©Source: Pixabay

Scientists Hint at What US Government UFO Files May Reveal
Curiosity about extraterrestrial life has long blurred the line between science, speculation, and storytelling. Now, renewed calls to release classified UFO files are reigniting that curiosity, raising a simple but powerful question, what does the government actually know, and what might finally come to light?

©Source: Shutterstock

Government Push Renews Interest In UFO Disclosure
A recent directive to begin reviewing and releasing government records related to unidentified aerial phenomena, UFOs, and possible extraterrestrial life has sparked widespread attention. The initiative suggests a shift toward greater transparency, potentially opening decades of classified material to public scrutiny and scientific evaluation.

©Source: Pexels

Political And Public Reactions Fuel Speculation
Public interest intensified following comments from political figures discussing the possibility of life beyond Earth. While some statements emphasized the vastness of the universe as a basis for believing in extraterrestrial life, others hinted at the existence of undisclosed information, further fueling debate and speculation.

©Source: Pexels

New Sightings Add Urgency To The Discussion
Recent reports documenting hundreds of new unidentified aerial sightings highlight the scale of the phenomenon. While many cases remain unexplained, the volume of data underscores the need for systematic analysis, especially as advanced detection technologies continue to capture unusual activity.

©Source: Pixabay

Former Investigator Urges Realistic Expectations
A former lead investigator of government UFO programs has cautioned that the public may not find definitive proof of alien life in the released files. His experience suggests that many incidents can be attributed to misinterpretations, experimental defense projects, or deliberate obfuscation rather than extraterrestrial encounters.

©Source: Unsplash

Scientific Perspective Emphasizes Probability Over Proof
From a scientific standpoint, experts widely agree that life beyond Earth is statistically plausible given the immense scale of the universe. However, they also stress that no current evidence confirms that such life has visited or interacted with our planet in any verifiable way.

©Source: Unsplash

Astronomers Highlight Limits Of Human Perception
Astronomers note that unfamiliarity with atmospheric, optical, and astronomical phenomena often leads people to misidentify what they observe in the sky. This gap in understanding can transform ordinary events into seemingly mysterious encounters, reinforcing the importance of scientific literacy.

©Source: Common Wikimedia

The Role Of Skepticism In Scientific Inquiry
Skepticism remains a cornerstone of scientific investigation. Researchers emphasize that extraordinary claims require equally strong evidence, and this standard is essential for separating credible findings from assumptions or misinformation in the study of unidentified phenomena.

©Source: Unsplash

Challenges Of Declassification And National Security
Experts anticipate that many documents may be heavily redacted due to national security concerns, particularly those involving advanced surveillance systems. Even so, older data could be released in a way that allows scientists to reanalyze past observations using modern tools and methodologies.

©Source: Commons Wikimedia

Search For Life Focuses On Microbial Evidence
Rather than expecting dramatic discoveries of intelligent beings, many scientists are focused on the possibility of microbial life. Since microorganisms were the foundation of life on Earth, finding similar evidence elsewhere would represent a major scientific breakthrough.

©Source: Unsplash

A Scientific Approach To The Unknown
Researchers studying these files aim to distinguish between explainable events and truly anomalous cases. While most sightings are likely to have conventional explanations, scientists remain open to the possibility that a small number of incidents could challenge current understanding, making careful, evidence-based analysis essential.

{ https://itsblossom.com }

Story by Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAY

As the four astronauts on the 10-day Artemis II mission around the moon got their first clear glimpse of Earth, the view of their home planet in the distance stopped them in their tracks.

They captured a remarkable photo of Earth from the first crewed moon mission in 50 years. The photo, taken by Commander Reid Wiseman on April 2 from the Orion spacecraft's window, showed Earth from tens of thousands of miles away. It captured the "spectacular blues and browns" of the planet and even caught two auroras lighting up the atmosphere.

The image has dazzled those back on Earth who are following the Artemis II mission and may never get the chance to see our home planet from space for themselves. But the view has also had a profound impact on the crew, the first humans to leave Earth's orbit since 1972.

"There was a moment about an hour ago where Mission Control Houston reoriented our spacecraft as the sun was setting behind Earth, and I don't know what we all expected to see in that moment," Wiseman told reporters during a question-and-answer session from space on April 2, describing all the detail the crew could see of Earth. "It was the most spectacular moment, and it paused all four of us in our tracks."

Astronauts in the past have gotten to see glimpses of auroras, lightning strikes and metropolitan areas lit up as evidence of human life. Seeing Earth from above has had such a transformative influence on astronauts that there is an entire psychological phenomenon to describe it, called the overview effect. It can change an astronaut's entire perspective on Earth and life itself.

The astronauts will also get to see parts of the moon that nobody has ever laid eyes on before, the far side not viewable from Earth. That will happen during a roughly six-hour window on April 6 when the sun, moon and the Orion spacecraft will be aligned in just the right way so the astronauts can see about 20% of the far side of the moon, lit by the sun, NASA said.

More than halfway to the moon: 

• See where Artemis II is right now

Here's what astronauts have said about looking back at Earth from space

The Artemis II crew members described the "breathtaking" view of Earth and the details of what they were seeing. From space, they can see the coastline of continents, rivers, thunder clouds and the South Pole lit up, said Artemis II Mission Specialist Christina Koch, reported NPR. The photo captured by Wiseman shows auroras on the poles, lit up in green.

There's nothing that prepares you for the breathtaking aspect of seeing your home planet both lit up bright as day and also the moon glow on it at night with the beautiful beam of the sunset," Koch told reporters in a live stream from space.

"You could see the entire globe from pole to pole, you could see Africa, Europe and if you looked really close, you could see the northern lights," Wiseman said.

See the images: 

• NASA shares striking photos of Earth during Artemis II moon trip

Astronauts for decades have tried to put into words the experience of seeing Earth from various missions. Alan Shepard was the first American to view Earth from space in 1961 from the Freedom 7 Mercury Capsule during a 15-minute suborbital flight.

"If somebody'd said before the flight, 'Are you going to get carried away looking at the Earth from the moon?' I would have said, 'No, no way,'" Shepard said after walking on the moon during the Apollo 14 mission in 1971. "But yet, when I first looked back at the Earth, standing on the moon, I cried."

The International Space Station has a particularly good view of Earth from its seven-windowed cupola module. Former NASA astronaut Nicole Stott said she looked for her home state of Florida during her first trip to the ISS in 2009.

"I wanted to go to the window and see it, and then realized somewhere down the line that I wasn’t looking at Florida that same way anymore,” she said. “I still wanted to see Florida, but Florida had just become this special part of home, which is Earth. We’re all earthlings.”

What is the overview effect?

The life-altering effects of viewing Earth from space have garnered psychological research. In 1987, it was dubbed the "overview effect" by space philosopher and author Frank White, who first considered the phenomenon while on a cross-country flight and decided to start interviewing astronauts. One of the most common experiences they shared was seeing the reality that there are no borders or boundaries separating people, he said.

"And what the astronauts were telling me was, I, I knew before I went into orbit, or went to the moon, that there weren’t any little dotted lines. But it’s knowing intellectually versus experiencing it," White said on a NASA podcast in 2019.

A common conclusion astronauts made from their observations, White said: "We are really all in this together. Our fate is bound up with people that we may think are really different from them. We may have different religions, we may have different politics. But ultimately, we are connected. Totally connected."

It's a difficult concept to convey, White said, "because all you have is words." To fully understand, you need to see it for yourself, he said.

Koch described the overview effect from the International Space Station this way, in a NASA publication from November 2025:

“The overview effect is when you’re looking through the cupola and you see the Earth as it exists with the whole universe in the background. You see the thin blue line of the atmosphere, and then when you’re on the dark side of the Earth, you actually see this very thin green line that shows you where the atmosphere is. What you realize is every single person that you know is sustained and inside of that green line and everything else outside of it is completely inhospitable. You don’t see borders, you don’t see religious lines, you don’t see political boundaries. All you see is Earth and you see that we are way more alike than we are different.”

"Are you going to try to live your life a little differently? Are you going to really choose to be a member of this community of Earth?" Artemis II Pilot Victor Glover previously said.

On April 2, when asked about division back on Earth, Glover said: "Trust us, you look amazing, you look beautiful. And from up here you also look like one thing. Homo sapiens, all of us, no matter where you're from or what you look like, we're all one people."

Compare 1972 Apollo 'blue marble' photo to Artemis II Earth photo

Two photos taken more than a half-century apart were compared side-by-side by NASA in a post to social media this week.

The first, the famous "blue marble" photo taken in December 1972, was captured by the crew of the Apollo 17 mission, the last crewed mission to land on the moon.

The second photo was taken April 2, 2026, during Artemis II, which won't include a lunar landing but paves the way for future landings and space exploration.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 

• Artemis II crew saw a life-changing view. The story of a viral photo.

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{ https://www.usatoday.com }

What is alien disclosure? This answer may surprise you..

{ https://usubjects.com/ }

Unlike other recent UFO films, Saucers, Spooks and Kooks also doesn’t take itself too seriously. Even if that would turn off some of the more solemn pursuers of truth in our midst, soldiering through it will nonetheless offer a solid case that they, in fact, may be the ones taking the “disclosure” idea a bit too seriously. While modern advocates have claimed disclosure is right around the proverbial corner, the film highlights an uncomfortable reality: that others have been saying very similar things for many decades—and the specific time period that the film covers, spanning the late 1970s through the mid 1990s, helped set the stage for much of our present UFO mythology. 

The Absurdity of Disclosure

Over the course of the film, the amount of intentional disinformation, tall tales, and willingness to believe that have shaped UFOlogy becomes clear, providing essential context for where the topic stands today, as addressed (spoiler alert) at the end of the film. In short, the film offers a history lesson that may be strange and fascinating enough to surprise both the skeptic and believer, as it twists and turns through murky truths and strange characters that, at times, may seem every bit as incredible as UFOs themselves.

These ideas are traceable to specific people, whom the film follows through moments ranging from the “dark side” of the subject—as in the case of Paul Bennewitz, who was driven to madness, and reportedly with the help of UFO disinformation—to the absurd, as in the case of the strange prankster known as “TAL LeVesque,” who in one instance claimed to meet a reptilian alien in his bedroom. These, and many others, are the individuals who contributed to shaping UFOlogy as we know it, although as the film argues, UFOlogists who ignore the lessons these human stories teach are doomed to continue banging their heads against the wall into perpetuity.

Adam Gorightly hosts the documentary in-character, as a quirky, paranoid researcher surrounded by monitors.

Credit: Christopher Graybill

Disinformation and Disclosure

While some of the basic elements of the story presented also appeared in the 2013 documentary Mirage Men, Saucers, Spooks and Kooks vastly expands on that film. The main thrust of Mirage Men was the story of how Air Force Office of Special Investigations officer Richard Doty intentionally passed false information to UFO investigators in an alleged counterintelligence operation, events that ended up becoming a crucial part of the UFO mythos and culminating in Bill Moore’s fiery speech at the 1989 MUFON convention, which at the time tore the community apart.

Mirage Men, some historians might argue, could be seen as part of the “before times,” as it was released prior to the 2017 New York Times article, which revealed the existence of a previously secret U.S. government program that examined UFOs and related phenomena—a moment that has become viewed as a sort of dividing line for the modern era of UFOlogy. Mirage Men conveyed Doty as an individual who, decades after his “official” involvement with counterintelligence, was seemingly still up to his old tricks, attempting to pull one over on a dwindling audience of die-hard UFO buffs with the story of a secret US space program exchanging humans with aliens that became known as the SERPO affair.

Where Saucers, Spooks and Kooks expands the retelling is in highlighting not just the “spooks” like Doty and their side of the story, but also the many “kooks” who ran with the disinformation provided by them that helped build on the mythos. The result provides a more complete and satisfying account of UFOlogical history by exploring how these two elements play off of one another like a snowballing internet creepypasta, to produce an ever-evolving myth.

And that myth remains in motion to this day. The film ends with images of modern “whistleblowers” claiming to have insider information all over again. This time, wrapped in an air of respectability that the Bill Moores of the era never achieved, with congressional hearings and 20/20 interviews, yet the same mist of evidence that is perpetually out of reach, “cannot be discussed in this setting,” or simply remains unseen, but perpetually “imminent.” While Doty may still be out there somewhere on the internet, attempting to lay claim to his own stake in “disclosure,” the new faces that have emerged in recent years come with more impressive titles and from positions deeper inside the intelligence apparatus.

Unlike the bland graphic design on other recent UFO documentary covers, Saucers, Spooks and Kooks uses the Ghanaian film poster style for its promotional artwork. While those posters have become popular collectibles among schlock film fans, the reference may be lost on the typical UFO enthusiast.

Credit: Christopher Graybill

A Raw UFOlogy

This is all helped along with a presentation that feels straight out of the period, transforming narrator Gorightly into a quirky character in this retelling, and combining Graybill’s Gen X memories of the Unsolved Mysteries television show with Gorightly’s knowledge of the field’s myriad characters as they appeared at the time. The intentional lo-fi vibe appeals to those who appreciate the earnestness of the underground UFO zines and VHS tapes of the era, into which UFOlogy’s forefathers poured their blood, sweat, and tears before the ease of Tweets, YouTube rants, and the all-too-tempting allure (and overuse, in many cases) of AI-generated content.

From Graybill’s synth music and animated reenactments, complete with CRT TV scan lines, to a host of well-researched period footage, Saucers, Spooks and Kooks transports one back to the era. Especially notable are the kitschy yet eerie live-action reenactments sourced from Japanese television of the time.

The Debrief spoke with the pair to find out how it all came together.

“I find a lot of the disclosure crowd, and what they’re producing—the content, the visuals, you know, using AI or whatever, to be pretty damn boring. And the old stuff I love,” Gorightly said. “I think it was my idea to use that. Chris spent a lot of time wrangling old footage. I like that sensibility.”

“It was a collaborative process, for sure. It evolved with both of our sensibilities, I guess,” Gorightly explained. “For instance, we called where I was at ‘Gorightly’s Lair,’ and I kind of came up with that concept of having a guy in his basement, you know? The set [was] in my garage. Since then, I’ve remodeled, and it’s a recording studio.”

“What we modeled that on was John Lear back in the day. I don’t know if you’ve seen any videos of him. He had all those television screens and stuff behind him,” Gorightly continued. “It was kind of a mishmash of John Lear and the conspiracy theorist who lives with his parents down in the basement. Chris and I put the set together, and the murder board. We collaborated in putting all those little elements together for the film.”

“[Initially] it was a bit too dry; I was reading it straight, so we kind of came up with a thing. If I was on Unsolved Mysteries … how would I be announcing that—a little bit more amped up, but also kind of quirky, and that throws some humor in there now and then,” Gorightly concluded.

Chasing UFOlogy

“I think I’ve always approached it more as entertainment than anything,” Graybill told The Debrief, calling UFOlogy a “metafiction.”

“It could be true, but it’s more just fun to think about and entertain,” Graybill said.

“The documentary kind of TV shows, it was just like ‘we’re gonna get to the bottom of it,’ and they never do. But they’ll show you some great footage. You do wonder; it makes you really curious, I think. It made me really curious: what is the real story?”

And get to the “real” story is what Gorightly appears to have done. He spoke with many of the involved persons for the original book, and, along with Graybill, conducted another round of in-depth interviews for the film. Additionally, Graybill sourced footage from the National UFO Historical Records Center, including rare early footage of the two men most responsible for popularizing Roswell as the most well-known UFO case in the US: UFO researchers Stanton Friedman and Bill Moore.

However, not everyone from those days was eager to tell their story, as a few of the participants from that era don’t look back on those days fondly, offering something of a warning to the eager young UFOlogists of today.

“I put out feelers to talk to Bill Moore through Bishop. I think Greg Bishop is still in touch with him,” Gorightly said. “But it didn’t sound like Moore was interested, and he hasn’t really discussed it for many years now.

“Chris found the number of Jamie Shandera and called him, and the conversation went:

‘Is this Jamie Shandera?’ 

‘Yes.’

‘Jamie Shandera from UFO Cover-Up Live?’

‘Uh, yes.’

“Chris asked if he wanted to talk about them. He said, ‘No, I’m not interested,’ and hung up.”

Wising Up to Disclosure Promises

We asked Gorightly when he first began to have suspicions of the ever-around-the-corner disclosure movement. His answer took him back two decades.

“Let’s see, this would be 2006, at the Roswell conference,” Gorightly said. “That was the 60th anniversary? A bunch of different researchers and ufologists were there, and I gave a talk I had at that time.”

“They had us stay at a hotel, and I was there with Greg Bishop and Nick Redfern,” Gorightly remembered. “We went down for the free breakfast, and down there were Stan Friedman, Bruce Maccabee, and Steven Bassett. I didn’t know who Stephen Bassett was at the time. I knew Maccabee and Stan Friedman; I think it was those three guys. So, you know, we’re just waking up, having coffee or whatever. Free cereal, your waffles that you’d make on the little thing there. Bassett’s going on and on about how Hillary’s gonna be the disclosure president, and this and that. It’s like, holy shit, who’s this guy?”

“And we got done with him, and I’m walking away, and I asked Greg Bishop, ‘Is that guy serious about all this?’ And he said, oh yeah, he’s quite serious. That’s Stephen Bassett,” Gorightly said, recalling that “he had this thing called the disclosure clock back then. It’s almost like the Doomsday Clock. It hit the midnight hour. We’re talking around 2000.”

“I was dubious when people started saying they have these unnamed sources in the government,” Gorightly said.

So, while history has shown that “disclosure” never quite seems to arrive, Saucers, Spooks and Kooks at least proves that understanding the history of UFOs and, perhaps more importantly, those who have been involved with their study, can offer a more viable way of discerning a degree of “truth” about the subject. In addition to their film, for even more in-depth information on all of this, be sure to also check out Gorightly and Graybill’s companion podcast, which is full of expanded interviews and deep dives.

• Ryan Whalen covers science and technology for The Debrief. He holds an MA in History and a Master of Library and Information Science with a certificate in Data Science. He can be contacted at ryan@thedebrief.org, and follow him on Twitter @mdntwvlf. This content has been approved by Computerized Information Accuracy.

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

10 Weird Archaeological Facts That Will Blow Your Mind

Archaeology isn’t just about dusty ruins and ancient pottery—it’s full of bizarre discoveries that challenge what we think we know about the past. From mysterious artifacts to unusual burial practices, here are 10 of the strangest archaeological facts ever uncovered!

1. The Ancient Egyptians Used Honey to Treat Wounds 

Over 4,000 years ago, Egyptian doctors used honey as an antiseptic to prevent infections. They believed it had magical healing properties, but modern science confirms they were onto something—honey is naturally antibacterial and still used in medicine today!

AI-generated image (provided by author).

• Few Non-visitors Are Aware of the 3,500-Year-Old Obelisk in NY's Central Park
• The Great Vampire Epidemic: A Bizarre Chapter in History

2. The Romans Had Heated Floors Over 2,000 Years Ago 

While people in medieval Europe shivered in their castles, the ancient Romans were enjoying underfloor heating! They built a system called hypocaust, where hot air from a furnace flowed beneath raised floors—basically, ancient central heating.

AI-generated image (provided by author).

3. The Mystery of the Screaming Mummies 

Some mummies have been found with terrifying, open-mouthed expressions, leading to myths of cursed souls trapped in eternal screams. But archaeologists say this happens because the jaw drops open after death—still creepy though!

AI-generated image (provided by author).

4. The 5,000-Year-Old "Chewing Gum" 

Archaeologists in Sweden found a piece of ancient chewing gum made from birch bark tar, complete with human teeth marks! It’s believed Stone Age people chewed it for fun, to clean their teeth, or as medicine—kind of like prehistoric bubble gum.

• Archaeologists Excavating In Pompeii Find Ancestral Pizza Revealed in Fresco
• The Secret of Gobekli Tepe: Cosmic Equinox and Sacred Marriage - Part 1

5. The "Vampire" Burials of Medieval Europe 

Graves from the Middle Ages reveal skeletons with stakes through their hearts, rocks in their mouths, or even decapitated heads. These were suspected vampires, buried in ways to prevent them from rising from the dead.

AI-generated image (provided by author).

6. The 2,000-Year-Old Fast Food Joint 

In Pompeii, archaeologists found a well-preserved street food stall (thermopolium) with painted menus showing the food they served. Turns out, fast food isn’t a modern idea—Romans were grabbing quick bites over 2,000 years ago!

An ancient Roman fast food counter that was unearthed in Pompeii last year will open to the public.

(Luigi Spina / AFP).

7. The Alien-Like Elongated Skulls  

Ancient skulls with unnaturally long shapes have been found worldwide, from South America to Asia. Some believe they’re proof of alien contact, but archaeologists explain they were intentionally reshaped using tight bindings, possibly as a status symbol.

One of the elongated skulls found in the Mayan cenote in Mexico. 

(Bradley Russell / National Geographic).

8. The Lost City of the Monkey God 

Deep in the Honduran jungle, explorers uncovered ruins of a mysterious, forgotten civilization, which legends call "The White City" or "City of the Monkey God." Even weirder? Many of the researchers got sick after excavation, leading to rumors of an ancient curse.

AI-generated image (provided by author).

9. The 2,000-Year-Old Roman Concrete That Won’t Break 

Ancient Roman concrete is stronger than modern concrete, especially in seawater. Scientists discovered it gets stronger over time due to a chemical reaction with seawater, making it almost indestructible—unlike today’s crumbling bridges!

AI-generated image (provided by author).

10. The 10,000-Year-Old Carvings of "Giants" 

At Göbekli Tepe in Turkey, archaeologists found huge stone pillars covered in carvings of strange, humanoid figures. Built over 6,000 years before the Egyptian pyramids, the site has led some to speculate about lost civilizations—or even ancient giants!

Archaeological site of Göbeklitepe in Turkey.

(Wikimedia Commons).

Final Thoughts

Archaeology is full of mysteries, and every discovery raises new questions about our past. From vampire burials to unbreakable Roman concrete, history is weirder than we ever imagined! Which fact surprised you the most?

• Top image: Orlando Hollywood Studios, ‘The Great Movie Ride’ featuring Indiana Jones finding the Ark of the Covenant.
• Source: Jared/CC BY-SA 2.0.

The Most Mysterious and Bizarre Archaeological Discoveries on Earth That Shocked Scientists

{ https://www.ancient-origins.net/ }

Nearly a century of wondering: The American UFO saga, in reality and in fiction

By ASSOCIATED PRESS

UFOs, or the notion of them, have been around a long time. Here´s a look at how the various iterations of the subject - from government investigations to sightings to movies and TV - have unfolded since World War II:

On June 24, private pilot Kenneth A. Arnold reports seeing nine objects flying near Mount Rainier in Washington state. His was the first widely reported UFO sighting in this country and set off a wave of other reported sightings. On July 2, A ranch foreman checking on sheep finds strange debris spread over a prairie near Roswell, New Mexico. Authorities initially say the material is from a flying disc, but later say it is from a weather balloon.

U.S. Air Force launches Project Sign, an investigation into UFOs; renamed Project Blue Book in 1953. More than 12,600 reported sightings were investigated between 1948 and 1969.

Release of the spy film "The Flying Saucer."

Radar operators, pilots and others pick up or see up to a dozen unexplained objects in the sky above Washington, D.C. in July.

FILE - A sign directs travelers to the "1947 UFO Crash Site Tours" in Roswell, N.M., on June 10, 1997. (AP Photo/Eric Draper, File)

Construction begins for what would become the Area 51 site northwest of Las Vegas as an Air Force facility. Area 51 becomes a hotspot for UFO conspiracy theories. In 2013, the CIA acknowledged the existence of the site.

In November, dozens of people in Levelland, Texas, west of Lubbock, report strange lights in the sky that interfered with their vehicles and lights.

In September, "Star Trek" premieres on NBC, launching the most enduring space drama in history.

Dec. 17: Air Force says it found no evidence of any UFO that was extraterrestrial in nature or that threatened national security; terminates Project Blue Book.

Steven Spielberg´s "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" released.

U.S. Air Force personnel stationed in Great Britain report seeing strange lights above Rendlesham Forest, northeast of London, in December. Officers reportedly see a metallic object in the forest after investigating the lights.

Spielberg´s "E.T. the Extraterrestrial" is released.

Roland Emmerich´s "Independence Day" is released.

Residents report seeing lights from a large flying object in the sky over or near Phoenix in March.

U.S. aviators track an unidentified blob which was dubbed "Gofast." In another video from that year, labeled "Gimbal," an unexplained object is tracked as it soars high along the clouds, traveling against the wind. "There´s a whole fleet of them," one naval aviator tells another, though only one indistinct object is shown. "It´s rotating." The videos are leaked and later released by the Pentagon.

Navy acknowledges the three clips of declassified military footage as unidentified aerial phenomena.

Pentagon announces a UAP (unidentified aerial phenomena) Task Force.

Investigators say in a U.S. government report that they did not find extraterrestrial links in reviewing 144 sightings of aircraft or other devices apparently flying at mysterious speeds or trajectories. They highlighted the need for better data collection.

Congress holds first hearing in 50 years on UFOs following reports of unexplained aerial phenomena by the military. Lawmakers from both parties say UFOs are a national security concern. NASA announces that it is launching a study of UFOs as part of a new push toward high-risk, high-impact science. The space agency says it´s setting up an independent team to see how much information is publicly available on the matter and how much more is needed. The agency releases its findings in 2023, saying the study of UFOs will require new scientific techniques, including advanced satellites as well as a shift in how unidentified flying objects are perceived. The All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) set up in the Pentagon to track reports of unidentified objects in the sky, under water and in space.

Former Air Force intelligence officer David Grusch testifies before a House Oversight subcommittee in July that the U.S. is concealing a longstanding program that retrieves and reverse-engineers unidentified flying objects. The Pentagon denies it´s concealing any such program.

New Pentagon study that examined reported sightings of UFOs over nearly the last century finds no evidence of aliens or extraterrestrial intelligence. The study from the Defense Department´s All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office analyzed U.S. government investigations since 1945 of reported sightings of unidentified anomalous phenomena. It found no evidence that any of those claims were actually signs of alien life, or that the U.S. government and private companies had reverse-engineered extraterrestrial technology and were hiding it.

-Feb. 14: Former U.S. President Barack Obama, answering a question about "are aliens real" on a podcast, says, "They´re real. But I haven´t seen them. And, they´re not being kept in Area 51." Obama later released this statement on social media: "Statistically, the universe is so vast that the odds are good there´s life out there. But the distances between solar systems are so great that the chances we´ve been visited by aliens is low, and I saw no evidence during my presidency that extraterrestrials have made contact with us. Really!"

-Feb. 19: President Donald Trump announces on social media that he´s directing the Pentagon and other government agencies to identify and release files related to extraterrestrials and UFOs because of "tremendous interest." Trump accuses Obama of disclosing "classified information" and tells reporters that he doesn´t know if UFOs are "real or not."

-March 31: U.S. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna requests in a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that the government release about four dozen videos related to UAP sightings to an oversight committee task force. "The presence of UAPs in and around the sensitive airspaces of U.S. military installations poses a threat to the security of the armed forces and their readiness," Luna writes.

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

Hollywood's narrative on UFOs and ETs reaches back many decades

By ASSOCIATED PRESS

Before zombies shambled about, ghoulishly feasting on the flesh of those too slow to flee, aliens from outer space ruled movie theaters, drive-ins and late Saturday night creature features on television.

Even as Hollywood still drives how Americans envision little green men with big eyes and bigger heads, fiction soon could be separated from - or revealed as - fact if government agencies release secret files related to extraterrestrials and UFOs as called for in February by President Donald Trump.

The science fiction genre has shaped how people think about intelligent life elsewhere in the universe - "whether it´s invasion narratives or aliens coming to warn us that we´re on the wrong track or aliens just trying to come and make contact and help us with things or just say `hi,´" says Duke University professor Priscilla Wald, who teaches a class on science fiction and film.

Trump's announcement on social media followed former President Barack Obama suggesting in a podcast interview that aliens were real. Obama later clarified that he had not seen evidence that aliens had made contact, but said since the universe is so vast odds are good that life exists elsewhere.

Movies say they are nearly everywhere, from a Pennsylvania cornfield in 2002's "Signs" to Wyoming's Devil's Tower in 1977's "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" to a Central American jungle where 1987's "Predator" was set.

"Hollywood has basically been preparing the public for this," retired Navy Rear Adm. Timothy Gallaudet says of any revelation that intelligent life from outer space exists and has visited Earth. "I think people can handle it. It does, of course, depend on what information is released (by the government)."

FILE - Model ships hang at the entrance to the Star Trek Experience at the Las Vegas Hilton in Las Vegas on Aug. 25, 2008.

(AP Photo/Isaac Brekken, File)

Hollywood quickly latched on following the 1947 discovery of debris near Roswell, New Mexico. Authorities initially identified crash materials as a flying disc before quickly backtracking and saying they were from a high-altitude weather balloon.

About three years after Roswell, "The Flying Saucer" made it to theaters. That was followed by a some low-budget and mostly forgettable movies, while others continue to inspire sci-fi buffs like 1951´s "The Day the Earth Stood Still."

"If you think back to the flourishing of alien films, this starts really in the U.S. in the 1950s," Wald says.

"The aliens are gentle souls who come down and try to warn us after nuclear war," she says of "The Day the Earth Stood Still." "They´re trying to warn that we´re creating problems in the cosmos and that if we don´t stop, they are and have to do something about it."

Still others depict visitors arriving with more nefarious motives and intentions - to kill us, to take over the Earth, sometimes even to make us food.

"I think if we found out aliens were on the way, there would be a mix of responses," Wald says. "I think there would be a lot of people out there welcoming them. A lot of people would be going down to the cellars and stocking them with canned food."

A plethora of documentaries also have been released, including 2025´s "The Age of Disclosure," which details government knowledge of the existence of intelligent life outside of humans and attempts to reverse engineer alien technology.

Steven Spielberg has directed such box office hits as 1982's "E.T. The Extraterrestrial" and "Close Encounters of the Third Kind." His upcoming film "Disclosure Day" teases: "If you found out we weren´t alone, if someone showed you, proved it to you, would that frighten you?"

"My question is always, 'Well, what is that fear really about?'" Wald says. "It seems to me it´s a reflection on who we are, that we´re projecting onto aliens the way we treat each other. So, the aliens are coming down, they want to conquer us, they´re violent. Who does that sound like? It sounds like us."

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

De schokkende waarheid over Leviathan: de geheimen van oude religies ontleed

Heb je ooit gehoord van Leviathan? Het is een reusachtig zeemonster dat voorkomt in oude religieuze teksten en mythologieën over de hele wereld. Maar wat is Leviathan precies? En wat kunnen we leren over de overtuigingen en praktijken van onze voorouders door dit mysterieuze schepsel te bestuderen? In dit artikel duiken we diep in de wereld van Leviathan, de verborgen betekenissen die eraan verbonden zijn en de rol die het speelt in de ontwikkeling van religieuze en mythologische verhalen uit het verre verleden.

Het ontrafelen van de geheimen van het Bijbelse zeemonster en de invloed ervan op oude mythologieën

De mysterieuze Leviathan Leviathan is een mythisch zeemonster dat vooral bekend is uit de Bijbel. Het heeft de verbeelding van theologen, historici en leken al duizenden jaren gevangen gehouden. Sommige creationisten beschouwen Leviathan als een soort dinosaurus of prehistorisch reptiel, terwijl een diepere verkenning van dit mythische wezen laat zien dat het verband houdt met oude religies en mythologieën van de Proto-Indo-Europese volkeren en andere oude beschavingen. In dit artikel onderzoeken we de ware aard van Leviathan en wat het ons kan vertellen over de overtuigingen en verhalen die de oude wereld vormgaven.

De Bijbelse Leviathan: een monstrueus zeemonster

In de Hebreeuwse Bijbel wordt Leviathan zes keer genoemd, onder andere in het boek Job (Job 3:8 en Job 40:25–41:26), Psalmen (Psalm 74:14 en Psalm 104:26) en twee keer in Jesaja (Jesaja 27:1). In deze teksten wordt Leviathan beschreven als een gigantisch, angstaanjagend schepsel dat menselijke controle lijkt te weerstaan. Het wordt voorgesteld als een ontembaar zeemonster dat de kracht heeft om hele oceanen te verwoesten en dat de kracht van de natuursymboliek vertegenwoordigt. Hoewel sommigen speculeren dat Leviathan mogelijk gebaseerd is op reële dieren, zoals dinosaurussen of andere prehistorische reptielen, gaat de betekenis van Leviathan veel verder dan alleen zijn fysieke kenmerken. Het dient als een krachtig symbool binnen religieuze teksten en oude mythologieën.

Leviathan in de oude Nabije Oosterse mythologie

De oorsprong van Leviathan ligt in de oude mythologieën van het Nabije Oosten, waar het verwant is aan andere gigantische zeewezens zoals Tiamat uit de Babylonische mythologie en Lotan uit de Kanaänitische traditie. Deze wezens symboliseren vaak de chaos en de ontwrichting die bestaan vóór de schepping van de orde in het universum. Het verhaal van de strijd tussen de goden en deze monsters vertegenwoordigt de overwinning van orde op chaos. Zo verslaat Marduk de Tiamat en gebruikt haar lichaam om de hemel en de aarde te vormen. Deze mythologische verhalen tonen aan dat er een gemeenschappelijk culturele erfgoed bestond, dat vermoedelijk teruggaat tot de proto-Indo-Europese volkeren.

De Proto-Indo-Europeanen en hun mythologie

De Proto-Indo-Europeanen waren een prehistorisch volk dat duizenden jaren geleden leefde en een taal sprak die de basis vormt voor een groot aantal moderne talen, waaronder Engels, Duits, Hindi en vele anderen. Hoewel we weinig concrete documenten van hen hebben, laten archeologische vondsten en vergelijkingen tussen verschillende oude culturen zien dat zij een rijke mythologie en religie hadden. De overeenkomsten tussen Leviathan en andere oude zeemonsters uit verschillende culturen wijzen op een gedeeld mythologisch erfgoed dat teruggaat tot voor de schriftelijke geschiedenis. Dit gemeenschappelijke verhaal kan worden geïnterpreteerd als een universele verbeelding van de strijd tussen chaos en orde, die zich uitstrekt over verschillende tijdperken en regio’s.

Symboliek van zeewezens: chaos en orde

In veel oude culturen symboliseerden zeewezens zoals Leviathan de krachten van chaos die de gevestigde orde bedreigden. Het gevecht tussen de goden en deze monsters werd gezien als een strijd om de kosmos te herstellen en te behouden. Een bekend voorbeeld hiervan is het Babylonische scheppingsverhaal, waarin de god Marduk de Tiamat verslaat en haar lichaam gebruikt om de wereld te vormen. Dit verhaal onderstreept dat de overwinning op chaos niet alleen een kosmologisch verhaal is, maar ook een diepere symboliek bevat over het handhaven van orde in de samenleving en het universum. Het herinnert ons eraan dat oude beschavingen een universeel begrip hadden van de kracht van chaos en de noodzaak van een gestructureerd cosmos.

De erfenis van Leviathan in de moderne cultuur

De invloed van Leviathan en soortgelijke mythologische wezens is nog steeds voelbaar in onze hedendaagse cultuur. De term “leviathan” wordt vaak gebruikt om te verwijzen naar grote of machtige entiteiten, meestal met negatieve connotaties zoals onderdrukkende regeringen, grote bedrijven of oncontroleerbare systemen. Bijvoorbeeld, in politieke discussies wordt het woord gebruikt om een allesomvattend en overweldigend machtsmonopolie te beschrijven dat de vrijheid en autonomie van individuen ondermijnt. Deze symboliek krachtig herinnert ons aan de oude verhalen waarin de strijd tussen chaos en orde centraal stond, en toont aan dat de mythologieën van onze voorouders nog altijd invloed hebben op hoe we moderne problemen en machtssystemen begrijpen.

Het belang van het begrijpen van Leviathan en oude religies

Hoewel de ware aard van Leviathan nog steeds onderwerp van discussie is, is het onmiskenbaar dat deze mythische figuur een cruciale rol speelt in de ontwikkeling van religieuze en mythologische denkbeelden. Door de verbanden te bestuderen tussen Leviathan en andere oude zeewezens, kunnen we diepere inzichten krijgen in de overtuigingen en wereldbeelden van onze voorouders. Deze verhalen vormen de basis voor veel religieuze tradities en hebben bijgedragen aan de vormgeving van culturele normen en waarden.

Leviathan als venster op het verleden

De symboliek van Leviathan en gerelateerde monsters biedt ons een unieke blik op de manier waarop oude samenlevingen de wereld interpreteerden. Ze weerspiegelen de angsten, de hoop en de kosmologische ideeën die de basis vormden voor hun religieuze praktijken. Het bestuderen van deze mythes helpt ons niet alleen te begrijpen hoe onze voorouders de natuur en het universum zagen, maar ook hoe zij met de onvoorspelbare krachten van de natuur omgingen.

De rol van Leviathan in religieuze rituelen en cultuur

In veel oude culturen waren er rituelen en ceremonies die gericht waren op het omgaan met chaos en het herstellen van de orde. Bijvoorbeeld, het symbolische gevecht met een monster zoals Leviathan of Tiamat werd vaak uitgevoerd tijdens religieuze festivals of ceremoniële rituelen. Deze rituelen dienden niet alleen om de goden te eren, maar ook om de gemeenschap te beschermen tegen de destructieve krachten van chaos. Het geloof dat deze krachten konden worden bezworen door rituelen en offers was sterk aanwezig in verschillende beschavingen.

Leviathan en de evolutie van religieuze ideeën

Door de eeuwen heen evolueerden de ideeën over Leviathan en vergelijkbare wezens. In de loop van de tijd werden ze minder letterlijk genomen en meer symbolisch geïnterpreteerd. In de christelijke traditie bijvoorbeeld kreeg Leviathan een meer allegorische betekenis, waarin het staat voor de duistere krachten die overwonnen moeten worden door het geloof. Tegelijkertijd bleef de kracht van het symbool bestaan, en werd Leviathan een metafoor voor grote bedreigingen die de mensheid teisteren.

De invloed van Leviathan op literatuur en kunst

De mythes rond Leviathan hebben kunstenaars, schrijvers en dichters geïnspireerd door de eeuwen heen. Van de schilderijen van barokkunst tot moderne literatuur, het monster en de symboliek ervan worden vaak gebruikt om diepere thema’s van chaos, macht en het onbekende uit te beelden. Bijvoorbeeld, in de roman “Moby-Dick” wordt de zee en haar monsters gebruikt als metaforen voor de ongrijpbare en vaak gevaarlijke natuur van het bestaan. In de schilderkunst zijn er talloze werken die Leviathan afbeelden als een angstaanjagend wezen dat de menselijke verbeelding blijft prikkelen.

De psychologische interpretaties van Leviathan

Sommige psychologen en filosofen zien Leviathan ook als een symbool voor de onbewuste krachten binnen de mens. Het monster vertegenwoordigt onze angsten, onze onderdrukte emoties en de destructieve neigingen die we proberen te beheersen. In deze interpretatie wordt Leviathan niet alleen gezien als een fysiek wezen, maar ook als een metafoor voor de innerlijke strijd die iedere mens voert. Het confronteert ons met de oncontroleerbare aspecten van onszelf en herinnert ons eraan dat het overwinnen van deze krachten een voortdurende uitdaging is.

De wetenschap en Leviathan

Mythes en realiteit Hoewel veel wetenschappers sceptisch staan tegenover het idee dat Leviathan echt een bestaand dier was, blijft de mythe een krachtig symbool binnen menselijke cultuur. Sommige wetenschappelijke theorieën suggereren dat oude verhalen over grote zeewezens kunnen voortkomen uit de waarneming van grote walvissen, reuzeninktvissen of andere gigantische zeedieren die toen nog niet goed begrepen werden. Het is mogelijk dat de mythes ontstonden uit reële observaties, die vervolgens werden versterkt en verfijnd door culturele verhalen.

Conclusie

Leviathan als culturele en religieuze erfenis Leviathan is veel meer dan een mythisch zeemonster; het is een krachtig symbool dat door de eeuwen heen is gebleven en dat nog altijd invloed heeft op onze manier van denken. Het vertegenwoordigt de eeuwige strijd tussen chaos en orde, de kracht van het onbekende en de menselijke drang om te begrijpen en te beheersen. Door de studie van Leviathan en de oude religies waarin het voorkomt, krijgen we een waardevol inzicht in de wereldbeelden en overtuigingen van onze voorouders. Het is een venster op het verleden dat ons helpt de complexiteit van menselijke mythologieën en religieuze tradities te doorgronden, en ons eraan herinnert dat de zoektocht naar de waarheid altijd een reis is door de diepe wateren van de menselijke verbeelding.

{ PETER2011 }

An Aerobot With ISRU Capabilities Could Explore Venus' Atmosphere for Years

{ https://www.universetoday.com/ }

A video of the Artemis II crew discussing the moon months before this week’s historic launch has fueled online conspiracy theories claiming the Apollo missions were staged.

A short clip of Commander Reid Wiseman is making waves on social media, where he says: 'This is the first time we’re going to send humans to the moon and, at the same time, have humans in low Earth orbit.'

Conspiracy theorists have seized on the remark as supposed evidence that earlier lunar missions never happened, with one X user writing: 'That's the confession right there. They lied about the moon landing.'

The moon landing conspiracy theory claims that NASA faked the Apollo moon landings between 1969 and 1972, alleging they were filmed in a studio to win the Space Race against the Soviet Union. 

The viral 25-second clip, however, was taken from a longer video in which Wiseman acknowledged the Apollo missions, explaining that his comment referred to him and the three other Artemis II astronauts being the first crew of a new lunar era.

The Artemis II mission, which launched Tuesday, will mark the first time humans travel toward the moon since Apollo and the first time astronauts journey beyond low Earth orbit in more than 50 years.

The crew includes NASA astronauts Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, along with Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen, who are set for a 10-day journey around the moon and back. 

The crew is also expected to travel approximately 250,000 miles from Earth by April 6, breaking the previous record set by Apollo 13 in 1970.  

The crew includes NASA astronauts Wiseman (second from left), Victor Glover (right) and Christina Koch, along with Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen, who are set for a 10-day journey around the moon and back

NASA has consistently maintained that the Apollo missions were real, backed by telemetry data, moon rocks and the testimony of thousands of engineers and scientists, though some skeptics continue to dispute the missions.

One X user commented on the video of Wiseman, saying: 'What timeline am I on for them to openly admit this is the first time sending humans to the moon?'

The comments were made on September 24, 2025, as the crew was just months away from launching to the moon.

About 20 minutes before the controversial comments, Wiseman said: 'We have been to the moon in Apollo. 

'So when we go to the training and talk about us looking at the moon and all the things we can bring in, in the back of my mind and in the back of yours, we have been there. 

'We orbited the moon, we have seen these things before, and what does Artemis II bring that is new to us, then, based as we fly around the moon.'

He continued to explain that Artemis II will also pass by the dark side of the moon, which has never been seen by human eyes.

'[That is] just because Apollo [has] always landed on the lit side of the moon,' said Wiseman. 

Conspiracy theorists have seized on the remark as supposed evidence that earlier lunar missions never happened. Pictured is Buzz Aldrin standing on the moon in 1969

The clip has resurfaced other doctored videos, including clips of Buzz Aldrin, the second man to walk on the moon, that appeared to show him making similar statements.

In a 2000 appearance on the Conan O'Brien Show, Aldrin stunned the audience when the host recalled watching the moon landing as a boy.

'No, you didn't,' Aldrin snapped. 'There wasn't any television, there wasn't anyone taking a picture. You watched an animation.'

The awkward exchange left O'Brien speechless and has since racked up millions of views online. However, he was referring to animations used by broadcasters at the time in their coverage of the moon landing, intercut with real footage.

Then, in 2015, an eight-year-old girl asked the former astronaut why no one had returned to the moon. Aldrin replied: 'Because we didn't go there, and that's the way it happened.'

The clip, widely shared on social media, cuts off before Aldrin clarifies that funding and shifting government priorities ended lunar missions.

He later explains: 'We need to know why something stopped in the past if we want it to keep going.

'It's a matter of resources and money; new missions need new equipment.'

Doubt over the moon landing took root in the mid-1970s, fueled by public mistrust after Watergate and the Pentagon Papers.

Theories about staged sets, lighting inconsistencies, and suspicious interviews have persisted ever since.

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