After Swiss Scientists Injected ‘Repair’ Microrobots into the Injured Spinal Cords of Fish and Mice, Something Incredible Happened
Scientists from ETH Zurich in Switzerland have announced a series of successful experiments involving the repair of injured spinal cords in zebrafish and mice after being injected with magnetically controlled microrobots containing pluripotent stem cells.
According to a statement announcing the ETH team’s work, both the zebrafish and mice injected with the microrobots showed improved movement and normalized exploratory behavior within just a few days after treatment.
Although the initial studies were confined to lab animals, the team hopes their magnetically controlled microrobot approach to the precision delivery of pluripotent stem cells could eventually be adapted for humans with spinal cord injuries.
Unlike some cells in the human body, nerve cells within the spinal cord rarely regenerate on their own. If the spinal cord is injured, scarring can further reduce the ability of the nerve fibers within the cord to regrow. For people living with spinal cord injuries, this scenario can offer a bleak prognosis for recovery.
In recent decades, scientists have turned to the natural regenerative properties of pluripotent stem cells. Although the use of stem cells was initially controversial due to the need to extract neonatal stem cells, scientists ultimately learned to convert ordinary stem cells into pluripotent stem cells capable of becoming any cell type in the human body.
To construct their magnetically guided spinal cord repairing robot, the team built what they termed a “biohybrid microrobot.”
First, the team creates pluripotent stem cells from adult cells by genetically manipulating them in the lab. The result is what researchers call an “induced” pluripotent stem cell (iPS). According to the study authors, these newly pluripotent iPS cells are used to derive living neural progenitor cells (NPCs), meaning “they have the potential to differentiate into various types of nervous system cells.”
Next, the team creates customized magnetic nanoparticles consisting of two layers. The inner layer responds to the “commands” from the magnetic fields used to control them, and an outer layer that converts this response into an electrical signal.
According to Professor Salvador Pané i Vidal of the Multi-Scale Robotics Lab at ETH Zurich, each tiny robot has a reservoir near the center “where we trap the cells.” The professor said the best way to accomplish this is to inject the nanoparticles into a solution with the NPC, “and wait for the two components to bind.”
After 30 minutes, the process is complete, and the team is left with a batch of nanobots, each around 6 micrometers in size. Since the new robots combine a magnetic bot and a reservoir of NPCs, the team named them ‘NPCbots.’
In preparatory cellular experiments, the researchers used hundreds of thousands of NPCbots. However, several million were required for animal trials.
To test the efficacy of their new NPCbots, the ETH team injected millions of them into the spinal cord of zebrafish larvae with spinal cord injuries. To improve the chances of nerve regeneration, the NPCbots were injected directly into the site of the injury.
After injecting the microrobots, the injury site was subjected to electromagnetic fields. Although the repair was not immediately evident, the team noted that after three days, the zebrafish with the injured spinal cords “exhibited nearly normal swimming and exploratory behaviour.”
Next, the team injected millions of NPCbots into mice with completely separated spinal cords. According to the team, the results were “very promising.”
“After 28 days, the animals’ nerve cells had reconnected at the site of the injury,” they explained.
The team said further observation of the treated mice revealed “increasingly normal movement patterns,” including improvements in gait, stride length, and coordination. The ETH team also noted that the mice’s exploratory behavior “improved significantly.”
Schematic illustration of nerve cell recovery in zebrafish and mice.
Image Credit: ETH Zurich.
When discussing the mouse experiments, the team described the result as “particularly significant” because zebrafish spinal cords regenerate, whereas mouse spinal cords do not. They also noted that the treatment was “well tolerated by the animals,” with no reported immune reactions or adverse effects.
Unlike science fiction movies, where tiny robots repair tissue mechanically, the research team said that the stem cells carried by the NPCbots are exposed to electrical stimulation, “greatly enhancing their differentiation after transplantation.” This means the nanoparticles convert the electric signals from the EM field into electrical impulses, stimulating healing.
The Catholic Church Fired an In-House Exorcist for Saying UFOs Are Actually Demons. I Can Explain.A Catholic priest got fired from his job as an exorcist last week because he claimed that UFOs are, in fact, demons.
That news reads like a bit of a genre-mashed Mad Libs, so we’ll slow down a bit: Monsignor Stephen Rossetti has been working in the Washington Archdiocese for the past 15 years as an exorcist. For those who know of exorcisms primarily from horror movies, the news of a professional exorcist in the nation’s capital causing drama may have been a bit confounding. But exorcists are an established part of Catholicism. While some more skeptically minded clergy do not enjoy discussing demonic possession, each diocese is supposed to have a designated exorcist.
The Exorcist Priest
It’s a real role in the church, and while it’s not exactly like Hollywood portrayals, it’s not entirely dissimilar from the movies either. If a person in the diocese comes to fear that they or their loved one has been bodily possessed by a demon, the diocese launches an investigation involving medical, psychological, and psychiatric testing. In the rare cases when the investigation concludes that the person is indeed afflicted by the devil, the designated priest or bishop who has received special training and apprenticeship steps in to perform the Rite of Major Exorcism. At the chapel or other discreet location for the exorcism, the priest sprinkles the possessed with holy water, lays their hands on them, breathes on their face, recites “exorcistic” prayers over them, holds the crucifix up to them, and makes the sign of the cross over them.
Recently, however, Rossetti’s remit had included statements on UFOs. “As an exorcist I wanted to raise that danger. And that is that demons like to hide,” Rossetti had said in a May 29 video posted on Facebook. “It’s my personal belief that probably many if not most of these UFO sightings are in fact demons.”
UFOs may seem to be squarely outside the lane of an exorcist, but they’re in the news of late, thanks to the government last month releasing, in ostentatious and Trumpian fashion, “UFO files.” And Rossetti isn’t alone in seeing a spiritual nexus of a topic that, at least in secular circles, is more commonly discussed in the context of aliens. In March, Vice President J.D. Vance said that he believed UFOs were demons.
Traces of alien worlds: Unexpected composition of object 3I/ATLAS baffles astronomers
Last year, the mysterious interstellar object 3I/ATLAS made a fascinating journey through the inner reaches of our Solar System. After passing by several planets, it vanished forever into the depths of space, leaving no chance of a second encounter. However, it left behind a vast amount of data collected by ground-based and space-based observatories. For scientists, this is an invaluable and extremely rare opportunity to study a “visitor” that originated far beyond the boundaries of our star system.
Illustration of the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS.
Source: ibtimes.com
Researchers recently made a stunning discovery by analyzing data from the MIRI instrument aboard NASA’s advanced James Webb Space Telescope.
According to the European Space Agency, in December the telescope detected traces of methane emanating from 3I/ATLAS. This occurred approximately two months after the interstellar comet passed its perihelion—the point of closest approach to the Sun. Jokingly, one could say that the comet “let off some gas” as it flew through our cosmic neighborhood.
The significance of this discovery cannot be overstated. This is the first time in history that astronomers have managed to obtain a chemical fingerprint of an interstellar object and detect methane in it. According to a study published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, the MIRI instrument revealed not only the presence of methane but also the distribution of water and carbon dioxide.
The image above shows the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, photographed using the MIRI instrument on NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, along with outlines illustrating the distribution of various gases at the time the comet was observed. Water vapor extends far beyond the nucleus, as much of it is released from ice grains in the coma, while carbon dioxide and methane are most concentrated near the comet’s nucleus. The image below shows a spectrum, and the markers indicate the signatures of various gases that the telescope has detected escaping from the comet.
Source: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI
Since the intense gas outburst occurred after perihelion—when comets typically heat up the most and lose the most material—scientists have reached an interesting conclusion. They speculate that the methane was hidden very deep beneath the comet’s thick icy shell. According to NASA, methane is an extremely volatile substance that sublimates very easily—that is, it transforms from ice into gas.
The chemical composition of 3I/ATLAS has greatly surprised astronomers. The ratio of methane to water detected was found to be abnormally high compared to the typical comets we are used to seeing. In addition, the latest observations have confirmed that the object is exceptionally rich in carbon dioxide, making it even more unique.
Representatives of the European Space Agency emphasize that these findings unequivocally point to one thing: the chemical composition and formation environment of 3I/ATLAS differ significantly from the conditions under which the vast majority of comets in our solar system formed.
We previously reported on how the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS contained traces of extraterrestrial fuel.
In Antarctica, Scientists Just Discovered a Massive Hidden Structure Deep Below the Frozen Surface
A massive, semi-continent-sized subsurface structure has been discovered by scientists beneath Antarctica’s frozen surface.
The discovery, reported by an international team of scientists, reveals the presence of an unusually shaped feature which researchers with Durham University’s Department of Geography characterize as a “vast geological structure hidden beneath the East Antarctic Ice Sheet.”
The discovery was recently detailed in a study featured in Nature Geoscience.
Composed of several gigantic basins located beneath more than three kilometers of the southern continent’s icy exterior, the unusual structure has been dubbed the “East Antarctic Fan-shaped Basin Province.”
The massive feature is large enough to be considered continental in scale all by itself and incorporates some of the best-known subglacial features in the region, which include the famous Wilkes and Aurora basins.
The fan-shaped geological megas-structure also features the basin, which comprises Antarctica’s Lake Vostok, which is recognized as the largest subglacial lacustrine feature anywhere on the planet.
“We propose that the fan-like landscape is the product of distributed intraplate rotational extension before the breakup of Gondwana, with three continental-scale consequences,” the team writes in their study.
While the individual basins have all been characterized in past work, the international team reports that the new research marks the first time they have been studied in connection to a singular structure, which they believe was formed through the geological process of distributed rotational extension.
Fault-controlled basins and interpreted structural frame in the newly identified EAFBP.
Credit: Nature Geosci
At some point in Antarctica’s deep geological history, the continent’s subglacial crust spread out from a central point, resulting in the distinctive fan-shaped appearance it possesses today.
Likening the feature to an open hand, with each of the basins representing gaps between fingers, the research team says it is possible that the newly-characterized East Antarctic Fan-shaped Basin Province “could be one of the largest examples of rotational extension ever seen in continental crust.”
The question of how it formed remains a mystery, although there are several possible explanations.
One involves its formation over the course of several tectonic phases, which researchers believe may be linked to the formation of the ancient supercontinent of Gondwana. According to this theory, the present-day Antarctic land mass’s eventual separation from modern Australia may have played a key role in the breakup that formed the structure in question.
However, remaining questions about the age of the unusual feature also raise possibilities about other geological processes that could have led to its creation.
Today, the structure plays a crucial role in the movement of ice, whereby the distribution of subglacial lakes and basins is primarily governed by its shape. Researchers think this could be important because it would mean the fan-shaped feature may significantly impact the stability of regions of Antarctica that are susceptible to the effects of climate change.
By combining subglacial topographical studies with examinations of geological data, the researchers have tentatively concluded that deep tectonic processes within the continent’s lithosphere, comprising the Earth’s crust and upper mantle, likely played a major role in shaping the structure.
The team combined these data with observations of seismic data, gravity measurements, and magnetic readings as well to help shape the crustal and lithospheric models used as the basis for their study.
According to Durham University researchers, the orientation and elevation of the subglacial topography was calculated based on what the researchers characterize as “rebounded topography,” in which the elevation of land surfaces in East Antarctica were calculated based on how the terrain would respond if none of the ice that currently weights it down were present.
“Laterally, to the west, it caused compression and the consequent uplift of the Gamburtsev Mountains,” the team reports, while to the east, “the northernmost Transantarctic Mountains segment was rotated clockwise by ~20°, overriding the West Antarctic Rift System’s hot lithosphere,” which segmented the mountains into three distinct blocks.
Meanwhile, to the north, the team says the “transcurrent edge of the fan formed the lithospheric weakness that controlled the breakup of Gondwana by driving the propagation of Antarctica–Australia separation and shaping the resulting semi-circular passive continental margins.”
“These processes have influenced the present-day East Antarctica sub-ice landscape and the evolution of the overlying ice sheet,” the researchers say, which includes “the development of glacial troughs and outlet glaciers.”
The team’s recent study, “A fan-shaped subglacial basin province in East Antarctica formed by rotational extension,” was published in Nature Geoscience on June 3, 2026.
Analysis suggests the structure was formed by a process known as distributed rotational extension.
This is where the continental crust has spread out from a central point. The pattern is similar to a hand, with the base of the thumb as the fixed point, and fingers spread out, showing the stretching. The gaps between the fingers are like the triangular basins that form as they open.
The East Antarctic Fan-shaped Basin Province could be one of the largest examples of rotational extension ever seen in continental crust.
It may have developed through multiple tectonic phases linked to the evolution of the Gondwana supercontinent and the later separation between Antarctica and Australia and could even have influenced this break-up.
The discovery also raises fresh questions—particularly around the precise age of the structure and the geodynamic mechanisms that generated it.
However, the significance of the discovery extends beyond historical insight.
The shape of the bedrock hidden beneath the ice sheet continues to influence ice flow today, controlling the distribution of subglacial basins and lakes. This could potentially affect the stability of parts of the Antarctic Ice Sheet that are particularly sensitive to climate change.
To investigate the structure, researchers combined subglacial topography with geological observations, gravity, magnetic and seismic data, and crustal and lithospheric models.
They found that the observed structure is a result of a deep tectonic process within the Antarctic lithosphere.
Dr. Guy Paxman from our Department of Geography was part of the research team.
He led on calculating what the elevation of the land surface of East Antarctica would be if all the ice were removed (which would cause the land to rebound upwards by as much as one kilometer).
This "rebounded topography" was used in analysis of the orientation and elevation of the topography of the newly discovered structure.
Scientists Detect Massive Structure Under Antarctica
Armadillo et al.; Futurism; Shutterstock
Researchers have uncovered the existence of a monumental geological structure buried two miles beneath the frigid ice of Antarctica.
According to a new paper, published in the journal Nature, the massive structure is made up of several previously known glacial landforms, like the Wilkes and Aurora subglacial basin region of East Antarctica, as well as Lake Vostok, the largest known subglacial lake on the planet.
These features have been studied separately for years, a press release notes, but have never been recognized as individual pieces to a larger puzzle.
Called the East Antarctic Fan-shaped Basin Province, the newly-identified structure likely represents one of the largest Earth features of its kind. While more work will be needed to corroborate the findings, the theorized formation could be crucial for understanding how Antarctica came to be, and how its three major ice sheets may respond to a warming climate.
To map the structure, scientists compiled datasets from a buffet of sources, like geological observations, gravity measurements, magnetic data, and models of the Earth’s crust, among others.
Added together, those datasets led researchers to conclude the geological feature likely formed through a process known as “distributed rotational extension,” where continental crust slowly stretches outward from a central point over a period of millions of years.
“Because these basins underlie about half of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet, they are likely to heavily influence both ice-flow and landscape evolution, making them essential to Antarctic glacial and hydrological processes,” the study’s authors write.
More on Antarctica:
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Inside NASA's $1 BILLION plan to destroy the ISS: As the latest leak sparks evacuation fears, experts reveal how the doomed space station will be destroyed in 2030
Over 25 years since the first astronauts floated aboard the International Space Station, time is now running out for Earth's orbiting outpost.
Last week, NASA astronauts were ordered to prepare for an emergency evacuation while Russian cosmonauts attempted to repair a 'worsening' leak.
While no escape flights were ultimately necessary, this near miss has sparked concerns that the ISS has reached the end of its useful lifespan.
Now, experts have revealed the step–by–step details of the $1 billion plan to bring the doomed station crashing down to Earth.
Speaking at the ASCEND 2026 aerospace conference, Ryan Landon, director of Operations at NASA Johnson Space Centre, said that the ISS would be allowed to start falling to Earth sometime in 2028.
With a mass of 450,000 kilograms, about the same as 280 family cars, the ISS will slowly fall out of orbit if it isn't being periodically boosted upwards.
However, simply letting the station's orbit 'decay' naturally would result in an uncontrolled re–entry that would scatter potentially deadly debris across Earth.
This means that NASA will push the station out of orbit, bringing the remaining material down at a remote location in the Pacific Ocean.
After Russian attempts to fix a leak on the International Space Station trigger an evacuation scare, experts have revealed the $1 billion plan to bring the doomed station down to Earth
The ISS and its crew of seven astronauts from around the world orbit at an altitude of 250 miles (400km) above the Earth.
To maintain this relatively low orbit, the station has to move incredibly fast, travelling at speeds of 17,500mph (28,000km/h) and whizzing over our heads 16 times a day.
Normally, the station maintains its speed by using propellant to thrust back up into orbit and avoid tumbling into the thicker layers of the atmosphere.
However, starting from 2028, NASA plans to simply let this process take its natural course.
According to the latest plans published in 2024, the station will still be operational during this time, and on–board activities, including research, will continue as normal.
Left unchecked, this process would eventually bring the station crashing into the atmosphere, where most of the materials would be burned up by friction.
But this type of uncontrolled re–entry is far too risky for an object as large as the ISS.
Dr James Beck, space debris expert and director of UK–based space consultancy Belstead Research, told the Daily Mail: 'It is certain that parts will reach the surface of the Earth, and most likely quite a lot of parts.
Last week, NASA astronauts were forced to take shelter in their SpaceX Dragon capsule (pictured) in case of a disaster aboard the orbiting station
'The open question is how many, and whether there can be sufficient control over where this occurs.'
Dr Beck explains that there is an internationally agreed 'casualty risk limit' of one in 10,000 for any re–entry.
This limit is typically reached once a spacecraft gets to a mass of around 500 to 1,000 kg, whereas the ISS weighs 450 tonnes.
Dr Beck says: 'It should be expected that a few hundred objects which could cause casualties on the ground would be produced.'
The space agency can't limit how much debris reaches the ground, so they need to control exactly where this debris ends up so that no one gets hurt.
This requires boosting the station backwards, slowing it down at a precise point in its orbit so that it eventually falls in an uninhabited area in the Pacific called Point Nemo.
Known as the 'Spaceship Graveyard', Point Nemo is the furthest location from any inhabited location anywhere on Earth, which significantly reduces the danger of space debris.
According to NASA's calculations, the ISS will need to change its speed by about 127 miles per hour (204 km/h), which is a tiny fraction of its total speed.
NASA plans to use a modified Dragon capsule to push the ISS out of orbit (artist's impression), so that it falls within an uninhabited part of the Pacific Ocean
However, this will consume about nine tonnes of propellant, which is far more than the ISS's own thrusters can provide.
In 2024, NASA awarded Elon Musk's SpaceX a contract worth slightly under $1 billion (£749.69 million) to build a 'tugboat' capable of delivering that push.
This will be a modified version of the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule used to deliver astronauts and cargo that will dock with the station before firing up its motor and pushing the ISS down to Earth.
This vehicle will need to carry six times as much propellant and produce three to four times as much power as the current generation of SpaceX spacecraft.
NASA officials now say that the last cargo capsule will depart the ISS around mid–2029, ahead of the official end of operations in 2030.
Once the last crew have gone, the station will continue to fall over several months until it reaches the 'point of no return' at an altitude of 175 miles (280 km).
Roughly 18 months before the ISS crashes down in 2031, the modified Dragon capsule will dock with the station and prepare to deliver the finishing blow.
Speaking at a press conference in 2024, Dana Weigel, NASA’s ISS manager, explained that the tug would do this over several stages over 18 months.
NASA estimates it will cost $1bn (£800m) to convert a Dragon capsule (pictured) into a vehicle capable of pushing the ISS out of orbit
Ms Weigel said: 'At the right time, it will perform a complex series of actions... over several days to deorbit the space station.
'First, the deorbit vehicle will perform orbit shaping burns to put the station in a low elliptical orbit, and then, eventually, it will perform a final re–entry burn'.
NASA expects that most of the space station will be destroyed, but 40 to 100 tonnes of denser materials could still make it through the atmosphere.
Once the space station hits thicker air at an altitude of around 150 miles (250 km), there is also a risk that the tugboat could lose control of the station and begin to tumble.
In 1979, NASA's 75–tonne space station, Skylab, tore itself apart as it crashed through the atmosphere during a planned re–entry, sending debris falling over parts of Western Australia.
However, NASA's assessment found that leaving the ISS in orbit is far more dangerous than attempting to bring it down intentionally.
The agency's 2024 assessment concluded: 'The International Space Station requires a controlled re–entry because it is very large, and uncontrolled re–entry would result in very large pieces of debris with a large debris footprint, posing a significant risk to the public worldwide.
'Ensuring the space station is well maintained continues to be the safest operational approach while also planning for deorbit at the space station’s end of life.'
The International Space Station (ISS) is a $100 billion (£80 billion) science and engineering laboratory that orbits 250 miles (400 km) above Earth.
It has been permanently staffed by rotating crews of astronauts and cosmonauts since November 2000.
Crews have come mainly from the US and Russia, but the Japanese space agency JAXA and European space agency ESA have also sent astronauts.
The International Space Station has been continuously occupied for more than 20 years and has been expended with multiple new modules added and upgrades to systems
Research conducted aboard the ISS often requires one or more of the unusual conditions present in low Earth orbit, such as low-gravity or oxygen.
ISS studies have investigated human research, space medicine, life sciences, physical sciences, astronomy and meteorology.
The US space agency, NASA, spends about $3 billion (£2.4 billion) a year on the space station program, with the remaining funding coming from international partners, including Europe, Russia and Japan.
So far 244 individuals from 19 countries have visited the station, and among them eight private citizens who spent up to $50 million for their visit.
There is an ongoing debate about the future of the station beyond 2025, when it is thought some of the original structure will reach 'end of life'.
Russia, a major partner in the station, plans to launch its own orbital platform around then, with Axiom Space, a private firm, planning to send its own modules for purely commercial use to the station at the same time.
NASA, ESA, JAXA and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) are working together to build a space station in orbit around the moon, and Russia and China are working on a similar project, that would also include a base on the surface.
Haunting photos show 'UFO' Biden admin used $500,000 missile to shoot down... what it turned out to be was far more 'embarrassing'
A mysterious object initially described as a possible UFO and shot down by a $500,000 missile under former president Joe Biden's administration has since been identified as a Boy Scout balloon.
In February 2023, F-16s scrambled to confront an octagonal object hovering 20,000 feet above Lake Huron before blasting it from the sky with an AIM-9 Sidewinder missile, according to video released last month by the Department of War.
The 45-second clip captured a black, orb-like object in US airspace, with a dangling string visible in the fighter jet's crosshairs moments before it was blown apart.
The shootdown, carried out by a Minnesota Air National Guard F-16 Viper, was ordered by former President Biden 'out of an abundance of caution and at the recommendation of military leaders.'
But Sean Kirkpatrick, former head of the federal All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), revealed that the object actually belonged to a Boy Scout troop.
'The balloon had circumnavigated the globe eight times before we shot it down with a half-million-dollar missile,' he said at a conference in April.
Kirkpatrick added that the orb in question was part of an ongoing, unspecified research project.
'You can imagine the response on the Hill when I briefed that,' he said.
An object initially described as a possible UFO and shot down by a $500,000 missile under the Biden administration in 2023 was revealed to have been a Boy Scout balloon
In February 2023, F-16s scrambled to confront an octagonal object hovering 20,000ft above Lake Huron before blasting it from the sky
During an April press conference, Sean Kirkpatrick, former head of the federal All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), said the orb was part of an ongoing, unspecified research project
The shootdown was ordered by former President Joe Biden 'out of an abundance of caution and at the recommendation of military leaders'
The Boy Scout orb was destroyed amid the Chinese spy balloon incident, as criticism grew over the government's delay in acting while public concern spiked and citizens became 'freaked out,' according to an congresswoman who spoke to CNN.
In the span of just two weeks, US fighter jets shot down three other high-altitude objects over North American airspace, beginning with one off the South Carolina coast on February 4, 2023.
FBI analysis of the recovered wreckage found that the balloon was part of a Beijing surveillance network with antennas used to collect and locate communications over US missile bases.
'It's not a major breach. Look, the total amount of intelligence gathering that's going on by every country around the world is overwhelming,' Biden said at the time.
In the following days, one object was shot down off the coast of Alaska and was later identified as a hobbyist balloon belonging to the Northern Illinois Bottlecap Balloon Brigade, as reported by The Guardian.
The group reported one of its hobby balloons 'missing in action' on February 11, 2023 - the same day a US F-22 shot down an unidentified airborne object using a $439,000 missile.
Meanwhile, the hobby balloon itself was estimated to be worth only about $12.
Then came the object downed over the Great Lakes at around 2.42pm on February 12, 2023, which again cost the US government nearly $1 million in missiles to destroy.
Tim Phillips, a former interim director of AARO, told The New York Post: 'After the Chinese spy balloon embarrassment, DOD was shooting at every (Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena) they detected'
The 45-second clip captured a black, orb-like object with a dangling string visible in the fighter jet's crosshairs moments before it was blown apart
It was revealed that a US Air Force F-16 missed its first attempt before firing a second AIM-9X Sidewinder missile that struck the target
Kirkpatrick described another incident during April's conference in which a US fighter pilot reported encountering a UFO with 'stealth-like capabilities' and was authorized to fire a missile.
But what was ultimately destroyed was a star-shaped Mylar balloon from Walmart that read 'Happy Birthday.'
Many of the military's alleged UFO videos, including some released by the Trump administration, actually show ordinary manmade objects that were misidentified by Reaper drone operators.
'They've been on mission and they've got to get back to base to rearm and refuel. And you've got a bored operator looking around. And they pick something up and aren't sure what it is,' Phillips told the outlet.
'We're actually seeing, good reporting coming out of the fleet, coming out of the operation wings and squadrons, where they're willing to report this stuff,' he added.
'And this is part of that outreach where we get our scientists to talk to the Reaper operators and actually go side by side and try to do some education.'
Shortly after the Lake Huron shootdown, it was revealed that a US Air Force F-16 missed its first attempt before firing a second AIM-9X Sidewinder missile that struck the target, according to Fox News. Each missile costs around $400,000.
In the span of just two weeks, US fighter jets shot down three other high-altitude objects over North American airspace, beginning with one off the South Carolina coast on February 4, 2023
FBI analysis of the recovered wreckage in South Carolina waters found that the balloon was part of a Beijing surveillance network
Kirkpatrick described another incident during April's conference in which a US fighter pilot reported encountering a UFO with 'stealth-like capabilities,' only for it to be a $12 balloon from Walmart
The mission over the Great Lakes came as the White House continued to laugh off suggestions that aliens are involved in the UFO sightings
Despite a Pentagon memo describing the flying object as a 'small, metallic balloon', audio of conversation from inside the jets showed that the pilots went back and forth over how to define the UFO.
'I wouldn’t really call it a balloon… I don’t know what… I can see it outside with my eyes,' one of the pilots can be heard saying.
Military officials later described the object as an 'octagonal structure', which was shot out of the sky because it was 'a safety flight hazard and a threat due to its potential surveillance capabilities.'
But audio recordings, released by The Drive, shed light on the puzzling nature of the military operation as it erupted over US airspace.
After coming-face-to-face with the object, one of the pilots noted: 'I wouldn't really call it a balloon. I can see it outside with my eyes.'
'Looks like something… there’s some kind of object that’s distended… it’s hard to tell, it’s pretty small,' he added.
The mission over the Great Lakes came as the White House continued to laugh off suggestions that aliens are involved in the UFO sightings, amid increased pressure for officials to explain recent developments.
The barrage of downed high-altitude objects also prompted the White House to announce the creation of a new UFO task force to study the security threat posed by unidentified objects entering US airspace.
Something Dark Is Going On At Los Alamos: Melissa Casias’ Mysterious Death Joins Chilling List Of Scientists Linked To UFO & Secret Tech Programs
Melissa Casias’s case is real and tragic, but the evidence available shows she was a Los Alamos National Laboratory employee who disappeared in June 2025 and was later identified after her remains were found in a New Mexico forest.
According to public reporting and a New Mexico State Police release republished by the Los Alamos Reporter, a hiker found human remains in the McGaffey Ridge area of Carson National Forest on May 28, 2026. Investigators said a handgun was located alongside the remains, which were later identified as Melissa Casias. The cause and manner of death had not yet been determined.
The UFO and secret-technology angle comes mostly from online speculation and broader interest in a separate wave of “missing scientists” theories. The Wall Street Journal reported that a fringe conspiracy theory about missing scientists had attracted FBI attention, but also noted that investigators and critics had not found evidence proving a coordinated plot.
Scientific American likewise argued that basic statistics can explain why clusters of cases can look connected even when they are not. In other words, the pattern may feel suspicious without being proof of a hidden project.
Chris Cuomo on NewsNation discussed the possibility of conspiracy, classified work, and UAP-related secrecy, but it also includes caution from Morgan Wright that people should not jump from evidence to narrative too early. It also says Casias was an administrative assistant, not a scientist with nuclear-program access, and that she had no access to restricted data or “anything dealing with nukes” according to the guest’s explanation. That matters because it weakens the idea that she was deep inside a secret technology project.
CNN writes Casias was last seen walking southbound on State Road 518 in June 2025, and that her personal items were left at home. People reported the same broad facts and added that a handgun was found next to the remains. None of those reports provide evidence of aliens, black-budget technology, or clandestine experimentation.
A key point is that the cause of death was not established in the initial reports. That leaves room for uncertainty, but uncertainty is not the same as proof of a cover-up. People often treat unresolved details as a doorway to huge conclusions. In reality, unresolved details often stay unresolved because investigators are still collecting and testing evidence.
The public timeline also matters. Casias disappeared on June 26, 2025, and her remains were found on May 28, 2026, in Carson National Forest. That delay is troubling and understandably painful for her family, but delay alone does not establish a secret-program explanation.
The UFO connection appears to be more about surrounding culture than about the case itself. Los Alamos has long been associated in public imagination with nuclear history, advanced science, and secrecy, so any employee from there can quickly become part of a larger mystery story. That association is powerful even when the person involved worked in an administrative role rather than a technical one.
NewsNation interview with Morgan Wright touches this point. It says the government should be more transparent about “the UAP phenomenon,” and suggests that secrecy creates a vacuum that conspiracy theories rush to fill. That is a fair description of how online narratives grow. Once a case sits near a lab, a weapon program, or a classified site, people begin connecting unrelated dots because the setting feels dramatic.
Claims about “secret technology” are especially weak here because the known facts do not show that Casias held a scientific or technical role connected to classified research. NewsNation reports that Casias was an administrative assistant and that she likely had only limited clearance consistent with administrative work, not access to restricted technical material. If true, that would make her much less likely to be involved in any hidden weapons or advanced propulsion project.
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This is where sensational stories become misleading. They often blur “worked at a sensitive place” into “must have known something huge.” That move sounds exciting, but it collapses under scrutiny. The public record here does not show Casias was connected to any hidden aircraft, reverse-engineered non-human craft, or black-site program.
There is no public evidence that links Casias’s death to non-human intelligence. No report cited in the available sources says investigators found materials, witnesses, signals, or physical traces suggesting aliens or anomalous technology. What exists is a death investigation, a recovered body, and a lot of online interpretation.
The interview brings up UFO files, classified labs, and missing people in New Mexico in the same conversation, which makes the topic feel unified even when the facts are not. That style works well for television because it is emotionally sticky, but it is not evidence. A compelling story is not the same thing as a proven one.
Even the more cautious sources about the broader “missing scientists” wave do not support an alien angle. Scientific American argued that statistical clustering and selective attention can make ordinary cases appear linked. That same logic applies here. A tragic case near a famous lab can be folded into a UFO narrative because people already expect secrets there.
There are still unanswered questions in Casias’s case, and those questions are legitimate. The exact cause and manner of death were still under investigation in the public reports. The reason for the handgun’s presence, the circumstances of her final hours, and the full forensic findings were not established in the early coverage.
Those unknowns create space for speculation, but speculation should stay separate from fact. A missing person case can involve suicide, accident, foul play, or a mix of confusing circumstances. Without a completed forensic conclusion, any single theory is premature. The interview transcript itself warns against deciding too early and says the biggest danger is going from evidence straight to narrative.
That warning is useful here. People want a clear explanation, especially when a person worked near a famous lab and the story already sounds unusual. But unusual does not automatically mean extraordinary. Sometimes a mysterious-looking case turns out to be a human tragedy with no hidden dimension.
Melissa Casias was a Los Alamos administrative employee who went missing, was later found dead, and became the subject of online speculation because her case sat inside a broader moment of fascination with secrecy, labs, and UFOs. That broader moment helped push her case into a larger conspiracy frame. But the evidence made public so far does not prove any connection to secret technology or non-human intelligence.
That does not mean people invented the concern from nothing. Some details, like the recovery of remains far from where she was last seen and the presence of a handgun, naturally invite questions. It is also true that secrecy around government work creates public suspicion. Still, suspicion is only the beginning of inquiry, not the end of it.
So the responsible conclusion is simple. The case is tragic and still serious, but the UFO and hidden-project angle remains unproven and speculative. At this point, the story is about a death investigation, not confirmed alien contact, not confirmed black-budget technology, and not confirmed non-human intelligence.
Brazilian Influencer Gains 2.2 Million Followers After UFO Video, Now Says He’s Terrified
News articles say he lives alone on a small farm in an isolated area with no neighbors nearby, no tap water, and no mobile signal. On Sunday, May 31, 2026 what should have been a normal day of taking care of the animals turned into something he describes as a possible UFO encounter.
He first noticed that the animals were very nervous and running around the property. Worried that it might be a wild animal, such as a jaguar, he grabbed his bow and arrows and went to investigate.
At the edge of his land, he found the electric fence down and heard strange noises that frightened him. He says the sound was hard to describe. It was like metallic tones layered on top of each other, a sort of crack, roar, or snapping sound, as if a single source was making several metallic noises at once. He recorded two Instagram Stories with the audio of these sounds.
Later that afternoon, he says he heard another sound above his house, like a ratchet or gear mechanism, similar to a very large ship or boat passing overhead. At that moment, he already felt he might be going crazy, but he kept filming so that at least his followers could hear what he was hearing.
He describes the experience as if he had “received” the sounds in his head, not just heard them with his ears, and this impression keeps replaying in his mind and makes it hard for him to sleep.
Around nightfall, from his veranda, he saw strange lights on a mountain ridge visible from the house. He says the lights were neither high enough to be above the hill nor low enough to touch the ground, and that the object appeared to be hovering over the trees near a river.
He filmed the scene using maximum zoom on an iPhone 15, capturing a bright object with grouped lights on the distant slope. According to him, the object stayed there for about 20 to 40 minutes before the lights went out and disappeared. After the lights vanished, he remained outside talking to his followers on live video.
He then says he saw something very large finishing a pass over his house, which made him feel he had been in front of “something that was not from here,” an intelligence he believes was greater than ours
Encouraged by a follower, he drew what he saw to try to represent the shape of the supposed craft. He did not go to the site of the lights because it is more than three kilometers away, with rough terrain, dense forest and a river, and he was afraid. He insists he did not edit the videos in any way.
Before this episode, he had about 46,000 followers. As the stories and videos spread, they went viral, with one of the videos alone reaching more than two million views. His audience jumped to more than 950,000 followers in a short time, and the case became one of the most talked-about topics on social networks in Brazil.
He describes the experience as both scary and beautiful and says it is one of the most intense things he has ever lived through. At the same time, he reports that he has been unable to sleep properly for two days because of the fear and the flood of messages he receives.
Reaction online has been mixed. Many people support him and send messages saying they have had similar experiences or believe he really saw a UFO. Others attack him, insult him and even threaten him. Some accuse him of creating a hoax for self‑promotion or to help promote a science‑fiction film about aliens that is about to be released.
There are also people saying the lights could be drones, but Mayk says locals in the area do not have that kind of equipment. With the case going viral, he says he has received messages from all over the world. According to him, ufologists have offered to visit the farm, examine the place and analyze the original, unedited videos.
He is crying as he explains that he is emotionally shaken and scared by everything that happened after he filmed the strange lights and the supposed UFO, and by how this is affecting his life.
In the interviews and lives, he says he has not been able to sleep properly for about two days, both because of fear of what he saw and because of the huge number of people contacting him. He explains that the sounds he heard in the forest and above his house were very disturbing and feel like they are still “inside his head,” as if he had received a kind of vibration or communication instead of just hearing a normal noise.
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Plox, a Brazilian online news portal, reports that the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) says that its radars did not detect any object in the area of Campo Largo at the time of the video. They state that the monitoring and control of Brazilian airspace in that region were completely normal, with nothing out of the ordinary showing up in their systems.
According to Mayk Leao, the incident began when he noticed an unusual behaviour among the nearly 280 animals living on his rural property, many of which had been rescued through an animal welfare NGO he supports, reports Mixvale.
Concerned, he went outside to investigate and found a section of the property's electric fence down. Soon after, he heard what he described as a series of metallic clicking sounds and loud noises unlike anything he had experienced before.
Leao said that he began recording the sounds and later spotted mysterious lights hovering above the treeline near a mountain range. He also used the maximum zoom on his iPhone 15, he captured the footage of flashing lights he claims remained visible for roughly 20 to 40 minutes before moving in the direction of his house. Then its just disappeared.
The story quickly gained attention online, largely because Leao had never previously been associated with UFO-related content. Known for sharing videos about rural life and animal rescue, he saw his social media following surge from around 46000 to more than 950000 in just a matter of days.
Days later, Mayk Leao posted the clip; he shared another footage of himself in a mental breakdown condition, claiming that his life changed dramatically after he filmed what he believes was a UFO near his rural property.
According to the influencer, an unfamiliar black vehicle with heavily tinted windows began appearing near his home. Leao has since shared the emotional videos online, saying the incidents have left him fearful for his safety and increasingly concerned about who may be watching him.
As soon as the couple of videos surfaced on social media, it quickly sparked a debate. One user wrote on X, "TF!! Are these things even real?!! Sometimes I don't know what to believe on these socials!!
While one asked, "Who tf is Mayk Leão?" "Someone famous in his neighbourhood?"
"This is ridiculous. Spotting a UFO is nothing to any government. Now when you actually have an encounter with the beings inside the UFO, that’s when they’ll start coming around. Stop this fearmongering."
"Look at this shit; if that UFO shows up in the middle of the Penha Complex, there wouldn't be any drama, but it goes and shows up to the Freddie Mercury of Paraná, and then it's all this little drama," one added.
"And with all his fear, he thought a video for the public might be the best idea? 😂😂😂"
While one joke, "At least he’s handling it well."
"Not buying this; it gives me the vibes of that guy that has aliens manifest in his living room, but it’s always the same angle," and more.
However, IndiaTimes cannot confirm on the viral claims by Mayk Leao as the story is completely based on the social media buzz.
Who is Mayk Leao?
Mayk Leao is a 31-year-old Brazilian content creator and nursing technician who gained international attention in June 2026 after sharing a video of mysterious lights that he alleged were linked to a UFO sighting.
Prior to his sudden rise in popularity, Leão led a relatively low-profile life in the rural outskirts of Campo Largo, which is located in the metropolitan area of Curitiba in Paraná, Brazil. Through his Instagram account, he regularly documented everyday life on his small farm, where he cared for around 280 rescued animals.
Conclusion
I am no expert here. I read an explanation on Metabunk where people argues “UFO” in Mayk Leão’s video is probably something ordinary on the ground, not an alien craft, and that the whole case is strongly influenced by social media hype and movie marketing vibes.
Other users on the site say the lights in the video do not move like an object in the sky and appear clearly below the distant ridge, which fits something on the hillside rather than in the air. Some speculate it could be construction equipment, emergency vehicles or a convoy, not a craft hovering over the river as Mayk believes. One user points out that Mayk did not know there was a campsite and homesteads in that direction, which could make distant vehicle lights look mysterious to him.
I do not know if that’s the case. You decide.
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©Getty Images
Spielberg's 'Disclosure Day' nears release amid UAP revelations
References
©Photo by Xavier GALIANA / AFP via Getty Images. US director Steven Spielberg poses upon arrival for the premiere of "Disclosure Day" at the Grand Rex in Paris on June 2, 2026.
(Photo by Xavier GALIANA / AFP via Getty Images)
Steven Spielberg credits 'The Age of Disclosure' documentary for raising awareness
Steven Spielberg stated that the documentary 'The Age of Disclosure' played a role in raising awareness. He linked this influence to the development of his new alien thriller 'Disclosure Day'.
References
©Photo by Neil Mockford/Getty Images. LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 04: Director Steven Spielberg attends the UK premiere for "Disclosure Day" at Cineworld Leicester Square on June 04, 2026 in London, England.
(Photo by Neil Mockford/Getty Images)
Steven Spielberg's first science fiction film in eight years
Steven Spielberg is returning to the science fiction genre with the release of 'Disclosure Day', marking his first sci-fi project in eight years. This film reconnects him with the genre he explored in earlier works such as 'Firelight' and 'Close Encounters'.
References
©Photo by Karwai Tang/WireImage. LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 04: (L-R) David Koepp, Wyatt Russell, Eve Hewson, Colin Firth, Emily Blunt, Director Steven Spielberg, Josh O'Connor, Kristie Macosko Krieger and Colman Domingo attend the UK premiere for "Disclosure Day" at Cineworld Leicester Square on June 04, 2026 in London, England.
(Photo by Karwai Tang/WireImage)
David Koepp as screenwriter for 'Disclosure Day'
The screenplay for 'Disclosure Day' was written by David Koepp. Koepp has previously collaborated with Steven Spielberg on other projects, bringing his writing to this new science fiction film.
References
©Photo by Pierre Mouton/Getty Images for Universal Pictures. PARIS, FRANCE - JUNE 02: Steven Spielberg is seen on stage during the Paris premiere of "Disclosure Day" at the Grand Rex on June 02, 2026 in Paris, France.
(Photo by Pierre Mouton/Getty Images for Universal Pictures)
Plot of 'Disclosure Day' involving government-alien conspiracy
'Disclosure Day' follows interconnected characters who are engaged in a race to expose a conspiracy involving the government and aliens. The narrative intertwines personal stakes with revelations that could have global consequences.
References
©Photo by Kristy Sparow/Getty Images for Universal Pictures. PARIS, FRANCE - JUNE 02: (L-R) Josh O'Connor, Colman Domingo, Steven Spielberg, Emily Blunt and Wyatt Russell attend the Paris premiere of "Disclosure Day" at the Grand Rex on June 02, 2026 in Paris, France.
(Photo by Kristy Sparow/Getty Images for Universal Pictures)
Cast of 'Disclosure Day' including Emily Blunt, Josh O’Connor, and Colman Domingo
The cast of 'Disclosure Day' features Emily Blunt, Josh O’Connor, and Colman Domingo in leading roles. These actors portray characters navigating both personal challenges and world-altering discoveries.
References
©Photo by Pierre Mouton/Getty Images for Universal Pictures. PARIS, FRANCE - JUNE 02: Steven Spielberg greets fans during the Paris premiere of "Disclosure Day" at the Grand Rex on June 02, 2026 in Paris, France.
(Photo by Pierre Mouton/Getty Images for Universal Pictures)
Disclosure Day release scheduled during 2026 World Cup
The film 'Disclosure Day' is strategically scheduled for release during the 2026 World Cup. This timing is intended to coincide with a period of heightened global attention. The release strategy aims to maximize audience reach by leveraging the international event's large viewership.
References
A massive cigar-shaped UFO rose from the Pacific, Soviet crew reported
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Eindelijk weten we waar mysterieuze radiopulsen uit de ruimte vandaan komen
Al jaren tasten astronomen in het duister over vreemde signalen uit de ruimte. Het gaat om korte maar krachtige radioflitsen die zich keurig elke paar minuten of uren herhalen. Een promovendus aan de Universiteit van Sydney denkt nu een verklaring te hebben gevonden.
De objecten heten in vakkringen long period radio transients (LPT). Het zijn als het ware kosmische bakens die met enige regelmaat opflitsen en daarna weer doodvallen. Al twintig jaar weet niemand zeker wat erachter zit. Astronomen hadden ruwweg twee theorieën. Ofwel zijn het extreem trage magnetars (sterk gemagnetiseerde neutronensterren die normaal in seconden ronddraaien, maar in dit geval veel trager), ofwel zijn het dubbelsterren waarvan minstens één een witte dwerg is.
Witte dwergen zijn de uitgedoofde kernen die overblijven nadat sterren zoals onze zon hun brandstof hebben opgebruikt. Ze zijn klein, dicht en vaak heel magnetisch. Eerdere ontdekkingen deden onderzoekers vermoeden dat de witte-dwergtheorie klopt, maar tot nu toe ontbrak sluitend bewijs.
Kovi Rose, promovendus aan de Universiteit van Sydney, was data van de Australische radiotelescoop ASKAP aan het doorkammen. Hij was op zoek naar bronnen die sterk gepolariseerd radiolicht uitzenden. Van ongeveer drie miljoen objecten bleef er na filteren een select clubje van een honderdtal over, waarvan er één was die niemand eerder had geïdentificeerd. Het object kreeg de naam ASKAP J174508.9-505149, afgekort tot het net iets minder ongelukkige ASKAP J1745-5051.
Vervolgens werden er verschillende telescopen op het object gericht. Elke 1,34 uur bleek het radioflitsen terug te sturen. Optische spectra (lichtanalyses uitgesplitst naar kleur) lieten emissielijnen zien die typisch zijn voor een zogenaamde cataclysmische variabele. Dat is een dubbelster waarbij materie van de ene ster wordt opgeslokt door een witte dwerg. Twee satellieten pikten bovendien röntgenstraling op vanuit hetzelfde punt aan de hemel.
Leestip:
Die röntgenstraling kwam eveneens in een ritme van zo’n 1,3 uur aan. Dezelfde periode dus als de radioflitsen en niet toevallig ook als de tijd die de twee sterren nodig hebben om een keer om elkaar heen te draaien. Dat betekent dat het overstromen van materie van de ene naar de andere ster direct gekoppeld is aan wat we vanaf de aarde zien knipperen.
Dit maakt van ASKAP J1745-5051 het eerste exemplaar van zijn soort waarvan onomstotelijk vaststaat dat het om een actief etende dubbelster gaat. Voor astronomen is deze ontdekking van onschatbare waarde. Voor het eerst kan het signaal van een long period radio transient ‘vertaald’ worden.
De partner van de witte dwerg is een ronduit petieterig sterretje. Onderzoekers schatten dat het zo’n tien procent van de massa van onze zon heeft. Waarschijnlijk gaat het om een rode dwerg of misschien zelfs een bruine dwerg (een object dat eigenlijk te licht is om als echte ster te functioneren). De twee tollen extreem dicht om elkaar heen. Hun afstand tot elkaar is kleiner dan de straal van onze zon en de witte dwerg slurpt actief materiaal van zijn buurman af.
ASKAP J1745-5051 wordt nog altijd in de gaten gehouden. Tijdens vervolgwaarnermingen moet vooral de draaisnelheid van de witte dwerg zelf worden bepaald. Daarnaast willen astronomen begrijpen of dezelfde mechanismen achter alle LPT’s zitten.
Mogelijk is een van onze planeten verdwenen. Dat kan verklaren waarom ons zonnestelsel er nu zo uitziet
We kennen allemaal de acht planeten van ons zonnestelsel. Daar zitten twee ijsreuzen bij, Uranus en Neptunus, maar mogelijk is er ooit een derde geweest.
Volgens een nieuwe studie heeft deze extra planeet miljarden jaren geleden een hardhandige herschikking van de planeten veroorzaakt. Daarbij zouden sommige manen van Jupiter en Uranus ontregeld zijn geraakt. Ook zijn er mogelijk zelfs nieuwe manen ontstaan.
Kort nadat de planeten zich zo’n 4 tot 4,5 miljard jaar geleden vormden, maakte het buitenste deel van het zonnestelsel een periode van extreme chaos door. Deze fase staat bekend als de instabiliteit van het Nice-model. In die tijd venderden de banen van Jupiter, Saturnus, Uranus en Neptunus drastisch en werden ze zeer instabiel.
Het kwam vaak voor dat de reuzenplaneten bijna botsten. Ze naderden elkaar soms tot op zeer korte afstand en oefenden een sterke zwaartekracht op elkaar uit. Uiteindelijk leidde deze chaotische beweging ertoe dat de planeten in de banen terechtkwamen die ze vandaag de dag nog steeds volgen. Wetenschappers vragen zich echter al lange tijd af hoe hun manen deze heftige periode konden overleven.
Om beter te begrijpen wat er gebeurde, vooral met de manen van gasreus Jupiter en ijsreus Uranus, analyseerde een onderzoeksteam 122 computersimulaties van het jonge zonnestelsel. Deze simulaties werden geselecteerd uit duizenden mogelijkheden, omdat ze belangrijke kenmerken van het huidige buitenste zonnestelsel het nauwkeurigst nabootsten.
Vervolgens berekenden de onderzoekers voor miljoenen jaren de complexe zwaartekrachtwisselwerking tussen de planeten, manen, de zon en passerende ruimteobjecten. Ze testten scenario’s die begonnen met vijf of zes reuzenplaneten, omdat de huidige versie van het Nice-model ook uitgaat van een of twee extra reuzenplaneten die later uit het zonnestelsel werden geslingerd.
Leestip:
De computermodellen lieten zien dat de overlevingskans van de maansystemen van zowel Jupiter als Uranus klein was, namelijk minder dan 15 procent. Van alle geteste scenario’s was er slechts één waarin zowel de oorspronkelijke planeten als hun manen samen overleefden.
Wanneer andere planeten te dicht bij Uranus kwamen, zorgde hun enorme zwaartekracht er vrijwel zeker voor dat zijn manen werden verwoest. In plaats van het zonnestelsel uit te worden geslingerd, botsten de manen echter met hoge snelheid op elkaar. Daardoor ontstond een enorm veld van ijzig puin dat zich na verloop van tijd weer samenvoegde tot nieuwe hemellichamen. Het onderzoeksteam denkt dat dit mogelijk verklaart hoe de maan Miranda van Uranus is ontstaan.
Maar dit was niet de enige aanwijzing voor een gewelddadig verleden van de Uranusmanen die uit de simulaties naar voren kwam. “Onze resultaten wijzen erop dat de manen van Uranus waarschijnlijk minstens twee keer zo hard zijn verstoord waardoor botsingen onvermijdelijk werden: zowel door de inslag die de planeet deed kantelen als door de instabiliteit onder de reuzenplaneten”, schrijven de onderzoekers.
Hoewel het onderzoek een fascinerend beeld schetst van het vroege zonnestelsel, erkennen de wetenschappers dat simulaties nooit alle details kunnen weergeven. Er is daarom meer modelonderzoek nodig om het lot van afzonderlijke manen met grotere zekerheid te kunnen vaststellen.
Mystery of America's Nessie deepens as strange creature appears behind boat in chilling video
A pair of filmmakers believe they may have captured the strongest evidence yet of one of America's most enduring monster mysteries lurking beneath the waters of Lake Champlain.
The creature, known as Champ, is a legendary lake monster said to inhabit the 125-mile-long body of water that stretches between New York, Vermont and Canada.
Often compared to Scotland's Loch Ness Monster, Champ is typically described as a massive serpent-like beast or a prehistoric plesiosaur with a long neck, humped back and dark body, which some have dubbed 'America's Nessie.'
Despite decades of sightings, no one has ever produced definitive proof that the monster exists.
Now, filmmakers Richard Rossi and Kelly Tabor told the Daily Mail that they may have stumbled across exactly that while shooting a family movie inspired by the legend.
The pair discovered footage showing what appeared to be a large unidentified creature moving through the water behind their boat, a detail they did not notice until reviewing the video nearly two years later.
What Tabor believed she saw was a shape unlike any fish she had encountered on the lake. 'When I saw it, I saw it was like a skinny neck, and that the body got larger,' Tabor said. 'It looked like the skinny neck was oscillating back and forth, as if it was grazing underwater. My eyes were just popping out.'
The footage was captured during the production of Lucy and the Lake Monster, a children's film centered on the mystery of Champ.
The creature, known as Champ, is a legendary lake monster said to inhabit the 125-mile-long body of water that stretches between New York, Vermont and Canada. A woman claimed to have taken a picture of the monster in 1977
(pictured)
The footage remained hidden in plain sight for nearly two years after filming wrapped.
It was only while reviewing footage during the editing process in 2025 that Tabor spotted something unusual trailing behind their 11-foot wooden boat.
Rossi recalled receiving an excited phone call from his longtime friend.
'I was skeptical at first. But then Kelly, in the editing process, called me one day, and she said, "I have the footage up on my large screen TV. You've got to take a look behind the boat."'
According to Rossi, Tabor told him: 'There's a large creature swimming behind the rope.' When he reviewed the footage himself, he was stunned.
While stories linking strange creatures to Lake Champlain stretch back centuries, the first widely documented modern sighting occurred in 1819.
According to local lore, Captain Crum reported seeing an enormous black creature in Bulwagga Bay.
Richard Rossi and Kelly Tabor caught a glimpse of the monster while filming a children’s film ‘Lucy and the Lake Monster’
The captain reportedly described a snake-like animal measuring roughly 187 feet long with eyes resembling a peeled onion.
Since then, hundreds of sightings have been reported around the lake.
Believers have suggested Champ could be anything from a surviving plesiosaur to a zeuglodon, an ancient whale ancestor that lived millions of years ago.
Others argue the sightings are likely the result of misidentified fish, floating logs, waves or optical illusions.
The mystery has become deeply woven into the culture of the region, as Port Henry, New York, markets itself as the home of Champ.
Businesses, festivals and tourist attractions celebrate the creature, while locals regularly share stories of unusual encounters on the water.
Tabor grew up in nearby Crown Point and spent much of her childhood searching for the elusive monster.
'Our town, Crown Point, borders Port Henry, and Port Henry is known as the home of Champ, because in that area there have been over 300 eyewitness accounts of the Lake Champlain monster,' she said, adding that her fascination began early.
'My family spent summers there,' Tabor said. 'We had a boat that we would go out in, and so I was always scanning the lake, trying to get my chance to see Champ.'
'As many times as I looked as a child, I never saw it.'
She believes she may have experienced something unexplained years later while attending college.
The pair discovered footage showing what appeared to be a large unidentified creature moving through the water behind their boat, a detail they did not notice until reviewing the video nearly two years later
One evening, she and several others were sitting on the porch of her family's lakeside cabin when they noticed an unusual disturbance on the otherwise calm water.
'There was a big stirring out a little ways from the front porch,' she said, explaining that the group watched as a wake appeared and moved directly toward them.
'It wasn't going from the left or the right. It wasn't bearing up and down. It was a straight wake, at least an inch high, coming straight at us.'
Everyone waited for whatever was causing the disturbance to surface. Instead, the object suddenly changed direction.
'It came right towards the cabin, and it made a 90-degree turn,' Tabor said.
'It went off to the left of the next point across the bay, and it never surfaced.'
Because Lake Champlain's water is often murky due to its clay-rich bottom, nobody could determine what had caused the wake.
'I like to believe that I actually saw the effects of Champ,' she said.
After discovering the new footage, Rossi shared it with scientists and researchers for analysis.
The clip eventually attracted the attention of The UnXplained, the History Channel series hosted by William Shatner.
According to the filmmakers, producers told them the footage represented the strongest evidence of Champ since a famous 1977 photograph taken by tourist Sandra Mansi.
That image appeared to show a long-necked creature emerging from the water and remains one of the most famous pieces of alleged Champ evidence.
Unlike the Mansi photograph, Rossi notes that the new footage includes a boat in the frame, providing viewers with a reference point for scale.
The video has since generated hundreds of thousands of views online and sparked renewed debate among believers and skeptics alike.
For Rossi and Tabor, the discovery has only deepened their fascination with the mystery.
The pair are returning to Lake Champlain this summer for the annual Champ Day festival and are already working on two additional films exploring the legend.
Whether the footage ultimately proves anything remains uncertain.
But more than 200 years after the first reported sighting, Champ continues to capture imaginations and keep people watching the waters of Lake Champlain for signs that something enormous may still be swimming below the surface.
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Scientists issue first-contact plan as they await message from alien civilization
Scientists have issued a new blueprint for the day Earth receives a message from an alien civilization.
Released Friday, the eight-point plan lays out how researchers should handle a potentially world-changing signal from deep space, laying it out like a playbook for humanity's most extraordinary moment.
Scientists are instructed to treat any potential alien signal with extreme caution, verify it through multiple independent teams and keep unconfirmed findings tightly controlled to avoid false alarms.
If evidence of intelligent extraterrestrial life is confirmed, researchers must rapidly inform the public, the scientific community and even the United Nations (UN) while releasing the underlying data for scrutiny.
The protocols also call for protecting the signal from interference, preserving all records in secure archives around the world and creating a dedicated international team to help manage the fallout from the discovery.
Researchers are warned not to send a reply to any alien civilization without first consulting the international community through bodies such as the United Nations.
The plan further acknowledges the dangers of the social media age, urging scientists to combat misinformation, respond quickly to rumors and protect researchers who could find themselves at the center of one of the biggest stories in human history.
With the Trump administration releasing dozens of UFO files in recent weeks, the creators of the plan say they want to prevent the world from being thrown into chaos by a false alarm.
Newly released FBI files have revealed an alleged message from 'outer space people' containing chilling warnings for humanity (stock)
The plan lays out a detailed roadmap for what should happen if scientists believe they have detected evidence of an intelligent alien civilization.
Under the protocols, researchers for Astrophysics and the chair of the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) committee for the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) are instructing other experts not to rush to announce a discovery to the world.
SETI is an acronym standing for Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, a scientific field dedicated to scanning the cosmos for artificial radio and laser signals.
Researchers said that any mysterious signal must undergo extensive scrutiny, with independent teams, observatories and organizations using different instruments and methods to determine whether it is genuine or merely a false alarm.
Scientists are warned that initial findings could be incomplete, misleading or impossible to interpret, meaning the verification process could take months or even years.
If the evidence survives that scrutiny and researchers become convinced it originated from an extraterrestrial intelligence, the protocols call for an immediate public announcement.
The discovery would be shared not only with the scientific community but also with the United Nations and a network of international organizations involved in astronomy, space exploration and communications.
The plan also requires the release of the underlying evidence, allowing scientists around the world to inspect the data, challenge the conclusions and attempt to independently verify the finding.
Recognizing the dangers of the social media era, the guidelines devote significant attention to controlling misinformation and rumors.
With the Trump administration releasing dozens of UFO files in recent weeks, the creators of the emergency plan say they want to prevent the world from being thrown into chaos by a false alarm. Pictured is an image from a release taken during the Apollo moon missions
Researchers are encouraged to communicate openly and honestly with the public while clearly labeling speculation and unconfirmed claims.
The protocols also acknowledge that a scientist who discovers evidence of alien intelligence could suddenly become one of the most famous people on Earth.
Institutions are urged to protect researchers from harassment, security threats and professional fallout while ensuring accurate information continues to flow to the public.
In the event a signal is confirmed, every piece of evidence must be preserved and archived in multiple secure locations around the world.
The data, analysis methods and computer code used to study the signal would be stored so that future generations of scientists can revisit the discovery.
The plan even includes measures to protect the signal itself. If the evidence arrives in the form of radio transmissions or other electromagnetic signals, scientists are encouraged to seek international agreements to safeguard the frequencies from interference or disruption.
An international post-detection committee would then be assembled to help interpret the discovery and guide the world's response.
The group would include experts in science, ethics, law, communications and social sciences tasked with helping humanity navigate the implications of learning we are not alone.
Perhaps the most striking provision concerns what happens next.
Even if humanity receives a message from an alien civilization, scientists are explicitly instructed not to answer.
Instead, any decision about responding would first require international consultations involving the United Nations and other global organizations. Until those discussions are completed, no reply should be sent.
The final section emphasizes that any discovery of intelligent extraterrestrial life must be handled with transparency, integrity and a sense of responsibility to all of humanity, recognizing that such a moment would rank among the most profound events in human history.
Avi Loeb questions rejection of positive results from Viking probes on Mars By Bruna •
Mysterious triangular aircraft spotted over Area 51 sparks secret tech theories
A mysterious aircraft was reportedly spotted near the highly classified Area 51 base, sparking speculation that it could be a secret military prototype.
A thermal image appears to show a triangular-shaped craft flying close to the infamous testing facility in Nevada, long associated with some of America's most closely guarded aerospace programs.
The image was shared online by the Project Fear YouTube channel, which described it as 'a craft the public has never seen before.'
Some observers believe the object could be a classified X-plane, a highly experimental aircraft used to test advanced technologies before they enter military service.
For decades, Area 51 has served as the premier testing ground for these secretive 'black projects,' including spy planes and stealth aircraft that remained hidden from the public for years.
The unusual shape of the craft has fueled speculation that it may be linked to a next-generation military aircraft. Among the theories circulating online is that it could be the Boeing F-47, the future centerpiece of the US Air Force's Next Generation Air Dominance program.
Others have suggested it could be an entirely separate classified aircraft being developed for future military operations.
While no official explanation has been provided, the sighting has reignited debate over what exactly is being flown behind the fences of America's most secretive air base.
A thermal image appears to show a triangular-shaped craft flying close to the infamous testing facility, long associated with some of America's most closely guarded aerospace programs
Several groundbreaking military programs, including stealth and reconnaissance aircraft, were flown at the remote Nevada facility years before they were publicly acknowledged.
Project Fear said on X that the image was captured using a 10-micron thermal scope.
While the identity of the aircraft remains unknown, some observers have speculated that it could be Boeing's F-47, the centerpiece of the US Air Force's Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program.
The sixth-generation fighter is expected to serve as a flying command hub, coordinating swarms of AI-powered drones alongside piloted aircraft in future combat operations.
Reports have suggested that prototype aircraft are already under development, with operational deployment anticipated in the early 2030s.
The speculation comes just days after the Air Force requested $5.03 billion for the F-47 program in its Fiscal Year 2027 budget, citing growing concerns over China's rapidly advancing next-generation military aviation capabilities.
The image has fueled intense debate online, with one X user writing: 'Any unidentified aircraft near Area 51 automatically creates more questions than answers.'
Among the theories circulating online is that it could be the Boeing F-47, the future centerpiece of the US Air Force's Next Generation Air Dominance program
Area 51 is a highly classified US Air Force facility located within the Nevada Test and Training Range, approximately 83 miles north-northwest of Las Vegas
Area 51 has long been the stuff of alien lore, with whispers of crashed UFOs and extraterrestrial autopsies behind its barbed-wire-laced fence.
The base, established in 1955, remained largely unknown until 1989, when Robert Lazar claimed on TV that he worked at a secret site near Groom Lake, 'S-4,' studying alien technology and spacecraft.
While the remote US Air Force base in Nevada, approximately 83 miles north-northwest of Las Vegas, has kept a tight lid on its activities, the CIA finally lifted the lid in 2013, officially admitting Area 51's existence.
The agency declassified a more than 400-page report that detailed how testing its secret spy planes 'accounted for more than one-half of all UFO reports during the late 1950s and most of the 1960s.'
The U-2 spy and A-12 reconnaissance planes were being flown in the shadows of the desert amid the Cold War, but the extreme altitudes sparked fears of an alien invasion.
'High-altitude testing of the U-2 soon led to an unexpected side effect, a tremendous increase in reports of unidentified flying objects (UFOs),' the report states.
'Once U-2s started flying at altitudes above 60,000 feet, air-traffic controllers began receiving increasing numbers of UFO reports.'
However, the CIA report does not mention Area 51's purpose after 1974.
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The 'Son of Concorde' is about to take to the skies: NASA readies its $247 million supersonic jet that replaces the loud sonic boom with a softer 'thump' and can travel from London to New York in under 4 hours
NASA's $247 million (£183 million) 'Son of Concorde' jet is about to take to the skies for its first supersonic test flight.
Travelling at speeds up to Mach 1.6, or 1,218 miles per hour (1,960 km/h), the jet could cut the trip from London to New York to just four hours.
However, unlike Concorde, NASA's experimental jet, the X-59, has been designed to replace the deafening crash of a sonic boom with a softer 'thump'.
The X-59 has already undergone months of test flights since launching for the first time in October last year.
Now, NASA says it is getting the plane ready to fly at faster speeds and higher altitudes, including its first test flight beyond the speed of sound.
With a new series of tests starting in early June, the space agency plans to fly X-59 at speeds of over 630 miles per hour (1,014 km/h) at an altitude of 43,000 feet.
This will be followed by a 'mission conditions flight', during which the jet will hit Mach 1.4, 925 miles per hour (1,490 km/h), at 50,000 feet.
Finally, test pilots will push the jet to its absolute limit, reaching a top speed of Mach 1.6 at 60,000 feet - around twice the height and speed of a commercial airline.
NASA's experimental supersonic jet, dubbed the 'Son of Concorde', will take to the skies in its first faster-than-sound flight in July
The X-59 has been specifically designed to solve a major problem that currently stands in the way of supersonic travel becoming more common.
When a plane flies at sub-sonic speeds, it pushes the air out of the way like a boat moving through water, creating ripples in the form of sound waves.
But when something reaches the speed of sound, it starts to outrun these sound waves, and the ripples bunch up and merge together into a powerful shockwave.
This means that supersonic jets are constantly generating shockwaves, which people on the ground hear as a deafening boom as they sweep past.
Because these booms can be as loud as 110 decibels, similar to a loud rock concert, supersonic flights are generally banned over populated areas.
To solve this problem, NASA has been working to develop 'Quiet SuperSonic Technology (Quesst)' that would muffle the boom into a muted 'thump'.
The jet has been developed by American aerospace firm Lockheed Martin after being awarded the $247.5 million design contract by NASA in 2016.
The X-59 features a radically redesigned geometry in which every feature is designed to diffuse and muffle the sonic boom.
The X-59 jet has been designed to produce a much quieter sonic boom when flying at supersonic speeds, creating a 'thump' rather than a bang
Part of the reason that Concorde was eventually discontinued was that the sonic boom produced by breaking the sound barrier could be extremely loud for people on the ground
During the upcoming tests, the experimental aircraft will be chased by a standard supersonic jet equipped with a probe to record the shockwave
The most obvious difference from a normal jet is the thin, tapered nose, which accounts for almost a third of the plane's entire length and is shaped to break up the shockwave.
The downside of this novel design is that the cockpit is located around halfway down the length of the vehicle and doesn't have any forward-facing windows.
Instead, the single pilot uses a system of cameras and augmented reality displays, known as the eXternal Vision System, to see out the front.
Reaching these new speed and altitude records is a key milestone for Quesst, since they are NASA's targets for the X-59 to eventually fly over American communities.
Cathy Bahm, project manager for NASA's Low Boom Flight Demonstrator, says: 'Every step of envelope expansion brings us closer to demonstrating the quiet supersonic capability that is at the heart of the Quesst mission.
'Completing the first mission-conditions flight is especially meaningful - it's the moment where we begin validating the aircraft in the environment it was designed for.'
While the eventual goal is to produce quiet sonic booms, this upcoming batch of test flights will not be designed to assess the volume of the flight.
The X-59 will be accompanied by a standard supersonic chase plane, which would drown out any useful data with its own, much louder boom.
According to NASA, the sonic thump produced by X-59 passing overhead will be quieter than the sound of a car door shutting 20 feet away
The X-59's aerodynamic profile has been designed so that it breaks up the shockwave formed by passing the sound barrier and is much quieter in flight. Pictured: The sonic boom from a scale model of the aircraft during wind tunnel tests
Travelling at speeds up to Mach 1.6, or 1,218 miles per hour (1,960 km/h), the X-59 could cut the trip from London to New York to just four hours
However, the chasing jet will be equipped with a specialised probe to take initial measurements of the X-59's shock waves.
Strain gages throughout the aircraft's body will also gather data on how it handles higher speeds and whether it is structurally safe to fly.
This data will pave the way for a new set of tests later this year, dubbed Quesst Phase 2, in which NASA will begin to check whether it is really producing a quiet supersonic thump as intended.
Ms Bahm says: 'As we look ahead to the upcoming flights, we're poised to open the envelope even further - moving boldly toward the mission test point this aircraft was built to achieve.'
Concorde was a turbojet-powered supersonic passenger jet that was operated from 1976 until 2003.
It had a maximum speed over twice the speed of sound at Mach 2.04 (1,354mph or 2,180k per hour at cruise altitude) and could seat 92 to 128 passengers.
It was first flown in 1969, but needed further tests to establish it as viable as a commercial aircraft. Concorde entered service in 1976.
It is one of only two supersonic transports to have been operated commercially. The other is the Soviet-built Tupolev Tu-144, which ran as a passenger aircraft only for a few years in the 1970s due to safety issues.
Concorde was the world's first supersonic airliner and operated for 27 years, but it was grounded in October 2003. Pictured is British Airways Concorde G-BOAB taking off with its landing gear still extended over the Cotswolds town of Fairford, Gloucestershire on July 20, 1996, during the annual RAF Fairford airshow
Concorde was jointly developed and manufactured by Aérospatiale and the British Aircraft Corporation (BAC) under an Anglo-French treaty. Concorde's name, meaning harmony or union, reflected the cooperation on the project between the UK and France.
Concorde was retired in 2003 due to a general downturn in the commercial aviation industry after its only crash in 2000, the September 11 attacks in 2001, and a decision by Airbus, the successor to Aérospatiale and BAC, to discontinue maintenance support.
It wasn't the first plane to break the sound barrier, however; that achievement was managed by the Bell X-1, piloted by Chuck Yeager, in October 1947.
The legendary rocket engine-powered aircraft, designed and built in 1945, achieved a speed of 700 miles (1,127 kilometers) per hour.
Russian cosmonauts SAW through ISS amid air leak crisis sparking NASA evacuation scare
NASA astronauts were forced to shelter in their spacecraft and prepare for potential evacuation on Friday due to an escalating air crisis on the International Space Station.
The extraordinary precaution came as US and Russian officials clashed over how to tackle a growing air leak aboard the orbiting laboratory.
In a dramatic attempt to reach the source, Russian cosmonauts used a saw to cut into a section of the station where they believed the leak was coming from.
The four members of NASA's Crew-12 mission, two Americans, a French astronaut and a Russian cosmonaut, were instructed to enter their docked SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and put on spacesuits while Russian crews attempted repairs. Another NASA astronaut also joined them.
But roughly 90 minutes later, the safe-haven procedures were lifted after Russia's space agency, Roscosmos, paused the repair operation to gather additional data and measurements.
The dispute had been brewing for months, with NASA and Roscosmos unable to agree on either the source of the persistent air leaks or the best way to stop them.
While the leaks have plagued the station on and off for years, Reuters reported that the rate of air loss recently doubled from about one pound per day to two.
The decision by Russian cosmonauts to use a saw heightened concerns aboard the orbiting laboratory, prompting NASA to place astronauts into safe-haven procedures as a precaution.
NASA ordered astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) to take shelter over 'worsening air leaks'
Bethany Stevens, NASA press secretary, said in a statement on X: 'Roscosmos has paused Friday’s structural repair efforts inside the Zvezda service module transfer tunnel, known as PrK, as more measurements and data are assessed.
'Given this development, NASA has instructed the crew members inside the Dragon spacecraft to end the safe haven procedures and return to planned operations aboard the International Space Station.'
The Zvezda service module transfer tunnel is a pressurized cylindrical passageway in the rear of the Russian part of the station.
Its function is to connect the Zvezda's main living quarters with the docking port where cargo is brought aboard the ISS.
While the module arrived in space in 2020, some parts of this section were constructed in the 1980s and have been a site of worsening leaks for years.
A leak has been ongoing since 2019, when air began escaping from the module's transfer tunnel.
NASA has a plan in place for an emergency evacuation of the ISS, and it could be used amid cracks and leaks on the ship
Bethany Stevens, NASA press secretary, said that the astronauts have now been told to 'return to planned operations' after Roscosmos called off their attempted repairs at the last minute
These leaks rapidly accelerated as the repair attempts failed to stem the flow, leaking 1.68kg (3.7lb) of precious air into space every day by 2024.
The issue has become so serious that NASA has reportedly ranked it among the highest-risk challenges facing the station, with the possibility of a 'catastrophic failure' discussed during internal meetings.
This new leak, detected on May 1, initially allowed roughly one pound of air to escape into space each day - about the weight of a loaf of bread.
However, this rate doubled, a senior NASA official told Reuters on condition of anonymity, prompting the space agencies to act.
In the past, Roscosmos astronauts have used sealants to attempt to plug the hole and prevent more air from escaping.
However, the Russian agency's planned repairs carried a higher risk, and the remaining astronauts were ordered to take shelter as a precaution.
The astronauts are taking shelter inside the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft in preparation for an emergency evacuation
Stevens said in a statement: 'The Zvezda service module transfer tunnel, known as PrK, has suffered from cracks and leaks for some time, and has been mitigated by Roscosmos as much as possible to date.'
'Following new leaks, Roscosmos has elected to proceed with a more extensive repair operation on Friday, June 5,' she added.
'Out of an abundance of caution, NASA has directed all four of the agency's SpaceX Crew-12 members and NASA astronaut Chris Williams to assume an elevated safety posture in the Dragon spacecraft while the repair is underway.
'The cracks have always been a concern that NASA watches very closely. NASA and Roscosmos have been working to determine the root cause of the cracks, and Roscosmos manages the issue through operational mitigation measures and periodic partial-repair efforts'
The Crew-12 members include Americans Jack Hathaway and Jessica Meir, Sophie Adenot of France and Russia's Andrey Fedyaev. There are a total of seven astronauts on board.
NASA has a plan in place to evacuate the space station in case of an emergency, and had been ready to put that into action until Roscosmos called off the risky repair.
The moment Houston gave the signal, astronauts moved to their assigned spacecraft to shelter in place in case the station lost pressure.
The four astronauts of NASA's Crew-12 mission include, from left, Americans Jack Hathaway and Jessica Meir, Sophie Adenot of France and Russia's Andrey Fedyaev
The capsules have been stocked with emergency suits, allowing the crew to quickly put on the proper gear as they flee the orbiting laboratory, saving valuable time.
It can take up to 30 minutes to get inside a spacesuit, according to NASA, which makes early preparation vital.
If the station became unsafe and NASA was forced to call for a full evacuation, the crew would launch their SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule and return to Earth.
NASA's commercial crew program manager, Steve Stich, has previously said that in the event of an emergency, SpaceX's Dragon could be powered up within minutes.
This comes amid growing concern that the ageing space station needs to be retired before disaster strikes.
Since 1998, when construction began on the first modules, the ISS has hosted more than 250 visitors from 20 different countries and produced over 400 research papers.
But after roughly 146,000 orbits, the systems and hardware installed on the ISS are beginning to show their age.
The ISS was only intended to stay in orbit until 2015 and has now been in orbit for more than a decade longer than planned.
NASA is tracking 50 'areas of concern' related to a leak in the Russian Zvezda Service Module, Transfer Tunnel (labelled), which sprang a leak in 2019
This is not the first time the ISS has sprung a leak. In 2018, astronauts rushed to fix a hole (above), which had appeared in the outer wall of the Soyuz capsule on the orbiting laboratory
ESA astronaut Tim Peake took this photo from inside Cupola in 2016, showing a 7mm-diameter circular chip gouged out by the impact from a tiny piece of space debris
In September last year, NASA's Office of the Inspector General (OIG) identified 588 replacement parts that were operating beyond their operational lifetimes.
This has come with a risk of worsening leaks and damage from impacts with micrometeorites and space junk, especially in the oldest Russian modules.
In 2018, astronauts rushed to fix a hole that had appeared in the outer wall of the Soyuz capsule on the orbiting laboratory
Weighing 400 tons (880,000lb), equivalent to more than 400 elephants, the ISS is so large that it can't actually stay in such a low-Earth orbit unassisted.
This means that the station's thrusters need to be regularly fired in order to keep it in a stable orbit of around 250 miles (400km) above Earth.
If these thrusters failed, the station would gradually fall out of orbit and crash uncontrollably to Earth.
To bring the football-pitch laboratory down to Earth safely, NASA will need to deliberately push the station out of orbit.
NASA currently plans to bring the ISS down to Earth in 2030, bringing an end to three decades of international collaboration in Earth's orbit.
NASA estimates it will cost $1 billion (£800 million) to convert a Dragon capsule into a vehicle capable of pushing the ISS out of orbit
Starting from the end of this year, the station will be allowed to fall naturally under the effects of atmospheric drag until it reaches an altitude of around 200 miles (320km).
At this point, the last ISS crew will depart the station, taking with them any equipment or items that are deemed historically important.
Once the last crew has gone, the station will continue to fall over several months until it reaches the 'point of no return' at an altitude of 175 miles (280 km).
To deliver the finishing blow, NASA has commissioned a 'space tug' which will launch from Earth, dock with the ISS, and then push the station out of orbit.
The space agency plans to use a modified SpaceX Dragon capsule, which will dock with the station before pushing it into the atmosphere at an estimated cost of $1bn (£800m).
The International Space Station (ISS) is a $100 billion (£80 billion) science and engineering laboratory that orbits 250 miles (400 km) above Earth.
It has been permanently staffed by rotating crews of astronauts and cosmonauts since November 2000.
Crews have come mainly from the US and Russia, but the Japanese space agency JAXA and European space agency ESA have also sent astronauts.
The International Space Station has been continuously occupied for more than 20 years and has been expended with multiple new modules added and upgrades to systems
Research conducted aboard the ISS often requires one or more of the unusual conditions present in low Earth orbit, such as low-gravity or oxygen.
ISS studies have investigated human research, space medicine, life sciences, physical sciences, astronomy and meteorology.
The US space agency, NASA, spends about $3 billion (£2.4 billion) a year on the space station program, with the remaining funding coming from international partners, including Europe, Russia and Japan.
So far 244 individuals from 19 countries have visited the station, and among them eight private citizens who spent up to $50 million for their visit.
There is an ongoing debate about the future of the station beyond 2025, when it is thought some of the original structure will reach 'end of life'.
Russia, a major partner in the station, plans to launch its own orbital platform around then, with Axiom Space, a private firm, planning to send its own modules for purely commercial use to the station at the same time.
NASA, ESA, JAXA and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) are working together to build a space station in orbit around the moon, and Russia and China are working on a similar project, that would also include a base on the surface.
Washington archbishop removes priest as exorcist after comments on UFOs and demons
The Catholic archbishop of Washington, D.C., Cardinal Robert McElroy, on Wednesday removed a well-known priest as an exorcist of the archdiocese after he made public comments suggesting that UFO sightings were the work of demons.
McElroy said the archdiocese also was cutting ties with the St. Michael Center for Spiritual Renewal, a Washington-based nonprofit headed by the priest, Monsignor Stephen Rossetti.
The archbishop said Rossetti´s statements "linking UFOs to demonic presence and the Center´s recent use of social media gravely undermine the Church´s very precise teaching on the devil, demons and exorcism."
"There´s a danger here," Rossetti said in a May 29 video posted on his Facebook page addressing UFO sightings and the existence of aliens. "As an exorcist I wanted to raise that danger. And that is that demons like to hide. ... They don´t want us to know what they´re doing because they´re more effective when we don´t realize it."
"They can kind of get into your head, you know, and manipulate things in the world to influence us to do evil."
"It´s my personal belief that probably many if not most of these UFO sightings are in fact demons," Rossetti added.
FILE - Cardinal Robert McElroy of Washington attends a press conference at the North American College in Rome, Friday, May 9, 2025.
(AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia,File)
Rossetti also said that people can be good Catholics and believe there´s life on other planets, though he does not personally believe life exists elsewhere.
In a statement posted on the St. Michael Center website, Rossetti said he was saddened by the action of the archdiocese.
"I ask forgiveness for any ways that I have not been faithful to the teachings of the Church´s Magisterium, particularly in the cited video on 'aliens and the demonic,'" he said. "I believe it is of the utmost importance to be obedient to the Church and I will continue to endeavor to subject all that I do and the Center to be thus obedient."
Rossetti, who has over 148,000 followers on Instagram, is a prominent psychologist as well as an exorcist. His center has specialized in offering spiritual healing for priests troubled by various difficulties.
In 2023, he told The Associated Press there was increasing and renewed appetite for information about demonic possession and exorcism.
Shocking twist after America's top exorcist claims UFOs are actually demons
One of America's most prominent Catholic exorcists has been stripped of his official role after claiming that many UFO sightings may actually be manifestations of demonic forces.
Monsignor Stephen Rossetti, a priest, psychologist and longtime exorcist for the Archdiocese of Washington, sparked controversy with a video warning Christians about what he believes is a hidden spiritual danger behind the UFO phenomenon.
In the video posted Friday to the YouTube page of his St. Michael Center for Spiritual Renewal, Rossetti suggested that many unexplained aerial sightings are not extraterrestrial visitors but demons attempting to deceive humanity.
Citing Ephesians 6:12, which describes humanity's struggle against spiritual forces of evil, Rossetti urged Christians to remain vigilant and to 'put on the armor of God.'
Drawing on his experiences as an exorcist, he said demons and spirits can sometimes manifest as unusual entities, including 'beast-like creatures,' mysterious glowing orbs and so-called 'shadow men.'
'There's no question in my mind, personally, again, this is not de fide, but it's my personal belief that probably many, if not most, of these UFO sightings are, in fact, demons, and they can do things that we can't do, such [as] the speed and all sorts of things that human beings can't do,' Rossetti said.
'The reason why it's important is that they will try to manipulate us.'
The remarks triggered a swift response from church leaders, with Cardinal Robert McElroy subsequently removing Rossetti from his position as exorcist for the Washington archdiocese. The archdiocese also severed ties with Rossetti's St Michael Center for Spiritual Renewal.
Monsignor Stephen Rossetti, a priest, psychologist and longtime exorcist for the Archdiocese of Washington, sparked controversy with a video warning Christians about what he believes is a hidden spiritual danger behind the UFO phenomenon
Rossetti served as the exorcist for the Archdiocese of Washington for 19 years and has built a large following through his public ministry, including more than 148,000 followers on Instagram.
A licensed psychologist and author of several books on exorcism and spiritual warfare, he is widely regarded as one of the most prominent Catholic exorcists in the United States.
Rossetti made the comments in a video posted to t
Rossetti made the comments in a video posted to the YouTube and Facebook channels of the St Michael Center for Spiritual Renewal, where he discussed the possibility that UFO encounters have a supernatural rather than extraterrestrial explanation.
The video centered on Rossetti's belief that many UFO sightings may not involve visitors from another world at all, but rather deceptive manifestations of demonic forces.
It was this claim, more than any other, that triggered the controversy now surrounding the priest.
He recounted the story of a woman who believed she was communicating with her deceased grandmother through occult 'automatic writing' before concluding she had been deceived by evil spirits.
'There's a danger here ... as an exorcist, I wanted to raise that danger: and that is that demons like to hide, they don't want us to know they're around,' Rossetti said in the video that has since been removed.
A video released in the first wave of UFO files appeared to show a glowing object resembling an 'eight-pointed star' with uneven arms moving across the sky
'They don't want us to know what they're doing because they're more effective when we don't realize it. And they can kind of get into your head ... and manipulate things in the world to influence us to do evil.'
The Archdiocese of Washington publicly rejected Rossetti's comments, saying his statements 'linking UFOs to demonic presence and the Center's recent use of social media gravely undermine the Church's very precise teaching on the devil, demons and exorcism.'
Following the decision, Rossetti issued a statement expressing disappointment over the archdiocese's actions.
'I am saddened by the decision of the Archdiocese of Washington to cut its affiliation with St Michael Center for Spiritual Renewal (SMC),' he wrote.
'I ask forgiveness for any ways that I have not been faithful to the teachings of the Church's Magisterium, particularly in the cited video on "aliens and the demonic."'
Rossetti did not retract his belief that some UFO sightings may have a demonic origin, but emphasized his commitment to remaining obedient to Church authority.
Despite the setback, Rossetti said the St Michael Center would continue operating independently and serving people seeking spiritual guidance and deliverance ministry.
'I believe it is of the utmost importance to be obedient to the Church and I will continue to endeavor to subject all that I do and the Center to be thus obedient. Also, I will continue to encourage all to do so as well,' he wrote.
Congress recently requested 46 UFO videos from the Department of War, and eight of them were leaked to an investigative journalist
'As I often say: 'Stay in the Boat!', that is, stay in the barque of Peter, it will lead you safely home.'
The controversy sparked fierce debate online. One supporter wrote, 'The Saints were hated and persecuted. Thank you for speaking out and being courageous. My daily prayers are with you.'
Other supporters praised Rossetti for discussing what they believe is a neglected spiritual aspect of the UFO phenomenon, while critics accused him of promoting speculation not supported by official Church teaching.
Rossetti's views are controversial but not unique. Vice President J D Vance remarked during a podcast appearance in March, 'I don't think they're aliens, I think they're demons.'
The idea has also surfaced among academics and former government officials involved in UFO investigations. A 2022 paper titled Ultraterrestrial Models by parapsychologist Hal Puthoff explored supernatural explanations as one possible interpretation of UFO encounters.
Earlier this year, Diana Pasulka, a professor of religious studies at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, said some government and military officials who study unidentified aerial phenomena interpret certain cases through a religious lens.
'There is, incidentally, a high percentage of devout Catholics in the military who study this,' she said.
'They believe there are probably a variety of phenomena. Some they would categorize as being caused by angels and demons.'
Luis Elizondo, who was involved in the Pentagon's Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program, has also claimed that a senior official once warned him against investigating UFOs because they were believed to have a Satanic connection.
Father Carlos Martins, another Catholic exorcist, previously told DailyMail.com that he believes the UFO phenomenon could be part of a broader effort to undermine belief in scripture.
'If the devil brings it about, they can put it into the human imagination that there is extraterrestrial life, that there are civilizations out there, then he can cause doubt in the Scriptures,' Martins said.
'What he's done then is set up a competing account to the Christian scriptures, something the Judeo-Christian scriptures cannot account for, and so there's an indirect repudiation of the truth of revelation. He's accomplished that.'
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The Varginha Mystery Deepens: Doctor Breaks Decades of Silence About Brazil’s “Roswell”
One of the most intriguing UFO cases in history has returned to the spotlight after a Brazilian doctor publicly spoke about what he claims to have witnessed during the infamous Varginha incident in 1996.
Often referred to as the “Brazilian Roswell,” the Varginha Case has fascinated researchers, journalists, and UFO enthusiasts for nearly three decades. Now, for the first time, a physician who says he personally examined one of the alleged creatures has decided to share his story publicly.
According to the doctor, the encounter took place on January 20, 1996, when he was asked to provide a professional medical opinion regarding a mysterious being that had reportedly been captured in the city of Varginha, Brazil.
What he saw, he says, changed his understanding of reality forever.
The doctor described the being as small, roughly the size of a seven-year-old child, with pale skin and unusual violet-colored eyes. Contrary to some of the more sensational stories surrounding the case, he stated that the creature appeared calm, peaceful, and surprisingly aware of its surroundings.
“It was not aggressive, frightened, or in visible pain,” he explained. “It seemed to understand what was happening.”
According to his testimony, the being repeatedly looked at him, then toward a nearby window, before returning its gaze. The doctor said he had the distinct impression that the creature possessed intelligence and awareness far beyond what one might expect.
The physician emphasized that he has remained silent for decades and has no financial motivation for speaking now. Instead, he says he felt compelled to share what he witnessed before it was too late.
He repeatedly stated that he considers himself an eyewitness and stands by his account despite the skepticism that inevitably surrounds such extraordinary claims.
“I saw the being,” he said. “People may doubt me, but I know what I witnessed.”
The Varginha Case began in January 1996 when multiple residents reported seeing strange creatures in the area. The most famous witnesses were three young women who claimed to have encountered a small humanoid being crouching near a wall.
Rumors quickly spread throughout the city. Reports of unusual military activity, mysterious transports, and alleged creature captures soon followed. Over the years, the story grew into one of the most famous UFO cases outside the United States.
While official investigations have generally dismissed the claims, many researchers argue that unanswered questions remain, keeping the mystery alive nearly thirty years later.
What makes this latest statement particularly significant is the doctor’s professional background and his long period of silence. Unlike many public UFO witnesses, he spent decades avoiding interviews and media attention.
His testimony does not provide definitive proof of extraterrestrial life. However, it adds another layer to a case that continues to generate debate among believers and skeptics alike.
Whether the Varginha incident was a misunderstanding, a secret military operation, or something far more extraordinary remains unknown. But with new witnesses continuing to come forward, the mystery refuses to disappear.
Nearly thirty years after the events in Brazil, the Varginha Case remains one of the world’s most compelling UFO enigmas, and this latest testimony ensures that the debate is far from over.
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A NASA orbiter around Mars suffered an abrupt demise
A healthy NASA orbiter disappeared as usual behind Mars back in December. When the spacecraft reemerged from the other side, it was never the same again.
The U.S. space agency announced June 3 that the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution mission, aka Maven, is over, after a review board determined the orbiter that has circled Mars for over 11 years is now unreachable.
Though all of Maven's systems were normal before it rounded the bend on Dec. 6, 2025, something mysterious happened to the spacecraft when it slipped out of view. A snippet of data transmitted to Earth indicates Maven began rapidly tumbling. While mission control would normally only lose contact with the spacecraft for 20 to 30 minutes when it passed behind Mars, the team never regained its signal.
NASA's anomaly review board, which convened in February, determined this erratic rotation, coupled with dwindling battery power, meant there was no viable way to recover Maven. At a teleconference Wednesday, officials delivered something of a eulogy to the mission, which continued 10 years longer than the team had originally planned.
"I think the team has really experienced the loss of a loved one with the end of the mission here," said project manager Mike Moreau from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center.
Whether a meteor is to blame for Maven's demise is not known right now. NASA has yet to conclude its investigation into the root cause for the incident. The agency is expected to deliver a final report later in the year.
The Maven orbiter captured ultraviolet views of Mars in 2023.
Credit: NASA / LASP / CU Boulder
Arriving at Mars in September 2014, Maven has focused on "atmospheric escape" — the leak of gas from the top of Mars' atmosphere into space. Its measurements showed that this surges during solar storms, when bursts of energy and particles erupt from the sun. A major space‑weather event in May 2024, one of the strongest seen at Mars in 20 years, triggered a torrent of particles that stripped away gas and lit up the planet with glowing auroras.
"We now have a better understanding of atmospheric escape at Mars than at any other planet, including Earth," said Shannon Curry, Maven's principal investigator, based at the University of Colorado Boulder.
Maven found several kinds of auroras at Mars and helped the Perseverance rover capture the first visible‑light aurora from the surface, giving scientists a sense of what astronauts might see with their own eyes. The orbiter also showed how a planet‑wide dust storm in 2018 boosted the loss of water to space, tying together dust, climate, and the fate of Mars' ancient oceans.
One of Maven's most important results involved a process called "sputtering." Put simply, charged particles slam into the upper atmosphere and knock neutral atoms into space, like a cannonball splashing water out of a pool. This process has likely stripped Mars' atmosphere for billions of years, with implications for other planets.
The mission also made some surprise finds. Maven’s particle detector picked up hard X‑rays from a distant black hole system known as Scorpius X‑1, and the team used that odd signal to learn more about the density of Mars' upper atmosphere.
Beyond science, Maven played a vital behind‑the‑scenes role as a communications relay. The spacecraft passed data between Earth and surface missions such as Spirit, Opportunity, Curiosity, and Perseverance. Though it handled only about 8 percent of all relay sessions, it delivered nearly 18 percent of the total data, according to NASA, thanks in part to a new coding scheme that boosted how much information it could send during each contact. At one point, Maven set the solar system record for most data returned in a single relay session.
For now, Maven will remain in a stretched‑out orbit around Mars. NASA expects the dead spacecraft to stay in space for 50 to 100 years before the orbit naturally shrinks and it falls into Mars' atmosphere. Officials say it doesn't threaten other orbiters circling the Red Planet.
To make up for Maven's lost relay capacity, Mars Odyssey, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, and European orbiters have adjusted their operations. NASA also plans a new Mars Telecommunications Network in the 2030s, with help from commercial partners, to provide more robust communications and navigation services for future robotic and human missions.
For the people who worked on Maven, though, the loss feels personal. Curry said the team was "broken up" about it. When asked what she'd inscribe on the orbiter's tombstone, she didn't hesitate with her answer:
The ominous sign a SUPER El Niño is inching closer: Satellite image reveals how large areas of the Atlantic Ocean are 5°C hotter than usual – suggesting the unusual climate event could be imminent
Large areas of the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea are currently 5°C (9°F) hotter than usual, amid warnings a Super El Niño is imminent.
Satellite images show an ongoing marine heatwave off the northern and western coasts of France, the southern coast of Spain and in the sea off Monaco.
The waters off the coast of Dover, Eastbourne and Brighton are also significantly warmer than usual, with areas of dark red indicating soaring temperatures.
The image is based on recorded sea surface temperatures on 30 May, provided by the Copernicus Marine Service.
And it comes amid warnings that a 'Super El Niño' – marked by sustained warm temperatures across the Pacific Ocean – is inching closer.
Experts from the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) recently predicted there is an 80 per cent likelihood of the weather phenomenon occurring during June–August 2026.
Current signs point to this year being one of the strongest El Niño patterns ever recorded.
While elevated temperatures in parts of the Atlantic and the Mediterranean are not used as part of an El Niño diagnosis, the weather phenomenon is expected to bring extreme heat 'nearly everywhere', with the potential for global average temperatures to rise by as much as 3°C (5.4°F) this summer.
Satellite images show an ongoing marine heatwave off the northern and western coasts of France, the southern coast of Spain and in the sea off Monaco. The waters off the coast of Dover, Eastbourne and Brighton are also significantly warmer than usual, with areas of dark red indicating soaring temperatures
El Niño years form part of a natural cycle known as the El Niño–Southern Oscillation and are marked by sustained warm temperatures across the Pacific Ocean.
Where this ocean surface warming exceeds 2°C (3.6°F), the event is often referred to as a 'super El Niño'.
While each El Niño varies, the event typically brings increased rainfall in parts of southern South America, the southern United States, parts of the Horn of Africa and central Asia.
In contrast, there will be drier conditions over Central America, northern South America, the Caribbean, Australia, Indonesia, and parts of southern Asia.
Meanwhile, scientists say there's a strong chance 2026 will be the hottest year ever recorded.
That could mean beating the record set in 2024, when global warming exceeded 1.5°C (2.7°F) above the pre–industrial average for the first time.
From late April to mid–May, the sea–surface temperature in the central–eastern Equatorial Pacific – the area used as a monitoring reference – was approaching El Niño thresholds, according to the WMO.
These increasing surface temperatures are being fed by unusually warm subsurface water in the tropical Pacific, where temperatures are a whopping 6°C (10.8°F) above average.
The world is on track for 'extraordinary extreme weather' later this year, scientists have warned, as global ocean temperatures indicate a record–breaking heat is likely
While its effects on the UK are yet to be determined, meteorologists say El Niño's intensity will likely be comparable to the 1997/98 event which saw global temperatures reach their highest on record.
During its development, the UK experienced an exceptionally hot, sunny and humid August characterised by heatwaves.
The average maximum temperature at Heathrow in August 1997 was 25.8°C (78.4°F), with a top temperature of 31.5°C (88.7°F) reached.
However, while the phenomenon typically brings warmer and drier conditions to the UK during summer months, it also increases the likelihood of colder winters.
WMO Secretary–General Celeste Saulo said: 'We need to prepare for a potentially strong El Niño event – which will exacerbate drought and heavy rainfall and increase the risk of heatwaves both on land and in the ocean.
'The most recent El Niño, in 2023–24, was one of the five strongest on record and it played a role in the record global temperatures we saw in 2024.
'The WMO community will be carefully monitoring conditions in the coming months to inform decision–making by governments, humanitarian agencies and climate–sensitive sectors.
'Advance seasonal forecasts and early warnings are vital to save lives and cushion the impact on our economies and our communities.'
Scientists say there is an extremely high, 86 per cent, chance that one year between now and 2030 will smash the temperature record last set in 2024
Yesterday, it emerged that the impending weather phenomenon could add hundreds to your grocery bill.
'We import two–fifths of our food from overseas,' Gareth Redmond–King, international lead at the Energy & Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU), said.
'Extreme conditions that are driven by climate change, turbocharged by El Niño, are a threat to crops we can't grow here.
'Things like bananas, rice, tea, coffee and lots of fresh fruit.'
Food prices in the UK are already on track to be 50 per cent higher by November than they were five years ago, he added.
It comes as campaigners warned the weekly shop will keep getting more unpredictable – and more unaffordable – for millions of households.
Meanwhile, scientists have also raised concerns that an imminent Super El Niño could trigger global famine.
Benjamin Selwyn, Professor of International Relations and Development at the University of Sussex, said extreme heat and drought could damage harvests and worsen global food insecurity this summer.
El Niño alters rainfall, shifts jet streams and raises global temperatures,' he wrote on The Conversation.
'Human‑induced global heating intensifies these dangers.
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'A study by the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Meteorological Organization shows that rising heat could make farm work unsafe for much of the year across South Asia, sub‑Saharan Africa and parts of the Americas.
'Crop yields have dropped sharply above 30°C, while heat stress reduces livestock productivity and survival.'
Lawmakers host whistleblowers, UFO investigators to press feds to come clean about space aliens
A group of lawmakers and a former Pentagon whistleblower are spearheading a new drive for the government’s full disclosure about extraterrestrials.
They will bring fresh attention to the issue at a Capitol Hill event scheduled for June 9. It will feature whistleblower David Grusch, a former Air Force and Pentagon intelligence officer who revealed to Congress in 2023 that the U.S. government is secretly retrieving and reverse-engineering spacecraft of non-human origin.
At the event, he is expected to elaborate on Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena, or UAPs, and non-human intelligence-related evidence he encountered in classified channels, believing that they should now be publicly released.
“President Trump now has an historic opportunity; this press conference is about moving from testimony to action,” he said in a statement. “Let the American people judge the facts for themselves.”
Other participants include GOP Reps. Eric Burlison of Missouri, Anna Paulina Luna of Florida, Tim Burchett of Tennessee and Democratic Rep. Jared Moskowitz of Florida.
Mr. Burchett co-chairs the bipartisan House UAP Caucus alongside Mr. Moskowitz, while Ms. Luna chairs the Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets, which has conducted congressional investigations into UAP and other classified federal records.
The members of Congress are expected to rally around the passage of the UAP Disclosure Act, which requires the president to direct each federal agency to declassify all agency records related to UAPs and make such records available on a public website of the agency.
Investigative journalist Leslie Kean and documentary filmmaker James Fox, who both have produced projects about UFOs, will host the event.
“The public deserves real answers, Congress deserves access, and reality should not be classified,” Mr. Fox said in a statement. “If our requests are fulfilled, this could change the course of history.”
The Trump administration has been rolling out now-declassified documents related to extraterrestrial sightings: firsthand eyewitness testimonies, intelligence reports and sensor data of UAPs.
The second release of documents came last week.
Federal officials have clarified that while the documents contain real, unexplained sightings, “unidentified” does not mean “alien.”
“President Trump is the first president to take concrete steps towards transparency on UAP,” Mr. Burlison said. “The recent releases are an important start, so now it’s the obligation of Congress to make sure career intelligence officials don’t obstruct his directive in order to prevent selective disclosure or another dead end.”
‘We found Nessie almost a decade ago, now my underwater drone will help us reach new depths in Loch Ness’
Deep Sea Vision president of operations Craig Wallace found a 1969 film prop in Loch Ness.
New technology will help the annual hunt for the Loch Ness Monster reach new depths this year.
Deep Sea Vision’s autonomous underwater vehicle, Micro Millie, has been scoping out the surface of the famous loch today.
The drone’s research is part of The Loch Ness Experience’s annual quest, which takes place this weekend.
Deep Sea Vision’s president of operations Craig Wallace said exploring Loch Ness is one of his favourite hobbies, and something he’s been doing for 15 years.
The piece of equipment, which has a value of around £75,000, is able to showcase Loch Ness in high resolution.
Something Craig claims we only currently know around 2% of.
The Press and Journal joined Deep Sea Vision on the waters of Loch Ness to learn more about their search.
Craig funds the hobby through the business, Deep Sea Vision, which covers deep-ocean exploration.
He said: “From a personal perspective, I do it because I love Loch Ness, and I’ve been coming here for 15 years doing this.
“The reality is we only know maybe 2% of Loch Ness to a very high resolution.
“Everybody thinks Loch Ness has been done to death, but the reality is it’s mostly been explored with surface sonar. We wouldn’t even have found a bus if it was at the bottom yet.
“A guy from Sutherland called Sir John Murray — who’s regarded as the godfather of modern oceanography — mapped 562 Scottish lochs between 1895 and 1903 using a rope and a lead weight to measure depths.
“Even today, for many Scottish lochs, that’s still the most advanced information we have.
“We’ve now got all this new technology, but most Scottish lochs still haven’t been properly mapped.”
Craig may have come closest to finding the real Loch Ness Monster in 2016, when he found an old film prop from The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes.
But he is on the hunt for a number of the loch’s secrets.
He added: “We found the Loch Ness Monster back in 2015, a film prop from a movie made in 1969.
“We also found Sir John Cobb’s boat in Loch Ness a few years ago.
“There’s a Spitfire that was lost in the north end of the loch that’s never been found. I’d love to find that story.
“When you finally find something after spending so long searching, it’s a huge buzz.
“There’s a lot of work and a lot of frustration that goes into it, so when you finally get a result, it’s a great feeling.”
Craig’s biggest dream is to find Amelia Earhart.
Loch Ness Exploration leader Alan McKenna is also part of this year’s hunt and was on the boat as Micro Millie was put into Loch Ness today.
He said: “I’ve known Craig for many years now and used to follow his work closely, so having the opportunity to work with him and use some of this technology on Loch Ness is really exciting.
“Maybe we’ll see the Loch Ness Monster — maybe not. We don’t know.
“But for me, I’m more fascinated by the natural environment itself. Loch Ness is such a unique location. It’s incredibly deep, dark and mysterious beneath the surface.
“It’s amazing to see the process. The images and data they can produce are really high resolution and pretty beautiful to look at.
“Craig has been really generous in showing us the 3D mapping they’ve created and it’s seriously impressive.
Nessie hunters are to launch a new search for the monster
The underwater drone will scan the depths of Loch Ness
“We’ve been around Loch Ness for years now and know the place like the back of our hands on the surface.
“But the one place that remains a real mystery is below the water because of how deep and dark it is.
“Having people like Craig come in with this technology gives us a chance to look at Loch Ness in a completely different way.
“Some people might call it a lost cause, but to me it’s just as fascinating as ever.”
Experts reckon only about three per cent of the vast bed of the loch – which has a surface area of 21 square miles – has been mapped at this high resolution
Credit: Alamy
Can AI Be Conscious? Researchers Say Science May Not Yet Know How to Tell
The question of whether artificial intelligence can be conscious has moved well beyond science fiction. It now sits at the center of scientific debate and is increasingly shaping discussions about a range of contentious issues, from AI ethics to animal welfare, fetal development, and laboratory-grown brain tissue.
However, according to a new analysis published in Neuron, the science used to answer that question may not actually be measuring what researchers think it is. A research team led by Hakwan Lau at the Institute for Basic Science in South Korea, with collaborators from the Université de Montréal and New York University, argues that many common experimental methods in consciousness research do not separate subjective experience from general information processing.
In the paper, The Ethical Impasse of Current Consciousness Science, the researchers argue that current scientific tools may not be capable of reliably detecting consciousness.
Consciousness research relies heavily on methods such as visual masking, binocular rivalry, and the detection of perceptual limits. These methods usually compare brain responses when a person is aware of something versus when they are not. The idea is that the difference between these two cases shows whether conscious experience is present or not.
Lau and his team challenge this assumption. When experiments make a stimulus invisible, they often reduce both conscious awareness and the brain’s ability to process information about that stimulus. This means that what appears to be a marker of consciousness in the brain may actually reflect general cognitive activity.
Researchers caution that a similar situation could occur again. As AI systems become more advanced and public interest in machine consciousness increases, scientists are under pressure to provide answers. If researchers make strong claims about consciousness in AI, organoids, or fetuses that lack robust methods to support them, scientific credibility could be undermined.
The authors suggest a different approach. Conditions like blindsight, in which people with brain damage can respond to stimuli they do not report seeing, offer a more controlled way to study consciousness. Another example is hemispatial neglect, where patients fail to notice one side of their visual field while still having basic perception. For researchers, these conditions provide a rare opportunity to separate awareness from information processing and investigate each process on its own.
These conditions show that subjective experience and information processing are distinct from one another. The team says that building experiments around this difference is needed to make reliable scientific claims about consciousness.
The implications of this study extend far beyond the academic world. Deciding whether non-human entities are conscious has direct legal and ethical concerns. The researchers say that the science behind these decisions must meet high standards.
“Questions about consciousness increasingly carry ethical and societal implications,” Lau said. “If scientific claims about consciousness are going to influence discussions about animal welfare, AI ethics, or bioethics, then the scientific foundations supporting those claims must be especially rigorous.”
The researchers conclude that the most urgent challenge is not deciding whether AI, animals, or organoids are conscious, but developing better tools to identify consciousness if it emerges.
China's Nostradamus issues chilling warning about Trump's UFO file release: 'Atrocities are coming'
A professor dubbed 'China's Nostradamus' has made a chilling prediction after the Trump administration released previously classified UFO files.
Jiang Xueqin, a Chinese-Canadian educator and political commentator, earned the nickname after making a series of geopolitical predictions that supporters say later came true.
Among them were forecasts that Donald Trump would return to the White House in 2024 and that the United States and Israel would become involved in a conflict with Iran under his administration.
Now, Jiang has turned his attention to the government's growing UFO disclosure effort, warning that the fallout could have consequences far beyond questions about extraterrestrial life.
Speaking with YouTuber Nico Ken De Balinthazy, known online as Sneako, Jiang dismissed the idea that alien visitors are behind the unexplained sightings documented in the UFO files.
'Everyone knows it's complete nonsense,' he said. 'It's complete BS. There are no aliens; there's no alien technology. It's a hallucination. You just distract people.'
Instead, Jiang argued that society is becoming increasingly fractured as people embrace competing fears and belief systems.
Some focus on UFOs, he said, while others become consumed by concerns about artificial intelligence, government conspiracies or even supernatural forces. 'And people retreat into their own bubble. Just think about the atrocities that are going to happen in the future; it's going to overwhelm people,' Jiang warned.
His comments come as the Trump administration continues rolling out previously classified records related to unidentified anomalous phenomena, or UAPs.
A video released in the first wave of UFO files appeared to show a glowing object resembling an 'eight-pointed star' with uneven arms moving across the sky
The disclosure effort, which began on May 8, has already produced two major releases containing videos, photographs and intelligence documents that had remained hidden from the public for years.
The latest batch included 46 videos that members of Congress had been demanding the Pentagon release for months.
Some of the footage appears to show strange metallic spheres or orb-like objects moving at high speeds over mountains, oceans and military facilities.
Other documents detail sightings stretching back decades and include accounts from military personnel, intelligence officers and pilots who reported encounters they could not explain.
The releases have reignited debate over whether governments possess evidence of extraterrestrial life and whether the public is finally being shown information that was previously withheld.
Jiang, however, believes the fascination with UFOs is distracting people from deeper social problems.
The greatest danger, he argued, is not alien life but a society increasingly driven by fear, uncertainty and distrust.
He warned that people may turn to comforting narratives rather than confront difficult realities, creating divisions that can weaken entire nations.
Jiang Xueqin dismissed the idea that alien visitors are behind the unexplained sightings documented in newly released government records
'They would rather close their eyes and shut off their ears and just live in the normal world,' Jiang said.
'We've seen this happen historically before, where empires decline because of civil war, because they get exhausted.'
The analyst then ventured into more controversial territory, suggesting that some of the world's most ambitious scientific and technological projects may be driven by motives far beyond their publicly stated goals.
Pointing to CERN, the European particle physics laboratory that operates the Large Hadron Collider, Jiang questioned why governments have spent enormous sums studying subatomic particles.
'You have to ask yourself, why are they investing a trillion dollars to find particles?' he said.
Jiang then referenced longstanding online conspiracy theories claiming that CERN's experiments are designed to open interdimensional portals rather than simply advance scientific knowledge.
He made similar claims about artificial intelligence, citing comments from an anonymous OpenAI employee quoted in a New Yorker article about the company's ambitions.
According to Jiang, these ideas reflect a broader belief that powerful institutions have long been interested in forces that exist beyond conventional human understanding.
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EXCLUSIVE
He argued that elites throughout history have believed in the existence of supernatural or interdimensional entities and claimed that human consciousness may be capable of interacting with them.
Jiang further suggested that some conspiracy theories are rooted in the belief that powerful individuals seek hidden knowledge, longevity and greater influence through contact with such entities, though he offered no evidence to support those claims.
Whether his latest prediction proves accurate remains to be seen.
‘Out of the Shadows’ Memoir From Senior U.S. Official to Investigate Truth About Non-Human Intelligent Life
Dan Farah, who directed and produced ‘The Age of Disclosure’ doc, has secured the film and television rights to Stratton’s memoir with plans to develop it as a scripted series. The memoir releases this October.
'Out of the Shadows' book by Jay Stratton.
Courtesy of William Morrow
Jay Stratton, the central figure in the U.S. government’s modern investigation of unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and non-human intelligent life, is set to detail their investigation in his memoir Out of the Shadows: Revealing the Truth About Non-Human Intelligent Life.
The memoir, to be published by HarperCollins imprint William Morrow, will release on Oct. 13. His book deal was first announced in 2024.
For over 16 years, Stratton has investigated UAP and non-human intelligent life on behalf of the federal government.
The synopsis of his memoir reads: “While serving at the Defense Intelligence Agency, Stratton learned of UAP incursions over nuclear weapon sites, leading him to co-found the Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications Program (AAWSAP), the first official U.S. Government program to investigate UAP since the closure of the Air Force’s Project Blue Book. Operating in the shadows of the intelligence community, Stratton discovered an 80-year coverup of the existence of non-human intelligent life and fought back against powerful gatekeepers who have hid the truth from the public, Congress, and even Presidents.”
While risking everything in pursuit of the truth, he created and led the Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force (UAPTF), the first whole-of-government investigation of UAP, forcing the nation to confront the unknown. Now, Stratton breaks his silence to provide a startling first-hand account of the shocking discoveries, encounters, challenges and behind-the-scenes revelations that profoundly altered his understanding of humanity’s place in the universe and took a disturbing toll on him and his family,” the synopsis concludes.
The announcement of the memoir’s release, described as one that “reads like a political thriller,” comes amid the Trump administration releasing a batch of long-promised declassified evidence related to UFO sightings and non-human intelligent life. The 162 files consist of documents, photos and videos that detail government employee reports of anomalous aircraft.
Apart from the government’s release of the files, intrigue over the existence of extraterrestrial life continues to grow. Steven Spielberg is making his anticipated return to the UFO genre with his upcoming film Disclosure Day. Last year, the UFO documentary The Age of Disclosure, had its world premiere at South by Southwest Film Festival and heavily featured Stratton. Dan Farah, who directed and produced The Age of Disclosure doc, has secured the film and television rights to Stratton’s memoir with plans to develop it as a scripted series.
Farah said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter: “In Out of the Shadows, Jay Stratton delivers the most revealing and definitive testimony ever written about the government’s investigation and cover-up of UAP and non-human intelligent life. After discovering the related national security concerns and a potential existential threat, Jay defied powerful institutional gatekeepers and risked everything in order to reveal that humanity is not alone in the universe and to ensure the government takes action. Out of the Shadows has the propulsive storytelling of a high-stakes political thriller and exposes the biggest cover-up in human history, and the deeply personal, harrowing toll Jay’s pursuit of the truth had on him and his family.”
In addition to releasing his memoir, Stratton continues to work closely with the White House, Director of National Intelligence, and the Department of War “to identify and obtain access to all the evidence that exists within the various compartmentalized silos of the U.S. Government.”
Stratton and the UAP Task Force were honored in October 2024 for their efforts with the National Intelligence Meritorious Unit Citation, known as the highest level of recognition for a unit within the Intelligence community. Stratton has also been honored with the DIA Director’s Award.
Pentagon alien hunter who 'saw ET craft and bodies' to expose 80-year UFO cover-up
BY Liam Randall - News Reporter
A Pentagon alien hunter is gearing up to blow the lid off an 80-year government cover-up
(Image: Getty Images)
A Pentagon alien hunter who claims he has seen extraterrestrial spaceships and alien bodies is reportedly gearing up to blow the lid off an 80-year government cover-up. Jay Stratton, a former intelligence chief who spent 16 years spearheading the US government's official investigations into UFOs, is set to drop a bombshell memoir that promises to rock the world.
The highly-decorated defence official, who held a civilian rank equivalent to a two-star general, previously sent shockwaves through the UFO community during last year's documentary Age Of Disclosure.
In a jaw-dropping admission about what is lurking in the deep dark depths of space, Stratton said: "I have seen with my own eyes, non-human craft and non-human beings."
Jay Stratton, a former intelligence chief, is set to drop a bombshell memoir
(Image: Getty Images for A E Networks)
The former spy chief is now taking his revelations to the next level in his upcoming book, Out of the Shadows: Revealing the Truth About Non-Human Intelligent Life.
Publishers HarperCollins teased that the book will expose how the government has actively hidden the truth about ETs from the public for nearly a century.
In a statement, the publisher said: "Operating in the shadows of the intelligence community, Stratton discovered an 80-year coverup of the existence of non-human intelligent life and fought back against powerful gatekeepers who have hid the truth from the public, Congress, and even Presidents."
Stratton sent shockwaves through the UFO community during last year's documentary Age Of Disclosure
(Image: Getty Images)
Stratton, who walked away from his government role in 2022, was the first-ever director of the Pentagon's Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) Task Force.
He originally helped set up the pioneering programme after learning that mysterious objects of unknown origin were buzzing American nuclear weapon sites. But hunting aliens apparently comes with a terrifying cost.
According to his publishers, Stratton will break his silence on unnerving encounters that "profoundly altered his understanding of humanity’s place in the universe and took a disturbing toll on him and his family."
The explosive book is set to hit shelves on October 13, landing right in the middle of a mainstream UFO revolution.
Thanks to declassified military files and high-profile Congressional hearings, UFOs have moved from sci-fi folklore into the halls of power.
Things have escalated so much that a presidential directive on February 26 ordered federal agencies to start unsealing evidence on UAPs and non-human intelligence.
Stratton hasn't finished fighting yet, either. He is currently working alongside the White House, the Director of National Intelligence and the Department of Defense to get his hands on classified evidence so he can release it to the public over the coming months.
The jaw-dropping story is already being eyed up for Hollywood treatment, too. Age Of Disclosure director and producer Dan Farah has already snapped up the TV and film rights to the memoir.
Lauding the whistleblower's bravery, Farah said: "After discovering the related national security concerns and a potential existential threat, Jay defied powerful institutional gatekeepers and risked everything in order to reveal that humanity is not alone in the universe and to ensure the government takes action."
Close Encounters, UFOs and cover-ups: Why Spielberg's 1977 conspiracy theory classic is so relevant in 2026
(Image credit: Alamy)
When trailers for Steven Spielberg's Disclosure Day confirmed that it deals with extraterrestrials, the internet exploded with speculation that it was a sequel to his 1977 classic, Close Encounters of the Third Kind. The guesswork became so rampant that the press notes for the new film cheekily announce it is "not a sequel to Close Encounters (sorry, internet)".
But it does have very direct ties. Emily Blunt, one of Disclosure Day's stars, has described it as resembling "a third act" along with Close Encounters and ET The Extra-Terrestrial (1982). Spielberg himself linked the films in one of the trailers, saying, "I'm even more inclined now than I was when I made Close Encounters to really believe that we're not the only intelligent civilisation in the Universe."
Close Encounters becomes an everyman's attempt to find the truth in the face of massive government secrecy and lies
Some of the echoes are obvious, with friendly creatures from other planets arriving here. But there is a less obvious connection between Close Encounters and Disclosure Day, as both tap into conspiracy theories about the US government hiding evidence of UFOs – or, to use the updated term, UAPs, for Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena.
Those theories go back to the legendary supposed crash of a UFO in Roswell, New Mexico in 1947, and over the years have only intensified, making their way into the mainstream. Today they resonate in light of the Pentagon's recent underwhelming release of information about reported UAP sightings. Timelier than ever, Close Encounters is a key to Disclosure Day, which is all about revealing the truth about UAPs.
Spielberg's upcoming film Disclosure Day is closely linked with his 1977 classic, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, which starred Richard Dreyfuss
(Credit: Getty Images)
With its bold, expansive visuals, themes of family distress and the awesome visit of beings from some other planet, Close Encounters holds up as one of Spielberg's most ambitious and dazzling films. Most viewers are likely to remember at least a few indelible images. Richard Dreyfuss as Roy Neary, an ordinary family man who sees a UFO, sits at the dinner table building mashed potatoes into the shape of a giant rock.
That rock is the site where the UFO will land, although he doesn't know it yet. One might recall the arrival of the glowing mothership, the spindly large-headed ghostly-white creatures walking out, and Roy happily joining them on board as he heads off into space. The five music notes scientists use to communicate with extraterrestrials are hard to forget.
'UFOs and Watergate'But what jumps out watching Close Encounters today is how the government tries to prevent the public from knowing what we have seen to be true. At a community meeting, Roy and Jillian (Melinda Dillon), the mother of a three-year-old who has been taken by the aliens, join others who have seen the UFOs. A US Air Force officer says what they saw was definitely not from space. And the official deceptions go far beyond that lie. Throughout, Spielberg shows the audience evidence of a cover-up still unknown to the characters.
On television, the evening news reports that a train derailment has caused a chemical leak, requiring a 300-mile-(483km) wide evacuation near Devil's Tower, the monumental rock in Wyoming that is the very shape Roy was sculpting in potatoes. That report is just a cover story we've seen officials concoct. We have also seen a huge military operation heading toward Wyoming to prepare the evacuated area as a landing site for the spaceship, and equipment for the operation loaded onto trucks with signage for Baskin-Robbins ice cream and the Piggly Wiggly supermarket chain.
Beyond its memorable family story, Close Encounters is about how the government tries to keep information from the public
(Credit: Getty Images)
As Roy and Jillian head to Devil's Tower together, they see dead animals on the roadside – not dead, we find out, but tranquilised by the government to make the chemical spill story plausible. Close Encounters becomes an everyman's attempt to find the truth in the face of massive government secrecy and lies.
In fact, when Spielberg first conceived the film, he described it as "UFOs and Watergate". Through many iterations of the screenplay, it morphed into a family story: Roy leaves his wife and children for space, and Jillian tries to find her lost son. Yet the conspiracy-thriller plotline remains strong. If you can't trust a grocery truck to be heading to a store instead of an alien landing, what can you trust?
Even in ET, amidst all that film's heart-tugging, Spielberg emphatically depicts the government trying to keep its knowledge of extraterrestrials from the public. Nasa scientists and government agents swarm the house where little Elliott and his family have been protecting ET, in order to take and study him. And when ET heads home, with the iconic image of Elliott and his friends riding bikes across the sky to get him to safety, they are running from US government cars.
Art imitating lifeAs they often do, Spielberg's fantasy films mirror aspects of real life. Jon Towlson, in his 2016 book about Close Encounters, writes that after the film's release, there was "a dramatic increase in reported UFO sightings, although these were not new cases as one might expect, but older reports made by people who had previously been afraid to come forward".
We now know that US government investigations of UFOs go back to 1947 and Roswell, and that similar studies have followed on and off ever since. Some of the subterfuge around that was brought to light in 2017, when the New York Times published a story about "The Pentagon's Mysterious UFO Program," revealing that the US Defense Department had been secretly funding studies of declared sightings. The government really had been hiding something. Whether it was evidence of UFOs or simply the fact that it had been studying the possibilities would have been enough to fuel more conspiracy theories.
Emily Blunt and Josh O'Connor star in Disclosure Day, a conspiracy thriller in the vein of films from the Close Encounters era
(Credit: Universal Pictures)
Interest has kept ramping up even while answers remain sparse. Nothing much came of Congressional hearings in 2023, which wondered whether UAPs posed a national security treat. More impressive information was revealed in a 2025 Wall Street Journal story about a report released by the Defense Department. The Journal wrote that the report omitted the fact that a disinformation program had spread rumours of UFOs, which was to disguise information Russia might have gleaned from a military facility.
None of this offered convincing evidence of UAPs or alien visitations. Neither did the report the Pentagon released last month, with many images easily explained as flashing lights. But that hasn't stopped true believers. "The stuff that they're releasing is stuff we've known for, like, forever," one of them told the BBC at the time, adding, "But I'm very hopeful that we're heading in the right direction."
Disclosure Day lands in that real-life context, at a time of suspicions not only about the government's honesty but about truth and facts themselves. It is an action movie and a sci-fi story but above all a conspiracy thriller in the vein of post-Watergate films from the Close Encounters era.
Josh O'Connor's character, Daniel, is a whistleblower employed by the fictional but all too plausible Wardex, a clandestine agency working with the Defense Department, unofficial so it doesn't have to play by any rules. As the trailers have revealed, the government has been guarding decades' worth of evidence of extraterrestrial visitations. Daniel, the hero trying to release the truth, has to go on the run followed by Wardex killers intent on stopping him.
The echoes of 1970s thrillers are clear. In Three Days of the Condor (1975), for example, Robert Redford is a CIA researcher hunted by gunmen because of what he knows. "I just read books," he complains to his CIA bosses, just as Daniel protests, "I'm not a field guy, Hugo. I did the tech, that's all." Hugo (Colman Domingo) is another Wardex whistleblower who has what may be the film's most pertinent line, delivered vehemently: "This 79-year terror campaign of obfuscation, lies and cover-up has to end!"
Spielberg has emphasised as much in a teaser for the film. He says there is now a "critical mass" of people fascinated with the question of whether we are alone in the Universe. "And if someone knows we're not alone, why haven't we been told?"
This Man Claims an Alien Being Named Bashar Says Humanity Is Going Through a Reset in 2026
He was a creative kid into sci‑fi, not a New Age guru, until two silent black triangular craft passed over Los Angeles in broad daylight. One at roughly 150 feet and another about 70 feet away, both witnessed by multiple people.
That shock did not turn him into a preacher; it turned him into a researcher who spent years digging into UFOs, psychic phenomena, and channeling because his lived reality no longer matched the official story.
Whether you think those craft were classified tech, nonhuman intelligence, or some glitch in perception, that rupture is what birthed the entire Bashar material.
I care less about “believing” his story and more about what it means when a reasonably normal, creative person sees something so far outside the script that they dedicate decades to decoding it.
Ten years later, during a guided meditation in a channeling class, Darryl suddenly received what he describes as a telepathic download. The name “Bashar,” a face, and the memory of an agreement made before this life to be a channel.
The moment that happened, the entity speaking through the teacher stopped, turned directly to him, and said, “There is an entity here for you right now if you’re ready to begin.”
Another student simultaneously sketched the same face Darryl had just “seen” in his mind, convincing him this was more than imagination. From there he practiced, struggled to handle the energy, and over decades word‑of‑mouth expanded his sessions from a living room to audiences around the world.
Whether you think this is ET contact or a deep layer of his own psyche, you have to admit that there is a coherent system behind it that has been stable for 40+ years.
Bashar presents as a hybrid extraterrestrial from a parallel reality, part human and part “grey,” living in a civilization roughly 3,000 years more advanced than ours. Their solar system would be located about 500 light years in the direction of Orion if you overlapped their universe with ours, but it is only perceivable by shifting realities, like tuning into another frequency.
Physically, Bashar is described as about 5 feet tall, slender, pale‑skinned, large eyes, smaller facial features, and slightly larger head – a 50/50 hybrid between humans and the greys.
His role is not “space god” but a very specific job: a first contact specialist, part of a larger structure of social engineers and planetary engineers focused on guiding young civilizations through the most dangerous part of their evolution. This framing alone is controversial because it flips us from “top of the food chain” into “adolescents in a galactic neighborhood that’s already watching.”
According to Bashar’s narrative, the greys were once a human‑like civilization, a parallel version of Earth that destroyed its biosphere and mutated to survive. They lost the ability to reproduce and had to access other timelines where human DNA was still viable, including ours, to create hybrids that could preserve their culture.
That is the darker reinterpretation of “alien abduction” in this model: a desperate genetic salvage operation by a civilization that wrecked itself. Now the hybrids, including Bashar’s people, see us making the same mistakes and are trying to intervene before we push our own reality down the same dead timeline.
Darryl is very open about the fact that he cannot “prove” Bashar is real in a lab sense, but he has actually put his brain under study in a documentary to demystify channeling. In those measurements, his resting brain rhythm sits around 9 hertz, but when Bashar “speaks” it jumps to about 10 hertz, and when Bashar “listens” to a question it goes to 11, indicating an even deeper empathic intake of information.
At the same time, his brain shifts into high‑frequency gamma activity when channeling, the same “in the zone” state we hit during deep creativity, but with unusual stability and intensity. Bashar’s model is that everyone channels to some degree: when you do what you love and lose track of time, you are in a channeling state, just tuned to your own higher mind rather than a distinct ET consciousness.
One of the core teachings is what he calls “the formula,” which is basically an instruction manual for aligning your life with your highest timeline. The essence: your highest purpose is to be yourself as fully as possible, to live each moment in alignment with your true excitement, and to stop trying to be everything you are not just to fit external expectations.
Most of our suffering comes from being trained to ignore our authentic path: don’t stand out, be practical, don’t follow your passion, be “realistic.” Bashar reframes this as an energetic system: you cannot perceive what you are not the vibration of, so you must “be” the frequency of the reality you prefer before you can experience it.
To me, this is where his material overlaps with both neuroscience and simulation theory: your beliefs and emotions function like parameters, selecting which version of reality you load into your personal “game.”
On consciousness, Bashar’s model is radical but surprisingly elegant. You do not “have” a soul; you are a soul, and the body is more like a focus point, a condensed pixel cluster in a larger field of awareness.
He describes the soul as a sphere of energy filled with patterns, each representing concepts and lessons, which then focuses some of those patterns into a dense “seed” at the center to create a specific physical incarnation.
Life is the soul breathing: focusing into that seed to live a life, then relaxing back out into its full scope, integrating the experience, then doing it again.
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Our interactions, including Darryl’s link with Bashar, happen by vibrational and telepathic agreement between these “seeds” within a larger shared field of consciousness.
This sounds like mysticism, but it is highly compatible with a simulation‑style universe where all objects and “players” are simply different nodes of one underlying information field.
Now to the headline claim everyone fixates on is timing. Bashar originally spoke about a window for open contact between roughly 2020 and 2033, but as disclosure efforts and global conversation intensified, he narrowed that to around 2027 for a more literal introduction to extraterrestrials via official channels.
2026 is described as the year of disclosure more broadly: not just UFO files, but secrets in finance, religion, media, and power structures emerging from the shadows. He is explicit that this will not instantly create unity; there will be denial, resistance, accusations of hoaxes, and decades of adjustment.
The reason for the urgency, he says, is that humanity needs time before its “reset” to integrate ET contact at its own pace rather than being shocked into it. Whether you buy those dates or not, I find the deeper point compelling: a civilization that has nuclear weapons, global AI, and collapsing trust in institutions cannot just keep drifting. Something will force a choice.
Bashar does not paint ETs as saviors; they are more like strict older relatives who step in when the kids are about to burn the house down. He points to stories of UFOs disabling nuclear missile systems and scrambling launch codes as an example of a boundary: they will not allow a full thermonuclear annihilation because Earth is too valuable as a school for souls.
Earth, in this framing, is a high‑intensity polarity school where souls come to explore extremes of good and evil, connection and separation, specifically because it is hard.
From that perspective, the “zoo hypothesis” that we are being monitored while in quarantine is partially true, but the bigger picture is that we are being nudged toward global cooperation because the survival of our species now depends on it. Do you like the idea of ETs quietly enforcing a no‑extinction rule, or does it bother you that humans might not be the ultimate authority over Earth’s future?
There is also a softer, psychological edge to Bashar’s work that often gets ignored in the UFO conversation. He talks constantly about how beliefs generate experience, how people use their own confidence to reinforce negative narratives, and how “lack of trust” is itself a form of trust in something that does not serve you.
He uses humor to break patterns, pointing out that saying “I’m not confident” is still a demonstration of confidence; you are just confident in your limitation. He challenges the idea that certain situations, like chronic health problems, are impossible to shift at the belief level by calling that very assumption a belief that keeps the pattern locked.
This does not erase material conditions, but it gives people a more empowered framework: what if your primary leverage point is not controlling events, but changing your relationship to them.
For me, this is where his message is both empowering and controversial, because it implies a level of responsibility that many people understandably resist.
Here is my own stance, as someone who lives in the overlap of AI, UFOs, simulation theory, and ancient mysteries: you do not have to believe Bashar is a literal hybrid alien for his message to matter. You can treat him as a symbolic future human, a parallel version of us who has already solved the problems we are drowning in, transmitting back a set of psychological, spiritual, and civilizational “patch notes.”
The real danger is not that he is wrong; the real danger is that we keep living as if none of these warnings matter, pretend there is no bigger context, and let our timelines be chosen for us by inertia and fear.
My bold take is that whether contact in 2027 looks like a press conference, a mass sighting, or just millions of people snapping out of their old programming at once, the civilization we land in will depend far more on our consciousness than on any ship in the sky.
So the real question is not “Are aliens real?” but “What kind of species do we become if we act as if we are already being watched, mentored, and challenged to grow up?”
Former Stargate remote viewer claims four alien bases are hidden on Earth
Scientists discover ‘zombie’ sea cucumber that could outlive us all
If you told a guy in the 1760s – when the average lifespan was 38 – that you were 82, he’d probably think you could live forever.
Now, Canadian scientists may have accidentally discovered something that’s really immortal – a discarded chunk of sea cucumber.
A relative of starfish and sea urchins, sea cucumbers are blobs that creep across the ocean floor on tentacle-feet, gobbling up algae and plankton.
Three years after scientists amputated bits of a scarlet sea cucumber, known to experts as a Psolus fabricii, the tissues refuse to die.
The severed tube feet and tentacles have sat inside a tank of natural running seawater, slowly growing and healing.
Marine biogeochemist Rachel Sipler from the non-profit Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Science said the sample is a ‘real-life zombie’.
‘We haven’t grown a new, complete sea cucumber yet, but we are seeing pretty stunning growth and diversification of cells literally years after this tissue was removed,’ she said.
‘It’s like a lizard that loses its tail. We know some lizards can grow new tails; we’re talking about whether the tail can grow a new lizard.’
When humans lose a chunk of flesh, it dies and decays. Same goes for lizards and other sea cucumbers, even though they can regenerate lost limbs.
This isn’t so with scarlet sea cucumbers, found in the cold waters of the Arctic and North Atlantic Ocean, however.
Instead, the tentacles that these klutzes of the ocean lose when they get into scrapes or bump into things keep on living, according to a recently published study in Science Advances.
Sipler and her team at Memorial University of Newfoundland scooped up a discarded tube foot – a tiny limb used for movement and feeding.
They placed the samples in seawater, which is crawling with bacteria and organic matter.
Unexpectedly, they found that the lost pieces of tissue were repairing their wounds and that their immune cells were springing into action.
The tentacles – which showed no signs of rot – even responded to tactile stimuli, suggesting the preservation of the animal’s neural network.
The researchers realised that these slivers of sea cucumber were feeding off the organic material in the water, despite having no mouth or digestive system.
They were even soaking up the amino acids – which cells string together to form proteins – in the seawater.
And they were still doing it three years later, long after the study had wrapped up, the team discovered.
The researchers said that this is the first time a tissue sample has survived and thrived in a natural setting.
‘Our findings challenge conventional perceptions of tissue immortality,’ they concluded.
Immortal cells are nothing new – scientists have made them using animal and human stem cells, which are blank canvases that all tissues and organs in your body are created from.
But these cells can only be kept alive in highly controlled and clean environments. Keeping cells inside a tissue section is even harder.
Yet the researchers found a slab of Scarlet sea cucumber could live ‘indefinitely’ in dirty seawater.
This species even seems to be unique compared to other sea cucumbers, whose appendages usually decay within three or so months.
Dr Robert Puschendorf, an associate professor in conservation biology at the University of Plymouth, who was not involved in the study, told Metro that these prickly cucumbers don’t quite hold the ‘secret to immortality’.
‘This is not an immortal animal, and the study does not tell us anything about why humans age,’ he says.
‘[Lead author Sara Jobson] herself is clear on this point, noting that the tissue never grew back into a whole sea cucumber and that the fragments sit somewhere between alive and dead, which is why her team calls them “zombies”.’
Archaeologists Found a Strange Metal From Beyond Earth Hidden in 3,000‑Year‑Old Treasure Stash
Hidden inside a 3,000‑year‑old hoard, two mysterious objects are made from a rare, otherworldly material that rewrote everything archaeologists thought they knew about Bronze Age Spain.
© A Legendary Ancient Treasure Hoard Just Revealed A Strange Metal From The Depths Of Space.
Credit: Shutterstock
Hidden in a small city museum in southeastern Spain lies a Bronze Age hoard that long puzzled archaeologists. The Treasure of Villena contains 66 objects, mostly gold and silver, with a few stray pieces of iron so unusual that for decades experts could not explain where the metal came from. The airless display cases show bracelets, necklaces, and small ornamental vessels, their surfaces reflecting the soft light of the gallery like they did 3,000 years ago in a forgotten ritual center. The hoard’s composition and craftsmanship have drawn international attention, with recent research spotlighting its unusual meteoritic iron components.
What made the hoard stand out was not just its beauty, but a technical anomaly. The iron items in the Treasure of Villena looked different from the terrestrial iron tools that appeared later in the Iron Age. They were small, highly polished, and unusually resistant to corrosion, which suggested the metal had a special composition. For years, the objects were catalogued as rare but unexplained examples of early ironwork, with no clear source identified. Detailed analyses later revealed that at least two of these pieces were made from meteoritic iron, linking the hoard to material from beyond Earth.
Location of the Villena Treasure (Alicante) in the Iberian Peninsula.
(Credit: Rovira-Llorens et al., Trabajos de Prehistoria, 2024)
The hoard was discovered in 1963 by a civil engineer digging foundations near the town of Villena, in the province of Alicante, Spain. The Archaeological Museum “José María Soler” in Villena now houses the collection, showcasing it as one of the most important prehistoric metal hoards in the western Mediterranean. The objects date to roughly 1400–1200 BC, a period when bronze dominated weapons and tools and iron was still extremely scarce. The museum’s displays present the 66‑piece assemblage in chronological order, helping visitors grasp how valuable metal was in Late Bronze Age society.
The breakthrough came from a team led by Salvador Rovira‑Llorens, a researcher at the Instituto de Historia of the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) in Madrid. The team focused on two iron objects from the Treasure of Villena: a small bracelet and a hollow hemisphere often interpreted as a decorative element.
Using mass spectrometry and other analytical techniques, the researchers examined the nickel content and overall chemical signature of the metal in these objects. Their work was later summarized in a public‑facing article that explained how the meteoritic iron fragments were likely treated as rare, high‑status materials.
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One of the iron objects included in the Treasure of Villena.
Credit: El Museo de Villena
Their analysis revealed that the metal was not ordinary Earth‑sourced iron at all. Instead, it contained a nickel signature characteristic of meteoritic iron, material that originated from a meteorite that fell to Earth. The two objects represent the first known use of meteoritic iron in the Iberian Peninsula, suggesting that Late Bronze Age metallurgists either obtained or repurposed a rare cosmic metal for elite artifacts.
In their paper, published in Trabajos de Prehistoria, the researchers note that the data “suggest that the cap and bracelet from the Treasure of Villena would currently be the first two pieces attributable to meteoritic iron in the Iberian Peninsula, which is compatible with a Late Bronze chronology, prior to the beginning of the widespread production of terrestrial iron.”
The Treasure of Villena is almost 10 kilos of gold, including bottles, bracelets and ornaments.
Credit: El Museo de Villena
This finding places the Treasure of Villena alongside other famous meteoritic‑iron objects, such as the dagger in Tutankhamun’s tomb, reinforcing the idea that ancient cultures across Eurasia and North Africa sometimes incorporated space rock into symbolic or luxury items.
The discovery also highlights how far prehistoric metalwork had advanced before the Iron Age, even with limited access to terrestrial iron ores. Public‑facing coverage of the research has helped bring wider attention to the museum and the broader significance of Late Bronze Age metallurgy in Spain.
The bracelet and the hollow hemisphere are small but technically sophisticated. The bracelet shows evidence of careful hammering and shaping, while the hollow hemisphere has a smooth, almost mirror‑like surface that reflects light in a way typical of well‑worked metal. The corrosion‑resistant nature of the iron pieces likely helped preserve their appearance over millennia, making them stand out even among the more numerous gold and silver objects on display at the Archaeological Museum “José María Soler”.
The iron bracelet, which measures 8.5 centimeters (3.35 inches)
across. Credit: El Museo de Villena
To confirm the meteoritic origin, the team compared the chemical composition of the Villena pieces with known meteoritic samples and with terrestrial iron ores. The high nickel content, along with specific trace elements, matched meteoritic sources rather than typical iron ores available in the region. The pattern is consistent with iron meteorites, which are fragments of the cores of small planetary bodies that never formed into full planets. These space rocks often contain iron‑nickel alloys that can be worked by skilled metalworkers, even in the Bronze Age, and the Treasure of Villena now stands as a key example of such early use.
The discovery adds a new layer to the story of the Treasure of Villena. Rather than being a simple collection of gold and silver elite goods, the hoard now includes at least two objects made from a rare, possibly symbolic material that fell from the sky. The Late Bronze Age communities in the area may have had access to a meteorite fragment or acquired it through trade networks that connected Iberia with other regions of the Mediterranean. The metal’s origin would have been unknown to them, but its unusual appearance and hardness might have made it prized for ceremonial or prestige objects.
The Treasure of Villena.
Credit: El Museo de Villena
The Treasure of Villena consists of 21 gold objects, 27 silver pieces, 18 amber beads, and these two iron items, all placed together in a buried deposit. The way the objects were arranged suggests a deliberate act of deposition, possibly related to ritual or social change. The Archaeological Museum “José María Soler” in Villena continues to display the hoard, offering visitors a chance to see Bronze Age artistry that, in two small pieces, literally came from beyond our planet.
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Paper Claims the “Asteroid” Japan’s Probe Is Approaching Is Actually a Derelict Spacecraft
DLR German Aerospace Center
After successfully rendezvousing with near-Earth asteroid Ryugu in June 2018 and sending a sampled cache of rocks back to Earth, Japan’s Hayabusa2 spacecraft is now making its long journey to its next destination, a tiny and rapidly spinning asteroid dubbed 1998 KY26.
Hayabusa 2 seems to have successfully bombed asteroid Ryugu
JAXA
The spacecraft is expected to reach the mysterious space rock by July 2031, giving scientists plenty of time to come up with theories as to what it could find once it gets there.
1998 KY26 is an intriguing new candidate for an entirely new class of objects. In 2017, interstellar visitor ‘Oumuamua — the first object from beyond the solar system to have ever been observed — inspired scientists to categorize it as a “dark comet,” a class of asteroids that share some behaviors with comets. (A brief refresher: asteroids are lumps of rock, ice or dust that orbit the Sun but are too small to be classified as planets, while comets are “dirty snowballs” that release gases to form a tail behind them as they pass by the Sun.)
Scientists suggest 1998 KY26 could also be a dark comet, making Hayabusa2’s visit five years from now an intriguing opportunity to get a closer look.
But according to Harvard astronomer Avi Loeb, who has spent years pondering the nature of ‘Oumuamua and its unusual behavior, 1998 KY26 could be something else entirely. As detailed in a yet-to-be-peer-reviewed paper, Loeb and his colleagues suggest the object could instead be a long-lost relic of the Soviet space program.
“In particular, we identify it as potentially a relic of a historical Russian mission to Mars, the Phobos 1 probe, which suffered a failure 2 months after the launch in July 1988, due to upload of a faulty command,” Loeb explained in a blog post this week.
Phobos 1 failed to send back a signal in August 1988 due to what later turned out to be a typo — a missing hyphen — in a command that shut down crucial systems.
In their latest paper, Loeb and his colleagues suggest that the probe’s thruster firings may have put it in a “similar” orbit to 1998 KY26’s, and that the “two orbits converge and are statistically compatible.” The researchers also argue that the defunct spacecraft and dark comet share roughly the same size and a “quite elongated” shape.
Still, the hypothesis is quite a stretch, given the vastness of space. However, in his blog post, Loeb argued that scientists should nonetheless extend their “training data set to include not just rocks and icebergs but also the space objects launched by humans over the past 69 years” just in case.
If 1998 KY26 does turn out to be technological in nature, Loeb argued that the finding could support his controversial theory that ‘Oumuamua may have also been a piece of technology sent to us by an advanced extraterrestrial civilization.
“I wonder whether the mainstream of comet experts will acknowledge that 1I/’Oumuamua may have not been a natural ‘dark comet’ if it becomes clear that their so-called ‘dark comet’ 1998 KY26 is technological in origin, beyond any reasonable doubt,” he pondered.
Nobody knows for sure what Hayabusa2 will find. Besides, thanks to the asteroid’s extremely fast spin, it could prove extremely difficult to land on.
But Loeb and his colleagues argue we should keep an open mind, just in case it turned out to be a long-lost Soviet era spacecraft.
“In anticipation of the Hayabusa2 observations in 2031, which will be decisive in resolving the origin of this object, we encourage further observational, dynamical, and theoretical studies aimed at more tightly constraining the nature and properties of 1998 KY26,” they concluded in their paper.
More on Hayabusa2:
De Historische Declassificatie van UAP-gegevens door de Verenigde Staten: Waarom Nu Pas?
De gedeclasseerde UAP-bestanden van het Pentagon zijn nu openbaar toegankelijk op WAR.GOV/UFO — geen veiligheidsmachtiging vereist. Het Ministerie van Oorlog begon op 8 mei 2026 met het vrijgeven van materiaal onder het PURSUE-programma.
De Historische Declassificatie van UAP-gegevens door de Verenigde Staten: Waarom Nu Pas?
Op 8 mei 2026 heeft de Amerikaanse regering een historische stap gezet door het publiek toegang te geven tot een grote hoeveelheid voorheen geheime documenten over onidentificeerbare anomalieën, beter bekend als UAP (Unidentified Aerial Phenomena). Deze gebeurtenis markeert een keerpunt in de manier waarop over deze mysterieuze verschijnselen wordt gesproken en onderzocht. In dit artikel bespreken we niet alleen wat er precies is vrijgegeven, maar analyseren we ook waarom deze onthullingen nu pas plaatsvinden en of de gepubliceerde video's echt zijn. Daarnaast onderzoeken we de implicaties voor de wetenschap, de politiek en de maatschappij.
De eerste tranche van documenten bevat 162 onverwerkte UAP-gevallen uit verschillende jaren en regio’s. Het omvat onder meer:
Infrared-beelden van het FBI (2025): Foto's en videomateriaal van onverklaarbare objecten die in het westen van de VS werden vastgelegd. Verschillende objecten worden gedetecteerd, inclusief formationele vliegende objecten zonder duidelijke voortstuwingssignatuur.
Archiefbeelden van Apollo 17 (1972): Foto's en transcripties waarin crewleden vreemde lichten boven de maan zien. Deze beelden waren jarenlang geheim.
Apollo 12-gegevens (1969): Transcripten waarin astronauten vreemde verschijnselen en lichten bespreken.
Militaire ontmoetingen wereldwijd (2013-2026): Rapporten uit verschillende regio's, waaronder het Midden-Oosten, Griekenland, de Indo-Pacific en Noord-Amerika. Bijvoorbeeld een rapport uit 2024 waarin een "voetbalkoepelvormig" object bij Japan wordt beschreven.
Deze documenten tonen aan dat de Amerikaanse overheid al decennia lang bewijs verzamelt dat niet gemakkelijk verklaard kan worden. Wat nu gebeurt, is dat deze bewijzen voor het eerst openbaar worden gemaakt en toegankelijk zijn voor onafhankelijke analyses.
Het Amerikaanse Ministerie van Oorlog — hernoemd van het Ministerie van Defensie onder de regering-Trump — leidt het interdepartementale PURSUE-programma. Bestanden zullen op een doorlopende basis worden vrijgegeven op WAR.GOV/UFO.
Het feit dat deze documenten nu pas worden vrijgegeven, is geen toeval. Verschillende factoren spelen een rol in de timing en de motivatie achter deze openbaarmaking. Deze factoren kunnen worden onderverdeeld in politieke, maatschappelijke, technologische, geopolitieke en economische redenen. Elk van deze aspecten draagt bij aan het bredere kader waarin deze informatie wordt gedeeld met het publiek en de internationale gemeenschap.
De afgelopen jaren is de publieke interesse in UAP (Unidentified Aerial Phenomena), vaak ook aangeduid als UFO's, sterk toegenomen. Wat begon als een niche-onderwerp voor een kleine groep enthousiastelingen, heeft zich ontwikkeld tot een mainstream onderwerp dat regelmatig de voorpagina’s haalt van grote kranten en media. Documentaires zoals die van Netflix, podcasts en talkshows hebben de aandacht gevestigd op onverklaarbare luchtverschijnselen en de mogelijke implicaties ervan.
Deze groeiende belangstelling heeft geleid tot een toenemende druk op beleidsmakers en overheidsinstanties om meer transparantie te bieden. Consumenten en burgergroepen eisen openheid over wat de overheid weet en wat niet. Het publiek wil niet langer in het duister worden gehouden over fenomenen die mogelijk niet alleen onschuldig zijn, maar ook een bedreiging kunnen vormen voor nationale veiligheid en luchtvaartveiligheid. Daarnaast spelen getuigenissen van voormalige militaire functionarissen en piloten die openlijk spreken over hun ervaringen een grote rol. Zij vertellen over waarnemingen van objecten die zich buiten de normale technologische mogelijkheden lijken te bevinden, wat de geloofwaardigheid van de verhalen versterkt.
De maatschappelijke druk wordt verder versterkt door de groeiende bewustwording dat deze fenomenen mogelijk niet alleen een samenzweringstheorie zijn. Onderzoek en rapporten van officiële instanties tonen aan dat er nog veel onduidelijkheden bestaan over de aard en oorsprong van deze verschijnselen. Als gevolg hiervan is er een bredere acceptatie dat het transparant maken van deze documenten noodzakelijk is om het publieke vertrouwen te herstellen en de informatie te delen die al jarenlang achter gesloten deuren is gehouden.
Een belangrijke factor in de recente vrijgave van documenten is de beleidsverschuiving binnen de Amerikaanse overheid. Onder de vorige administraties werd er vooral terughoudend omgegaan met het openbaar maken van informatie over UAP. Behoudens enkele uitzonderingen bleef de officiële houding vooral gericht op het minimaliseren van de aandacht, met het argument dat het onderwerp niet relevant of te gevoelig was voor nationale veiligheid.
Echter, onder de regering van Donald Trump kwam een duidelijke verandering. In februari 2026 postte Trump op Truth Social – het sociale mediaplatform dat hij zelf promoot – dat hij opdracht zou geven tot grootschalige declassificatie van documenten over UAP. Deze aankondiging was een keerpunt, omdat het publiek en de media hiermee voor het eerst een expliciet signaal kregen dat de Amerikaanse overheid niet langer achter gesloten deuren wilde blijven over deze fenomenen.
De beslissing om meer openheid te geven, werd mede ingegeven door het besef dat de geheimhouding niet langer houdbaar was. Verschillende rapporten van de Amerikaanse inlichtingendiensten, zoals het Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), toonden aan dat er aanzienlijke hoeveelheden data waren verzameld die niet konden worden verklaard. Het publiek had het recht om te weten wat de overheid wist en welke informatie nog steeds niet gedeeld werd. Daarnaast was er ook politieke druk vanuit congresleden en senatoren, die om meer transparantie vroegen. De Amerikaanse regering erkende dat het openstellen van deze documenten niet alleen het vertrouwen in de overheid kon herstellen, maar ook de internationale positie zou versterken door te laten zien dat de VS bereid was om de waarheid onder ogen te zien en te delen.
In een wereld waarin technologische superioriteit en informatiebeheersing cruciaal zijn, speelt geopolitiek een belangrijke rol in de timing van de openbaarmaking. De Verenigde Staten bevinden zich in een voortdurende machtsstrijd met landen als China en Rusland, die hun eigen militaire en technologische capaciteiten verder ontwikkelen. Het vrijgeven van informatie over UAP kan een strategisch middel zijn om de eigen positie te versterken.
Door openheid te bieden over onverklaarbare verschijnselen, probeert de VS mogelijk de internationale perceptie te sturen en te voorkomen dat andere landen dezelfde geheime aard van deze fenomenen blijven hanteren. Het zou ook kunnen dienen als een manier om te tonen dat de VS voorop lopen in het begrijpen van deze verschijnselen, waardoor andere landen mogelijk minder snel geneigd zijn om zelf geheime programma’s te ontwikkelen of te blijven vasthouden aan gesloten informatiebeleid.
Bovendien kan deze openbaarmaking ook bedoeld zijn om de eigen technologische en militaire superioriteit te beschermen. Door de gegevens te delen met bondgenoten en de internationale gemeenschap, hoopt men dat er gezamenlijk onderzoek kan plaatsvinden dat de nationale veiligheid ten goede komt. Tegelijkertijd is er de mogelijkheid dat de VS hiermee ook andere landen onder druk zet om soortgelijke stappen te zetten, waardoor de internationale norm wordt verschoven naar meer transparantie over UAP.
Een van de meest intrigerende aspecten van de vrijgave van documenten is de mogelijkheid dat hierin informatie zit over technologieën die verder gaan dan onze huidige wetenschap en technologische capaciteiten. Sommige waarnemingen van UAP’s suggereren dat deze objecten over geavanceerde technologieën beschikken die mogelijk buiten ons begrip liggen.
Het openstellen van deze gegevens biedt de kans om samen met de internationale wetenschappelijke gemeenschap deze fenomenen te bestuderen. Door het delen van data en bevindingen kunnen onderzoekers mogelijk nieuwe inzichten krijgen over de aard en oorsprong van deze verschijnselen. Dit kan leiden tot technologische doorbraken die de menselijke kennis en innovatie aanzienlijk kunnen versnellen.
Daarnaast kan het onderzoek ook bijdragen aan het ontwikkelen van nieuwe technologieën op het gebied van detectie, tracking en analyse van dergelijke fenomenen. Het delen van gegevens met universiteiten, particuliere onderzoeksinstituten en technologieleiders kan leiden tot innovatieve oplossingen die de luchtvaartveiligheid verbeteren en mogelijk ook nieuwe technologische toepassingen genereren.
Het is ook mogelijk dat de gegevens aanwijzingen bevatten over technologische ontwikkelingen die door niet-menselijke actoren worden uitgevoerd, wat de wetenschappelijke gemeenschap voor grote uitdagingen stelt. Het vrijmaken van deze informatie kan dus niet alleen de wetenschap vooruithelpen, maar ook fundamentele vragen oproepen over de aard en oorsprong van de verschijnselen.
Een opvallend kenmerk van de recente openbaarmaking is de uitnodiging aan particuliere onderzoekers en bedrijven om mee te werken aan het analyseren van de data. De Amerikaanse overheid erkent dat zij niet over alle middelen beschikt om deze complexe fenomenen te onderzoeken en dat de private sector een waardevolle partner kan zijn.
Door deze samenwerking te stimuleren, hoopt men innovatie te bevorderen en nieuwe inzichten te verkrijgen die de overheid mogelijk niet snel zelf kan realiseren. Particuliere bedrijven op het gebied van technologie, data-analyse, en aerospace worden uitgenodigd om de gegevens te bestuderen en te ontwikkelen nieuwe technologieën op basis van de beschikbare informatie.
Deze samenwerking kan leiden tot technologische doorbraken die niet alleen de nationale veiligheid versterken, maar ook commerciële kansen creëren voor de private sector. Denk bijvoorbeeld aan nieuwe sensoren, detectiesystemen, en communicatietechnologieën die voortvloeien uit het onderzoek naar UAP’s.
Daarnaast is er ook een strategisch aspect: door de data te delen met de private sector wordt de innovatiekracht van de Amerikaanse economie gestimuleerd. Het stimuleert een ecosysteem waarin overheidsinstanties en het bedrijfsleven samenwerken aan het begrijpen en mogelijk verklaren van deze fenomenen, met als doel uiteindelijk nieuwe technologische toepassingen en markten te ontwikkelen.
Tot slot speelt ook het aspect van open innovatie een belangrijke rol. Door het delen van informatie met een breed scala aan partijen, wordt de kans vergroot dat er snel nieuwe doorbraken plaatsvinden, dat er meerdere invalshoeken worden onderzocht en dat het onderzoek niet wordt beperkt door bureaucratische barrières.
De recente vrijgave van documenten over UAP is het resultaat van een complexe samensmelting van politieke, maatschappelijke, technologische, geopolitieke en economische factoren. Het is duidelijk dat deze ontwikkeling niet op zichzelf staat, maar onderdeel is van een bredere strategie om meer transparantie te creëren, nationale en internationale belangen te dienen, en de menselijke kennis te vergroten. Het is een belangrijke stap in het openleggen van een onderwerp dat decennia lang achter gesloten deuren is gebleven, en het opent nieuwe perspectieven voor wetenschappelijk onderzoek, internationale samenwerking en technologische innovatie. De komende jaren zullen laten zien welke nieuwe inzichten en doorbraken hieruit voortkomen, en hoe deze informatie ons begrip van de wereld en onze plaats daarin verder zullen veranderen.
De echtheid van de gepubliceerde video's is een onderwerp dat velen bezighoudt en wordt vaak besproken binnen zowel de wetenschappelijke als de publieke sfeer. Het is belangrijk om hierbij verschillende aspecten te onderscheiden om een genuanceerd beeld te schetsen. Ten eerste is er de authenticiteit van de beelden zelf. De documenten bevatten originele videobeelden en foto's die door officiële instanties zoals het FBI, het Pentagon en militaire eenheden zijn vrijgegeven. Deze beelden zijn afkomstig van betrouwbare bronnen die onderworpen zijn aan strikte veiligheid- en authenticiteitscontroles. Ze worden doorgaans verzameld door gespecialiseerde teams en getuigen van een formeel proces dat bedoeld is om de echtheid te waarborgen. Dit vermindert de kans op vervalsingen of manipulaties, zeker wanneer meerdere instanties dezelfde beelden bevestigen.
Daarnaast moet er aandacht besteed worden aan de mogelijkheid van vervalsingen. Hoewel het technisch mogelijk is dat beelden gemanipuleerd worden, is er momenteel geen concreet bewijs dat de vrijgegeven video's op grote schaal gefraudeerd zijn. De context waarin ze worden gepresenteerd, en de betrokkenheid van verschillende overheids- en defensie-instanties, maken het onwaarschijnlijk dat er sprake is van opzettelijke vervalsingen. Bovendien worden dergelijke beelden vaak onderworpen aan onafhankelijke analyses door experts op het gebied van beeld- en videobeoordeling. Tot nu toe lijkt er geen aanwijzing te zijn dat de video's niet authentiek zijn, al blijft scepsis bestaan, vooral onder critici die sceptisch staan tegenover officiële verklaringen.
Tot slot speelt de interpretatie van de beelden een grote rol in de beoordeling van hun echtheid. Veel van de getoonde objecten lijken geen duidelijke voortstuwings- of navigatiesystemen te bezitten, wat vragen oproept over hun herkomst en aard. Sommige experts suggereren dat sensorfouten, weersomstandigheden of menselijke interpretatiefouten kunnen bijdragen aan de waargenomen onduidelijkheden. Echter, de herhaling en consistentie van dergelijke onverklaarbare objecten in verschillende regio's en tijdens diverse tijdsperioden wijzen erop dat er mogelijk iets meer aan de hand is dan louter natuurlijke verschijnselen of interpretatiefouten. Het feit dat meerdere onafhankelijke bronnen vergelijkbare beelden delen, versterkt de overtuiging dat deze video's authentiek kunnen zijn, hoewel volledige zekerheid nog altijd ontbreekt.
Transparantie over UFO's is de enige manier waarop het gesprek opgelost kan worden: Ryan Graves
De Amerikaanse overheid heeft expliciet verklaard dat de vrijgegeven beelden en gegevens niet zijn bewerkt, gemanipuleerd of op enige wijze vervalst om informatie te verbergen. Deze verklaring onderstreept het belang van authenticiteit en betrouwbaarheid van de gelekte of vrijgegeven inhoud. Door de beelden in hun originele staat te tonen, wil men het vertrouwen herstellen in het proces van onderzoeks- en rapportage-inspanningen omtrent UAP's (Unidentified Aerial Phenomena). Het feit dat de overheidsinstanties geen manipulaties hebben toegepast, biedt een solide basis voor onafhankelijke experts en wetenschappers om de gegevens te beoordelen zonder vooringenomenheid of twijfel over de echtheid ervan. Dit besluit om de beelden onbewerkt vrij te geven, markeert een belangrijke stap in de richting van volledige transparantie over een onderwerp dat decennia lang omgeven was door geheimhouding en scepsis. Daarnaast onderstreept het ook het streven van de Amerikaanse overheid om de publieke nieuwsgierigheid te bevredigen en het vertrouwen in haar vermogen om open en eerlijk te zijn over nationale veiligheidskwesties. Door de beelden vrij te geven zoals ze zijn verzameld, kunnen externe partijen, zoals wetenschappers, technologen en onafhankelijke onderzoekers, hun analyses uitvoeren en nieuwe inzichten verkrijgen. Dit bevordert een cultuur van openheid en samenwerking, die essentieel is voor het doorbreken van taboes en het stimuleren van wetenschappelijke vooruitgang. Het feit dat de beelden niet aanpassingen ondergaan, draagt ook bij aan de geloofwaardigheid van de verklaring dat deze fenomenen buiten onze huidige technische en fysieke kennis kunnen vallen. Het opent de deur naar een breed scala aan onderzoeksvragen en hypothesen die voorheen niet konden worden onderzocht vanwege gebrek aan betrouwbare gegevens. Kortom, deze aanpak van transparantie vormt een fundament voor verder onderzoek, vertrouwen en open dialoog over de aard van UAP en mogelijk buitenaardse technologieën.
Waarom nu pas? Een analyse
De timing van de publieke vrijgave van de beelden en gegevens lijkt niet toevallig. Verschillende factoren hebben samengekomen om deze opening mogelijk te maken. Ten eerste speelt maatschappelijke druk een grote rol. In de afgelopen jaren is de publieke belangstelling voor UAP's sterk toegenomen, mede door media-aandacht, getuigenissen van voormalige militairen en politici, en de groeiende overtuiging dat we niet alleen in het universum zijn. Deze publieke nieuwsgierigheid wordt versterkt door sociale media en online platforms waar informatie sneller gedeeld en besproken wordt. Bovendien heeft de politieke context veranderd: er is een groeiende erkenning dat het niet langer acceptabel is om zulke onderwerpen af te schermen of stil te zwijgen. Politieke leiders realiseren zich dat transparantie kan bijdragen aan het herstel van vertrouwen in de overheid en de militaire instituten. Daarnaast spelen technologische ontwikkelingen een grote rol. Met de vooruitgang in data-analyse, beeldverwerking en satelliettechnologie kunnen onderzoekers nu veel beter en sneller informatie verzamelen en analyseren. Hierdoor is het mogelijk geworden om de gegevens te ontsluiten en te begrijpen, wat voorheen onmogelijk was vanwege technische beperkingen.
De combinatie van maatschappelijke, politieke en technologische factoren heeft de overheid ertoe aangezet om de geheimhouding te doorbreken. Voorheen was het onderwerp taboe binnen de militaire en politieke hiërarchie, uit angst voor publieke paniek, internationale rivaliteit of het verlies van controle over het narratief. Men vreesde dat het bekendmaken van dergelijke informatie de nationale veiligheid in gevaar zou brengen of dat het zou leiden tot chaos en wantrouwen onder de burgers. Echter, de recente jaren tonen dat deze argumenten minder sterk worden, nu de publieke en wetenschappelijke interesse in UAP toenemen. De bereidheid om meer openheid te geven, wordt ook gevoed door een strategisch streven: door transparantie te tonen, probeert de Amerikaanse overheid haar controle over het verhaal en de interpretatie te behouden. Het voorkomen van misbruik door buitenlandse mogendheden of niet-officiële actoren staat hierbij centraal. Door deze openheid hoopt men niet alleen de controle over de informatie te behouden, maar ook proactief het narratief te sturen en te voorkomen dat andere landen of private entiteiten de gegevens voor hun eigen doelen misbruiken of zelf onderzoek gaan doen zonder toezicht.
De implicaties voor wetenschap, politiek en maatschappij
De vrijgave van bewijsmateriaal over UAP schept een breed spectrum aan kansen en uitdagingen voor verschillende domeinen. Wetenschappelijk gezien biedt het een unieke mogelijkheid om fenomenen te bestuderen die voorheen slechts als mysterieuze anomalieën werden beschouwd. Door deze gegevens kunnen onderzoekers nieuwe meetmethoden ontwikkelen, fysische theorieën testen en mogelijk zelfs technologieën ontdekken die onze huidige kennis te boven gaan. Dit kan leiden tot doorbraken op het gebied van luchtvaart, energie en ruimtevaart. Tegelijkertijd brengt het ook grote uitdagingen met zich mee; de data zijn vaak complex, onvolledig en moeilijk te interpreteren. Veel van de beelden en gegevens worden in een context geplaatst die niet altijd eenduidig is, waardoor er een grote behoefte ontstaat aan multidisciplinaire samenwerkingen tussen fysici, astrofysici, ingenieurs, datawetenschappers en andere experts. Door samenwerking kunnen nieuwe analysemethoden worden ontwikkeld en de interpretatie van de data worden verbeterd. Het opbouwen van een gedeeld kennisplatform is cruciaal om de grote hoeveelheid complexe informatie te kunnen verwerken en te begrijpen.
Politiek en defensie moeten zich aanpassen aan nieuwe realiteiten. Als objecten echt niet van onze planeet afkomstig zijn, betekent dit dat het veiligheidsbeleid en de defensiestrategieën herzien moeten worden. Het kan leiden tot nieuwe internationale verdragen of samenwerkingsverbanden gericht op het onderzoeken en begrijpen van UAP's. Het kan ook spanningen veroorzaken, vooral als landen niet dezelfde openheid tonen of als de gegevens worden geïnterpreteerd als bedreigingen. De geopolitieke impact is groot; het kan leiden tot een nieuwe rivaliteit of juist tot meer diplomatieke samenwerking. De publieke perceptie verandert eveneens ingrijpend. Sommige mensen zien de onthullingen als bewijs van buitenaards leven, wat fundamentele vragen oproept over ons bestaan en onze plaats in het universum. Anderen blijven sceptisch, denken dat het om geheime militaire technologieën van rivaliserende landen gaat of dat de gegevens niet overtuigend genoeg zijn. Deze verschillende interpretaties kunnen leiden tot maatschappelijke debatten over religie, filosofie en onze plaats in de kosmos. De openheid kan ook een katalysator zijn voor nieuwe religieuze en spirituele bewegingen die geloven dat buitenaards leven het bewijs is van een hogere intelligentie of schepper. Kortom, de openheid over UAP-gegevens beïnvloedt niet alleen de wetenschap en politiek, maar ook de maatschappelijke en culturele dynamiek van onze samenleving.
EINDBEOORDELING
De grootschalige declassificatie van UAP-gegevens door de Amerikaanse overheid markeert een keerpunt in zowel de geschiedenis van overheidsgeheimhouding als in de menselijke zoektocht naar het onbekende. Deze gebeurtenis vertegenwoordigt niet alleen een transparantie-inspanning, maar opent ook de deur naar een hernieuwde wereldwijde discussie over buitenaardse fenomenen, technologische mysteries en de implicaties voor onze kennis van het universum. In deze uitgebreide analyse zullen we de context en de implicaties van deze declassificatie onderzoeken, de recente ontwikkelingen en gegevens bespreken, en de invloed ervan op het bredere debat over buitenaardse aanwezigheid en de rol van geheime diensten, met speciale aandacht voor de tweede "disclassificatie" van huidig president Donald Trump.
De Amerikaanse overheid heeft al decennia lang gegevens over onverklaarbare luchtverschijnselen (UAP's) – voorheen vaak aangeduid als UFO's – strikt geheim gehouden. Deze geheimhouding was vaak gebaseerd op nationale veiligheidsbelangen, de angst voor paniek onder de bevolking en het potentieel voor technologische achterstand ten opzichte van andere mogendheden. Echter, sinds de jaren 2000 is er een groeiende maatschappelijke en politieke druk om transparanter te worden. Media, wetenschappers en het publiek hebben zich in toenemende mate verdiept in onverklaarde waarnemingen, met name nadat er verschillende videobeelden en rapporten openbaar werden gemaakt.
De recente declassificatie door de Amerikaanse overheid, vooral in de periode 2020-2023, wordt gedreven door meerdere factoren. Ten eerste heeft de toenemende technologie, zoals geavanceerde satellieten, radar- en beeldvormingstechnieken, het mogelijk gemaakt om meer gegevens te verzamelen en te analyseren dan ooit tevoren. Ten tweede heeft de publieke belangstelling voor UAP's, versterkt door media-aandacht en rapportages in het Congres, geleid tot politieke druk op overheidsinstanties. Ten derde spelen geopolitieke overwegingen een rol: rivaliserende landen zoals China en Rusland investeren in het ontwikkelen van geavanceerde lucht- en ruimtevaarttechnologieën, waardoor de vraag naar kennis over onbekende luchtverschijnselen urgent wordt.
De declassificatie wordt ook gezien als een strategische zet om de controle over de informatie te behouden en mogelijk de publieke perceptie te sturen. Door de gegevens nu openbaar te maken, tracht de Amerikaanse overheid te voorkomen dat de informatie in de handen van andere mogendheden of niet-gouvernementele actoren terechtkomt. Het is bovendien een teken dat de overheid erkent dat de gegevens zodanig uitgebreid en overtuigend zijn dat volledige geheimhouding niet langer houdbaar is.
De recent vrijgegeven documenten en video's bevatten onder meer beelden van objecten die zich vertonen op manieren die niet eenvoudig kunnen worden verklaard door bekende technologieën of natuurlijke fenomenen. Een van de bekendste voorbeelden is de "Gimbal"-video, gemaakt door het Amerikaanse ministerie van defensie, waarin een object te zien is dat zich op onvoorstelbare wijze beweegt, met ongewone rotaties en snelheden. Een andere is de "FLIR"-video, waarop een ongeïdentificeerd vliegend object te zien is dat zich snel en zonder duidelijke aandrijving verplaatst.
Wat deze beelden bijzonder maakt, is dat ze door meerdere onafhankelijke bronnen zijn bevestigd en dat ze onder toezicht van overheidsinstanties zijn gemaakt. Daarnaast zijn er gedetailleerde rapporten verschenen van militaire pilots en radaroperators die deze waarnemingen bevestigen en beschrijven als fenomenen die niet eenvoudig kunnen worden verklaard door natuurlijke oorzaken of menselijke technologie.
De documenten bevatten ook technische analyses en theoretische overzichten die suggereren dat deze objecten mogelijk geavanceerde buitenaardse technologieën zouden kunnen zijn. Sommige rapporten spreken over de mogelijkheid dat deze fenomenen gebruik maken van technologieën die onze huidige wetenschap nog niet volledig kent, zoals antizwaartekracht- of teleportatietechnologieën.
Naast de recente Amerikaanse declassificaties is er ook een belangrijke ontwikkeling geweest in de context van geheime overheidsinformatie: de tweede "disclassificatie" onder huidig president Donald Trump. In 2020 en 2021 heeft Trump verschillende documenten en rapporten over UAP's uit de geheime archieven vrijgegeven of laten lekken, vaak met het doel om de transparantie te bevorderen en het publieke debat aan te moedigen.
Wat is er precies bijgekomen tijdens deze tweede "disclassificatie"? En hoe verschilt deze van de eerste? De eerste openbaarmaking onder Trump betrof vooral beleidsdocumenten en interne rapporten die voorheen niet toegankelijk waren voor het publiek. Deze documenten bevatten onder meer analyses van UAP-waarnemingen, evaluaties van de nationale veiligheidsrisico's en beleidsvoorstellen over de omgang met dergelijke fenomenen. Ze gaven een uniek inkijkje in de manier waarop de Amerikaanse overheid deze fenomenen benadert en probeert te begrijpen.
De tweede fase van disclassificatie richt zich op meer gedetailleerde gegevens, waaronder aanvullende videobeelden, radarwaarnemingen en getuigenissen van militaire en civiele piloten. Een belangrijke ontwikkeling is dat deze gegevens nu worden gedeeld met het Congres en de wetenschap, wat de deur opent voor een meer gestructureerde en wetenschappelijk onderbouwde analyse van de fenomenen.
De nieuwe gegevens die bij deze tweede disclassificatie zijn vrijgekomen, tonen aan dat er veel meer waarnemingen en gegevens beschikbaar zijn dan voorheen werd erkend. Bijvoorbeeld, er zijn nieuwe radar- en sensordata die niet eerder werden gedeeld, en interne rapporten die suggereren dat er mogelijk een patroon is van herhaalde waarnemingen in bepaalde regio's, zoals de Amerikaanse westkust en het Midden-Oosten. Deze gegevens ondersteunen de stelling dat de UAP-problematiek niet slechts incidentele waarnemingen betreft, maar mogelijk een systematisch fenomeen dat aandacht vereist.
Mysterieuze afbeelding van zilveren UFO-orb vastgelegd door Amerikaanse spionagevliegtuig boven Mosul, Irak, komt naar voren
De declassificatie en de nieuwe gegevens onder Trump hebben het debat over buitenaardse intelligentie en technologische superioriteit fundamenteel veranderd. Tot nu toe was dit onderwerp vaak omgeven door scepsis, complottheorieën en pseudowetenschap. Maar met de openheid van overheidsgegevens wordt de discussie nu meer gebaseerd op feitelijke waarnemingen en technische analyses.
Een belangrijk punt van discussie is of deze fenomenen buitenaardse oorsprong hebben of dat ze door geheime menselijke technologieën worden aangedreven. Sommige onderzoekers en wetenschappers wijzen erop dat de gegevens niet volledig kunnen worden verklaard door bekende menselijke technologieën, wat de mogelijkheid opent dat we te maken hebben met buitenaardse bezoekers of technologieën.
Een andere belangrijke vraag is of deze fenomenen gevaarlijk zijn voor de nationale veiligheid. Gezien de snelheid en beweeglijkheid van de objecten, is er bezorgdheid dat ze een bedreiging kunnen vormen, of dat ze informatie bevatten die in handen kan vallen van buitenlandse mogendheden.
De tweede disclassificatie onder Trump symboliseert een belangrijke verschuiving in de manier waarop de Amerikaanse overheid omgaat met gevoelige informatie over UAP's. Het laat zien dat zelfs een voormalige president zich bewust is geworden van de urgentie om transparantie te bevorderen en dat de overheid niet langer alle gegevens achter gesloten deuren wil houden.
Bovendien onderstrepen de nieuwe gegevens dat de fenomenen meer dan alleen anekdotische waarnemingen zijn. Ze omvatten uitgebreide technische gegevens die de mogelijkheid bieden om wetenschappelijk onderzoek te doen en theorieën te ontwikkelen over de aard van deze fenomenen. Dit is cruciaal om te voorkomen dat de discussie wordt beperkt tot speculatie en om daadwerkelijk te begrijpen wat er zich boven onze hoofden afspeelt.
De grootschalige declassificatie van UAP-gegevens door de Amerikaanse overheid en de aanvullende vrijgaven onder huidig president Donald Trump markeren een nieuw tijdperk waarin de mensheid zich meer bewust wordt van de mysteries die zich in onze lucht en ruimte bevinden. Deze gebeurtenissen onderstrepen de noodzaak van een internationale, multidisciplinaire aanpak om deze fenomenen te onderzoeken en te begrijpen.
De recent vrijgegeven beelden en documenten bieden een schat aan nieuwe gegevens die niet alleen vragen oproepen, maar ook de mogelijkheid bieden om wetenschappelijk en technisch verder te onderzoeken. Ze benadrukken dat de fenomenen mogelijk niet door natuurlijke oorzaken kunnen worden verklaard en dat er mogelijk geavanceerde technologieën spelen die onze huidige wetenschap nog niet volledig doorgrondt.
De tweede "disclassificatie" onder Trump heeft hierbij een belangrijke rol gespeeld door meer transparantie te stimuleren en gegevens toegankelijk te maken voor een breder publiek en wetenschappelijke gemeenschap. Het is duidelijk dat de Amerikaanse overheid, ondanks de complexe geopolitieke en veiligheidsbelangen, zich nu meer dan ooit bewust is van de urgentie om deze fenomenen te onderzoeken en te begrijpen.
Deze ontwikkelingen vormen het begin van een nieuw hoofdstuk in de menselijke geschiedenis. Ze bieden de mogelijkheid voor een wereldwijde gezamenlijke zoektocht naar antwoorden over buitenaardse aanwezigheid en technologieën die onze verbeelding te boven gaan. Of deze fenomenen nu buitenaards van oorsprong zijn of niet, één ding is zeker: we staan aan de vooravond van een nieuwe fase in onze zoektocht naar het onbekende, waarbij wetenschap, beleid en samenleving zich gezamenlijk zullen moeten inzetten om de mysteries boven ons hoofd te ontrafelen.
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What Spielberg Actually Knows
Disclosure Day — Steven Spielberg’s new film, opening June 12, 2026. Universal Pictures.
He worked directly with J. Allen Hynek. He had long lunches with Jacques Vallée. He was watching classified Navy footage when no one else in Hollywood was paying attention. Three weeks before Disclosure Day opens in theatres, we examine what nearly 50 years of proximity to the most serious UFO researchers in history might have taught Steven Spielberg — and what the pattern of his career actually suggests.
There are two ways to read Steven Spielberg’s relationship with the UFO subject. The first is the cynical reading: that he is a gifted filmmaker who has repeatedly found a commercially lucrative theme and returned to it whenever the cultural appetite was right. The second is more interesting. It is the possibility that Spielberg has spent nearly half a century closer to the most serious UFO research in the world than almost anyone outside classified programmes — and that this proximity has shaped not just his films, but his understanding of what the phenomenon actually is.
The evidence for the second reading is surprisingly strong. It does not require conspiracy. It does not require secret briefings. It requires only looking carefully at who Spielberg spent time with, what they told him, and what his films subsequently argued — and then comparing that timeline to the arc of official UAP disclosure.
Spielberg has made films directly engaging the UFO phenomenon across five decades: Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982), the television miniseries Taken (2002), War of the Worlds (2005), and now Disclosure Day, which opens June 12, 2026. No other filmmaker with comparable mainstream standing has returned to the subject so consistently or across such a long timespan.
But the timeline is more striking than the body count. Consider the cultural context each film entered. When Close Encounters arrived in 1977, UFOs were still heavily ridiculed in mainstream media. Spielberg treated witnesses with complete psychological authenticity — as people experiencing something real, not as cranks. In 1982, E.T. permanently shifted the dominant popular image of an alien from threat to emotionally intelligent being, just as serious abduction research was beginning to emerge publicly. In 2002, Taken engaged abduction, hybridisation theory, government programmes, and multi-generational witness accounts at a level of sophistication that predated their mainstream cultural moment by more than a decade. And now, in 2026, Disclosure Day arrives with the Pentagon having formally released hundreds of classified UAP files through the PURSUE archive, whistleblowers testifying before Congress, and UAP language entering routine government discourse for the first time.
Pattern recognition is not proof. But this particular pattern is hard to dismiss.
Directed by Steven Spielberg. Starring Emily Blunt, Josh O’Connor, Colin Firth. Opens June 12, 2026 via Universal Pictures.
The most important documented relationship in understanding Spielberg’s relationship to the UFO subject is his collaboration with Dr. J. Allen Hynek.
Hynek was not a peripheral figure. He was a professional astrophysicist who had served as the United States Air Force’s official scientific consultant on UFOs throughout the entire duration of Project Blue Book — from 1948 until the programme was officially terminated in 1969. He had spent over two decades inside the Air Force’s formal UFO investigation infrastructure. He had personally reviewed hundreds of case files. He had access to witnesses, reports, and internal institutional attitudes that were never made public. When Blue Book closed, Hynek concluded publicly that the phenomenon deserved serious scientific investigation — an extraordinary admission from a man who had spent twenty years in proximity to the classified programme.
Hynek coined the term “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” in his 1972 book The UFO Experience, which created a systematic classification framework for UFO reports based on the witness’s proximity to the object. Spielberg discovered the phrase in that book and it “fairly leaped off the page at me as a movie title.” He contacted Hynek, who became the film’s official scientific consultant.
The relationship was not nominal. Spielberg later credited Hynek with instilling in him “a professional’s point of view on this kind of field reporting” — a phrase worth pausing on. Not a film consultant’s perspective. Not a dramatist’s perspective. A field reporter’s perspective: the discipline of taking witness accounts seriously, documenting them carefully, and not imposing explanations on cases that resisted them. Hynek earned himself a cameo in the finished film. His influence on what the film argued — that UFO witnesses were credible, sober people experiencing something real — was fundamental.
What this means in practice is that Spielberg, before he was 30 years old, had extended access to one of the very few scientists who had spent twenty years inside the Air Force’s UFO investigation apparatus. The cases Hynek had reviewed. The witnesses he had interviewed. The institutional scepticism he had observed — and ultimately rejected. This is not the background of a filmmaker who got interested in UFOs from science fiction novels. It is the background of someone who absorbed the phenomenon from its most serious internal source.
If Hynek gave Spielberg credibility and case data, Jacques Vallée gave him something more destabilising: the possibility that the phenomenon was stranger than anyone was publicly admitting.
Vallée is a French astronomer, computer scientist, and venture capitalist who worked at the Paris Observatory before co-developing the first computerised map of Mars for NASA in 1963. He became one of the most rigorous and unorthodox UFO researchers of the twentieth century, and his conclusions diverged sharply from the standard extraterrestrial hypothesis. Where most UFO researchers concluded “spacecraft from another planet,” Vallée argued the phenomenon might be real and physical while not being extraterrestrial in any conventional sense — that it appeared to manipulate consciousness, that its patterns resembled historical religious apparitions and European fairy-lore, and that it seemed to interact with human psychology in ways that suggested something far more complex than visiting spacecraft.
Vallée was the real-life model for the French scientist character, Claude Lacombe, played by director François Truffaut in Close Encounters. But he was more than an inspiration — he was an active advisor. He had lunch sessions with Spielberg during the film’s development and contributed specific ideas, including the scene in which characters use a globe to track signals, based on a photograph Vallée had seen of scientists calculating Sputnik’s orbit.
What is most revealing about this relationship is a disagreement the two men had that Vallée later recounted publicly. Vallée argued to Spielberg that the subject was even more interesting if it was not extraterrestrial — “if it was real, physical, but not ET.” Spielberg’s response was direct: that was not what the public expected. The filmmaker chose to give audiences the spacecraft-and-aliens narrative they could absorb. But his advisors were telling him something more complex.
Look at what Spielberg’s UFO films actually argue beyond the surface plot. Common threads across his work: altered consciousness, obsession, children as primary experiencers, telepathy and non-verbal communication, emotional transformation that overrides rational behaviour, government concealment, reality distortion, and encounters that feel more like spiritual events than technological ones. These are not standard Hollywood science fiction themes. They are Vallée-type themes — the signature markers of an unusual understanding of the phenomenon that goes well beyond “alien spacecraft visit Earth.”
After the Taken miniseries in 2002 and War of the Worlds in 2005, Spielberg’s direct engagement with UFO themes went quiet for two decades. Then something changed.
Multiple interview sources indicate that Spielberg’s renewed interest in the subject — the interest that produced Disclosure Day — was sparked by classified U.S. Navy footage depicting unidentified aerial vehicles. This is the footage that first came to public attention through Luis Elizondo and the To the Stars Academy, and which was formally confirmed and released by the Pentagon between 2017 and 2020: the FLIR1, Gimbal, and GoFast videos. The footage showed objects performing manoeuvres with no visible propulsion, no control surfaces, and flight characteristics that no known aircraft could replicate.
This matters. Spielberg is not described as having reacted to internet UFO discourse or viral social media speculation. He reacted to evidence that had been classified by the military and then formally confirmed as genuine by the Department of Defence. That is a precise and important distinction. The person who had studied the phenomenon with Hynek and Vallée fifty years earlier was watching in 2017 as the United States government formally acknowledged that its military pilots had been encountering objects it could not explain — and he began developing a film.
Before addressing the government coordination theory directly, it is worth establishing what is simply factual about the relationship between Hollywood and intelligence agencies.
The Pentagon has operated a formal Entertainment Media Office since 1989, which reviews scripts and provides access to military equipment, personnel, and locations for productions that portray the military favourably. The CIA has its own Entertainment Industry Liaison. These are not secrets — they are publicly documented programmes. Hundreds of productions have used them. The exchange is explicit: favourable portrayal in exchange for access and cooperation. The influence runs in both directions: the military can suggest script changes as a condition of support, and productions frequently comply.
There is no documented evidence that these mechanisms were applied to Disclosure Day specifically, or that Spielberg has participated in any formal government communication programme around UAP disclosure. Screenwriter David Koepp addressed the rumour directly and was unambiguous: “I was never contacted by a member of the government on this.” That denial should be taken seriously. It is specific, attributed, and on record.
What remains true regardless of government involvement is that the general architecture for this kind of relationship exists. The question of whether it was used here is distinct from the question of whether it could be used. The first question currently has no affirmative evidence. The second is simply a matter of documented history.
Disclosure Day is described as a film that treats alien existence as a destabilising geopolitical event — not a discovery to celebrate but a secret that powerful institutions will kill to protect. Its themes map directly onto the language of current UAP disclosure: government suppression, institutional resistance, the personal and societal cost of truth. Emily Blunt’s character has been described as a whistleblower figure operating at the intersection of government secrecy and public knowledge. The film does not appear to be a film about alien visitation in the traditional sense. It is a film about what happens to human institutions when hidden information becomes public.
That framing is almost precisely the framing that legitimate researchers like Leslie Kean, Luis Elizondo, David Grusch, and Christopher Mellon have applied to the real disclosure process. The film is not depicting the phenomenon — it is depicting the human institutional response to the phenomenon. And that is a far more sophisticated and accurate lens than anything Hollywood has applied to this subject before.
Whether that sophistication comes from Spielberg’s fifty years of proximity to serious researchers, from his response to the Navy footage, from creative instinct, from cultural antenna, or from some combination of all of these is genuinely unknowable from outside. What is demonstrable is that the framing is correct in a way that cannot be accidental.
What Steven Spielberg almost certainly knows, in the sense of having evidence or direct knowledge, is less important than what Steven Spielberg has observed, processed, and expressed over fifty years of serious engagement with the most credible researchers in this field.
He worked directly with a man who spent two decades inside the Air Force’s UFO programme. He had substantive conversations with a scientist who had concluded the phenomenon was real but not straightforwardly extraterrestrial. He watched the Navy footage that the Pentagon subsequently confirmed as genuine. He has been paying attention, in a way that most people — including most journalists and most politicians — have not been, for fifty years.
The hypothesis that Spielberg is part of an orchestrated government disclosure programme is not supported by evidence. The denial from the screenwriter is direct. The more interesting and more defensible hypothesis is this: Spielberg is a filmmaker with unusually deep roots in serious UFO research who sensed, very early and very consistently, that the taboo surrounding this subject would eventually collapse under the weight of the evidence — and who has been making films that anticipate that collapse, not because someone told him to, but because he has been paying closer attention than almost everyone else.
Three weeks before Disclosure Day opens, the Pentagon has released hundreds of classified UAP files. Serving officers have testified before Congress under oath. AARO exists. The word “disclosure” appears in mainstream political discourse without irony. The taboo has not fully collapsed, but it is visibly eroding. Spielberg’s new film is not ahead of its time. For perhaps the first time in his career, it is arriving precisely on time.
The question that remains — the one that his films have never quite answered, and perhaps cannot — is Vallée’s question: what exactly is it? Spielberg chose in 1977 to give audiences the spacecraft. His researcher advisors were telling him something stranger. Nearly fifty years later, the phenomenon still has not resolved into anything simple. That may be the most important thing Spielberg actually knows.
David Fravor’s Tic-Tac: The Encounter That Changed Everything
Declassified U.S. Navy FLIR footage of the Tic-Tac UAP — released by the Pentagon in 2020 after years of denial that the footage existed
An 18-year Navy aviator with 6,000 hours of flight time describes an object that mirrored his movements, vanished instantly, and reappeared sixty miles away.
Commander David Fravor is not a casual observer. He spent eighteen years in the United States Navy as a carrier-based aviator, logging over 6,000 flight hours and accumulating combat experience in multiple deployments. At the time of the November 2004 encounter, he commanded Strike Fighter Squadron 41 — the Black Aces — flying the F/A-18F Super Hornet from the USS Nimitz. His career record and professional credibility are the reason his account carries the weight it does. He is, in the taxonomy of UAP witnesses, exactly the kind of person whose testimony cannot be easily dismissed.
On the morning of 14 November 2004, Fravor and his wingman were vectored toward an anomalous radar contact approximately 100 miles off the coast of San Diego. The controller aboard the USS Princeton, which had been tracking the object for two weeks, directed them to a position where they could attempt a visual intercept. Below Fravor’s aircraft, he observed a disturbance on the ocean surface — a circular churning of water approximately 50 to 100 feet across — and above it, a white elongated object roughly the size of an F/A-18, with no wings, no exhaust ports, no visible means of propulsion. It hovered in place.
What happened next is the part of the account that has defined the case. As Fravor descended toward the object in a circular intercept pattern, the object began mirroring his movements — ascending as he descended, tracking his arc. When Fravor committed to a direct intercept run, the object accelerated away and vanished. Not rapidly. Instantly. Gone from visual range and from the Princeton’s radar simultaneously, in a way that no known aircraft can achieve.
The Princeton then picked up the object’s radar return sixty miles away at the combat air patrol rendezvous point that Fravor’s flight had been heading toward. The object appeared to have known the destination and positioned itself there before the aircraft arrived. Fravor’s wingman, Lieutenant Alex Dietrich, also observed the encounter. She confirmed Fravor’s account publicly in 2020 — the first time she had spoken on the record. Two trained combat aviators, from two separate aircraft, describing the same object making the same impossible manoeuvres.
In 2019, Fravor testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee. Under oath, he described the object’s performance characteristics in technical aviation terms: instantaneous acceleration with no visible propulsion system, hypersonic speed with no thermal bloom, the ability to hold station against a 60-knot wind without control surfaces, and an intercept pattern that suggested awareness of his intentions. His conclusion, stated directly, was that no nation on Earth possesses this technology. He has repeated that assessment in every subsequent public appearance.
The distinction between the FLIR1 infrared video and Fravor’s visual intercept is important and often missed. The video shows what a later crew’s infrared camera recorded — a thermal signature at range. Fravor’s account is based on direct visual observation at close range from a combat aircraft. He has noted repeatedly that the video does not capture what he saw in terms of the object’s manoeuvrability. The visual encounter and the filmed encounter are separate data points that corroborate each other but do not duplicate each other.
Fravor has become the most credible single witness in the history of modern UAP research — not because of what he believes, but because of who he is and what he has consistently described. His 2019 Senate testimony is the pivotal document in the shift from UAP as a fringe subject to UAP as a national security matter. When the Pentagon established the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office in 2022, and when Congress passed the UAP Disclosure Act in 2023, it was Fravor’s account — unchanging, technically precise, and delivered under oath — that most clearly made the case that the subject required serious institutional attention.
Fravor’s complete testimony under oath before the Senate — describing the object’s performance characteristics in technical aviation terms and explaining why no known technology accounts for what he observed.
The declassified infrared footage of the Tic-Tac object, officially released by the Pentagon in 2020 and confirmed as genuine by the U.S. Navy.
MUFON June #11 eNewsletter
MUFON June #11 eNewsletter
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Mystery of the Bible's Garden of Eden river finally solved in major geological discovery See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred Source By STACY LIBERATORE, US SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY EDITOR
A geological discovery has uncovered what researchers describe as a previously unknown chapter in the history of a river linked to one of the Bible's most enduring stories.
The Euphrates River is named in Genesis as one of four waterways flowing from the Garden of Eden, the paradise where Adam and Eve are said to have lived.
Despite its central role in biblical tradition and the rise of the ancient civilizations of Mesopotamia, scientists have long been unable to determine exactly how the river first formed.
For decades, evidence of its origins remained hidden beneath layers of sediment and obscured by millions of years of tectonic upheaval.
Now, researchers said they have solved the mystery, reconstructing the ancient history of the waterway for the first time.
The team pieced together the river's past using seismic imaging, satellite observations, geological mapping and sediment deposits buried beneath the Mediterranean Sea.
Their analysis revealed that two enormous rivers, known as the Paleo-Karasu and Paleo-Murat, once flowed separately across what is now Turkey and Syria before powerful geological forces altered their course.
By around 1.6 million years ago, the waterways had merged and begun flowing toward the Persian Gulf, creating the modern Euphrates.
For decades, evidence of the river's origins remained hidden beneath layers of sediment and obscured by millions of years of tectonic upheaval
The Euphrates River, the longest waterway in Western Asia, flows through the Fertile Crescent, a region often called the cradle of civilization because it was home to some of humanity's earliest societies.
Its eastern branch, known as Mesopotamia, contains the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.
These two rivers created an oasis of fertile soil in an otherwise arid region, which helped ancient civilizations such as the Sumerians and Assyrians flourish some 6,000 years ago.
Despite the Euphrates playing a central role in the success of these early civilizations, the origins of the 1,900-mile-long river have until now remained enigmatic.
Some researchers previously proposed that the Euphrates evolved from a single river that flowed into the Mediterranean Sea or into ancient lakes in what is now Turkey, while others suggested it evolved from a river ending somewhere on the Arabian Peninsula.
The new study, published June 1 in Nature Geoscience, allowed researchers to reconstruct the river's evolution over millions of years.
The analysis suggested the Paleo-Murat River first appeared more than 16.5 million years ago, while the Paleo-Karasu developed between about 8.6 million and 5.9 million years ago.
During this period, both rivers flowed into a series of poorly connected lakes south of the North Anatolian Fault rather than forming part of the modern Euphrates system.
Their analysis revealed that two enormous rivers, known as the Paleo-Karasu and Paleo-Murat, once flowed separately across what is now Turkey and Syria before powerful geological forces altered their course
The Garden of Eden (Pictured) was described in the Book of Genesis as a paradise where the first humans, Adam and Eve, once walked before committing the first sin
Around 5.3 million years ago, a major geological event transformed the Mediterranean region.
The connection between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean became restricted near what is now the Strait of Gibraltar, causing much of the Mediterranean Sea to dry up.
As water levels dropped dramatically, the eastern Mediterranean fell by as much as one to 1.3 miles. However, the researchers estimated that a drop of at least 2,600 feet would have been enough to produce the changes seen in their model.
The sudden lowering of sea level caused rivers across the region to cut deeper into the landscape as they adjusted to the new conditions.
At the same time, tectonic forces tilted parts of Anatolia and reactivated ancient faults, accelerating erosion and increasing the amount of sediment carried toward the Mediterranean.
Many have dismissed the Garden of Eden as a myth, but now, resurfaced satellite images have suggested that the story may have a very real geographical basis
The researchers believe these changes may have caused large lakes in the Anatolian highlands to suddenly burst through their natural barriers, unleashing catastrophic floods.
They suggested two major geological formations, known as the Handere and Nahr Menashe deposits, may have been created by these enormous flood events.
Similar processes may have occurred elsewhere around the Mediterranean.
The team pointed to a giant ancient river deposit off the coast of Libya, known as the Eosahabi fan, which may also have been formed when rivers rapidly eroded the landscape in response to falling sea levels.
Over millions of years, continued tectonic activity altered the courses of the Paleo-Murat and Paleo-Karasu rivers until they eventually merged around 1.6 million years ago, forming the modern Euphrates River.
Ex-CIA 'psychic spy' unmasks secret alien bases inside mountains with UFO repair shops
BY Liam Randall - News Reporter
Ex-CIA 'psychic spy' Lyn Buchanan claims to have unmasked several secret alien bases
(Image: American Alchemy)
An ex-CIA "psychic spy" claims he has identified the exact coordinates of several top-secret alien installations lurking right under our noses on Earth. Lyn Buchanan, a decorated army intelligence veteran, dropped the bombshell revelations on the American Alchemy podcast.
He claimed that the extraterrestrial outposts are burrowed deep inside remote mountains, serving as interplanetary spy hubs, UFO repair garages and cosmic transit lounges. During the height of the Cold War, Buchanan was part of a highly classified military research unit exploring whether human consciousness could be weaponised for long-distance espionage.
According to the veteran, the locations were originally sniffed out back in 1973 by a former cop turned pioneering remote viewer named Pat Price.
Mount Hayes in Alaska is said to be home to a top-secret alien base
(Image: Getty Images/Design Pics RF)
The US Government later launched "Project 8200" to see if independent psychics could back up Price's wild claims.
Buchanan was ordered to track four primary targets at Mount Hayes in Alaska, Mount Zeil in Australia, Mount Nyangani in Zimbabwe and a site in the Pyrenees Mountains spanning the Spanish and French border.
According to Buchanan, each base serves a distinct purpose. The first location, hidden inside Alaska's Mount Hayes, acts as a massive global surveillance hub.
Lyn Buchanan says each base serves a distinct purpose
(Image: New Thinking Allowed with Jeffrey Mishlove/YouTube)
When quizzed on its function, Buchanan explained it was for: "Keeping intelligence on the Earth... just collecting data and signals and all that."
While earlier psychics claimed to have seen humans and aliens working together, Buchanan noted the staff had cleared out when he took a look.
He said: "I did Mount Hayes and found out that the equipment was now automated and still running, but there was no need for personnel there."
Meanwhile, the base at Australia's Mount Zeil handles cosmic traffic. Buchanan described it as a bustling extraterrestrial airport.
He said: "Mount Zeil is sort of a port of entry to the Earth that friendly ones go there and then from there spread out around the world."
The facility is said to feature multiple subterranean levels, including a spaceship docking bay and a mechanics' workshop below.
During one bizarre psychic session, Buchanan claimed the alien residents realised they were being watched. He said: "In the area where the travellers go in and out, I saw a grey female with a baby grey."
The third site, located within Zimbabwe's Mount Nyangani, was identified as a dedicated maintenance garage. When asked exactly what was being fixed deep inside the peak, Buchanan said: "For ETs. For UFOs."
But don't go hunting for it as the psychic spy warned the site is heavily protected, suggesting a dark explanation for local disappearances. He said: "You see too much. You disappear."
Buchanan admitted he never personally saw the final site in the Pyrenees. He said: "I never did the one that was in the Pyrenees, so I'm not sure about it."
The extraordinary claims were part of the CIA's infamous "STARGATE" project, which was ultimately shut down in 1995 after being deemed operationally useless. Sceptics point out there is zero public evidence proving the bases exist.
However, Buchanan remains adamant that multiple psychics drew identical sketches of the facilities without knowing the targets beforehand. He added: "See, I did all these blind."
