as commenters joke that this is the 'first robot arrest in history'.

On X, one commenter joked: 'Looks like the robot needs a lawyer or some basic rights.'

'We are rapidly approaching a new wacky timeline,' added another.

One asked: 'Did the robot have a mugshot? Did the robot go to court?'

A viral clip shows the woman yelling and waving her bag at a Unitree G1 robot, which repeatedly raises its arms in the air

Unitree G1: Key Specs

• Height: 4.3ft (132cm)
• Price: $16,000/£12,000 
• Weight: 35kg
• Arm span: 1.4ft 
• Speed: 2m/s (5mph) 
• Power supply: Lithium battery 
• Manual controller: Yes 

While one chimed in: 'This is exactly how the matrix started.'

However, others were far less sympathetic, blaming the elderly woman for overreacting to the robot's presence.

One commenter coldly wrote: 'Clearly the woman is the problem, not the robot.'

'Lock that woman up for impeding a robotic lifeform,' another added.

Authorities revealed that the robot belonged to a nearby education centre, which had been using the Unitree G1 robot as part of a promotion.

Towin Mak, a spokesperson for the education centre, told local broadcaster Teledifusão de Macau (TDM) that the robot was leaving the area when it encountered the elderly woman.

Mr Mak added that it was being guided by a mix of autonomous programming and remote supervision at the time. 

The robot's operator has apologised for causing distress. 

Following the incident, the 70–year–old woman told police that she was feeling unwell and was taken to hospital for a check–up and treatment. She later decided to bring a complaint against the robot's operator 

While this may be the first time that the police have had to bring a robot into custody, police forces are already making robots part of their approach to fighting crime. 

Professor Ivan Sun, from the University of Delaware, previously predicted that robotic police officers would be patrolling our streets in just five years.

Read More

•  Real-life Robocop! Robot police officers will patrol the streets by 2031, expert predicts 

These real–life robocops will be able to detect, pursue and apprehend suspects – likely working alongside human supervisors.

Meanwhile, countries like China and Singapore have begun trialling robotic police robots, with varying degrees of success.

For example, the Xavier robot in Singapore patrols public spaces to detect 'undesirable social behaviours' such as smoking before relaying the information to human officers.

While in China, AI–powered robots such as the AnBot have been integrated into security systems to conduct surveillance, verify identities and patrol transport hubs. In the UAE, robots have been used in more service–oriented roles such as greeting tourists or providing multilingual assistance during large events.

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

16-03-2026 om 21:38 geschreven door peter  

Trump’s UFO release could include videos, photos of non-human craft proving we aren’t alone: source

The federal government holds shocking evidence of UFOs which proves we are not alone — including satellite imagery of out-of-this world craft that look like nothing “we have built,” an expert with knowledge of the documents told The Post.

The government’s trove of UFO docs is massive and includes stunning photos and videos, according to Christopher Mellon, the former deputy assistant secretary of defense intelligence during the Clinton and Bush administrations.

Publicly disclosing the information would take UFO discourse “to another level,” he added.

Under President Trump’s order two weeks ago, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth will direct the release of “files related to” aliens, UFOs, and “all other information connected to” the “highly complex” subject matter, the president wrote on Truth Social.

While the announcement spurred federal agencies, including the White House and the Pentagon, to scramble, there has been no official word on what will be released and when.

The most compelling piece of data, Mellon claimed, are clear satellite photos of craft in space above the Earth that are obviously not manmade.

“We have satellite imagery of craft that sure don’t look like anything that we have built or constructed,” Mellon said.

Those same convincing images of craft engaging in “actions that are difficult to explain” were referenced by ex-director of national intelligence and current CIA director John Ratcliffe in a 2021 Fox News interview.

In 2017, Mellon played a key role in the release of three now famous US military radar images of Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon, or UAPs, referred to as the “Tic Tac,” “GOFAST,” and “Gimbal” — and he said there are more just like those on government hard drives.

Chris Mellon, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Intelligence, told The Post the government has many videos and photos of UFOs which have yet to be released to the public.

News Nation

The government now prefers the term “UAP,” or Unidentified Aerial Phenomena, to “UFO.”

“There’s a significant number of videos from the same sources that were judged unclassified in 2018 — gun cameras on F18s, [Forward Looking Infrared Radar] videos — that have been withheld from the public,” he said. 

“I know there are because I’ve seen some of them,” said Mellon, adding, “And there’s no rational reason that I can think of why those videos are being withheld.”

Though some provocative images should be included in the release, Mellon said he has no expectation for files that confirm the existence of, or contact with, alien civilizations.

The Department of War, the Department of National Intelligence, the National Security Agency, the Defense Intelligence Agency, the Department of Energy, and the National Nuclear Security Administration all have UFO files that would be relevant to the Trump-ordered release, Mellon said.

Releasing classified and sensitive materials is an “unnatural act” for intelligence agencies, he said.

“I have a feeling bureaucracy is going to react slowly and I don’t think they’re gonna put the best stuff out quickly, if they do at all,” he said. “Congressional vigilance is needed to ensure a thorough and effective process.”

Sen. Mike Rounds (R-South Dakota), senior member of the Senate Armed Service Committee, who introduced the UAP Disclosure Act with Minority Leader Chuck Schumer in 2023, is hoping for a broad release that ensures US military secrets are preserved.

Rounds hopes for “as much disclosure as we can get with regard to just being honest to the American people about what we see that we either don’t know about or that we’re learning about.

“And I just want to make sure that whatever we put out, we do not impact our own national security capabilities.”

• Additional reporting by Geoff Earle

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{ https://nypost.com/us-news/ }

16-03-2026 om 21:06 geschreven door peter  

Story by ²

©Source: Commons Wikimedia

A Fast-Moving Mystery in Space: NASA Tracks Object Traveling at 1 Million Miles Per Hour
Astronomers working with NASA data have identified an unusual object speeding through space at roughly 1 million miles per hour, a velocity so extreme that it could eventually escape the Milky Way entirely. The object, labeled CWISE J124909.08+362116.0, was spotted through a citizen-science project that analyzes telescope data for moving objects. Scientists say the discovery is remarkable not only because of its incredible speed but also because the object’s nature is still being studied, raising questions about how it was launched across the galaxy so quickly.

©Source: Commons Wikimedia

A Discovery Made by Citizen Scientists
The object was first detected by volunteers participating in NASA’s Backyard Worlds: Planet 9 citizen-science program. Participants examine images from the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer telescope, searching for objects that move across the sky over time. Careful analysis of the data revealed the mysterious object traveling unusually fast compared with typical stars or planets.

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Meet CWISE J1249
Scientists identified the object as CWISE J124909.08+362116.0, often shortened to CWISE J1249. It appears to be a very small and faint celestial body that does not fit neatly into common categories. Researchers say it may be a low-mass star or a brown dwarf, a type of object that sits somewhere between a planet and a star.

©Source: Commons Wikimedia

Traveling at a Mind-Bending Speed
The object’s speed is estimated at around 1 million miles per hour, far faster than most stars orbiting within the Milky Way. At this velocity, scientists believe it is traveling fast enough to escape the gravitational pull of the galaxy. Hypervelocity objects like this are extremely rare and often require powerful cosmic events to reach such speeds.

©Source: Commons Wikimedia

A Possible Runaway Star
One explanation is that CWISE J1249 could be a runaway star, meaning it was violently ejected from its original location. This can happen when stars interact gravitationally with other massive objects or when a companion star explodes in a supernova. These events can fling a star across the galaxy at extraordinary speeds.

©Source: Commons Wikimedia

Another Theory Involves Black Holes
Another possible explanation is that the object had a close encounter with a black hole system. If two black holes are orbiting each other, their powerful gravity can act like a slingshot. A nearby star that passes too close may be accelerated dramatically and thrown outward at extreme velocity.

©Source: Commons Wikimedia

Why Scientists Are Studying Its Chemistry
Researchers are now examining the object’s chemical composition to determine where it originated. By studying the light emitted from the object, astronomers can identify elements in its atmosphere. These clues may reveal whether the object was launched by a supernova explosion or originated from a dense star cluster.

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What Makes the Object So Unusual
Hypervelocity objects are extremely rare because most stars remain gravitationally bound to the Milky Way. For an object to break free, it must reach extraordinary speeds that overcome the galaxy’s gravitational pull. Scientists say CWISE J1249 appears to be traveling fast enough to eventually leave the Milky Way and wander into intergalactic space.

©Source: Commons Wikimedia

A Reminder of How Dynamic the Galaxy Is
Discoveries like this highlight how dynamic and sometimes violent our galaxy can be. Stars, planets, and other objects are constantly moving and interacting through gravity. Occasionally, those interactions produce dramatic events capable of launching objects across vast cosmic distances.

©Source: Commons Wikimedia

Powerful Forces Reshaping The Milky Way
The mysterious object racing through space at nearly 1 million miles per hour is giving astronomers a rare glimpse into the powerful forces shaping the Milky Way. While scientists are still determining exactly what CWISE J1249 is and how it gained such incredible speed, the discovery demonstrates how much remains unknown about our galaxy. Continued observations may eventually reveal the cosmic event that launched this stellar traveler on its extraordinary journey.

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16-03-2026 om 20:30 geschreven door peter  

The government is very serious about UFOs. So why are researchers being stymied?

A photo of a UFO taken in 1957 near Holloman Air Development Center, Alamagordo, New Mexico. 

(Image credit: Bettmann/Getty Images)

President Donald Trump directed the Pentagon and other federal agencies to begin releasing government files related to UFOs and unidentified anomalous phenomena — called UAP — in February 2026, following years of pressure from Congress, military whistleblowers and the public.

Congress formally mandated UAP investigations through the National Defense Authorization Act in December 2022. The Pentagon's official UAP investigative body, the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office, AARO, now carries a caseload exceeding 2,000 reports dating back to 1945. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed this figure earlier this year.

The cases were submitted by military personnel, pilots and government employees describing aerial objects that could not be explained as known aircraft, drones or weather phenomena. Governments in Japan, France, Brazil and Canada also have their own formal UAP investigation programs.

Yet modern research universities remain almost entirely absent from this conversation. No major university has established a dedicated UAP research center. No federal science agency offers competitive grants for UAP inquiry. No doctoral programs train researchers in UAP methodology. The gap between what governments openly acknowledge and what universities are willing to study is, at this point, difficult to explain on purely intellectual grounds.

I have navigated this gap while conducting my own UAP research. My work developing the temporal aerospace correlation tool, a standardized framework for correlating civilian UAP sighting reports with documented rocket launch activity from Cape Canaveral, is currently under peer review at Limina: The Journal of UAP Studies.

Designing that framework meant making methodological decisions without community standards, without institutional funding and without the professional infrastructure many researchers in established fields take for granted. What is missing is not interest or data — it is the shared scaffolding that turns isolated curiosity into cumulative science.

Stigma is measurable

The most rigorous evidence for the gap between faculty interest in UAP and faculty willingness to study it comes from peer-reviewed studies by Marissa Yingling, Charlton Yingling and Bethany Bell, published in the scholarly journal Humanities and Social Sciences Communications.

Across 14 disciplines at 144 major U.S. research universities, 1,460 faculty responded to their 2023 national survey. Most surveyed believed UAP research was important. Curiosity outweighed skepticism in every discipline that was part of the study. Nearly one-fifth had personally observed something aerial they could not identify. Yet fewer than 1% had ever conducted UAP-related research.

The gap was not explained by intellectual dismissal, but it was in part explained by fear. Researchers were not primarily deterred by intellectual skepticism because they doubted the topic's merits. Instead, they feared they might lose funding, face ridicule from colleagues or find their careers quietly derailed. Faculty reported being told to "be careful."

A 2024 follow-up study found that roughly 28% said they might vote against a colleague's tenure case for conducting UAP research, even when they personally believed the topic warranted study.

Historian and philosopher of science Thomas Kuhn argued that scientific communities suppress anomalous questions not because those questions are unanswerable, but because they fall outside the boundaries the community has collectively decided are worth investigating.

Sociologist Thomas Gieryn called this suppression "boundary work," referring to the active process by which scientists police what counts as legitimate science.

For UAP researchers, the data and tools to study the phenomenon exist. What may not exist is social permission to use them without professional consequence.

Creating an academic discipline

Academic disciplines do not emerge spontaneously. They require dedicated journals, agreed-upon methods, graduate programs and professional societies.

The history of cognitive neuroscience demonstrates how disciplines emerge. Before the 1980s, researchers at the intersection of neuroscience and cognitive psychology faced resistance from both parent disciplines.

These fields achieved mainstream acceptance only after targeted funding from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, new brain-imaging tools and the gradual formation of academic programs that created career pathways for researchers. Researchers at the nexus of these fields did not wait for central questions to be resolved. They built infrastructure, and the infrastructure made progress possible.

UAP studies as a discipline is developing some of these elements, but largely outside universities. The Society for UAP Studies, a nonprofit of scholars and researchers, operates Limina as a double-blind, peer-reviewed journal and has convened international symposia drawing researchers from physics, philosophy of science and the social sciences. But a nonprofit scholarly society without tenured faculty does not constitute a discipline.

To turn UAP studies into a recognized academic field would require three things.

First, funding. The Yingling studies found that competitive research grants would do more to unlock faculty participation than any other single factor. Without grants, researchers cannot hire students to assist them, maintain instruments or sustain the multiyear projects that produce meaningful results.

Second, shared methodological standards — these would entail agreed-upon procedures for collecting, recording and evaluating UAP reports — would mean findings from one research group can be compared and built upon by others.

Third, institutions could publicly affirm that they will evaluate appropriately rigorous UAP scholarship on its scientific merits during tenure reviews. Several universities have already done this for gun violence research and psychedelic-assisted therapy studies.

These are not isolated examples. Research into near-death experiences and adverse childhood experiences followed similar trajectories, moving from being a professional liability to mainstream legitimacy after the removal of institutional barriers.

The international comparison

This gap in UAP scholarship is unique to the United States. France's GEIPAN, a dedicated investigation unit within its national space agency, has operated since 1977. It has publicly archived approximately 5,300 French UAP cases, of which about 2% to 3% remain unexplained after rigorous analysis.

In 2020, Japan formalized UAP reporting protocols for its Self-Defense Forces, the branch of the Japanese military responsible for national defense. By June 2024, more than 80 lawmakers had formed a parliamentary UAP investigation group that by May 2025 had formally proposed a dedicated UAP research office to the defense minister. Canada launched its own multiagency UAP investigation survey in 2023.

None of these actions has produced a corresponding response from American research universities. Universities provide independent, peer-reviewed analyses that government programs structurally cannot.

The University of Würzburg in Germany became the first Western university to officially recognize UAP as a legitimate object of academic research in 2022, when it formally added UAP investigation to its research canon. Researchers at  15-03-2026 om 23:58 geschreven door peter  

New Details Emerge About Jimmy Carter’s Alleged 1977 UFO Briefing

Nearly five decades after Jimmy Carter entered the White House, a new claim has reignited debate about what U.S. presidents may know about unidentified flying objects. Physicist Dr. Eric Davis recently stated that Carter received a classified UFO briefing in June 1977 that allegedly contained information about contact between the United States government and non-human beings.

The claim, discussed during a podcast conversation involving Davis, Eric Weinstein and host Jesse Michaels, adds fresh details to a long-circulating story about Carter’s early presidency and his interest in the UFO phenomenon. While the claim has not been independently verified, it has drawn renewed attention to a period when UFOs briefly became a subject of serious discussion inside the White House.

The Alleged 1977 UFO Briefing

According to Davis, the briefing occurred only months after Carter took office in January 1977. What reportedly began as a routine meeting in the National Security Council conference room allegedly shifted location when the topic of UFOs emerged.

Davis claims the discussion moved to the Oval Office, where Carter was informed about classified information regarding UFOs and possible interactions between government agencies and extraterrestrial entities.

Another intriguing detail concerns the documentation of the meeting. Davis says records exist in the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library that include an attendee list. All participants are visible in the document except for two individuals whose names and affiliations remain redacted nearly fifty years later.

The existence of those redactions has fueled speculation among UFO researchers about who might have attended the meeting and what agencies they represented.

Confirmation Claims From Carter Staff

Davis also stated that the briefing was later confirmed by Alonzo McDonald, who served as a senior staff member in the Carter White House.

According to Davis, McDonald reportedly investigated the matter after hearing about the meeting and spoke directly with Carter and other participants. After doing so, McDonald allegedly concluded that the briefing did indeed occur.

If accurate, this would suggest that discussions about UFOs were occurring at the highest levels of government during Carter’s first year in office.

Links to the Controversial “Project Aquarius”

The story has also been linked to a rumored classified program known as Project Aquarius, a name that has appeared in UFO documents since the early 1980s.

Davis suggested that officials attending the meeting were given briefing documents that had to be returned afterward. Later, some of those participants allegedly reconstructed the briefing from memory. That reconstruction supposedly became known among researchers as the Aquarius document.

The document refers to a highly restricted intelligence program and mentions oversight by a small group sometimes associated with the controversial MJ-12 documents, which have long been debated within UFO research circles.

However, historians note that the Aquarius material may contain a mixture of authentic terminology and deliberate misinformation. Some versions of the documents were clearly altered over time, casting doubt on their reliability.

Carter’s Personal Interest in UFOs

The renewed attention on the story is partly due to Carter’s own history with UFO sightings.

Before becoming president, Carter publicly reported witnessing a strange object in the sky in 1969 while attending a Lions Club meeting in Georgia. During the 1976 presidential campaign, he spoke openly about the experience and promised that, if elected, he would help release UFO information to scientists and the public.

This statement created enormous public interest. Once Carter entered office, the White House reportedly received large volumes of letters from citizens asking for UFO disclosure or sharing their own sightings.

Attempts to Reopen UFO Research

Inside the administration, officials explored the possibility of creating a new scientific investigation of UFO sightings. One idea was to have NASA lead a civilian research program that would replace the U.S. Air Force’s Project Blue Book, which had been shut down in 1969.

The proposal quickly encountered resistance.

NASA officials argued that UFO reports did not justify launching a major research program. According to accounts from the period, intelligence agencies were also reluctant to reopen the issue, and the plan ultimately stalled.

By the end of 1977, the public effort to study UFOs had effectively faded away.

The United Nations UFO Proposal

The UFO topic also surfaced in international diplomacy during Carter’s presidency.

In September 1977, Carter met with Eric Gairy, the prime minister of Grenada. Gairy had a personal interest in UFO sightings and proposed that the United Nations create an international investigation into the phenomenon.

Grenada later attempted to push for a UN resolution encouraging global cooperation on UFO research. The initiative failed to gain support, with both the United States and the United Kingdom opposing the effort.

Nevertheless, the episode illustrates how visible the UFO issue had become during Carter’s first year in office.

A Moment When UFOs Reached the Political Mainstream

Despite Carter’s earlier interest, the administration eventually stopped pursuing the issue publicly. Researchers have long wondered why a president who had promised transparency on UFOs appeared to abandon the subject so quickly.

If the briefing described by Eric Davis did occur, it could provide one possible explanation. According to some accounts circulating in UFO research circles, Carter was reportedly deeply troubled after learning classified information about the phenomenon.

However, without official confirmation or newly declassified documents, the true details of what the president may have been told remain unknown.

Renewed Interest in a Historical Mystery

The recent claims from Dr. Eric Davis have prompted historians and UFO researchers to revisit the events of 1977, a year when the UFO question briefly came close to the center of American political life.

Whether the alleged briefing actually took place remains uncertain. Still, the story highlights how the subject of unidentified aerial phenomena has repeatedly intersected with government secrecy, intelligence agencies, and political decision-making.

With growing public interest in UAPs and ongoing discussions in governments around the world, the Carter era may yet reveal new insights into how leaders have privately confronted one of the most enduring mysteries of the modern age.

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15-03-2026 om 23:22 geschreven door peter