Time Travel: From Ancient Mythology to Modern Science

johnblack

Time travel and time machines have been a topic of science fiction and countless movies for many decades. In fact, it appears that the possibility to travel in time, either into the future or into the past, has appealed to the imagination of mankind for centuries. While many may think it is absurd to believe that we could travel backwards or forwards in time, some of the world’s most brilliant scientists have investigated whether it could one day be made a reality.

Research into Time Travel

Albert Einstein for example, concluded in his later years that the past, present, and future all exist simultaneously, and most are familiar with his well-known concept of relativity. That is, that time is relative and not absolute as Newton claimed. With the proper technology, such as a very fast spaceship, one person is able to experience several days while another person simultaneously experiences only a few hours or minutes. Yet the wisdom of Einstein's convictions had very little impact on cosmology or science in general.

• Passing Through the Gates of Time: The Mind, Time Travel, and St Augustine
• Chronicles from the Future: A True Story Kept Hidden by the Masons now Revealed

The majority of physicists have been slow to give up the ordinary assumptions we make about time. However, if time travel really was possible, one can hardly contemplate what this may mean for humanity. Whoever had the power to move through time, would have the power to modify history. While this may sound attractive, it would be impossible to know the consequences of any alteration of past events, and how this would affect the future.

Illustration from the Menologion of Basil II of the Seven Sleepers, a medieval legend about a group of youths who hid in a cave to escape persecution and emerged over 300 years later.

(Public domain)

Time Travel in Ancient Mythology

If we look at ancient texts, we can find a number of references to time travel. In Hindu mythology, there is the story of King Raivata Kakudmi who travels to meet the creator Brahma. Even if this trip didn’t last long, when Kakudmi returned back to Earth, 108 yugas had passed on Earth, and it is thought that each yuga represents about 4 million years. The explanation Brahma gave to Kakudmi is that time runs differently in different planes of existence.

Similarly, we have references in the Quran about the cave of Al-Kahf. The story refers to a group of young Christian people, who in 250 AD tried to escape persecution and retreated, under God’s guidance, to a cave where God put them to sleep. They woke up 309 years later. This story coincides with the Christian story of the seven sleepers, with a few differences.

Another story comes from the Japanese legend of Urashima Taro, an individual who was said to visit the underwater palace of the Dragon God Ryujin. He stayed there for three days, but when he returned to the surface, 300 years had passed. In the Buddhist text, Pali Canon, it is written that in the heaven of the thirty Devas (the place of the Gods), time passes at a different pace where one hundred Earth years count as a single day for them. There are many more references to time travel to be found within ancient mythology.

Urashima Taro returning from the Dragon King's Palace, only to find that 300 years had passed.

(Public domain)

Scientific Research into Time Travel

Probably the most well-known story of accidental time travel is the Philadelphia experiment which allegedly took place in 1943 with the purpose of cloaking a ship and making it invisible to enemy radar. However, it was said that the experiment went terribly wrong – the ship not only vanished completely from Philadelphia but it was teleported to Norfolk and went back in time for 10 seconds.

When the ship appeared again some crew members were physically fused to bulkheads, others developed mental disorders, a few disappeared completely, and some reported travelling into the future and back. Allegedly, Nikola Tesla, who was the director of Engineering and Research at Radio Company of America at the time, was involved in the experiment by making all the necessary calculations and drawings and also providing the generators.

In 1960, we have another interesting case report of scientist Pellegrino Ernetti, who claimed that he developed the Chronivisor, a machine that would enable someone to see in the past. His theory was that anything that happens leaves an energy mark that can never be destroyed (something like the mystical Akashic Records). Ernetti allegedly developed this machine that could detect, magnify and convert this energy into an image – something like a TV showing what happened in the past.

Scientists have long been curious as to the possibility of time travel.

(drawlab19 / Adobe Stock)

Controversial Experiments Related to Time Travel

In the 1980s, there are reports of another controversial time travel experiment, the Montauk project, which again allegedly experimented with time travel among other things. Whether the Philadelphia and Montauk experiments actually took place is still under debate. However, it is common sense to assume that the military would definitely be interested in the possibility of time travel and would engage in extensive research on the subject.

In 2004, Marlin Pohlman, a scientist, engineer, and member of Mensa with a Bachelor, MBA and PhD, applied for a patent for a method of gravity distortion and time displacement. In 2013 Wasfi Alshdaifat filed another patent for a space compression and time dilation machine that could be used for time travel.

• Iranian Scientist Builds Machine That Can Predict the Future
• Chronovisor: The Time Machine That Captured The Crucifixion of Jesus

According to PHYS.ORG, the physicist Professor Ronald Lawrence Mallett of the University of Connecticut was working in 2006 on the concept of time travel, based on Einstein’s theory of relativity. At the time, Mallett was absolutely convinced that time travelling was possible. He predicted that human time travel will be possible in our century. Particle physicist Brian Cox, quoted in a 2013 article published in HuffPost, agreed that time travel is possible but only in one direction.

We also have the mysterious story of Ali Razeqi, managing director of the Iranian Centre for Strategic Inventions, who The Daily Mail reported had claimed to have developed a device that could see anywhere from 3 to 5 years in the future. His initial story disappeared from the internet a few hours after it was published.

In theory, time travel is possible, even if it is difficult to comprehend. Has the research cited above brought us closer towards making time travel a reality? If so, we can only hope that the technology does not get into the wrong hands.

• Top image: Is time travel possible?
• Source: rolffimages / Adobe Stock

By John Black

References

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{ https://www.ancient-origins.net/unexplained-phenomena }

Unidentified Flying Objects – The Reality, the Cover-Up and the Truth

johnblack

Unidentified Flying Objects, or UFOs as they are commonly known, have been witnessed by millions of people all over the world and have been recorded in history books, myths, legends and traditions for thousands of years. However, many accounts that are recorded in ancient texts are dismissed as mere myths and legends, while UFO sightings that have taken place in the last few centuries have been classified as misinterpretations of natural phenomena, illusions, or conspiracy theories.

The Reality Within the Mythology of Unidentified Flying Objects

History has shown us time and again that a plethora so-called myths have their basis in reality. It is possible, and indeed likely, that stories and legends were a way for people to explain real—and perhaps perplexing—events using the knowledge and beliefs of their time.

In support of this theory, a number of events described in mythology, which were once considered mere fairy tales, have now been proven through archaeology to have existed. A famous example is the city Troy, which is central to Homer’s The Iliad. Long considered to be a city of myth, Heinrich Schliemann’s discovery of the actual site in 1868 elevated it to a place in history.

• What Did the Ancients See? Unidentified Flying Objects that Made an Impact on Early History
• The Ancient History of UFOs and the Oppenheimer-Einstein Report

Nevertheless, the remainder of The Iliad is still viewed as a myth and fantasy without any serious attempts being made to investigate whether or not there may be more truth behind the tale. The same goes for many accounts of flying machines and unidentified flying objects, which we find reference to in countless mythologies from numerous different cultures around the world.

It is common to see people selectively decide what is real and what is not based on the unsubstantiated assumption that ancient people were primitive and had little to no knowledge compared to us today. On the contrary, many ancient civilizations, like the Sumerians, Indus Valley, and Egyptians existed with complex social structures, legal systems, art, astronomy, mathematics, and technology, some of which is still not fully understood today. The Antikythera Mechanism, for example, is a 2,200-year-old mechanical device that is still not completely understood despite  decades of research by top scientists around the world.

Many cultures contain pictorial and written records of flying machines or unidentified flying objects, yet these are usually dismissed as myth and legend.

(CC BY-SA 3.0)

Ancient Astronaut Theory and Unidentified Flying Objects

The topic of flying objects and supernatural beings from beyond our world is one in which we find multiple references in mythology. All of these myths and legends, along with archaeological evidence such as rock art depictions, have created a wave of theories that gave birth to the aptly named ancient astronaut perspective. This theory links all of these ancient references and depictions to UFOs, and posits that extraterrestrials visited Earth and made contact with humans in antiquity and prehistory, influencing the development of human cultures, technologies, and religions.

Unfortunately, there are numerous charlatans who have tried to cash in on this movement for profit or publicity, or who have diminished it with caricatures of little green men, resulting in the ancient astronaut perspective being widely criticized and attacked for its lack of credibility. Consequently, what is in fact a plausible and possible explanation for what we see in ancient art and texts, is now rarely examined by scholars, who fear being ridiculed or having their professional career seriously undermined.

UFO Sightings in Recent History

But let’s leave the ancient past for a while and examine just the last 80 years of human history. Millions of people all over the globe have witnessed unidentified flying objects. Many have been recorded in detailed reports witnessed by police, pilots, astronauts, government officials, pilots, military personnel and, of course, ordinary citizens.

Some of the more well-known cases were witnessed by thousands of people at one time. Historical records make it evident that UFO appearances magnified during and after World War II, including the example of the famous Foo Fighters.

While most sightings can be explained either by celestial phenomena, airplanes, planets, weather phenomena, military exercises, or in some cases drug use or mental instability, there still exists a small percentage that cannot be accounted for by any of these explanations. This is what makes the phenomena important, particularly considering that sightings are frequently reported around military bases and airfields and are therefore, at the very least, a matter of both national security and air safety.

It is an undeniable fact that there are cases of unidentified objects in our skies. It has been acknowledged by the major governments from all over the world simply through the very fact that official research has been conducted on the matter in the US, UK, Russia, Europe, China, South America, and many others. All of this research, in every single case, concluded that there is a percentage of phenomena that cannot be explained.

In recent history, many countries have declassified their UFO research files, releasing thousands of documents through the Freedom of Information Act and making numerous UFO cases available in the public domain. One recently released document from the UFO files in Britain, revealed how Churchill, concerned about the UFO issue, ordered a shutdown of information for at least 50 years to prevent mass panic and the potential to undermine religious beliefs. The document in question was published on the BBC news site in 2010.

By doing careful research on the topic, passing over obvious scam and fake stories, it is clear to see that unidentified flying objects do exist. So the question is not whether they exist or not, but rather, what are they? Are they of terrestrial or extraterrestrial origin? And what is their purpose?

UFOs in art: The Baptism of Christ by Arent de Gelder.

(Public domain)

Unidentified Flying Objects and the Limits of Science

Many prominent scientists have already stated that other civilizations must exist in the Universe, and that it would be statistically impossible for this not to be the case. However, with our knowledge of science and technology today, we cannot yet support the means for interstellar travel. Since we have not discovered intelligent life in our solar system, the assumption is made that there must be no way that extraterrestrials could have travelled to Earth.

However, this argument is of course flawed because it is based within the framework of our own understanding of the universe, and does not take into account the capabilities of civilizations that may be millions of years ahead of our own. It also hinges on the following assumptions:

• We know everything about physics and reality and therefore there is no way that such distant travel can be achieved.
• We are using our means to try to contact other civilizations (e.g. SETI’s attempts to pick up radio or communication signals) and since we don’t perceive any signals of OUR type, nothing must exist.
• We are looking for organic forms of life exactly like us and for planets with the exact same conditions as ours.

It is clear that these arguments show the arrogance of mankind, a mankind that may just be an infant in the Universe. And this is not new. During the history of humanity, in every single period of time, we believed that we knew the truth, only to have it replaced later on by new knowledge. 

“There is nothing new to be discovered in physics now. All that remains is more and more precise measurement.”

- (Lord Kelvin, 1901, physicist)

Quantum physics, still a relatively new and unexplored field in Science, has shown that reality could be completely different to what we believe it to be. Powerful telescopes have shown distant planets in solar systems that could possibly sustain life. Theories of wormholes and warp drives have shown that at a theoretical level we could achieve interstellar travel. Yes, we would require incredible amounts of energy to even think of trying to achieve something like this, so according to our standards today it is impossible to achieve, but in theory it can be achieved.

“It now seems quite clear that Earth is not the only inhabited planet. There is evidence that the bulk of the stars in the sky have planetary systems. Recent research concerning the origin of life on Earth suggests that the physical and chemical processes leading to the origin of life occur rapidly in the early history of the majority of planets within our Milky Way galaxy–perhaps as many as a million–are inhabited by technical civilizations in advance of our own. Interstellar space flight is far beyond our present technical capabilities, but there seems to be no fundamental physical objections to preclude, from our own vantage point, the possibility of its development by other civilizations.” 

- Carl Sagan, Ph.D. (Late Professor of Astronomy and Space Sciences, Cornell University)

Reluctance to Engage with Unidentified Flying Objects

The reason that the scientific community is not dealing seriously with UFOs is because the topic has been extensively ridiculed both by the media and in academic circles, with false information spread everywhere. For similar reasons, military personnel, astronauts, pilots, and other categories of professionals do not want to talk because, either they have been forced to sign confidentiality agreements, or because of fear that their careers would be destroyed. This is why we have seen many examples of death bed confessions.

One such case was with astronaut Gordon Cooper, who told the world about his experience encountering a UFO during his flight in the Mercury capsule in 1963. Before he died he stated: “For many years I have lived with a secret, in a secrecy imposed on all specialists in astronautics. I can now reveal that every day, in the USA, our radar instruments capture objects of form and composition unknown to us.”

While great efforts have been made to ridicule and disparage anyone who lends support to the existence of UFOs, the fact remains that there are numerous high-profile cases of unidentified flying objects that are supported by solid evidence, and which should not be dismissed.

Recorded UFO Sightings with Extensive Witness Support

Below I present a very limited list constituting strong evidence for the existence of unidentified flying objects in the last 60 years.

• November 1942 – La Incident, Known as the Battle of Los Angeles

It all happened in the early hours of February 25 in 1942. An aircraft flew over LA County that sparked an air raid alert (it was in the midst of WWII). Searchlights and guns were locked onto the aircraft for about an hour. The picture below appeared in the LA Times in a story about the Battle of LA. It clearly shows a night time defensive response to an air raid. The aircraft was not hostile and obviously was not damaged by the attack. The Government stated that the craft they were shooting at was an unidentified flying object.

The Battle of Los Angeles unidentified flying objects incident.

(Author provided)

• December 1980 – Rendlesham Forest Incident, Suffolk, United Kingdom

This incident involved a group of American servicemen stationed at a military base in Suffolk that contained a storage center with nuclear weapons. There had been three consecutive nights of sighting objects in the sky over the base, in some cases shining a light down upon the nuclear weapons storage.

On the third night, approximately two dozen servicemen were sent into the forest to investigate one set of mysterious lights. The men reported seeing a spacecraft on the ground in close proximity to them and three extraterrestrial beings. One serviceman claimed to have touched the craft.

The whole incident was filmed and photographed by one of the servicemen, but all photos and videos were removed by the US military. When the British Government released the UFO files, the Rendlesham incident papers were missing – as reported by the BBC News.

Rendlesham Forest unidentified flying objects incident, Suffolk, UK.

(Author provided)

• November 1986, Japan Air Lines Flight 1628 Over Alaska

In November, 1986, a Japanese crew of a jumbo freighter aircraft witnessed three enormous unidentified objects while flying over Alaska, USA. This sighting gained international attention when the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced that it was going to officially investigate this sighting because the Air Route Traffic Control Center in Anchorage, Alaska, had reported that the UFO had been detected on radar. The unidentified flying objects in this case were tracked on both ground and airborne radar, witnessed by experienced airline pilots, and confirmed by a FAA Division Chief.

Illustration of the object, with the Boeing 747 airplane on the right.

Credits: UFO Reporter

• April 1990 – Belgium UFO Wave, Petit Rechain Belgium

The Belgium UFO wave began in November 1989. The events of 29 November would be documented by no less than thirty different groups of witnesses, and three separate groups of police officers. All of the reports related to a large object flying at low altitude.

The craft itself was of a flat, triangular shape, with lights underneath. This giant craft did not make a sound as it slowly moved across the landscape of Belgium. The Belgium UFO wave peaked with events on the night of 30/31 March 1990. On that night, unknown objects were tracked on radar, chased by two Belgian Air Force F16s, photographed, and were sighted by an estimated 13,500 people on the ground – 2,600 of whom filed written statements describing in detail what they had seen. Following the incident, the Belgian air force released a report detailing the events of that night.

Belgium UFO wave, Petit Rechain Belgium.

(Author provided)

• March 1997 – Phoenix Lights, Arizona, USA

The Phoenix Lights (also identified as "Lights over Phoenix") was a UFO sighting which occurred in Phoenix, Arizona, and Sonora, Mexico on Thursday, March 13, 1997. Lights of varying descriptions were seen by thousands of people between 19:30 and 22:30 MST, in a space of about 300 miles (480 km), from the Nevada line, through Phoenix, to the edge of Tucson.

Witnesses claim to have observed a huge square-shaped UFO, containing five spherical lights or possibly light-emitting engines. Fife Symington, the governor at the time, was one witness to this incident; he later called the unidentified flying object as "otherworldly."

Phoenix Lights, Arizona, US.

(Author provided)

• October 2004 – Osaka Airport, Japan

On the night of August 30, a cluster of multi-colored lights was seen floating in the sky above Osaka. Several people reported to Twitter that they saw a group of lights forming a triangular shape and flashing green, red and white in the night sky above Izumi city in Osaka Prefecture. The sightings caused a commotion on Twitter after one user wrote: “Everyone in Osaka, go outside! There’s a UFO!” prompting others to grab their cameras and snap up photos of mysterious, luminous and unidentified flying object.

Osaka airport UFO Incident, Japan.

(Author provided)

• November 2006, O-Hare Airport, USA

At approximately 16:15 CST on Tuesday November 7, 2006, federal authorities at Chicago O'Hare International Airport received a report that a group of twelve airport employees were witnessing a metallic, saucer-shaped craft hovering over Gate C-17.

The object was first spotted by a ramp employee who was pushing back United Airlines Flight 446, which was departing Chicago for Charlotte, North Carolina. The employee apprised Flight 446's crew of the object above their aircraft. It is believed that both the pilot and co-pilot also witnessed the object.

Several independent witnesses outside of the airport also saw the object. According to the Chicago Tribune's Jon Hilkevitch, “the disc was visible for approximately two minutes and was seen by close to a dozen United Airlines employees, ranging from pilots to supervisors, who heard chatter on the radio and raced out to view it.”

O-Hare Airport UFO Incident, USA.

(Author provided)

• May 2007, UFO Fleets, Lima, Peru

The incident took place on May 2007 at 14.00 local time in Lima, Peru. A series of moving lights resembling an armada of flying objects appeared in the skies. The story was reported on the news and was seen by thousands of people.

UFO Fleets, Lima, Peru.

(Author provided)

• July 2010 – Xiaoshan Airport, China

An unidentified flying object that disrupted air traffic in Hangzhou for an hour on Wednesday, 10th of July 2010. A flight crew preparing for descent first detected the object around 8:40 p.m. and notified the air traffic control department. Aviation authorities responded within minutes, grounding outbound flights and diverting inbound ones to airports in Ningbo and Wuxi. Eighteen flights were affected.

A spokesman from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) confirmed to ABC News that the matter is under investigation. He declined to disclose further details. A day after the sighting, however, an anonymous source told China Daily that authorities already discovered the identity of the UFO after an investigation but could not publically disclose the information because “there was a military connection.”

Xiaoshan Airport UFO Incident, China.

(Author provided)

• the "Tic Tac" UFO sighting by Navy pilots in 2004

Retired Navy Cmdr. David Fravor was commander of the F/A-18F squadron on the USS Nimitz when he says he spotted the object during a flight off the coast of Southern California on Nov. 14, 2004. 

In a 2021 interview with "60 Minutes," Fravor, a graduate of the Top Gun naval flight school, also spoke about what he saw. 

He and Lt. Cmdr. Alex Dietrich were training with the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group about 100 miles southwest of San Diego, Favor told "60 Minutes." At the time, advanced radar on a ship that was a part of their training group, the USS Princeton, detected what operators called "multiple anomalous aerial vehicles" over the horizon, descending 80,000 feet in less than a second. Fravor and Dietrich diverted to investigate.

"I said, 'Dude, do you, do you see that thing down there?' And we saw this little white Tic Tac-looking object. And it's just kind of moving above the whitewater area," Fravor told "60 Minutes."

During the training exercise, Fravor and Dietrich each had a weapons system officer in the back seat of their F/A-18F. 

"There was four of us in the airplanes literally watching this thing for roughly about five minutes," Fravor said in his 2021 interview.

Fravor went in for a closer look. He described the "Tic Tac" object mirroring his movements, saying "it was aware we were there."

The object was about the size of Fravor's F/A-18F, with no markings, no wings and no exhaust plumes, he said. When Fravor tried to cut off the UAP, it accelerated so quickly that it seemed to disappear. He said it was detected roughly 60 miles away less than a minute later.

Implications of Disclosing Information about Unidentified Flying Objects

Many would say that the above examples constitute irrefutable proof that extraterrestrial UFOs exist. So why isn’t the public told about it? Imagine the implications that disclosure would have and what it would mean. Acknowledgment of extra-terrestrial civilizations having visited Earth would mean that many of the myths and legends of the past are in fact based on reality.

Disclosure would suggest that humanity has been influenced for millennia by other-worldly beings, beings that in the past were considered gods. Disclosure would entirely topple the status quo and the balance of powers in society, and turn upside down what we know about the history of mankind.

• Ancient Artists Left Signs for us to Decode. Did they Witness UFOs?
• What Did the Ancients See? Unidentified Flying Objects that Made an Impact on Early History

The acknowledgement of the UFO phenomena is an event with the power to bring a global revolution in every sector of our lives today – technology and energy supply, communication and environmental concerns, society and religion. Is this what governments and corporations are afraid of – a shift in balance and their loss of their positions of power and control? Or is it that the powers that be are afraid of re-writing our human history?

“When the long awaited solution to the UFO problem comes, I believe that it will prove to be not merely the next small step in the march of science, but a mighty and totally unexpected quantum leap.”

 (Dr J. Allen Hynek, Scientific Advisor to the U.S. Air Force)

• Top image: Composite image of unidentified flying objects.
• Source: Author provided.

By John Black

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{ https://www.ancient-origins.net/unexplained-phenomena }

How UFO Sightings Are Changing Public Perception

Overview

UFO sightings in the United States have experienced a remarkable increase over recent years, fundamentally altering how the public perceives unidentified aerial phenomena. According to data collected and compiled by the National UFO Reporting Center (NUFORC), there has been a significant surge in reports, with the number of incidents quadrupling from 3,500 in 2019 to over 7,500 by 2022. This upward trend is not merely a statistical anomaly but reflects a broader shift in societal attitudes towards these phenomena: more people are willing to report and discuss unusual sightings than ever before.

The data presented by NUFORC demonstrates a year-by-year increase: approximately 4,500 reports in 2020, rising to about 6,000 in 2021, and reaching around 7,500 in 2022. This steady climb suggests a change in the collective mindset—moving from dismissiveness and skepticism toward openness and curiosity. Social media platforms, in particular, have played an instrumental role in this transformation. They facilitate rapid information dissemination, peer validation, and the viral sharing of sightings, thereby normalizing the conversation around UFOs. The proliferation of digital platforms has reduced the stigma once associated with reporting aerial anomalies, which—historically—was often dismissed as frivolous or paranoid.

This evolution in public perception is also shaped by increased media coverage highlighting credible incidents and government disclosures. Previously, UFO sightings were often relegated to sensationalist tabloids or fringe circles, but today’s media landscape approaches the subject with a journalistic seriousness that lends legitimacy to the reports. The shift has fostered a more scientific and analytical approach among the general population, who now see UFOs not just as myths or conspiracy theories but as phenomena deserving of serious investigation.

Government Transparency

A pivotal element in the changing narrative around UFOs is the role played by government disclosure and transparency initiatives. Historically, government agencies have maintained a stance of secrecy regarding UFO investigations, often dismissing sightings or classifying data as top secret. However, recent developments have marked a significant departure from that tradition, contributing to a more open and investigatory approach.

In 2021, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) took a major step by releasing a comprehensive analysis of 144 unexplained aerial phenomena (UAP) cases. This report acknowledged that many of these cases could not be readily explained using known technology, natural phenomena, or atmospheric conditions. Dr. Elena Ramirez, a senior researcher at the Center for Aerospace Studies, described this development as a “watershed moment” in UFO discourse. She explained that the report’s acknowledgment of unexplained cases constitutes official recognition that some encounters require serious scientific scrutiny—not dismissive skepticism.

The ODNI report was complemented by congressional hearings that brought UAP data into the legislative spotlight, emphasizing the importance of transparency. These hearings featured testimony from military personnel, scientists, and intelligence officials, who described encounters with unidentified objects exhibiting capabilities beyond current human technology. Such high-level exposure has been instrumental in legitimizing the subject among policymakers and the public alike.

"What is true, and I'm actually being serious here, there's footage and records of objects in the skies, that we don't know exactly what they are."

— Barack Obama, Former US President

This newfound transparency has altered the narrative by creating an environment where discussions about UFOs are no longer taboo. Instead, they are debated openly within government institutions and research communities. Furthermore, the acknowledgment of unexplained sightings has begun to influence the funding allocation for dedicated research projects, fostering a scientific approach to studying UAPs. As a result, behaviors once considered fringe or paranoid are increasingly viewed through a lens of rational inquiry.

The UFO report was written by a task force set up by the US Department of Defence

Public Curiosity and Survey Findings

Public curiosity about UFOs has grown substantially, a trend reflected in recent polling data and surveys conducted by reputable research organizations. The Pew Research Center’s recent poll revealed that 56 percent of respondents believe that some UFO sightings may involve advanced, possibly extraterrestrial, technology. Conversely, only 22 percent attribute these sightings solely to misidentifications, hoaxes, or natural phenomena, highlighting a shift toward openness to the possibility of genuine unknowns.

Interestingly, the remaining 22 percent of respondents expressed uncertainty, indicating a nuanced view that neither fully dismisses nor fully accepts the phenomena. This indecision underscores an evolving understanding—people are increasingly willing to entertain the hypothesis that some sightings may involve elements beyond current scientific explanation but are hesitant to jump to conclusions.

Sociologist Dr. Marcus Lee from the University of Arizona notes that people are no longer afraid to openly claim they saw something strange in the sky. The survey data suggests a societal move away from outright skepticism toward an inquisitive, evidence-based mindset. This is further evidenced by increased participation in UFO-related forums, social media groups, and citizen science initiatives aimed at collecting and analyzing data on aerial anomalies.

The public’s appetite for information is also reflected in the rising popularity of UFO documentaries, podcasts, and streaming series. Programs such as “UFOs: The Untold Truth” and podcasts like “The Cosmic Frontier” feature eyewitness interviews, declassified military footage, and expert analyses, nurturing a culture of curiosity and critical inquiry. These media outlets serve as a feedback loop that amplifies public interest and reinforces the legitimacy of UFO investigations.

The democratization of information through online platforms like Twitter, TikTok, and Reddit has democratized the reporting process. Witnesses, enthusiasts, and amateur researchers can now share their observations instantly, challenge official narratives, and collaborate on investigations. This grassroots involvement further shifts the perception from ridicule to respectability, encouraging more people to come forward with their experiences.

UFO sightings have happened all over the world, including Rendlesham forest in Suffolk in 1980

Media Influence and Cultural Evolution

The role of media in shaping public perception has been transformative. Historically, UFO sightings were often ridiculed or dismissed, but today they are increasingly viewed through a lens of scientific curiosity. Documentaries, podcasts, independent YouTube channels, and streaming series have elevated the discussion, providing both entertainment and education.

For example, series such as “UFOs: The Untold Truth” combine eyewitness testimonials, meteorological data, and classified military footage to paint a nuanced picture of aerial phenomena. Podcasts like “The Cosmic Frontier” feature interviews with scientists, military personnel, and former government officials, fostering a more informed and open debate. These media outlets have helped break down stereotypes that previously associated UFO sightings with paranoia or hoaxing.

In parallel, social media platforms have democratized information dissemination, creating a participatory environment where anyone can share their sightings and insights. TikTok videos showing inexplicable lights or objects in the sky have gone viral, sparking widespread discussion and even inspiring scientific interest. Twitter threads and Reddit forums dedicated to UFOs foster communities of enthusiasts who analyze data and challenge official explanations.

The public only became aware of their sightings four years later. That’s when The New York Times published an article about them. The online article included leaked video recorded by cameras on the Navy planes. In April 2020, the U.S. Navy confirmed those videos were real — and then officially released them.

In recent years, these and other very credible sources have reported seeing UFOs — unidentified flying objects. Now they’re called Unexplained Aerial Phenomena, or UAP. But whatever you call them, the U.S. government has lately begun taking these mystery objects seriously. Very seriously. And it’s recruited a lot of scientists to investigate what’s behind them (albeit quietly).

We still don’t know what the pilots and others have seen. But here’s what’s motivated the new and growing scientific interest in them.

This cultural evolution—driven by widespread media consumption—has helped dissolve the “laugh-it-off” attitude that historically surrounded UFO reports. Instead of being dismissed or ridiculed, witness accounts are now regarded as valuable data points that could unlock new scientific understanding. The shift from ridicule to curiosity represents a major change in societal attitudes, one that encourages both public engagement and serious scientific inquiry.

Outlook and Ongoing Research

The convergence of increased reporting, government acknowledgment, and cultural curiosity signals a new era of research and exploration into the mysterious phenomena. Several initiatives are underway globally—both academic and private—that aim to scientifically analyze UAPs and their implications.

Universities are establishing dedicated research labs focused on UAP analysis. These labs employ advanced sensors, data analytics, and collaboration with government agencies to capture high-resolution, multi-spectral data of aerial phenomena. Private aerospace firms, with interests in both civilian and military applications, are investing heavily in sensor technology, including radar, lidar, and infrared cameras, to detect and analyze unexplained objects.

While skepticism remains—many sightings can still be attributed to conventional explanations such as drones, optical illusions, atmospheric phenomena, or misidentifications—the broader willingness to explore these phenomena scientifically marks a cultural shift. The scientific community is increasingly open to considering UAPs as legitimate objects of study, leading to the development of new hypotheses and experimental approaches.

Some researchers advocate for the integration of UAP data into a broader scientific framework, emphasizing systematic data collection and peer-reviewed research. Governments and private institutions are funding projects that aim to compile databases of sightings, sensor data, and radar returns to facilitate rigorous analysis.

Dr. Elena Ramirez emphasizes that whether the ultimate conclusion points to extraterrestrial origins or domestic terrestrial technologies, the key achievement is that these phenomena are now on the scientific agenda. The emphasis is shifting from sensationalism to methodical investigation, with the potential to yield groundbreaking discoveries about our environment, technology, and possibly extraterrestrial life.

There are a trillion planets in the Milky Way alone. And that’s just our galaxy. There may be more than a trillion habitable planets in the universe, Shostak says. “So yeah,” he adds, “there’s plenty of opportunity for life.” But that still doesn’t mean that aliens have been visiting Earth.

Julia DeMarines is an astrobiologist. She studies how life might evolve on other planets. DeMarines works at the University of California, Berkeley and is a former SETI observer. SETI researchers look for signs of life elsewhere in the universe. They don’t study UFOs. Few scientists do.

Until recently, DeMarines says, most scientists described the study of UFOs as pseudoscience. No surprise, then, that scientists who are interested in UAP have seldom talked about it. They didn’t want other scientists to think they’re kooks.

But that’s changing.

In June 2022, NASA assembled a team of scientific experts. Their mission: Figure out how NASA can help study UAP.

As Bill Nelson, the space agency’s administrator, put it: “NASA searches for the unknown in air and space. It’s in our DNA.” One of the goals of the new team, he said at a news event, would be to “shift the conversation about UAP from sensationalism to science.”

The team made some specific recommendations. For instance, it said NASA should use its enormous body of space data for this study of UAP. And it should work with other government agencies to investigate reported sightings. The team also emphasized that all UAP studies must stay focused on evidence and data.

Avi Loeb agreed. And he wanted to help. Loeb is an astrophysicist at Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass. “To study those things,” he argues, “is the duty of scientists.”

In 2021, Loeb started the Galileo Project to scientifically investigate UAP. It doesn’t collect stories about UAP. It doesn’t rely on accidental sightings. Instead, it scans the skies with telescopes in an observatory at Harvard.

“We basically take a movie of the sky,” explains Loeb. Then artificial intelligence helps analyze the data. Two more observatories are in the works. Loeb hopes to have 10 eventually. More than 100 scientists are already involved.

More mysteries

Now that science is on the job, what can we expect to learn about UAP and maybe even alien life? One possibility is that science may be able to explain the previously unexplained.

DeMarines says UAP could be due to some unusual weather conditions. For example, spacecraft launched from Earth around sunset can create weird effects. When the sun is setting, she explains, gases expelled by the spacecraft will reflect only that light reaching the upper atmosphere. What’s more, she adds, “They stay reflective for a long time. So it looks unexplainable.”

Or UAP could be an effect caused by light bouncing off communications satellites, Loeb says. And, of course, it could be technology not from another planet, but from another country on this one.

But what about aliens? Could UAP really be alien spaceships?

• Let’s learn about the hunt for alien life

Garrett Graff is a historian and author. He wrote the 2024 book UFO: The Inside Story of the US Government’s Search for Alien Life Here — and Out There. While doing research for it, he noticed something people often get wrong when they think about aliens and UAP. “We expect first contact with alien life to be like it is in movies, like Independence Day or Contact,” he says. But in real life, he notes, it might not be that obvious.

Our first encounter with aliens, Graff says, might not be meeting them. It might be finding remnants of their tech.

For example, we might find a piece of space trash that doesn’t come from our world. Graff compares this to spotting an empty plastic bag blowing through our cosmic backyard. We look at it and think: “That’s not from our Walmart.” We’ll know it didn’t originate on Earth, but we won’t know where it did come from.

• Will we know alien life when we see it?

One reason we may not see the aliens themselves is that they may no longer exist. In 1961, astronomer Frank Drake came up with a way to estimate how many alien societies could be broadcasting signals. It’s called the Drake Equation. It accounts for several factors. These include the rate at which stars form and the number of planets with an environment that might support life — the “Goldilocks zone.”

But the last factor in Drake’s equation is very interesting, says DeMarines. It’s represented by the letter “L.” That stands for the length of time technological civilizations produce signs of their existence. These could be radio waves, pollution from industry or even city lights. 

DeMarines points out that our civilization has been technologically advanced for little more than 100 years. And that’s in a universe that’s almost 14 billion years old. Her point is that the timing might not overlap. There may have been many other civilizations like ours. And there may be many more to come. But the chances that ours and theirs occur at the same time aren’t terribly good, she says.

• Cool Jobs: Reaching out to E.T. is a numbers game

Shostak, however, thinks it won’t be long until we find alien life, or at least evidence that it’s out there somewhere. “There have been 10,000 generations of Homo sapiens,” he says. “And the people reading this article are probably members of the first one in which we learn that there’s life in outer space.”

So what about UAP? Is there evidence that alien life is visiting Earth? Science is on the case.

In conclusion, the changing landscape of UFO sightings—from an era of rumor, ridicule, and secrecy to one of openness, scientific curiosity, and governmental transparency—reflects a profound societal transformation. This evolution not only reshapes public perception but also paves the way for advancements in research, policy, and understanding of the universe beyond our current knowledge.

{ PETER2011 }

Overview

A high-stakes wager has brought together two prominent figures in the scientific community, pitting renowned Harvard astronomer Avi Loeb against professional skeptic Michael Shermer in a $1,000 bet over the discovery of extraterrestrial life by the end of the decade. The terms of their agreement, registered on the Long Now Bets platform, require ironclad scientific confirmation of alien intelligence by December 31, 2030. The outcome promises to either validate growing optimism in the search for life beyond Earth or reinforce skepticism rooted in decades of unfulfilled predictions.

The Terms of the Bet

The wager is more than a friendly challenge: the rules are explicit and stringent. For a win, at least two out of three major scientific organizations—NASA, the National Science Foundation, or the American Astronomical Society—must officially confirm the detection of extraterrestrial intelligence. As the video explains, “It’s not enough for someone to claim they saw a UFO or post a blurry video online. The victory requires irrefutable data signed off by major scientific bodies.” The criteria for discovery are broad, encompassing anything from “physics-defying artifacts” to interstellar technology fragments or even alien biological forms found on Earth, so long as their non-human origin is indisputable.

This careful standard aims to avoid the endless debates that often follow ambiguous sightings or unofficial announcements: “Either the science signs off with irrefutable data, or nothing happens.” The burden of proof lies heavily on those, like Loeb, who believe contact is imminent—a silence from the cosmos by 2030 would hand victory to the skeptics.

Harvard Astronomer Takes Up Skeptic Publisher’s $1,000 Bet on Alien Disclosure by 2030

Competing Visions: Optimism vs. Skepticism

Avi Loeb’s optimism is grounded in emerging technology and recent discoveries. He cites the significant advances in observational equipment—such as the Rubin Observatory and the Galileo Project’s global telescope network—as game-changers in the hunt for alien technosignatures. Loeb references the discovery of interstellar objects like Oumuamua and the mysterious “TR,” which reignited scientific debate about visitors from beyond our solar system. His statistical argument is compelling: with a galaxy full of ancient, potentially life-bearing systems, “civilizations had billions of years to send probes, and we may finally have the tools to detect their cosmic messages.”

On the other side stands Michael Shermer, whose skepticism is shaped by a long history of unmet predictions. Shermer has witnessed “decades of people promising imminent alien disclosure that never materializes,” leading him to dismiss the current wave of enthusiasm as another cycle of excitement without evidence. He is notably critical of recent U.S. congressional hearings on UFOs, where, despite dramatic testimonies, “no hard evidence is ever produced, only claims of secrecy and threats.” For Shermer, the wager is a challenge to believers: if they are so certain of impending disclosure, they should be willing to back it up with real stakes.

The Scientific Tradition of Wagers

The Loeb-Shermer bet is the latest in a long tradition of scientists settling debates through wagers. Such bets date back to the 19th century, with notable examples like Alfred Russel Wallace’s successful wager proving the Earth’s curvature against a flat-earther, and Stephen Hawking’s famous bet on black holes. These challenges are seen as a way to inject accountability and a sense of fun into profound scientific disagreements, while also pushing both sides to clarify the terms and standards of proof.

Implications for Science and Society

Beyond the personal stakes, the Loeb-Shermer bet reflects the broader tension in astrobiology and the search for extraterrestrial intelligence: how to balance open-minded inquiry with rigorous scientific standards. Whether or not the coming years produce a breakthrough, the wager underscores the need for extraordinary evidence in support of extraordinary claims—a principle that remains at the heart of scientific progress. As the countdown to 2030 begins, the world will be watching to see whether the cosmos finally yields its secrets, or if humanity must wait a little longer for definitive proof that we are not alone.

{   https://usubjects.com/  }

An international team of researchers has managed to record electrical discharges on Mars for the first time. These discharges originate from dust devils.

Electrical discharges on Mars caused by dust devils. 7 Source: Nicolas Sarter

Martian winds constantly stir up whirlwinds of fine dust, which regularly appear in photographs taken by rovers exploring the Red Planet. Scientists have long suspected that these whirlwinds are capable of generating electrical charges. The mechanism of the phenomenon is as follows. As a result of friction between tiny dust particles, they become charged with electrons and then release their charge in the form of electric arcs several centimeters long, accompanied by audible shock waves.

It is well known on Earth that dust particles can become electrically charged, especially in desert regions, although this rarely leads to actual discharges. On Mars, due to its thin atmosphere, consisting mainly of carbon dioxide, the probability of this phenomenon occurring is much higher. This is because the amount of charge required to form sparks is much less than on Earth.

In order to confirm the existence of electrical discharges on Mars, a team of French scientists analyzed data collected by the microphone of the SuperCam instrument installed on board the Perseverance rover. They managed to identify electromagnetic and acoustic signatures comparable to small static electricity discharges that can be experienced on Earth by touching a door handle in dry weather. Their source was two dust devils.

The discovery of electrical discharges radically changes our understanding of the chemistry of the Martian atmosphere. It shows that the atmosphere of the Red Planet can reach a sufficient charge level to accelerate the formation of highly oxidizing compounds. Such substances can destroy organic molecules on the surface, as well as numerous atmospheric compounds, thereby profoundly disrupting the photochemical balance. The discovery may explain the surprisingly rapid disappearance of methane on Mars, which has been the subject of scientific debate for several years.

The electrical charges required for these discharges likely influence dust transport on Mars, playing a central role in the Martian climate, the dynamics of which remain largely unknown. They may also pose a risk to the electronic equipment of current robotic missions and create a hazard for potential future human missions.

• According to CNRS

• Posted in News, Science

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Russian launch pad 31 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome has been damaged. This could disrupt the supply schedule for the International Space Station.

Launch pad 31 before and after the launch of Soyuz MS-28

The accident occurred during the launch of the Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft to the ISS from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. The Soyuz-2.1a rocket was damaged during lift-off from the launch pad. Judging by the live broadcast footage, the service cabin located under the launch pad and designed to provide access to the lower stages of the rocket collapsed. It is deployed during operations and retracted into a concrete niche before launch.

Launch pad number 31 is currently the only Russian launch complex suitable for manned launches of Soyuz spacecraft. It is also used to launch Progress supply vehicles.

At this point, it is unknown how serious the damage is and how it may affect the ISS. Prolonged repairs to the complex could disrupt the station’s supply schedule and crew rotation. The next launch from launch pad 31 (Progress MS-33) is scheduled for December 19.

It is worth noting that Roscosmos has acknowledged the accident. However, its official statement claims that all the necessary spare parts are available to repair the launch complex and that the damage will be repaired in the near future.

As for the Soyuz MS-28, it did not sustain any damage. The spacecraft has already successfully docked with the ISS.

• Posted in News, Tech

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Archaeologists have proven the existence of a lost ring of pits near Stonehenge, and say it could be Britain's largest prehistoric structure.

The ring of more than 20 pits, some of which are 10 metres deep and five metres wide, extends in an arc more than a mile across.

At their centre are the ancient sites of Durrington Walls and Woodhenge, 1.8 miles (2.9 kilometres) northeast of Stonehenge, where the henge builders held ritual feasts.

Using an array of novel scientific techniques, researchers now say that these pits were likely constructed by Neolithic people around 4,500 years ago.

Researchers say that carving the pits into Wiltshire's chalky ground would have taken an enormous amount of planning and effort.

Lead researcher Professor Vincent Gaffney, of the University of Bradford, told the Daily Mail that the vast structure was a 'cosmological statement'.

He says: 'They link Durrington walls henge and another site at Larkhill – a causewayed enclosure about a thousand years earlier. '

'And in doing so, inscribed a boundary into the landscape – setting aside an area of special significance.'

Scientists have proven the existence of a lost ring of pits nearby Stonehenge, which is likely the UK's largest prehistoric monument 

The pits surround ancient sites of Durrington Walls and Woodhenge, 1.8 miles (2.9 kilometres) northeast of Stonehenge (pictured). These sites are believed to be where the Stonehenge builders held ritual feasts 

The pits surrounding Durrington Walls were first found in 2020, and were immediately hailed as one of Britain's most impressive ancient sites.

The discovery of the pit circle appeared to further cement the Salisbury Plane's reputation as a uniquely important religious site for Britain's Neolithic people. 

This area is not only home to Stonehenge, but also a wider series of interconnected ceremonial structures, stone circles, and cemeteries from the Stone Age.

Durrington Walls, which sits at the epicentre of the pit circle, is a 'superhenge' that is believed to be the largest anywhere in the UK.

Likewise, the nearby 'Woodhenge' was an enormous timber monument built around 2500 BC, consisting of six concentric rings of posts of varying size forming an oval monument 40 metres across.

However, scientists have questioned whether the pits were really dug by humans or whether they might have been natural features of the landscape.

In a new research paper, titled 'The Perils of Pits', Professor Gaffney and his co–authors present a new batch of scientific evidence to prove the pits' human origins.

Since no one technique could answer all of their questions, the researchers deployed an array of techniques to work out the exact structure of the pits.

The pits encircle the ancient sites of Durrington Walls and Woodhenge. Woodhenge was an enormous timber monument built around 2500 BC, consisting of six concentric rings of posts of varying size forming an oval monument 40 metres across. Pictured: Stone pillars marking the locations of Woodhenge's timber posts

Scientists had questioned whether the pits were really man–made. So scientists used an array of scientific tests to work out their exact shape and structure 

First, they used a technique called electrical resistance tomography, which measures changes in electrical resistance at the surface to work out the size of underground structures.

Then, radar and magnetic imaging were used to assess their depth and shape.

'This in itself did not prove these features to be man–made,' says Professor Gaffney.

'So sediment cores were extracted and an array of techniques, including novel geochemistry, were used to characterise the nature of the soils.'

'Optically stimulated luminescence' was used to work out the last time that the soils were exposed to the sun, and 'sedDNA' to extract plant and animal DNA directly from the dirt.

This revealed that each pit had the same pattern of repeating layers, starting in the late Neolithic period – something that would be extremely unlikely to happen naturally.

These techniques also identified the DNA of sheep and cattle, which suggests that the pit circle was being occupied and farmed at the time.

Professor Gaffney says: 'It confirms that this structure – probably the largest prehistoric monument in Britain at least – is a purposefully constructed monument in a landscape which is itself exceptional.'

The researchers used a technique called electrical resistance tomography, which measures changes in electrical resistance at the surface to work out the size of underground structures (illustrated)

The researchers found that the pits had a consistent pattern of layers and even contained DNA of cattle and sheep. This suggests that they were deliberately built by humans 

By showing that these vast pits were carved by humans, the researchers have shown that Britain's ancient people were much more organised than had previously been believed.

'The size of the structure demonstrates the society they lived in was capable of planning and motivating large numbers of people for religious purposes,' says Professor Gaffney.

Read More

• Stonehenge's secret SISTER: Ancient burial site discovered in Dorset 

The pit circle is so large that you cannot see across to the other side, but still traces a near–perfect circle around Durrington Walls.

This regularity suggests that the pits must have been laid out by pacing, which implies that the people of ancient Britain had a numerical system for counting.

If true, this could be some of the very earliest evidence for the ability to count in Neolithic Britain.

However, Professor Gaffney says we will 'probably not' ever know exactly why these pits were built.

The Stonehenge monument standing today was the final stage of a four part building project that ended 3,500 years ago

Stonehenge is one of the most prominent prehistoric monuments in Britain. The Stonehenge that can be seen today is the final stage that was completed about 3,500 years ago. 

According to the monument's website, Stonehenge was built in four stages:   

First stage: The first version of Stonehenge was a large earthwork or Henge, comprising a ditch, bank and the Aubrey holes, all probably built around 3100 BC. 

The Aubrey  holes are round pits in the chalk, about one metre (3.3 feet) wide and deep, with steep sides and flat bottoms. 

Stonehenge (pictured) is one of the most prominent prehistoric monuments in Britain

They form a circle about 86.6 metres (284 feet) in diameter. 

Excavations revealed cremated human bones in some of the chalk filling, but the holes themselves were likely not made to be used as graves, but as part of a religious ceremony.

After this first stage, Stonehenge was abandoned and left untouched for more than 1,000 years. 

Second stage: The second and most dramatic stage of Stonehenge started around 2150 years BC, when about 82 bluestones from the Preseli mountains in south-west Wales were transported to the site. It's thought that the stones, some of which weigh four tonnes each, were dragged on rollers and sledges to the waters at Milford Haven, where they were loaded onto rafts.

They were carried on water along the south coast of Wales and up the rivers Avon and Frome, before being dragged overland again near Warminster and Wiltshire.

The final stage of the journey was mainly by water, down the river Wylye to Salisbury, then the Salisbury Avon to west Amesbury. 

The journey spanned nearly 240 miles, and once at the site, the stones were set up in the centre to form an incomplete double circle. 

During the same period, the original entrance was widened and a pair of Heel Stones were erected. The nearer part of the Avenue, connecting Stonehenge with the River Avon, was built aligned with the midsummer sunrise. 

Third stage: The third stage of Stonehenge, which took place about 2000 years BC, saw the arrival of the sarsen stones (a type of sandstone), which were larger than the bluestones.

They were likely brought from the Marlborough Downs (40 kilometres, or 25 miles, north of Stonehenge). 

The largest of the sarsen stones transported to Stonehenge weighs 50 tonnes, and transportation by water would not have been possible, so it's suspected that they were transported using sledges and ropes. 

Calculations have shown that it would have taken 500 men using leather ropes to pull one stone, with an extra 100 men needed to lay the rollers in front of the sledge.

These stones were arranged in an outer circle with a continuous run of lintels - horizontal supports. 

Inside the circle, five trilithons - structures consisting of two upright stones and a third across the top as a lintel - were placed in a horseshoe arrangement, which can still be seen today. 

Final stage: The fourth and final stage took place just after 1500 years BC, when the smaller bluestones were rearranged in the horseshoe and circle that can be seen today.

The original number of stones in the bluestone circle was probably around 60, but these have since been removed or broken up. Some remain as stumps below ground level. 

Source: Stonehenge.co.uk 

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The team’s discovery was reported on November 17 in a new paper that appeared in Geophysical Research Letters.

An antenna sticks out like whiskers from NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter in this artist’s concept depicting the spacecraft, which has been orbiting the Red Planet since 2006. This antenna is part of SHARAD, a radar that peers below the Martian surface.

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

A Discovery Below Martian Ice

In 2018, NASA first revealed the discovery of a mysterious feature beneath the Red Planet’s south pole, sparking a surge in interest over the possibility that a subsurface lake might exist there.

The discovery offered a tantalizing prospect, due primarily to the obvious associatio

However, new findings reported by a pair of MRO Shallow Radar (SHARAD) instrument scientists, Gareth Morgan and Than Putzig, throw cold water on the subsurface lake theory, pointing instead to the likelihood that this unusual feature hidden beneath the icy Martian south pole isn’t water at all, but instead a thick layer of rock and dust.

Based at the Planetary Science Institute in Tucson, Arizona, and in Lakewood, Colorado, Morgan and Putzig now say that their use of radar techniques made possible by SHARAD may be useful in future reconnaissance of the Red Planet, as scientists continue to search for subsurface resources like water that might not only be home to life, but which could be crucial for the survival of future crewed missions to Mars.

The European Space Agency’s Mars Express orbiter captured this view of Mars’ south polar ice cap Feb. 25, 2015. Three years later, the spacecraft detected a signal from the area to the right of the ice cap that scientists interpreted as an underground lake.

Credit: ESA/DLR/FU Berlin, CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO

A Special Rolling Maneuver

To obtain the recent data, the MRO performed a unique maneuver that involves rolling 120 degrees, which allows the SHARAD radar’s signal to penetrate deeper underground, and thereby producing enhanced imagery of the Martian subsurface regions it penetrates.

Use of this specialized technique has already proven to be effective enough in the past that scientists are now eager to use it at other sites on the Red Planet, including those where past observations may not have revealed promising indications of buried subsurface ice.

Previously, the researchers and their colleagues with the SHARAD team had unsuccessfully tried to observe the Martian South Pole region where the suspected lake existed. To overcome this, the SHARAD team went to the MRO’s operations team at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory to work on finding a way of increasing the size of the spacecraft’s rolls.

With the MRO’s radar antenna located near the back of the spacecraft, its body shields its view, which weakens the sensitivity of the instrument. However, JPL engineers were able to find a workaround with a little help from engineers at Lockheed Martin Space who built the spacecraft: this resulted in a series of commands that enabled the spacecraft to complete a 120-degree roll, allowing the MRO to direct its radar’s signal more effectively at the Martian surface

This map shows the approximate area where in 2018 ESA’s Mars Express detected a signal the mission’s scientists interpreted as an underground lake. The red lines show the path of NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, which flew both directly overhead as well as over an adjacent region.

Credit: Planetary Science Institute

Large Rolls Lead to Stronger Signals

The plan came to fruition earlier this year, when in late May SHARAD completed its initial very large roll, which successfully struck the target area. Penetrating nearly a mile of ice, the radar’s reflections revealed that the unusual subsurface feature that has intrigued scientists since its discovery in 2018 was likely not what they initially thought it might be.

“We’ve been observing this area with SHARAD for almost 20 years without seeing anything from those depths,” said Putzig in a statement. Now, with the data made possible by the MRO’s large roll, deeper radar penetration revealed a fainter signal than Putzig and Morgan expected, followed by no signal at all from an adjacent region they examined.

Their conclusion: something is causing the odd radar signal at the same location, revealed during past observations made using the Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionospheric Sounding (MARSIS) instrument aboard the ESA (European Space Agency) Mars Express orbiter.

“While this new data won’t settle the debate, it makes it very hard to support the idea of a liquid water lake,” said Putzig in a statement, acknowledging the work that went into formulating the subsurface lake hypothesis.

Since the Martian south pole features a large cap of ice positioned above the planet’s very cratered terrain, the region beneath the icy exterior revealed with the SHARAD data appears very uneven. One possibility that could account for the 2018 observations made by MARSIS could be a large smooth feature, such as the remnants of an ancient flow of lava.

Going forward, additional observations using the MRO’s new very large roll capability could help to resolve the mystery once and for all, in addition to revealing clues to other longstanding mysteries associated with sites like Medusae Fossae along the Martian equator, which is also known to produce little in the way of radar returns.

Morgan, Putzig, and their colleagues’ paper, “High Frequency Radar Perspective of Putative Subglacial Liquid Water on Mars,” appeared in Geophysical Research Letters on November 17, 2025.

• Micah Hanks is the Editor-in-Chief and Co-Founder of The Debrief. A longtime reporter on science, defense, and technology with a focus on space and astronomy, he can be reached at micah@thedebrief.org. Follow him on X @MicahHanks, and at micahhanks.com.

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Before the Bible as we know it: the revelation of the Dead Sea Scrolls

©Reuters

Before the Bible as we know it: the revelation of the Dead Sea Scrolls
It's one of the greatest archaeological finds of the 20th century. Hidden in caves in the desert, the Dead Sea Scrolls were identified as ancient Jewish manuscripts—the only known surviving biblical documents written before 100 CE. Discovered in 1946 by Bedouin shepherds, the parchment scrolls have immense historical, religious, and linguistic significance, and shed light on events that took place over 2,000 years ago.

Browse those items and revisit the story behind this historic chance encounter.

©Shutterstock

The discovery
In 1946, three Bedouin shepherds chanced upon a collection of ceramic jars in a cave at Wadi Qumran, near the Dead Sea.

©Getty Images

Historic find
One of the shepherds, Muhammed edh-Dhib, volunteered to retrieve the jars. Curious, he opened one of the vessels and discovered inside a handful of parchment scrolls.

©Getty Images

The Bedouin
Not realizing how important they were, the shepherd took the scrolls, which numbered seven in total, back to his desert camp as keepsakes. Eventually, he decided to sell the documents, which subsequently changed hands over the next 12 months.

©Getty Images

Qumran Caves
In 1947, the scrolls caught the attention of American biblical scholar and archaeologist John C. Trever, who quickly realized the historical importance of these rare finds.

©Reuters

The Dead Sea Scrolls unveiled
The following year, the discovery was announced to an astonished world: what had been uncovered were manuscripts of immeasurable religious and historical significance, and subsequently declared as the only known biblical documents written before 100 CE.

©Shutterstock

Qumran Caves
By the end of 1948, scholars had yet to identify the original cave where the fragments had been found. The 1948 Arab–Israeli War had hampered all efforts to identify the site. But in 1949, Cave 1, as it became known, was rediscovered.

©Getty Images

Cave 1 site
The Cave 1 site yielded further Dead Sea Scroll fragments, plus linen cloth, jars (pictured), and other artifacts.

©Public Domain

Search for the Qumran caves
In November 1951, a full excavation of Qumran had commenced. By the end of 1952, five more caves had been discovered, each giving up yet more scrolls and fragments. In fact, 90% of the total number of scrolls discovered were found in Cave 4. Pictured: scrolls in situ.

©Public Domain

The Isaiah scroll
Among the manuscripts Bedouin shepherd Muhammed edh-Dhib had initially retrieved was the Isaiah scroll (pictured), which contains almost the whole Book of Isaiah.

©Public Domain

The Isaiah scroll
This is the oldest complete copy of the Book of Isaiah. Written on 17 sheets of parchment, it's the only scroll from the Qumran caves to be preserved almost in its entirety.

©Public Domain

Habakkuk Commentary
That initial 1946 discovery also unearthed the Habakkuk Commentary, a pesher (a type of commentary in Hebrew) written sometime in the later half of the 1st century BCE.

©Getty Images

Genesis Apocryphon
Another of the original finds included the Genesis Apocryphon (pictured). The document records a conversation between the biblical figure Lamech, son of Methuselah, and his son, Noah.

©Public Domain

Further research
Between 1951 and 1956, 11 caves in Qumran were identified as depositories for various scrolls by a team from the American Schools of Oriental Research, headed by Roland de Vaux.

©Public Domain

Damascus Document
Interestingly, the existence of the Damascus Document, found in Cave 4 in 1952, was already known to scholars: two fragments had previously been found in 1897 as part of the Cairo Geniza collection of manuscripts discovered in a synagogue in Egypt.

©Getty Images

Origin of the Dead Sea Scrolls
To this day, lively debate surrounds the origin of the Dead Sea Scrolls. The general view among biblical scholars is that the scrolls were the product of a sect of Jews living at Qumran called the Essenes.

©Getty Images

Language
The text of the Dead Sea Scrolls is written in four different languages: Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, and Nabataean.

©Getty Images

Fragmented history
In all, scholars have assembled a collection of nearly 900 separate scrolls from the 11 caves. Unfortunately, the majority of the scrolls consist of tiny, brittle fragments.

©Public Domain

The largest scroll
The aforementioned Isaiah scroll is the exception. It measures about 734 cm (24 ft) long and ranges from 25.3 to 27 cm high (0.83 to 0.89 ft), with 54 columns of text.

©Getty Images

Shrine of the Book
The seven original scrolls are housed in the purpose-built Shrine of the Book, with the Isaiah scroll a central exhibit. Also housed here is the Aleppo Codex, a medieval bound manuscript of the Hebrew Bible.

©Getty Images

Shrine of the Book
The shrine's unique white dome embodies the lids of the jars in which the first scrolls were found.

©Shutterstock

Israel Museum
The Shrine of the Book is part of the Israel Museum, located in Jerusalem.

©Public Domain

Museum exhibitions and displays
Since their discovery, small portions of the Dead Sea Scrolls have been put on temporary display in exhibitions at museums around the world. Pictured is a queue of people outside the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. for the very first touring exhibition in 1965.

©Reuters

The Internet
By 2008, fragments of the Dead Sea Scrolls were being photographed digitally with the aim of making the 2,000-year-old documents available to the public and researchers on the Internet.

©Getty Images

Dead Sea Scrolls online
Pictured: a conservation analyst from the Israel Antiquities Authority examines fragments of the 2,000-year-old Dead Sea Scrolls at a laboratory before photographing them.

©Getty Images

Partnership with Google
In 2011, Israel put 5,000 fragments of the ancient Dead Sea Scrolls online in a partnership with Google.

©Reuters

Dead Sea Scrolls online library
Today, anyone with an interest in the history of the scrolls can view a digital archive of images and read more about one of the greatest archaeological finds of the 20th century.

©Reuters

Cave 12, and the stolen scrolls
In 2017, archaeologists stumbled across another cave on cliffs west of Qumran. However, closer examination revealed that Cave 12 had been plundered, probably in the 1950s. Sadly, the scrolls it undoubtedly concealed are believed lost forever.

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