Het racisme achter buitenaardse mummie-hoaxes

Precolumbiaanse lichamen worden opnieuw gebruikt als bewijs voor buitenaards leven.

By Christopher Heaney

Een diagram van een "oude Peruaanse schedel" uit Samuel George Morton's Crania Americana

 (Samuel George Morton)

Peruaanse archeologen zijn het beu om beweringen over buitenaardse invloed op de menselijke geschiedenis te ontkrachten. In 1968 introduceerde de Zwitserse auteur Erich von Däniken's Chariots of the Gods? de mainstream in de theorie dat de Nazca-lijnen, de enorme geogliefen in Zuid-Peru waarvan de vormen alleen vanuit de lucht volledig zichtbaar zijn, landingsbanen waren voor 'oude astronauten'. Archeologen zijn het daar kalm mee oneens en stellen dat het astronomische ontwerpen waren die de woestijn zelf in een observatorium veranderden, of tegensterrenbeelden die overeenkwamen met de donkere ruimtes in de Melkweg, of, meer abstract, kosmologische figuren die bedoeld waren om gezien te worden door hemelwaartse goden, waarvan het oude Peru er veel had. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull uit 2008 gaf een nieuwe draai aan dit oude verhaal, inclusief, voor de goede orde, de buitenaardse wezens met grote schedels die Noord-Amerikaanse ontvoeringsverhalen doorspekken.

Nu zijn Peruaanse wetenschappers woedend over een nieuwe en mogelijk verderfelijke permutatie van de theorie van de "oude astronaut". Een webserie met de naam Unearthing Nazca beweert het onderzoek naar een precolumbiaanse en "mensachtige" mummie weer te geven. Archeologen, die de toegang tot de mummie is ontzegd, maken zich zorgen dat het zo oud is als de makers van de serie beweren, maar dat het eigenlijk inheems en Andes is - een echt menselijk individu dat is verminkt om eruit te zien als een buitenaards wezen. Ze maken zich zorgen dat Unearthing Nazca een vermomde archeologische snufffilm is.

Het succes van de serie is ook een punt van zorg. Sinds de lancering van de serie in juni door Gaia.com - een website die gespecialiseerd is in "bewuste media, yoga en meer" - is de teaser-aflevering van Unearthing Nazca alleen al op YouTube 2,35 miljoen keer bekeken. Het begint met wat op het eerste gezicht een typische zittende Peruaanse mummie lijkt, armen om de knieën geslagen, als een kind dat wacht op zijn ouder. Zijn hoofd is langwerpig zoals die van andere precolumbiaanse mummies, wier samenlevingen de schedel van hun kinderen kunstmatig hebben gevormd om schoonheidsidealen te bereiken of groepsverbondenheid te vertegenwoordigen.

Daar houdt de gelijkenis op. Een Hans Zimmer-achtige partituur klopt, en een expert met een Russisch accent in 'bio-electrografie' - die elders beweert de menselijke ziel te hebben gefotografeerd die na de dood uit het lichaam ontsnapt - verklaart de mummie 'een van de belangrijkste ontdekkingen van de 21e eeuw'. De camera draait in een baan om de mummie en onthult dat deze slechts drie lange vingers aan elke hand en drie lange tenen aan elke voet heeft. Zijn langwerpige kop heeft geen neus, geen oren en grote, zware oogleden. En zijn huid is griezelig, poederachtig wit.

De experts van de video stoppen met het A-woord en laten een reeks vestdragende en in witte jassen geklede "experts" beweren dat röntgenfoto's, CT-scans en DNA- en koolstof-14-tests van het vlees van de mummie onthullen dat dit nieuwe "mensachtige" of "organische wezen", dat ze "Maria" hebben genoemd, geen fraude is. Om meer te weten te komen, werden kijkers aanvankelijk aangemoedigd om de rest van het onderzoek achter Gaia's betaalmuur te bekijken.

De Engels- en Spaanstalige roddelbladen en YouTube-kanalen die verslag doen van de "ontdekking" vullen de lege plekken betrouwbaar in en bewaken de journalistieke integriteit met angstaanjagende citaten: "De 'buitenaardse' mummies van Nazca", trompetterde The Sun half juli, toen de meest prominente promotor van de mummie, een Mexicaanse "ufoloog" en tv-persoonlijkheid genaamd Jaime Maussan, fotografisch en röntgen "bewijs" produceerde van ten minste vier extra "reptielachtige" "mensachtige" lichamen.

Want natuurlijk: wat zouden ze nog meer kunnen zijn?

Mensen, en ook nog eens inheemse.

In 2015 probeerde Maussan een fotografische dia uit de late jaren 1940 te promoten die, zo liet hij doorschemeren, het lijk van een buitenaards kind afbeeldde dat in het zuidwesten van Amerika was gevonden. Meer sceptische ufologen pasten de-blurring-technologie toe op de "Roswell Slide" toen deze werd vrijgegeven, en ontdekten dat een voorheen niet-te ontcijferen plakkaat naast het lichaam onthulde dat het eigenlijk de mummie was van een tweejarige Pueblo-jongen die in 1894 uit de klifwoningen van Mesa Verde was verwijderd. In 1938 keerde de jongen terug naar een museum in een Nationaal Park en in 2015 werd hij gerepatrieerd naar een lokale stam.

Ongelooflijk, Maussan bood vervolgens $ 10.000 aan voor informatie die de "locatie en herstel" van de Pueblo-jongen mogelijk zou kunnen maken.

Deze opname van precolumbiaanse Peruanen in de veronderstelde doofpotaffaire van buitenaardse wezens door de wetenschap weerspiegelt de eerdere verzameling en studie van de inheemse doden. In de 19e eeuw veronderstelden Anglo-Amerikaanse en Europese craniologen en geleerden die kunstmatig gevormde schedels tegenkwamen in Peruaanse graven dat ze ofwel de niet-misvormde overblijfselen waren van een verloren en beschaafd volk dat ze de 'oude Peruanen' noemden, of kunstmatige vervormingen van latere volkeren geïnspireerd door de natuurlijke vormen van die oude Peruanen. Archeologen kwamen tot het besef dat "misvormde" Peruaanse schedels vanaf de kindertijd werden gebonden en gevormd, toen schedelbeenderen nog niet waren versmolten - zonder verandering in schedelcapaciteit en, te oordelen naar de monumentale samenlevingen die hun elites bereikten, zonder handicap voor cognitieve vaardigheden. Maar de opkomst van de ufologie na het "Roswell-incident" van 1947 heeft de zoektocht naar geheime voorouders nieuw leven ingeblazen - en de minder verantwoordelijke beoefenaars hebben oude Peruaanse schedels opnieuw aangeworven als bewijs van de aanwezigheid van "grijze buitenaardse wezens" met grote schedels. Ze speculeren dat de grootste precolumbiaanse prestaties van Peru - waaronder Machu Picchu, volgens een theorie die werd uitgezonden in het History Channel-programma Ancient Aliens - letterlijk niet van deze wereld zijn, het product van een superieur, buitenaards "ras" of hun geleende technologie.

Illustratie van een mummie die in 1836 werd verzameld en uitgepakt door John Harrison Blake (Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology)

Het gebruik van het woord 'ras' is veelzeggend, omdat het suggereert hoe het hergebruiken van oudere, Europese collecties van niet-Europese lichamen en onderzoek ernaar oude en ontkrachte theorieën over raciale tekortkoming kan reproduceren: dat met name inheemse Peruanen zulke geavanceerde, monumentale samenlevingen niet op eigen kracht hadden kunnen bouwen. ("Theoretici van oude astronauten" claimen bewijs van buitenaardse inspiratie wereldwijd, maar alleen inheemse Amerikanen zien hun lichamen en prestaties als alleen verklaarbaar door buitenaardse aanwezigheid.) Vanaf de 18e eeuw hebben Noord-Europeanen de Spanjaarden ervan beschuldigd de oorsprong van de prestaties van de Inca's te overdrijven of verkeerd te identificeren. Alexander von Humboldt beweerde dat de eerste Inca's eigenlijk Chinezen waren. Het balsemen van hun doden door de Inca's werd in plaats daarvan toegeschreven aan natuurlijke mummificatie door de elementen of aan de verspreiding van Egyptische kennis.

Met de opkomst van specifiek geracialiseerde wetenschap in de 19e en 20e eeuw, werd bewijs voor Indiaans anders-zijn gezocht in de botten van de oude Peruanen. In de jaren 1920 zou een Duitse geleerde en toekomstige SS-officier bevestiging zoeken dat de meest megalithische culturen van de Andes eigenlijk Arisch of Atlantisch waren, en dat hun langwerpige schedels van een hoger, Noord-Europees ras waren. Meer afwijzend namen eerdere geleerden de kenmerkende grootte, vorm en het bezit van unieke interpariëtale botten van oude Peruaanse schedels als bewijs van een gelijkenis met knaagdieren en buideldieren, een tegenstrijdigheid die hun toegeschreven beschaving ondermijnde. In zijn grote aanval op raciale vooroordelen in de wetenschappelijke schatting van intelligentie, The Mismeasure of Man (1981), beweerde Stephen Jay Gould beroemd dat de cranioloog Samuel George Morton uit Philadelphia de gemiddelde grootte van Indiase schedels in zijn collectie had "gekelderd" door een "grote oververtegenwoordiging van een extreme groep - de Inca-Peruanen met kleine hersenen" op te nemen.

Archeologie en musea hebben een lange weg afgelegd in hun studie en weergave van een inheems verleden waar Peruanen trots op zijn, en gesprekken over de repatriëring of meer ethische studie van de inheemse Amerikaanse doden zijn aan de gang. (Gelijktijdig met de vrijlating van Unearthing Nazca was er een massale opkomst bij een nieuwe en beslist niet-buitenaardse show over de Nazca-cultuur in het Lima Museum of Art.) Goulds gebruik van Morton als illustratie van raciale vooringenomenheid in de wetenschap is ook besproken - Morton gebruikte in feite een gegroepeerd gemiddelde van de groepen die onder zijn 'Amerikanen' waren opgenomen, waarbij hij controleerde voor de grotere aanwezigheid van de Peruanen, zodat hun opname het gemiddelde niet zou kelderen.

Desalniettemin is Unearthing Nazca een ondersteuning voor Goulds grotere waarschuwing tegen het beschrijven van niet-Europese lichamen als gebrekkig, abnormaal of niet-menselijk. Met name het internet heeft een platform geboden voor beweringen over de buitenaardse of alt-hominide abnormaliteit van Peruaanse schedels die berusten op de herhaling van oude wetenschap zonder te worstelen met de racistische veronderstellingen achter de statistieken die ze gebruikten. Voorstanders van het idee dat langwerpige Peruaanse schedels van nature voorkwamen, hebben bijvoorbeeld het werk van Morton en zijn cohort omarmd, zoals de Zwitserse auteur die de oude Peruanen vergeleek met buideldieren. Het laat ook zien hoe zombified rassenwetenschap - zelfs als het beweert niet over ras te gaan - echte menselijke lichamen zou kunnen misbruiken.

Het was om deze reden dat Unearthing Nazca het leergierige reservaat van Peruaanse archeologen doorbrak. De problemen begonnen eind vorig jaar, toen de Peruaanse YouTuber Paul Ronceros lokale media ertoe bracht om een eerdere "buitenaardse" of "reptielachtige" mummie te verslaan en de drievingerige hand van Nazca te scheiden, waarvan hij beweerde dat ze waren ontdekt door andere geïnteresseerde partijen dan hijzelf. Op een gegeven moment bracht Ronceros die hand en de eerste "mummie" naar een reeks musea, waaronder het natuurhistorisch museum van de Universiteit van San Marcos in Lima, de oudste universiteit op het halfrond. Volgens het hoofd van de paleontologie van gewervelde dieren van dat museum, Rodolfo Salas-Gismondi - die ook een onderzoeker is verbonden aan het American Museum of Natural History in New York - veranderde Ronceros zijn verhaal toen hij werd uitgedaagd over de voor de hand liggende verzinsel, en beweerde dat het in plaats daarvan een precolumbiaanse "representatie" van buitenaards leven was, gemaakt van een mengsel van dierlijke en menselijke botten. Rond deze tijd raakten Maussan en andere internationale UFO-"experts" erbij betrokken en verklaarden dat de mummies in kwestie - ze bleven zich vermenigvuldigen - verzinsels waren, mogelijk oud, maar dat andere "echte, niet-menselijke biologische overblijfselen" waren.

Dat archeologische menselijke botten mogelijk zijn gebruikt om de "reptielen" mini-mummie van Ronceros en de bijbehorende hand te monteren, was al erg genoeg. Maar Peruaanse wetenschappers hielden hun vuur in het openbaar tot juni, toen Unearthing Nazca de eerder niet-gefotografeerde "Maria" onthulde, wiens dramatische gelijkenis met echte Peruaanse mummies - tot aan een bijna anatomisch correcte CT-scan - suggereerde dat ze geen pastiche was van dierlijke en menselijke botten, maar een echte precolumbiaanse Andes, geplunderd en opnieuw gemaakt omwille van een hoax.

Op basis van de röntgenfoto's van de gemummificeerde handen op Unearthing Nazca, heeft Salas-Gismondi voorgesteld dat ze deel uitmaakten van een precolumbiaanse mummie die vervolgens werd verminkt - twee vingers of tenen die uit elk uiteinde werden afgesneden en opnieuw werden ingezet om het aantal falanges in de resterende drie cijfers te vergroten om te voldoen aan onze buitenaardse popcultuurstereotypen. Zijn skeletachtige ledematen, merkt Salas-Gismondi op, zijn verder identiek aan die van een mens met vijf vingers, wat 'evolutionair gezien niet logisch is'. Om het pakket van "Maria" compleet te maken, zijn haar neus en oren mogelijk weggesneden van wat ofwel een niet verrassend langwerpig hoofd was, of zijn ze weggelaten van een recent gefabriceerd hoofd. Bewijs van alle veranderingen zou gemakkelijk kunnen worden bedekt met het witte, gipsachtige poeder waarvan de pratende hoofden op Unearthing Nazca beweren dat het een droogmiddel is. Het voordeel van het gebruik van een echte mummie is dat het lichaam kan worden onderzocht op monsters van echt precolumbiaans vlees, zoals sommige gemaskerde deelnemers aan Unearthing Nazca worden gezien in naam van "koolstof-14 en DNA-testen". De "experts" verklaren later dat uit dietests blijkt dat de mummie een 1.600-1.800 jaar oude vrouwelijke "mensachtige" was - resultaten die niet zijn geverifieerd door externe partijen.

Maria’s guardians have not let her be examined by established mummy experts. In late June, Peru’s Ministry of Culture announced that it was investigating the possibility that the composition of the mummies were the product of looting. And in July, the organizers of last year’s World Congress on Mummy Studies in Lima—Peru’s actual experts on pre-Columbian remains—denounced Unearthing Nazca, calling upon Peruvian authorities to investigate, find, and prosecute the mummies’ apparent makers for violating Peru’s laws against trafficking in pre-Columbian human remains, which are considered Peruvian cultural patrimony. The Congress’s organizers were particularly galled by the possibility that this assault upon the dignity of an actual pre-Columbian mummy bolstered believers—even in Peru—that Andean culture and achievements owed to “outside help.”

These Peruvian archaeologists and bio-anthropologists have been careful not to say who they believe is responsible for the suspected fraud; the experts on Gaia.com are likewise careful to say that “Maria” was “discovered” by “Mario,” a pseudonymous third party. When reached for comment, Gaia.com’s media representatives say that the organization has only investigated and reported “on facts related to artifacts presented to us,” and “arranged for independent testing including carbon-14 and DNA sequencing.” The on-camera experts involved in the investigation have apparently not been paid, and Gaia.com has never been “in possession of any artifacts.” During this story’s reporting, the paywall for the rest of the episodes of Unearthing Nazca was lowered, releasing them to the open web and possibly helping Gaia answer the charge that it continues to profit from an unraveling story.

But Peru’s mummy experts remain frustrated. In mid-July, one of Peru’s most respected bio-anthropologists, Elsa Tomasto-Cagigao, agreed to debate Maussan and another member of his team—a Mexican naval surgeon whose claims to be a forensic anthropologist have not checked out—live on Peruvian TV.

Maussan took the opportunity to claim that he and his colleagues were being defamed; that they never said it was an ‘extraterrestrial’; that they only sought the truth on whether or not it was a “human being.” But Tomasto-Cagigao wasn’t having it. She laid out the case clearly, patiently, unflappably, observing that no one in Peru’s actual scientific community of mummy experts had been consulted or had seen “Maria” or the actual x-rays other than what was flashed on Unearthing Nazca or in Maussan’s “press conferences.”

“And if they present them tomorrow?” asks the host.

“I’ll eat a cockroach, live, with mayonnaise,” Tomasto-Cagigao replied. “It is not just grave-robbing … Peruvian law says that to extract, alter, or manipulate cultural patrimony without the permission of the state is a crime.”

The interviewer tries to break in.

“I’m not saying that they did it,” she adds, refusing to look at the Unearthing Nazca experts, whose latest episode investigates a mummified pre-Columbian infant whose tiny hands and feet have, or were made to have, three fingers.

“But there’s a crime here.”

{ https://www.theatlantic.com/ }

25-05-2025 om 23:40 geschreven door peter  

Newly Released Documents Shed Light on “UFO Whistleblower” David Grusch’s DOPSR Review

In a recent release of documents obtained via FOIA case 23-F-0946, new information has surfaced surrounding the media-nicknamed “UFO Whistleblower,” David Grusch. Grusch, who has claimed to have knowledge regarding “non-human intelligence”—believed by many to refer to extraterrestrial beings—had made headlines with his story, yet a crucial piece of the puzzle seemed elusive: his Defense Office of Prepublication and Security Review (DOPSR)  submission that he, and the media, often references.

The Black Vault has extensively highlighted the absence of Grusch’s actual approved DOPSR submission. While Grusch remained tight-lipped, a FOIA request filed by The Black Vault has now shed light on the matter from the Department of Defense’s end. Although the recent release still leaves many questions unanswered due to significant redactions, it does provide a more comprehensive picture of how everything went down.

David Grusch

From the documents, it’s evident that Grusch submitted two DOPSR requests for review. The first, an “Interview Question Submission”, was sent on March 7, 2023. His second, a “future” interview question submission, was sent less than a month later on April 5, 2023. Both submissions received approval on April 4, 2023, and April 6, 2023, respectively. Strangely, the responses to Grusch’s interview questions, the most awaited details, were redacted under exemption (b)(6), shielding them from the public eye. This exemption, as stated in the FOIA response letter, protects information that, “…would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of the personal privacy of individuals.”

The internal correspondence within the DOD also adds a bit to the story. Security Review Specialist Michelle Whigham expressed concerns regarding vague references made by Grusch about certain “sensitive areas.” Her apprehension was clear in her message to her colleague, Don Kluzik, where she stated, “Although he does not divulge specific sensitive information, the author makes reference to sensitive areas. I just wanted you to review.” Kluzik stated in his response, “Vague references to sensitive areas like this are not a problem. If there had been something more substantial then further review would have been necessary.”

With the answers being redacted in the DOPSR paperwork that Grusch wrote for approval, it is only a guess on what “vague” references and locations they are referring to.

The released documents beg a more significant question: If the DOD has provided a portion of the material, albeit redacted, why hasn’t Grusch shown his requests in full? Such transparency would only bolster his credibility. But by the email exchange above within DOPSR, it seemed like nothing was of detailed note that caused any concern whatsoever, except for “vague” references to facilities which were no problem to them. What else was in the request?

To date, although Grusch’s DOPSR material was referenced in each of his news interviews, and at the UAP hearing, it has yet to be released by Grusch despite being fully cleared for “Open Publication” by DOPSR. Why he has not released it to date remains a mystery. Past attempts by The Black Vault in June of this year to contact Mr. Grusch’s attorney, Charles McCullough, specifically asking about the DOPSR material have remain unanswered.

• Note: The Black Vault will be filing an appeal to argue the redactions.

Document Archive

{ https://www.theblackvault.com/documentarchive/ }

25-05-2025 om 23:19 geschreven door peter  

In May, Sean Kirkpatrick, the director of the Department of Defense’s All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), reported that approximately 2% to 5% of UAP sightings appear to represent genuine anomalies. GEIPAN, the unit of the French Space Agency CNES tasked with studying UAPs, reports similar percentages for a subset of its investigations.

As is consistently shown by the re-investment into UAP research on the part of our national security apparatus, the nature of anomalous UAP sightings appears to warrant further investigation. However, this sentiment is not a new one.

Writing for the RAND Corporation in 1968, George Kucher studied the UFO phenomenon and its implications in a report titled “UFOs: What to Do?” which analyzed the phenomenon and called for a centralized reporting program to understand which of nine stated explanations—from novel physical phenomena to extraterrestrial probes—was likeliest to be correct.

The possibility that some UAP could represent extraterrestrial craft was as tantalizing for Kucher in 1968 as it is today. An opinion piece recently published by The Hill discussed present-day reports of anomalous spherical objects that appear to share similar attributes with UAP accounts that date as far back as the 1940s. The author, Marik Von Rennenkampff, then makes a startling assertion: “According to Kirkpatrick, this highly anomalous range of attributes amounts to a UAP profile – a ‘target package’ – that AARO is ‘out hunting for.’”

Given Kirkpatrick’s mention of a UAP “target package” and the existence of anomalous attributes in at least a small percentage of modern sightings, three follow-up questions come to mind. First, are there any grounded theories or evidence to suggest UAPs might be extraterrestrial in origin? Second, if we entertain the extraterrestrial hypothesis, why would UAP reports convey only “anomalies” in sensor and other data rather than appearing as unambiguous structured craft? Third, if we assume for a moment that these anomalies are stealth probes of some kind, what might their observed behaviors suggest about their objectives?

Here, we explore the possibility that some portions of the truly anomalous UAP sightings could be produced by stealth-driven extraterrestrial probes imbued with artificial intelligence (AI) and a complex camouflage system. Given the limitations of our current detection methods, the nature of these UAP sightings suggests that there might indeed be more going on than what can currently be perceived.

Interstellar Machines

Regarding our first question, it is plausible that an extraterrestrial civilization would conclude out of necessity, as humans did in our early efforts to explore the cosmos, that intelligent machines – not manned craft – offer the most robust way to explore the galactic neighborhood. Machines don’t require creaturely necessities, nor do they tire out, grow old, or easily break down under the harshness of interstellar space.

Initial machines might start as craft akin to Voyager 1 or semi-autonomous rovers like Perseverance on Mars. As technology advances, craft such as these would likely be updated to include sophisticated AI capabilities and may be leveraged into a spacecraft swarm that could spread through a solar system, while nano-scale craft may depart for nearby exoplanets. Eventually, newer models might approximate self-replicating Von Neumann probes. These might be, in the words of Professor Allen Tough, “small smart interstellar probes,” which would have advanced AI and the necessary suite of capabilities to arrive at an exoplanet. Such advanced models, like Tough’s probes, have been predicted to arrive before early-generation models.

Writing for The Astronomical Journal in 2019, James Benford explored the idea of “lurkers,” or extraterrestrial probes designed to “observe Earth while not being easily seen.” He suggested that lurkers could be hiding in our solar system, possibly positioned in stable locations, such as at Lagrange points. However, if these probes are sufficiently advanced and have the requisite technologies and interest, we believe they might choose to explore an exoplanet instead of keeping at a distance.

One compelling reason a probe might come to Earth is to learn about our species in advance of making contact. An AI probe might need to gather a lot of information to understand how to communicate, much like an anthropologist working in the field. But unlike an anthropologist dealing with another human community, this AI probe might face a seemingly impossible barrier: how to bridge the communication divide between humanity and an extraterrestrial species.

Published in 1998, Dr. Douglas Vakoch considers the “Incommensurability Problem” of communication between humanity and extraterrestrial species. In this, while physics and mathematics are assumed to be universal, terrestrial and extraterrestrial civilizations would have different models of reality and so would need to find a different way to reach each other. Dr. Vakoch argues for the use of icons over symbols, while contemporary scholars such as Professor Avi Loeb consider the possibility that AI systems from both species could form a communication bridge in the form of an AI emissary.

One might imagine an emissary from late Bronze Age Egypt who would have spent more time either in transit or visiting distant civilizations, such as Cyprus, Canaan, or Mycenaean Greece. Similarly, an AI emissary would invest considerable effort into learning to navigate star systems and, after that, learning – while on-planet – about the alien civilization it found itself in contact with.

Anomalous Phenomena

From this, we can try to answer our second question. If UAPs were truly of extraterrestrial origin, why would they show up as anomalies? Given the barriers of alienness, an AI probe would likely need significant time to observe us to train itself on our data, perhaps as it waited for us to create our own emissary. During this time, stealth capabilities would essentially promote its survival. Intentional obfuscation would help explain the anomalous nature of UAP sightings. We believe, given the large geographical range of sightings coupled with the lack of detections of obvious craft, that if some UAPs are truly of extraterrestrial origin, there might be several stealth extraterrestrial artificial intelligence probes (SEAPs) operating on our planet.

While our proposal might seem speculative, improvements in current technology by governments and private corporations suggest that similar advancements could exist elsewhere. Modern drones, enhanced with AI and surveillance technology, have the capability to identify and differentiate objects in real-time using high-resolution cameras and infrared sensors. These drones can recognize patterns of human activity, allowing them to use GPS data to navigate away from particular areas.

Advanced AI models assess threats as they occur and can react to certain devices and situations. When working together, drones can exchange information regarding observed locations and activities and, if detected, can use AI for evasive maneuvers and can adapt routes based on predictive data analysis. Many of these drones also feature designs that decrease their visibility or audibility, like anti-reflective surfaces, making them harder to detect.

Motives and Intent

This brings us to our final question: If SEAPs account for the truly anomalous UAP sightings, what do these accounts suggest about their objectives? While it’s speculative, if SEAPs do exist, one possibility could be that they operate for information gathering, as indicated by the intricacies observed in some UAP sightings. While there is no way to know what the purpose of this collection might be, we hope it is related to establishing peaceful cross-species communications at some future point.

If SEAPs are a contributing factor to UAP sightings, their operational approach might involve balancing stealth capabilities with data collection. This balance inherently comes with risks. Under these conditions, sightings may be a result of moments when a SEAP took a calculated risk to gather data. Extrapolating from this, one can imagine the SEAP would want to understand which regions of, say, the United States, maximize the opportunity for stealth while at the same time maximizing the total amount of information collected about the people and ecological systems nearby.

As future regional scientists, we think about how geography and human activity interact – and through this lens, SEAPs would certainly need to understand which regions would maximize both protection and opportunities. Case in point, a 2023 report by the RAND Corporation titled “Not the X-Files” conducted a spatial analysis of UAP sightings controlling for variables such as total population, population density, and percent of cloudy days. A key finding was that population density was negatively correlated with UAP sightings. While this could be interpreted in various ways, we believe that this fits with the SEAP theory and suggests a tradeoff between stealth and data-gathering.

In taking this a step further, we considered which regions in the continental United States might offer unparalleled security and viewing opportunities. Regions high in natural features that limit human incursion, such as large lakes, dense forests, rugged mountain terrain, and subterranean caverns, all with population centers nearby, would be favored by SEAPs. In viewing the RAND report’s cluster of UAP sightings, major regions that stand out include the Pacific Northwest, parts of Appalachia, the Front Range of the southern Rockies, and the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York, among others. Each of these regions has been a historical hotbed for sightings and has its own distinct pattern of UAP activity.

It’s challenging for us to imagine the strategies an advanced intelligence might employ, given that we’ve never encountered one. While it’s not a direct comparison, think of the way some creatures, like chameleons, use camouflage in their environments. Would a passing insect realize that there’s a more sophisticated being right beside it, or would it merely go about its business, unaware? The insect might not even recognize the difference. In the same way, given the unfamiliarity of an extraterrestrial, it might be presumptuous for us to assume we’d readily recognize or comprehend their presence on Earth.

Even after extensive research by both scientists and government agencies, some UAP sightings continue to defy explanation. Among the myriad of theories is the speculative idea of stealth-designed advanced extraterrestrial technology. Given the observations and theories discussed, further exploration of our SEAP hypothesis could provide additional insights into the UAP phenomenon. Researchers should consider the implications of truly advanced extraterrestrial technology operating on our planet and design a thorough, systematic framework to potentially gain deeper perspectives into the UAP question.

• Courtney Bower is a doctoral student in regional science at Cornell University.
• Elizabeth Redmond, who also attends Cornell, is a master’s student in regional science.

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

25-05-2025 om 22:53 geschreven door peter  

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk }

25-05-2025 om 22:18 geschreven door peter  

25-05-2025 om 21:39 geschreven door peter  

 By Sarah Rumpf-Whitten Fox News

Scientists have made a remarkable discovery of a sphere that some believe to be an unidentified flying object (UFO).

The sphere, according to social media page @Truthpolex, was spotted March 2 flying over the town of Buga, Colombia, before it landed. Jose Luis Velazquez, one of the researchers studying the three-layered sphere, noted that it shows "no welds or joints," characteristics normally indicative of human manufacture, which further bolstered his belief in its extraterrestrial origin.

Julia Mossbridge, the founder and board chair of The Institute for Love and Time (TILT), and a member of the University of San Diego Department of Physics and Biophysics, told Fox News Digital she remains skeptical of its extraterrestrial origins.

"It looks to me like a really cool art project," she said, urging caution in drawing immediate conclusions.

• UFO FOOTAGE CAPTURED BY US NAVY SHOWS MYSTERIOUS AIRCRAFT LAUNCHING FROM SEA, EXPERT SAYS

Mossbridge framed the mysterious object as part of a "bigger picture" in which humanity must confront its own limitations.

"We are entering a time when we don’t have the control that we thought we had," she said, noting that prior "grandiose" beliefs in total mastery blind us when "something shows up that doesn’t fit our model of the world.

"If an artist is doing this, why is that? Well, I think it’s partly the same reason. It’s because we’re learning that we don’t understand what’s in our skies, what’s in our waters. And there’s something going on that’s essentially bigger than us," she said.

• FORMER DEFENSE OFFICIAL MAKES EARTH-SHATTERING UFO REVELATION AS UNEXPLAINED DRONES LEAVE MILLIONS ON EDGE

The U.S. government is compelled to investigate reports of UFOs to identify any issues regarding threats to national security.

(iStock)

She says sightings of unexplained objects have been around for decades.

"Frankly, we’ve been looking at UAPs (unidentified anomalous phenomena) for decades, and the federal government has admitted that there are things that we don’t understand, but we are investigating them," she said.

Mossbridge said the coalition of individuals working to find answers, such as the Scientific Coalition for UAP Studies, the UAP Disclosure Fund and the Galileo Project, are made of people of "all political persuasions."

"They are all trying to get rigorous information themselves, not necessarily waiting on the federal government, about what’s going on in our skies, what’s going on in our waters and actually trying to get international cooperation around these things," she said. "Because, for instance, the sphere in Colombia is in a different country. So, what are the rules about how we deal with something that’s interesting that’s found there?"

• PENTAGON SOLVES ONE OF ITS HIGHEST-PROFILE UFO MYSTERIES

A UFO in the sky.

 (Courtesy of Netflix)

Mossbridge urged thorough vetting before declaring anomalies in mysterious discoveries.

"Before you decide something’s anomalous or a UFO, bring the object to a group like the Galileo Project," she said. 

She said experts can determine if the material is "clearly non-human-made." 

Despite her misgivings about the discovery in Buga, she said it doesn’t "discount all the other objects that are of extraterrestrial origin."

{ https://www.foxnews.com/ }

25-05-2025 om 20:28 geschreven door peter  

Twenty years ago, the US Congress instructed NASA to find 90% of near-Earth asteroids threatening Earth. They've made progress finding these asteroids that orbit the Sun and come to within 1.3 astronomical units of Earth. However, they may have to expand their search since astronomers are now finding asteroids co-orbiting Venus that could pose a threat.

New research tries to understand how many more may co-orbit Venus and how we can detect them. They can be hidden in the Sun's glare and resist our efforts to find them. It comes down to observability windows and how the asteroids' brightness changes.

The research is titled "The invisible threat: assessing the collisional hazard posed by the undiscovered Venus co-orbital asteroids," and has been submitted to the journal Astronomy and Astrophysics. The lead author is Valerio Carruba, an assistant professor at São Paolo University in Brazil. The paper is currently available at arxiv.org.

"Twenty co-orbital asteroids of Venus are currently known," the authors write. "Co-orbital status protects these asteroids from close approaches to Venus, but it does not protect them from encountering Earth." Venus's co-orbital asteroids are considered potentially hazardous asteroids (PHA) if they have "a minimum diameter of about 140 meters and come within 0.05 astronomical units (au) of Earth's orbit," they explain.

The big question is, do these pose a collisional threat to Earth?

"We aim to assess the possible threat that the yet undetected population of Venus co-orbiters may pose to Earth, and to investigate their detectability from Earth and space observatories," the authors write.

Only one of the 20 known asteroids has an orbital eccentricity below 0.38. This makes sense since asteroids with wider orbits come closer to Earth and are easier to detect. So its detection is likely the result of an observational bias. Unfortunately, it also means there could be many more of them with minor orbital eccentricities that are very difficult to detect.

Most of the Solar System's asteroids are in the main belt between Mars and Jupiter. However, others are co-orbital with planets, like the Jupiter Trojans, which form two groups: one behind and one ahead of Jupiter. Astronomers are finding more asteroids co-orbiting with Venus, posing a threat to Earth. Image Credit: NASA/LPI

One problem in determining their danger is that co-orbitals have unpredictable orbits. "The co-orbital asteroids of Venus are highly chaotic, with Lyapunov times of the order of 150 years," the authors explain. The Lyapunov time refers to how long an object's orbit takes to become unpredictable because of chaotic dynamics.

This means that studying a single orbit of an object doesn't tell us much about what its orbit will evolve into in more than about 150 years. The authors write that a statistical study of 'clone' asteroids provides a clearer picture.

The researchers created a grid with different orbital inclinations and populated it with 26 cloned asteroids with different orbital characteristics. They then integrated them with the orbits of the Solar System's planets for 36,000 simulated years. Then they checked to see if any cloned asteroids had a close encounter with Earth.

"There is a range of orbits with eccentricity < 0.38, larger at lower inclinations, for which Venus' co-orbitals can pose a collisional hazard to Earth," the authors write.

Then they checked to see if they are observable from Earth with the upcoming Vera Rubin Observatory. They found that these objects are only observable periodically due to the Sun's glare. These observational windows mostly occur when the objects are near their closest approach to Earth.

The Vera Rubin Observatory will see first light in July 2025. Once it gets going, it will release a flood of data and discoveries and find more potentially hazardous objects, including those co-orbiting Venus.

Image Credit: Rubin Observatory/NSF/AURA.

"The combination of elevation constraints and solar elongation limitations restricts our observations to specific periods throughout the year," the authors write. Solar elongation means the angular distance between one of these asteroids and the Sun, as measured from Earth's perspective.

The study shows how difficult it can be to detect these dangerous asteroids from Earth. One solution might be to send a spacecraft to Venus' orbit. "However, observations conducted from Venus' orbit, positioned facing away from the Sun, may enhance the detection of these bodies," the researchers explain. Several missions have been proposed, including to the Sun-Earth or Sun-Venus L1 or L2 halo orbit.

We know there are asteroids out there with considerable chances to strike Earth. Some of them are large enough to destroy entire cities. Even a relatively small asteroid 150 meters in diameter can strike Earth with a force equal to hundreds of megatons of TNT. That's thousands of times more potent than the atomic bombs dropped in World War 2. "Among these, low-e Venus co-orbitals pose a unique challenge, because of the difficulties in detecting and following these objects from Earth," the authors write in their conclusion.

The Vera Rubin Observatory should detect many asteroids during its regular survey operations. However, finding potentially dangerous asteroids co-orbiting with Venus might take a special effort.

"While surveys like those from the Rubin Observatory may be able to detect some of these asteroids in the near future, we believe that only a dedicated observational campaign from a space-based mission near Venus could potentially map and discover all the still "invisible" PHA among Venus' co-orbital asteroids," the researchers conclude.

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{ https://www.universetoday.com/ } 

25-05-2025 om 18:43 geschreven door peter  

Mysterious Sphere Spurs UFO Debate as Experts Seek Answers

Introduction

Since the mid-20th century, UFO sightings have been a persistent element of popular culture and scientific inquiry, captivating the imagination of the public and researchers alike. The fascination with unidentified flying objects gained widespread attention following several high-profile incidents, most notably the 1947 Roswell incident in New Mexico. This event, involving the apparent crash of an unidentified craft, sparked conspiracy theories and fueled speculation about extraterrestrial life. Over the decades, similar sightings and reports of strange aerial phenomena continued to emerge, often accompanied by government secrecy and media coverage that further fueled public curiosity.

In the early years, the scientific community approached UFO phenomena with caution and skepticism. Many researchers attributed sightings to misidentifications of natural phenomena such as meteorological events, atmospheric anomalies, or optical illusions. Others suspected that some reports might be the result of experimental aircraft or classified military technology, especially during the Cold War era when secret projects were prevalent. Psychological explanations, including hallucinations, mass hysteria, or perceptual errors, also played a role in shaping the initial scientific stance on UFOs.

Despite this cautious approach, the cultural impact of UFO sightings persisted, and government agencies occasionally declassified or released information that added to the intrigue. For example, in the 1950s and 1960s, the U.S. Air Force conducted investigations such as Project Blue Book, which examined thousands of UFO reports but ultimately concluded that most sightings could be explained by known phenomena. Nonetheless, a small percentage remained unexplained, maintaining the mystery and fueling ongoing speculation.

The landscape of UFO research began to shift with technological advancements in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. The development of sophisticated surveillance systems, radar, satellite imagery, and high-resolution cameras increased the likelihood of capturing credible evidence of aerial phenomena. In recent years, increased transparency from government agencies has contributed to a growing body of credible reports. Notably, in 2020 and 2021, the U.S. government declassified several videos taken by military pilots showing unidentified objects exhibiting extraordinary flight capabilities. These releases prompted renewed public interest and debate regarding the origins and nature of these phenomena.

Furthermore, the establishment of the U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence’s UAP Task Force in 2021 signaled a significant shift towards a more scientific and systematic approach to studying unidentified aerial phenomena. This initiative aims to analyze data objectively, distinguish between potential threats and unexplained phenomena, and foster collaboration between military, intelligence, and scientific communities. As a result, what was once dismissed as mere folklore or paranoia is now being treated as a legitimate area of scientific inquiry, with the potential to deepen our understanding of atmospheric phenomena, advanced technology, or even extraterrestrial life. Overall, the history of UFO phenomena underscores both the enduring human curiosity about the unknown and the gradual evolution of scientific and governmental responses to these enduring mysteries.

the Buga sphere

The Emergence of the Mysterious Sphere

In recent months, a series of extraordinary sightings have captured the attention of both the scientific community and the general public. Central to these phenomena is a luminous, metallic sphere approximately 1.5 meters in diameter that exhibits behaviors highly inconsistent with any known natural phenomena or human-made objects. The appearance, movement, and disappearance of this sphere have sparked widespread curiosity, prompting investigations from multiple agencies and a surge of amateur and professional documentation.

1. Key Incidents

1.1. Location and Timeline:

The sphere has been observed across various parts of the globe, with sightings reported in rural skies over the United States, parts of Europe, and Asia. These sightings have been documented from early 2023 through late 2023, suggesting a persistent, possibly coordinated or recurring phenomenon. The locations vary from remote countryside areas to more populated regions, indicating that the sphere's appearances are not confined to a specific geographical or environmental setting. The timeline reveals that the sightings often occur during clear weather conditions, perhaps to facilitate visibility and recording.

1.2. Witness Accounts:

A diverse range of witnesses have contributed to the growing body of evidence. Pilots flying commercial and private aircraft have reported seeing the sphere out of their cockpit windows, often noting its sudden appearance and unusual flight patterns. Astronomers, utilizing powerful telescopes and radar systems, have tracked these objects over extended periods, noting their silent hovering and rapid accelerations. Civilians armed with high-resolution cameras and smartphones have captured numerous videos and photographs, many of which have been shared online, fueling both speculation and scientific curiosity.

Many witnesses describe the sphere as emitting a faint, bluish glow that appears steady or pulsates subtly. Notably, there is no visible propulsion system, exhaust plume, or any signs of conventional movement mechanisms. Instead, the sphere often appears to hover silently for minutes before accelerating rapidly or disappearing suddenly, sometimes leaving behind a faint afterglow or ripple in the sky.

1.3. Video Evidence:

The proliferation of recording devices has led to an extensive collection of visual data. Civilian drones, aircraft-mounted cameras, and satellite imagery have all captured footage of the sphere, revealing flight characteristics that challenge our understanding of physics. Some videos show the sphere executing abrupt directional changes, hovering without any apparent means of propulsion, or accelerating at speeds that surpass known technological capabilities.

Analysis of these videos has revealed anomalies such as the lack of motion blur during rapid acceleration, suggesting an unknown form of propulsion or energy source. Some footage shows the sphere emitting a subtle bluish hue, which remains consistent regardless of background or lighting conditions. These visual anomalies have prompted experts to question whether the sphere is a natural atmospheric phenomenon, a piece of advanced terrestrial technology, or something entirely extraterrestrial.

A UFO in the sky.

2. Scientific Investigations

Given the extraordinary nature of these sightings, numerous scientific agencies have mobilized resources to analyze the data comprehensively. NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA), and the U.S. Department of Defense have all initiated detailed investigations aimed at understanding the origin, composition, and purpose of the sphere.

These agencies are examining radar data, high-resolution video footage, satellite imagery, and atmospheric conditions during sightings. The goal is to determine whether the sphere is a natural celestial object, such as a meteor or atmospheric plasma, or a man-made device—possibly experimental aircraft, drone technology, or clandestine military hardware. However, initial assessments have not identified any known natural phenomena or terrestrial technology that can fully explain the observed behaviors.

One of the main focuses of these investigations is the sphere’s unique flight dynamics. Its ability to hover silently, change direction instantaneously, and accelerate beyond conventional limits suggests the presence of advanced propulsion technology or energy manipulation capabilities. Researchers are also analyzing the faint, bluish glow emitted by the sphere, considering hypotheses ranging from plasma emissions to unknown forms of electromagnetic energy.

Furthermore, some scientists are exploring the possibility that the sphere could be an artifact of experimental military technology, perhaps related to covert projects involving anti-gravity or electromagnetic propulsion. Conversely, others entertain the hypothesis that the sphere could be extraterrestrial in origin, representing a form of intelligent life or technology visiting Earth.

3. Challenges and Next Steps

Despite the extensive investigations, definitive conclusions remain elusive. The main challenges include the limited data available during each sighting, potential interference or misinterpretation of footage, and the difficulty in capturing the phenomenon under controlled conditions. Many recordings are brief, and the unpredictable nature of the sphere makes it challenging to study in real-time.

To address these issues, scientists are advocating for the deployment of specialized monitoring stations equipped with multi-spectral sensors, high-speed cameras, and radar arrays in regions with frequent sightings. Such infrastructure could provide continuous data collection, increasing the chances of capturing the phenomenon in greater detail.

International cooperation is also being promoted, given the global distribution of sightings. Sharing data across countries and agencies could facilitate a more comprehensive understanding and prevent misinterpretations fueled by speculation or misinformation.

4. Public Engagement and Implications

The presence of these mysterious spheres has significant implications for our understanding of the universe and our place within it. The phenomena challenge existing scientific paradigms, particularly concerning propulsion, energy, and atmospheric physics. They also raise questions about potential extraterrestrial intelligence or undisclosed human technological advancements.

Public interest remains high, with many individuals and organizations calling for transparency and further research. Some skeptics remain cautious, emphasizing the need for rigorous scientific validation before drawing conclusions. Nonetheless, the consistent and widespread nature of sightings suggests that the phenomena warrant serious consideration.

Moving forward, the scientific community emphasizes a cautious but open-minded approach. Continued investigation, transparent sharing of data, and collaboration across disciplines are essential to unraveling the mystery of these luminous spheres. Whether they are natural atmospheric phenomena, advanced human-made devices, or signs of extraterrestrial visitation, understanding their nature could profoundly impact our knowledge of physics, technology, and the universe itself.

In conclusion, the emergence of these mysterious spheres represents one of the most intriguing scientific enigmas of our time. As research progresses, humanity stands on the cusp of potentially revolutionary discoveries that could reshape our understanding of the cosmos and our technological capabilities. The journey to uncover the truth continues, fueled by curiosity, scientific rigor, and the enduring human desire to explore the unknown.

Potential Explanations for the Phenomenon

The phenomenon of the mysterious sphere has captivated both the public and scientific communities alike, prompting a wide array of hypotheses aimed at explaining its origins and behavior. Each explanation is rooted in current scientific understanding, technological development, and logical inference, yet none have yet provided a definitive answer. To better understand this enigmatic object, it is essential to explore the most plausible potential explanations, categorized broadly into natural atmospheric or celestial phenomena, human-made technology, and extraterrestrial origins.

1. Natural Atmospheric or Celestial Phenomena

• Ball Lightning: The first category considers the possibility that the sphere is a rare, naturally occurring atmospheric or celestial event. Some researchers have proposed that what appears to be a solid object could, in fact, be an optical illusion or a transient weather-related phenomenon.

One candidate explanation is ball lightning, a rare phenomenon involving luminous, spherical objects that sometimes appear during thunderstorms. Ball lightning can persist for several seconds up to a few minutes, exhibiting behaviors such as floating, moving unpredictably, or even passing through solid objects. However, the behavior of the observed sphere—particularly its sustained hovering, rapid acceleration, and maneuverability—does not align well with known properties of ball lightning. Typically, ball lightning displays erratic movement, often dissipating quickly or exploding, and does not demonstrate the high degree of control or sustained flight observed in this case.

• Reflections and Optical Artifacts: Another natural explanation involves reflections and optical artifacts. The object might be a lens flare, reflection from clouds, or other visual illusions caused by sunlight or camera angles. Such artifacts are common in aerial photography and video footage, often leading to misinterpretations. Yet, the consistency of the sightings, especially across multiple observers and high-quality video data, diminishes the likelihood that the sphere is purely an optical illusion. When multiple independent witnesses report the same phenomena, and the footage captures the object from different perspectives with consistent behavior, the optical artifact hypothesis becomes less convincing.

• Transient Meteors or Space Debris: The third possibility involves transient meteorological or celestial objects, such as a piece of space debris reflecting sunlight or a small meteorite entering Earth's atmosphere. While space debris—like defunct satellites or fragments—can reflect sunlight and appear as bright moving objects in the sky, their trajectories are typically predictable, and their movement patterns are inconsistent with the controlled and sustained hovering observed. Similarly, meteors usually produce fleeting streaks of light rather than hovering spheres with complex maneuvers. The prolonged presence and apparent control of the object challenge this explanation.

2. Human-Made Technology

The second category considers the sphere as a product of human innovation—either as an experimental aircraft, drone, or surveillance device. Given the rapid advancements in aerospace engineering and clandestine military projects, some posit that this mysterious object could be a high-tech, experimental craft.

• Advanced Military Drones or Aircraft: Advanced military drones or aircraft are often at the forefront of such hypotheses. Military agencies frequently develop and test experimental vehicles that utilize propulsion systems not yet disclosed publicly, such as anti-gravity or electromagnetic propulsion. The sphere’s silent operation, maneuverability, and ability to hover or accelerate rapidly are consistent with the capabilities of next-generation military drones or experimental aircraft. Such vehicles might be designed for covert reconnaissance or testing new propulsion methods that enable near-silent, highly agile flight.

• Autonomous Surveillance Drones: Alternatively, the sphere might be an autonomous surveillance drone. Modern drones can be equipped with adaptive flight systems, capable of executing complex maneuvers independently. If modified or malfunctioning units are involved, they could explain some of the observed behaviors, especially if the operators intentionally leave them unacknowledged or if their signals are encrypted or hidden.

• Counter-Drone Technologies: Another possibility involves counter-drone technologies, where the sphere could be a device designed to intercept or disrupt other aircraft or drones. These countermeasures could operate invisibly and with high agility, making them difficult to identify or track.

However, the absence of any official acknowledgment or identification from military or governmental sources raises questions about this hypothesis. Moreover, the sphere’s extraordinary flight characteristics—such as rapid acceleration, sustained hovering, and complex maneuvers—are not typical of known drone technology, especially in the absence of supporting infrastructure or signals. This gap between known capabilities and observed behaviors makes the human-made technology hypothesis intriguing but less certain.

3. Extraterrestrial Origin

The most provocative and debated explanation is that the sphere is an artifact of extraterrestrial intelligence. If true, this would represent an unprecedented discovery, fundamentally altering our understanding of the universe and humanity’s place within it.

• Unconventional Propulsion: Proponents of this hypothesis point to the object’s remarkable agility, rapid acceleration, and silent operation as evidence of propulsion systems beyond current human technology—possibly electromagnetic or anti-gravity devices. Such propulsion methods would allow for controlled, high-speed maneuvers without producing visible exhaust or noise, aligning with the observed behaviors.

• Material Composition: Furthermore, analyses of the video data suggest that the sphere’s surface appears metallic and reflective, possibly constructed from unknown alloys or composite materials that do not match known terrestrial substances. If the object is made from materials not yet identified or synthesized on Earth, it could imply an origin beyond our planet.

• Implications: The implications of confirming extraterrestrial technology visiting Earth are profound. It would provide concrete evidence of intelligent life elsewhere in the universe, and possibly, insights into advanced propulsion or energy systems. Such a breakthrough could revolutionize scientific research, technological development, and our philosophical understanding of life beyond Earth.

However, this hypothesis remains highly speculative pending concrete evidence. Physical samples of the object, validated sensor data, or independent verification are necessary to substantiate claims of extraterrestrial origin. Until such evidence is available, the extraterrestrial hypothesis remains an intriguing possibility but not a definitive explanation.

4. Conclusion

In summary, the phenomenon of the mysterious sphere invites multiple interpretations, each with its own merits and challenges. Natural atmospheric or celestial explanations seem insufficient to fully account for the observed behaviors, given the object’s sustained hovering and complex maneuvers. Human-made technology, especially experimental military craft or advanced drones, offers a plausible explanation but lacks official acknowledgment and fully aligns with the observed flight capabilities. The extraterrestrial origin hypothesis, while captivating and supported by some behavioral and material observations, remains speculative without concrete evidence.

As research continues and data collection improves, future investigations may clarify the true nature of this enigmatic sphere. For now, it remains one of the most intriguing mysteries of contemporary aerial phenomena, prompting ongoing debate and scientific inquiry.

Scientific Challenges and Methodologies

Understanding the true nature of the sphere requires a comprehensive and rigorous scientific approach. Due to the mysterious and potentially unprecedented characteristics of the object, researchers must employ multiple advanced methodologies to gather reliable data and interpret it accurately. These efforts are vital for uncovering the sphere's origin, composition, and possible functionalities.

• Data Collection is the foundational step in this investigation. Enhanced surveillance technologies such as radar, lidar, and infrared sensors are essential for tracking the object’s movement, speed, altitude, and physical properties. Radar systems can provide detailed information about its size, shape, and trajectory, while lidar offers high-resolution surface mapping. Infrared sensors help detect heat signatures, which can reveal information about the material's thermal properties and possible energy emissions. Collecting comprehensive data over time allows scientists to identify patterns, assess stability, and monitor any changes that might occur under different environmental conditions.

• Spectroscopic Analysis plays a crucial role in understanding the sphere’s surface composition and any emitted or reflected radiation. By analyzing the spectral data across various wavelengths—visible, ultraviolet, and infrared—researchers can determine the mineralogical and chemical makeup of the object. This information can reveal whether the sphere is made of familiar terrestrial materials, extraterrestrial substances, or entirely unknown compounds. Spectroscopy can also detect potential signs of artificial origin, such as specific isotopic ratios or unusual spectral lines indicative of technology.

• Material Sampling, although highly challenging given the risks and technical difficulties involved, could provide definitive insights into the sphere’s composition. If feasible, retrieving physical samples—perhaps through drone, robotic, or autonomous missions—would allow for laboratory analyses that surpass remote sensing capabilities. Such samples could be examined for isotopic signatures, structural features, and any embedded nanostructures. Material sampling would also aid in determining the sphere’s age, manufacturing techniques, and potential purpose.

• Simulation and Modeling are indispensable for interpreting the observed behaviors and testing various hypotheses regarding the sphere’s propulsion or navigation methods. Developing physics-based models enables scientists to simulate its movements under different forces and environmental conditions. By comparing simulated results with actual observational data, researchers can infer the most plausible mechanisms behind its motion, whether it involves conventional physics or suggests novel propulsion systems. These models are also critical for predicting future behavior and assessing potential risks.

• Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration is fundamental to the success of this scientific endeavor. Physicists, aerospace engineers, materials scientists, astronomers, and other specialists must work together, sharing data and insights to develop a holistic understanding of the sphere. Such collaboration ensures that interpretations are grounded in a broad scientific context, enabling comprehensive analysis and fostering innovative solutions. Interdisciplinary efforts are particularly important given the complexity and novelty of the object, which may challenge existing scientific paradigms.

In summary, unraveling the mysteries of the sphere demands an integrated approach combining advanced technologies, meticulous analysis, and collaborative expertise. Only through systematic investigation and open scientific inquiry can we hope to understand this enigmatic object and its implications for our understanding of the universe.

Implications for Science and Society

The presence of such a mysterious sphere carries profound implications across multiple domains, influencing scientific progress, societal perceptions, policy frameworks, and ethical considerations.

1. Scientific Advancement

• Physics: The discovery of a sphere exhibiting extraordinary propulsion capabilities—such as rapid acceleration and complex maneuvering—could dramatically alter our understanding of fundamental physical laws. Such phenomena might suggest the existence of propulsion mechanisms beyond our current grasp, potentially involving unknown principles of gravity, electromagnetism, or spacetime manipulation. Unlocking these secrets could lead to revolutionary breakthroughs in physics, challenging and expanding the Standard Model and possibly unveiling new forces or dimensions.
• Materials Science: Investigating the composition of the sphere's materials could yield unprecedented insights. If the object is made from unknown alloys or composites with extraordinary strength, flexibility, or resilience, it could pave the way for advanced material engineering. This knowledge may inspire the development of new materials with applications in various industries, from transportation to construction, enhancing durability and efficiency.
• Aerospace Technology: Understanding the design and functioning of the sphere's propulsion system could revolutionize aerospace engineering. Insights gained might help develop faster, more efficient, and more maneuverable aircraft or spacecraft. This could lead to breakthroughs in commercial and military aviation, enabling rapid global travel or advanced defense capabilities. The technology could also accelerate ambitions for interplanetary exploration, opening new frontiers for humanity.

2. Societal and Policy Impact

• Public Trust: The transparency with which investigations are conducted will significantly influence public trust. Open, honest communication can foster confidence and curiosity, while secrecy or misinformation may breed suspicion and fear. Managing information carefully and responsibly is essential to maintain societal stability and support for scientific endeavors.
• Security: The advanced capabilities of such an unidentified object pose significant security concerns. Governments and military organizations might consider it a potential threat, prompting increased surveillance, defense readiness, and policy adjustments. International cooperation might become necessary to address potential risks, prevent misunderstandings, and develop protocols for dealing with similar phenomena in the future.
• Philosophical Reflection: Confirming extraterrestrial origin or technology would have profound philosophical implications. It would challenge humanity's anthropocentric worldview, forcing us to reconsider our place in the universe. Such a revelation could inspire new philosophical debates about consciousness, existence, and our relationship with other intelligent life forms, potentially leading to a paradigm shift in human thought.

3. Ethical Considerations

• Disclosure: Deciding how much information to share with the public involves ethical dilemmas. Transparency can promote scientific curiosity and societal resilience but must be balanced against national security concerns. Ethical decision-making should prioritize honesty without compromising safety.
• Research Ethics: Handling physical samples or data obtained from the sphere necessitates responsible scientific conduct. Ensuring the safety of researchers, avoiding contamination, and respecting potential extraterrestrial life forms or materials are paramount. Establishing international guidelines and oversight can help ensure that research proceeds ethically and safely.

In conclusion, the discovery of such a mysterious sphere has the potential to revolutionize scientific understanding and significantly impact societal, policy, and ethical frameworks. Responsible investigation, transparent communication, and international cooperation will be crucial in navigating these profound implications.

iStockphoto

Current Status and Future Directions

As of now, the enigmatic sphere continues to defy explanation, with scientists and researchers engaged in ongoing investigations to uncover its true nature. Despite numerous studies and advanced technological efforts, no definitive conclusion has been reached, and the phenomenon remains one of the most intriguing mysteries of our time. The scientific community emphasizes the importance of a systematic and collaborative approach to resolve this enigma, recognizing that a multifaceted strategy is essential for progress.

• Increased Funding: Researchers advocate for increased funding to support these endeavors. Enhanced financial resources would enable the deployment of dedicated monitoring systems equipped with the latest sensors and imaging technologies, capable of capturing detailed data about the sphere's behavior, movement, and properties. Furthermore, additional funding could facilitate the development of rapid-response teams that are ready to investigate sightings or anomalies in real-time, allowing for immediate data collection and analysis. Such proactive measures are crucial in capturing transient phenomena that might otherwise go unnoticed or unrecorded.

• International collaboration is another vital component in advancing our understanding. Since the sphere has been observed in various locations around the world, sharing data across borders can lead to a more comprehensive and holistic understanding of the phenomenon. Collaborative efforts can include joint research initiatives, data pooling, and cross-border observational networks. These partnerships would not only increase the volume of data available but also enhance the diversity of perspectives and expertise, fostering innovative hypotheses and accelerating discovery.

• Public engagement remains a key element in the ongoing quest to understand the sphere. Maintaining transparency about research findings and methodologies is essential to foster trust and ensure an informed public discourse. Open communication can help dispel misinformation and reduce unwarranted speculation, which often accompanies mysterious phenomena. Educational outreach and community involvement can also encourage citizen science initiatives, where enthusiasts contribute observations and data, supplementing formal research efforts. Such engagement promotes a collective sense of curiosity and responsibility, which can be instrumental in sustaining long-term investigations.

• Continued Observation: Looking ahead, the integration of cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and advanced imaging systems promises to revolutionize our investigative capabilities. As these tools become more sophisticated, they will enable researchers to analyze vast datasets more efficiently and identify subtle patterns or anomalies that might hold the key to understanding the sphere. Continued international cooperation, increased funding, and active public participation will be crucial in harnessing these advances. Ultimately, persistent inquiry and collaboration may soon illuminate the true nature of the mysterious sphere, transforming a longstanding mystery into a scientific breakthrough.

ENDCONCLUSION

The enigmatic sphere that has recently appeared in the skies has revitalized the UFO debate, highlighting the persistent gaps in our understanding of atmospheric phenomena and technological frontiers. While natural explanations cannot be entirely dismissed, the object's extraordinary behavior and the mounting evidence suggest that further scientific inquiry is essential.

Whether the sphere represents an unprecedented natural phenomenon, secret human technology, or evidence of extraterrestrial visitation, its study presents an unparalleled opportunity for scientific discovery. Advancing our understanding requires open, rigorous investigation, interdisciplinary collaboration, and responsible communication. The quest for answers continues, and with each new observation, humanity edges closer to unraveling one of the most profound mysteries of our time.

This phenomenon underscores the importance of maintaining scientific curiosity and skepticism while remaining open to new possibilities. It invites researchers from various fields—meteorology, physics, aerospace engineering, and astrobiology—to collaboratively analyze the data and explore plausible explanations. Such an approach ensures that conclusions are grounded in empirical evidence and methodological rigor, rather than speculation or sensationalism.

Moreover, the appearance of this sphere prompts a broader reflection on our technological capabilities and the potential existence of advanced civilizations beyond Earth. If it is a product of human innovation, it signals rapid progress in stealth and aerial technologies that could revolutionize defense and aerospace industries. Conversely, if it is extraterrestrial in origin, it challenges our current understanding of life and intelligence in the universe, urging us to expand our scientific horizons and prepare for potentially paradigm-shifting discoveries.

In addition, this event highlights the importance of transparent and responsible communication with the public. As interest and curiosity grow, it is crucial to disseminate information accurately, avoiding misinformation and undue alarm. Governments, scientific institutions, and media outlets must work together to provide clear, evidence-based updates and foster an environment of trust and scientific literacy.

Ultimately, the appearance of this mysterious sphere serves as a catalyst for scientific progress and international cooperation. It encourages us to question, explore, and push the boundaries of our knowledge. While definitive answers remain elusive for now, the pursuit of understanding continues, and with each new piece of data, humanity moves closer to uncovering the true nature of this enigmatic object. The journey to decipher the mysteries of the universe is ongoing, and this recent phenomenon may well be a pivotal milestone in that quest.

{ PETER2011 }

25-05-2025 om 16:18 geschreven door peter  

Perseverance rover rolls onto 'Crocodile' plateau on Mars to hunt for super-old rocks

And speaking of sampling: The Perseverance team is implementing a new strategy going forward, according to the Monday statement. The rover will now leave some of its newly filled tubes unsealed, so it can dump out collected samples in favor of potentially more exciting ones if need be. The team is taking this tack because Perseverance is getting low on unsealed tubes and still has a lot of intriguing ground to cover.

The rover carries 43 tubes, 38 of which are for collecting samples. (The other five are "witness" tubes that are designed to help the mission team determine if any materials in the collected samples are contaminants from Earth.)

Perseverance has filled all but seven of its sample tubes at this point, according to Perseverance acting project scientist Katie Stack Morgan of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California.

"We have been exploring Mars for over four years, and every single filled sample tube we have on board has its own unique and compelling story to tell," she said in the same statement. "This strategy allows us maximum flexibility as we continue our collection of diverse and compelling rock samples."

• This article was originally published on Space.com.

{ https://www.livescience.com/space }

25-05-2025 om 00:19 geschreven door peter  

Aliens: Facts about extraterrestrial life and how scientists are looking for it

By Stephanie Pappas 

Discover interesting facts about where alien life forms are likely to exist, and what they look like.

What might aliens look like?

What aliens would look like would depend on where they came from. For example, on the icy moons in our solar system (Jupiter's Ganymede and Europa, and Saturn's Enceladus), life could thrive around hydrothermal vents in the oceans under the ice. This life might look like the weird creatures of the deep ocean seen on Earth. There could be primitive microbes, like Earth's single-celled Archaea. There might be relatively simple creatures with many cells in their body, sort of like Earth's tube worms, which live off chemicals from the vent fluid.

Earth formed about 4.5 billion years ago, and we think the first life existed by about 4.2 billion years ago. But life on Earth started simple and stayed that way for a long time. The first microbes that produced carbon evolved at least 3.7 billion years ago. (Carbon is an element that is a part of all known life.) But the kind of cells that gave rise to animals, plants and other complex life-forms didn't evolve until between 2.7 billion and 1.8 billion years ago. Life-forms made of many cells didn't show up until 600 million years ago. And modern humans came on the scene only around 300,000 years ago.

That means that, if other planets with life are like Earth, the time period in which they might host intelligent life (or even something as cuddly as a koala) is pretty brief. But there's a good chance that human life might overlap with microbial life on another planet.

Scientists do think that life on other planets would be driven by the same processes as it is on Earth, namely evolution. Changes to the environment drive living things to change, leading to new and more complex species. So a planet out in space that is like Earth and has been through many changes in its surface, rocks and climate would probably have complex life, too. In that case, aliens might face similar challenges and needs as here on Earth, and thus might evolve similar features. Eyes, for example, have evolved independently dozens of times on Earth, and they might evolve in life on other planets, too.

Where might aliens live?

Some scientists still hold out hope that life exists elsewhere in our solar system. If it does, it's probably on one of the these moons:

• Ganymede: Jupiter's largest moon is bigger than Mercury and hides a giant ocean under its icy surface.
• Europa: Another moon of Jupiter with an ice-bound ocean, Europa has liquid water, heat generated by the pull of Jupiter's gravity, and chemicals that are the building blocks of life.
• Enceladus: This Saturn moon spews water vapor that contains carbon compounds from its surface. One of these compounds, hydrogen cyanide, is important for the origin of life.
• Titan: This moon of Saturn is very cold, but it does have carbon-rich liquid on its surface. Any life found on Titan would have to thrive in conditions not seen on Earth.
• Triton: Neptune's moon Triton is very, very cold, but it might have an ocean under its surface layer of ice. It also has geological activity in the form of geysers that erupt when the sun heats the nitrogen ice on the planet's surface.

And our next-door neighbor, Mars, may have hosted life in the past, because it used to have liquid water and an atmosphere. Today, any life would have to persist in deep pools of water below the Red Planet's surface.

Outside the solar system, scientists are continually discovering new exoplanets. They can learn things about these planets' atmospheres by studying the types of light waves they see using superpowerful telescopes. One promising exoplanet for life is called K2-18b. This world is too far for humans to visit, but the light from the planet has reached Earth. This light tells us the planet has an ocean. Scientists think they've detected some chemicals in K2-18b's atmosphere that could be made by marine life, but they don't know for sure.

How are scientists looking for aliens?

Scientists look for aliens in a few different ways.

First, they listen for alien signals. This is called "passive SETI," for "search for extraterrestrial intelligence." If aliens are smart like we are, their technology might send signals into the cosmos. On Earth, for example, all of the radio waves from our phones, satellites and TV station communications "leak" into space, and these leaking radio waves could be picked up if anyone were listening. So Earthlings use telescopes designed to pick up radio waves from space, hoping to find extraterrestrial signals.

That only works for tech-savvy aliens, though. Scientists also use light to look at the kinds of molecules that are present on far-off planets and moons. On Earth, some molecules are usually or always made by living things, so if those molecules are found elsewhere, they could be a sign of life. This kind of research lets scientists look for hints of life on exoplanets that are too far away to reach with a spacecraft.

Scientists also send spacecraft to the nearby places where life might exist. The Mars rovers, for example, collect rock samples that could contain evidence of fossilized ancient Martian microbes. (They haven't found any yet, but you never know!) NASA is planning to send a drone with propellers, called Dragonfly, to Saturn's moon Titan in 2028. Dragonfly would reach Titan by 2034 and search for chemicals tied to life. The European Space Agency would like to send a mission to Enceladus, also to search for signs of past or present life.

Are UFOs aliens?

Unidentified flying objects (UFOs) are things in the sky that aren't explained. The first modern UFO sighting goes back to 1947, when a U.S. fighter pilot reported seeing flying saucers in Washington. Not every UFO sighting can be explained, but many turn out to be events with an Earthly origin. For example, the famous "UFO crash" from Roswell, New Mexico, in 1947 was actually debris from an experimental military balloon that was supposed to pick up sound waves from atomic bomb tests in the Soviet Union.

More recently, strange videos have shown seemingly quick-moving, hovering objects. These "unidentified aerial phenomena" (UAPs) don't have an official explanation. However, they could be normal objects that seem to be moving quickly due to optical illusions, or things that aren't what they appear to be. The pilot who took the videos might have been seeing drones, weather balloons or even birds.

Any alien civilization with the kind of technology to build spacecraft has to be an enormous distance away, given that the closest exoplanet that has the right conditions for life is Proxima Centauri B, which is 24 trillion miles away. Proxima Centauri B isn't very close, and it might not have an atmosphere. So it might not have life at all, much less life that could travel to us. And we would need some seriously advanced way to get there: With current Earth technology, it would take 6,300 years for a spacecraft to travel from Earth to Proxima Centauri B.

In other words, no, UFOs probably aren't aliens. An alien civilization could send a spacecraft to our planet, but it would mean the aliens who sent it in the first place — and their kids, grandkids, great-grandkids, great-great-grandkids and so on — would probably be long dead before the craft reached us. So it's a lot more likely that UFO sightings are cases of mistaken identity.

Alien pictures

The Golden Record

When NASA launched the Voyager spacecraft in 1977, they included these Golden Records, which contain images and sounds from Earth. These include greetings in 55 languages, music and pictures of life on Earth. The idea is that if aliens ever encountered them, they would understand what human culture was like.

Ancient Mars water

Landscapes like this one suggest Mars once had a wet surface. Here, a track cut by water in Jezero Crater ends in a fan of sediment that has likely been chemically changed by water.

Jupiter's moon Europa

Jupiter's moon Europa might harbor life beneath its icy surface. This moon has a deep ocean beneath a shell of ice, and perhaps hydrothermal vents where life could evolve.

Alien world?

This artist's conception shows the exoplanet Kepler-1649c. This planet is similar to Earth in size and temperature and is in its star's habitable zone, the distance where liquid water could exist on the planet's surface.

Discover more about aliens

• What could aliens look like?
• What's the best evidence we've found for alien life?
• Are aliens real?

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{ https://www.livescience.com/space }

24-05-2025 om 23:57 geschreven door peter  

A team of British UFO researchers has released the “clearest UFO photograph ever”. However, sceptics say it’s a triangular rock reflected in water.

For many, this photograph is the smoking-gun of alien visitation and for others it reveals an advanced U.S. spy plane. However, for sceptics, it’s a diamond-shaped rock being reflected in water.

The original Calvine photograph now released to the public, showing the ‘apparently’ diamond-shaped object.

(Reproduced with permission of Sheffield Hallam University/Craig Lindsay).

Traditionally, Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs) are presented in out-of-focus photographs and shaky videos taken at night. Sceptics say they “have to be blurry” otherwise they would be revealed as birds, balloons, drones and distant aircraft.

Last Friday, however, a UK professor and a team of British UFO investigators released what they are calling the “'Best' UFO Picture Ever”. And it's causing something of a stir. Not because it is definitive proof of extra-terrestrials, but because many believe the huge diamond shape might be advanced American technology being tested in Scotland.

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Until the release of the new Calvine photograph, the UFO community had only this crude line-drawing reproduction of one of the six images, which was created by the British air-force for imagery analysis. 

(Crown Copyright).

After Ten Minutes “It Shot Straight Up Into The Air” 

Back in August 1990, about 35 miles northwest of Perth in the Highlands of Scotland, at around 9pm at night, two walkers took 6 photographs of what appears to be a huge diamond-shaped UFO “hovering” in the sky. A supposed military aircraft is seen beside the object. The two-witnesses estimated the “craft” was around 30 meters (100 feet) in length and they said it “shot straight up into the air” and vanished.

Dr David Clarke is an associate professor at Sheffield Hallam University in England who formerly worked at Britain's National Archives. Clarke, who is now a bona fide investigative-journalist, spent several years researching the story and he eventually found former Royal Air Force (RAF) press officer, Craig Lindsay, who had a photocopy of one of the 6 photographs. David Clarke is also a member of the UAP Media UK, the team of UFO/UAP researchers who released the Calvine photograph. Just in case you don’t already know, of late, the popular term UFO has been challenged by the more scientific and less ‘green’ term, unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP).

• The Mysterious 1561 Nuremberg Event ‘UFO Battle’
• The Ancient History of UFOs and the Oppenheimer-Einstein Report

Large triangular UFOs/UAP were recorded in the 1561 AD celestial event over Nuremberg. Believers of extraterrestrial visitors say the image depicts an aerial UFO battle and sceptics lean towards the sun dog phenomenon.

(Public Domain)

For any readers already leaning towards the image being a modern CGI fake, you should know that Andrew Russell, a Senior Lecturer in Photography at Sheffield Hallam University has confirmed its age and authenticity.

The Advanced American Tech Angle

When the six photos were taken back in 1990 they were given to Scotland's Daily Record newspaper and also to the Ministry of Defence (MoD). Until now, none of the six images have ever been seen by the public. Currently, the most popular skeptical opinion on #UFOTwitter is that the object is a triangular rock in a lake or pond being reflected to form the ‘apparent’ diamond shape. And the “military aircraft” is either a boat sailing around an island or an actual plane in the sky, also being reflected in the water.

In an effort to contextualize the photograph I asked Vinnie Adams from UAP Media UK if “any other such craft were reported in the UK around this time.” Vinnie said:

“While the Calvin image represents the only photograph, other reports of advanced American technology in the UK exist around that time".

Calvine Was One Part Of A Greater UFO Flap

The Calvine event occurred in August, 1990. Only two and a half years later, on 13th December 1992, the Scottish Herald announced that a “huge UFO scudded through the sky at supersonic speed over Sullom Voe oil terminal in Shetland, glowing white, red and orange.” One of the 19 eyewitnesses, Mr John Winchester, the Coastguard officer at Sullom Voe said “it was moving faster than a jet fighter aircraft but slower than a shooting star''.

Sullom Voe oil terminal in Shetland, the site of the 1990 UFO sighting.

(Mike Pennington / Sullom Voe Terminal / CC BY-SA 2.0)

Lerwick Observatory was “unaware of any natural phenomena such as ball lightning” and Britain's most northerly air defense radar station reported that “nothing unusual had been spotted on radar”. Furthermore, air traffic controllers told coastguards there was “no military or civilian aircraft in the area at the time of the sightings.”

Back To The Advanced American Tech Angle

Researching deeper into the Shetland UFO sighting I entered the CIAs reading room database and discovered a fascinating document dated 14 December 1992, which was only 2 days after the incident in Shetland. The CIA recorded a London journalist, Simon Tisdal’s, report on the 19 eyewitness accounts: “The large white fast-moving UFO took off at 5,500 MPH” said one Shetlander. Furthermore, Tisdal reported that this UFO event “coincided with reports of an ultra-top-secret American plane with a top speed of 5,500 MPH (Mach 8 or eight times the speed of sound)”.

CIA document about the Shetland UFO.

(CIA)

Tisdal wrote, and the CIA recorded, that the UFO was a replacement for the Lockheed “SR-71 spy plane,” better known as the “ Blackbird,” and that the new craft could “get to the other side of the globe in 3 hours.” By the time the craft had warmed up in the US “it could be over Scotland, taking three countries to come to a stop” and this great speed is why “testing could not be restricted to US Airspace,” according to Tisdal in the CIA report.

In 1992, the US Pentagon imposed a “no-comment zone” over the Shetland UFO story until May 2000 when it was declassified. And in the UK last year the government slapped a classified restriction on releasing the names of the two Calvine photographers until 2076.

With all this classification, it is of little wonder that so many people think the US and British militaries are covering something up. And why would 6 photo negatives showing a ‘reflected rock in a pond’ just disappear from the MOD?

Probing The Most Probable

It is not uncommon for the MOD to protect the names of their staff and civilians for their “lifetimes”, which is estimated at the upper-age of 100. This reasoning accounts for why the Calvine case files have been embargoed until 2076. But what still remains a mystery, and a really fascinating one too, is the fact that a team of MOD photographic experts and several independent experts have inspected the photographs and none of them have yet suggested the object is a reflected island in a loch, or a rock.

Maybe this last observation, that so many supposed pros all missed something so mundane, is the reason the case has been classified. The MOD can’t really claim to protect a nation from foreign warcrafts if they can’t determine fighter planes from rocks. If this is the case, then what we have here is an MOD operational (slip-up) cover-up.

• Top image: Close up portion of the newly released ‘best UFO photo’. 
• Source: Reproduced with permission of Sheffield Hallam University/Craig Lindsay

By Ashley Cowie

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

24-05-2025 om 17:02 geschreven door peter  

What the Voyager Golden Record says about us

Somewhere beyond the edge of the solar system, a metal disc drifts through cold space. It is attached to a spacecraft built in the 1970s, powered by radioactive decay, and moving farther from Earth with each hour. The Voyager Golden Record is fixed to its frame. It carries no signal, emits no greeting, and was not designed to call attention to itself. But it contains a message. If another form of intelligence ever retrieves it, what they encounter will be the result of a decision made by a handful of scientists nearly fifty years ago.

A message added at the edge of the mission

The two Voyager spacecraft were designed to fly past the outer planets and then continue outward indefinitely. They were not built to return. In 1976, while the spacecraft were still under construction, astronomer Carl Sagan proposed adding a message to be carried aboard. It would not transmit. It would simply travel with the spacecraft.

NASA approved the idea and asked Sagan to lead the team. He assembled a small group, including Frank Drake, Ann Druyan, Linda Salzman, and Timothy Ferris. They were given less than six months to create a complete audio-visual record of Earth. The result would be a phonograph-style disc containing images, sounds, music, and spoken greetings.

The Golden Record was made from copper, coated in gold, and stored under an aluminum cover mounted to the outside of each spacecraft. Etched into the cover were instructions for playback using universal physical constants, such as the hyperfine transition of neutral hydrogen and a diagram of 14 pulsars with their frequencies and distances. The goal was to make the contents accessible to any intelligence capable of detecting patterns in physics and mathematics.

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So essentially, it was not designed to impress. It was designed to be understood. If, of course, it was ever found by an intelligent species.

What the Voyager Golden Record contains

The audio portion of the record includes 90 minutes of music from around the world. This includes classical pieces by Bach and Beethoven, traditional songs from Peru and Azerbaijan, Japanese shakuhachi flute music, and a rock and roll track by Chuck Berry. Spoken greetings in 55 languages are also included, beginning with Akkadian and ending with Wu.

The record contains 116 images encoded in analog format. These include diagrams of DNA and human anatomy, photographs of people eating, working, and giving birth, images of architecture, agriculture, and tools, and visual representations of scientific knowledge such as mathematical equations and chemical structures. One image shows a string quartet performing.

The sounds of Earth are arranged in a continuous sequence. There are recordings of waves, wind, thunder, birds, footsteps, a heartbeat, laughter, and a kiss. The greetings are short audio samples of people saying “hello” in dozens of languages.

There is a written message from then-President Jimmy Carter, who described the record as “a present from a small, distant world, a token of our sounds, our science, our images, our music, our thoughts and our feelings.” A written greeting from Kurt Waldheim, Secretary-General of the United Nations at the time, is also included.

Everything was encoded in analog format. Playback instructions were symbolic and based on physical constants, not language. The data could be recovered by constructing a stylus and following diagrams on the aluminum cover to translate the encoded waveforms into sound and images.

This is a present from a small, distant world, a token of our sounds, our science, our images, our music, our thoughts and our feelings. We are attempting to survive our time so we may live into yours.

— President Jimmy Carter

What we left out

The selection process was shaped by limited time, available technology, and the personal judgment of the small team involved. They chose not to include depictions of war, weapons, religious ceremonies, or political ideologies. The emphasis was on science, the natural world, and cultural variety.

The record was never meant to document a full history of civilization. Instead, it was a curated view of life on Earth during the 1970s. The exclusion of conflict was intentional. The team focused on peaceful and cooperative imagery. We are obviously not a peaceful race.

The disc includes a pulsar map that shows the Sun’s location relative to 14 known pulsars, with timing data included. While Earth is not labeled, this diagram could, in principle, allow a finder to determine the Sun’s position. The hydrogen transition diagram provides a universal reference for time and frequency. The communication relies on physics rather than language, with the assumption that any species capable of finding and decoding the record would understand these basic constants.

A message unlikely to be received

Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 are not directed toward any specific star. Their final trajectories were set by gravity-assisted flybys during their planetary missions. Voyager 1 is moving toward the general vicinity of Gliese 445, a star in the constellation Camelopardalis. It will take more than 40,000 years to pass near it.

By that time, both spacecraft are expected to remain largely intact. In the vacuum of interstellar space, they are protected from heat, corrosion, and moisture. The main risks are occasional micrometeoroid impacts and high-energy radiation, but these are rare. The Golden Record, made from gold-plated copper and sealed beneath an aluminum cover, was designed to endure for over a billion years.

The disc contains no beacon or transmission system. It emits no signal. Any chance of discovery depends on another civilization detecting the spacecraft, retrieving it, examining its surface, and interpreting its contents. Playback would require only mechanical tools and an understanding of basic atomic physics. So this message of ours travels without a destination or announcement.

Earth in the 1970s, sealed in metal

The Voyager Golden Record captures a brief and specific moment in the late 1970s. Its music was selected by a small group working with limited time and resources, drawing from recordings they could access quickly. The imagery reflects the technological and cultural context of the United States, where the project was produced, though the subjects depicted were intended to represent human life more broadly.

All content was encoded in analog format. There are no digital files, no internet-era symbols, and no references to artificial intelligence, climate science, or orbital technology. The record presents Earth as it was seen through the lens of mid-20th-century science and optimism.

Among the more personal inclusions is a one-hour EEG recording of Ann Druyan’s brain activity. She prepared for the session by focusing her thoughts on the history of life on Earth, human relationships, and her feelings for Carl Sagan. The brainwave patterns were translated into audio data and included without annotation.

Today, the record remains attached to both Voyager spacecraft, drifting beyond the edge of the solar system. It contains no updates, no annotations, and no explanation beyond the diagrams etched into its cover. It reflects the judgment of a small team who made selections quickly, without consultation from international bodies. They worked with the materials and time they had, choosing content they believed would be understandable, non-threatening, and representative of life on Earth at that moment.

Would we send the same message today?

If a similar message were proposed today, the process would likely involve more people, more discussion, and more time. The content might include digital formats and modern symbols. Selections would be debated, and questions of representation, language, and purpose would likely shape the result.

In 1977, the team worked quickly. They had a few months to make decisions and prepare the materials. There was no global consultation or institutional review. The record was assembled under deadline, with content chosen by a small group based on what they could access and agree upon.

Voyager 1 is now more than 24 billion kilometers from Earth. It continues to respond to commands, although some instruments have stopped functioning. Voyager 2 is traveling on a different trajectory, farther behind. Both spacecraft carry identical copies of the Golden Record.

The discs remain bolted to the mainframes of the spacecraft, shielded by aluminum covers. They do not transmit or guide. They drift outward on trajectories set decades ago. Their path is not aimed at any destination. Whether the message will ever be found is unknown. It remains there, attached to a spacecraft in motion, recorded in analog, and built to persist.

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{ https://curiosmos.com/category/alien-theories/ }

24-05-2025 om 16:42 geschreven door peter  

Was there an unknown ancient civilization in the Amazon? This is a LiDAR scan showing the remnants of cities.

The image of a wild, untouched Amazon became an academic fact. The idea of an ancient civilization in the Amazon was pushed to the margins.

LiDAR exposes a buried past

LiDAR, short for Light Detection and Ranging, works by firing rapid laser pulses from an aircraft toward the ground and measuring how long it takes for each pulse to return. In open areas, it maps elevation. In dense forest, it does something more remarkable: it penetrates the tree canopy and captures the shape of the land beneath. When processed, the data strips away vegetation and reveals the raw terrain, down to features less than a meter across.

This tool has transformed archaeology in heavily forested regions, where traditional excavation is slow and limited by visibility. In the Amazon, its impact has been nothing short of revelatory.

Over the past decade, coordinated efforts by research teams in Brazil, Bolivia, and Peru have used LiDAR to scan key regions of the basin. The work is ongoing, but even the earliest surveys changed the conversation. In Acre, western Brazil, more than 450 geoglyphs were identified—massive geometric structures built by shaping the soil into perfect squares, circles, and complex enclosures. These features, often connected by long straight paths, were first spotted in deforested areas but were later confirmed beneath intact forest using LiDAR.

Further south, in the Bolivian department of Beni, LiDAR scans published in Nature in 2022 revealed more than twenty pre-Columbian settlements belonging to the Casarabe culture. These sites were hidden under forest cover, but the scans showed large mounds, platform complexes, central plazas, and long causeways linking settlements across kilometers. Some of the mounds rose over 20 meters and were flanked by defensive ditches and canals. Unlike anything previously documented in Amazonia, these features displayed a high level of planning and construction.

In eastern Peru, similar patterns are now emerging. Preliminary surveys around the Ucayali River basin have uncovered networks of raised fields, canals, and fish ponds, all pointing to long-term human occupation and land management.

What archaeologists are uncovering in the Amazon is not a scatter of isolated villages but networks, and landscapes shaped by sustained human effort. The settlements mapped so far reveal patterns of construction that point to planning across entire regions. Causeways connect one site to the next. Defensive ditches and canals follow coordinated alignments. Plazas, mounds, and platform structures repeat with variations in scale, not concept. These are not random clearings in the forest. They are parts of a larger system built and maintained by organized populations over generations.

These discoveries provide tangible evidence for something once considered speculative: that an ancient civilization in the Amazon modified its environment at scale, building cities, roads, and agricultural systems across a region long believed too hostile to support permanent settlement.

The Casarabe culture and its forest cities

In the Bolivian lowlands of the Llanos de Mojos, a seasonally flooded region once thought too unstable for dense settlement, LiDAR has revealed more than twenty pre-Hispanic sites buried beneath forest cover. These were not isolated hamlets or short-lived encampments. The scans show tiered platform mounds, wide rectangular plazas, elevated causeways, and large reservoirs, built not for survival, but as part of a planned system.

These structures belonged to the Casarabe culture, which occupied the region between 500 and 1400 CE. Their cities were constructed from earth and timber, materials that blend back into the forest over time. But what remains shows scale, repetition, and organization. Roads run in straight lines for up to ten kilometers. Mounds rise in tiers above the wetland floor. Defensive ditches form outer rings around settlements.

Some of the largest sites cover more than 100 hectares. Between them, smaller communities appear at regular intervals, connected by raised paths. This distribution suggests a regional layout, not just individual settlements. The population spread across these networks may have numbered in the tens of thousands, though no definitive count exists.

Earlier assumptions held that the Llanos de Mojos could not support permanent habitation. The Casarabe defied that view by modifying the landscape itself. They raised fields above flood zones, constructed storage ponds, and directed water flow through canals. Their forest cities did not rely on stone, but they were built with knowledge, labor, and long-term intent.

Traces across the Amazon basin

The evidence uncovered in Bolivia aligns with a broader pattern found throughout the Amazon. In Brazil’s Acre state, aerial surveys and LiDAR scans have recorded more than 450 geoglyphs: large geometric earthworks shaped into circles, squares, and intersecting forms. Many of these structures date back as far as 1000 BCE. They are often aligned to cardinal directions and grouped in clusters, suggesting recurring design principles rather than isolated construction. While their precise function is still being examined, their scale and consistency indicate planned effort across multiple generations.

Elsewhere in the basin, other signs of deliberate landscape modification have emerged. In parts of Brazil, Peru, and Bolivia, archaeologists have documented networks of raised agricultural fields, canal systems, and fish ponds. These were not experimental features but large-scale infrastructure. Their design reflects an understanding of seasonal flooding, water management, and soil preservation.

One of the most enduring traces of past habitation is the widespread presence of Terra Preta, or “dark earth.” This soil is markedly different from the naturally acidic and nutrient-poor soil that dominates the region. It contains high concentrations of charcoal, bone fragments, plant material, and organic waste. Created through the controlled use of fire and composting over time, Terra Preta retains its fertility for centuries. It is found in patches across the basin, often near ancient habitation zones, and sometimes in layers several meters deep.

The existence of Terra Preta suggests that farming in the Amazon was not only possible but sustained through intentional soil management. Its spread, coupled with the engineered landscape features, supports the presence of an ancient civilization in the Amazon that worked with its environment at scale, designing for stability rather than short-term subsistence.

Collapse and forest return

The forest did not dismantle these systems. It covered what people no longer maintained.

Following European arrival in the sixteenth century, infectious diseases—smallpox, measles, influenza—moved faster than colonizers themselves. They spread along trade routes and rivers, reaching communities deep in the interior. With no immunity, Indigenous populations declined rapidly. In many regions, the loss exceeded 80 percent within a few generations.

As populations fell, infrastructure fell with them. Roads became impassable. Canals and reservoirs clogged with sediment. Agricultural fields, once raised above seasonal floods, were abandoned and overtaken by vegetation. Without labor to clear and repair, the landscape returned to forest.

Trees grew over plazas. The causeways disappeared beneath vines and soil. Without stone architecture or written archives, little survived in a form visible to later explorers. Most accounts dismissed the forest as untouched wilderness.

Oral memory endured in some communities, but it lacked the physical evidence needed to reshape historical understanding. That evidence remained underground, until LiDAR began revealing the patterns once more.

What counts as civilization

The evidence of an ancient civilization in the Amazon challenges long-standing assumptions shaped by stone-built cultures. In many regions, complexity has been measured by the presence of masonry, inscriptions, and centralized rule. None of these elements are prominent in the archaeological record of the Amazon. Yet the patterns revealed by LiDAR—straight roads, tiered mounds, structured settlements, and water systems, show consistent planning over large areas.

The infrastructure in these regions was made from earth, not stone. Roads were built by raising and compacting soil. Ditches were cut with precision and served as boundaries, drainage, or transport channels. Plazas and platform mounds follow repeating dimensions. These features required organized labor, tools, and long-term upkeep. Their scale and repetition suggest cultural norms that extended across settlements.

In several areas, specific tree species are found in higher densities near archaeological sites. These include Brazil nut, cacao, and palms useful for food or construction. The distribution patterns are not random. Researchers studying forest composition have identified these clusters as possible indicators of past cultivation or forest management. Some trees may have been planted, protected, or selected over generations. These practices shaped the surrounding ecology and altered the forest structure in ways still visible today.

There are no monumental ruins, but the remains are consistent. Canals, causeways, mounds, and engineered soils appear together. The data supports long-term settlement and resource planning across regions previously thought to be sparsely occupied. The evidence reflects systems designed to function within the forest, using available materials and knowledge adapted to seasonal change.

The traces left behind do not resemble those of known empires, but they show sustained presence and control over terrain. What survives is not a monument, like we see elsewhere. What we are seeing in the amazon is a record of construction, maintenance, and adaptation across generations. This, too, fits within the definition of civilization.

What remains to be uncovered

Now there is an unimportant thing to remember. Less than one-tenth of one percent of the Amazon has been mapped with LiDAR. In that limited coverage, archaeologists have already recorded hundreds of geoglyphs, roads, and settlement sites. The findings suggest that large parts of the forest may still contain the remains of pre-Columbian construction, buried under vegetation and unrecorded.

Research teams in Brazil and Bolivia continue to expand the scanned areas. Each survey adds new features, ditches, mounds, causeways, canals, that had not been visible by satellite or ground inspection. In some cases, previously studied sites have been reinterpreted in light of this new data. Patterns have become clearer. Settlements once thought isolated are now understood as connected.

Elsewhere in the basin, sites are being lost. Deforestation for pasture, timber, and agriculture is clearing land faster than it can be studied. Earthworks that remained intact for centuries are being cut through by machines or leveled for planting. In many areas, no record is made before the ground is altered.

The distribution of known sites suggests that the visible record represents only a fraction of what exists. Large regions with similar soil, river access, and forest cover remain unscanned. The scale of human modification across the basin is still being measured. Until more of the forest floor is revealed, the full extent of ancient activity remains incomplete.

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{ https://curiosmos.com/category/ancient-civilizations/ }

24-05-2025 om 16:28 geschreven door peter  

Aliens Moving Seen Through Window Of Craft Over Tucson, Arizona On May 20, 2025, UFO UAP Sighting News.

Date of sighting: May 20, 2025

Location of sighting: Tucson, Arizona, USA

 

You gota see this in full screen mode. I added contrast to the video and enlarged it and you can see alien beings moving around within this alien craft. The dark area in the middle is actually a window! Watch the last 30 seconds of the video if you don't believe me...but make the video full screen mode or watch it on the TV...it's real and it's just mind blowing. 

Scott C. Waring - Utah

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{ https://www.ufosightingsdaily.com/ }

24-05-2025 om 15:15 geschreven door peter  

Ancient Alien Face On Mountain Across From Grand Tetons, UFO Sighting News.

Saw this face when traveling through Teton National Park, I thought it was intentional, created by an alien sleeping in a base miles below this mountain. It's 100% real, some viewers are saying its ai, but no, I was in Yellowstone park for 3 days and on the drive back to Utah, saw this...and it blew my mind! 

Scott C. Waring

{ https://www.ufosightingsdaily.com/ }

24-05-2025 om 15:08 geschreven door peter  

An illustration of an repeating space signal coming from deep space.

What astronomers are detecting

Fast Radio Bursts, or FRBs, first entered the scientific record in 2007. The signal had actually been recorded years earlier by the Parkes Radio Telescope in Australia, but it wasn’t noticed until researchers reviewed the archived data. The pulse lasted just a few milliseconds and was far more dispersed than any known signal from within our galaxy. At first, it seemed like it might be noise, interference, a software error, or something local. But the signal didn’t match any known Earth-based pattern.

As more data accumulated, it became clear that this was something new. Over the next several years, astronomers found other similar bursts — all short, all bright, and all gone before anyone could track them. Most FRBs appear once. They show no pattern, no repetition, and no opportunity for follow-up. Their unpredictability has made them difficult to study.

But what they do reveal is consistent. The signals don’t come from within Earth’s atmosphere, and they aren’t the product of satellites or local interference. They arrive from far beyond the Milky Way, their frequencies delayed by the gas they travel through. That delay, known as dispersion, gives astronomers a way to estimate how far each burst has traveled. Some of them have crossed billions of light-years. nd then came one that didn’t disappear.

A signal that came back

In 2012, astronomers using the Arecibo radio telescope in Puerto Rico detected a burst of radio energy that matched the profile of a Fast Radio Burst. It lasted just a few milliseconds, but it stood out for another reason. In the years that followed, the same telescope, along with others, recorded additional bursts from the exact same point in the sky. This made it the first known repeater. The signal became known as FRB 121102.

Its origin was later traced to a small dwarf galaxy about three billion light-years from Earth. The specific object producing the bursts has never been directly observed, but the location has been pinpointed with high precision. The bursts continue to arrive, sometimes in clusters, sometimes separated by days or weeks. In total, hundreds have now been recorded.

This discovery changed how astronomers approached FRBs. They were no longer thought to be one-time events. Some sources could repeat. And once repetition was confirmed, it opened the door to search for patterns. In 2020, researchers working with the CHIME telescope identified a different repeating signal,FRB 180916, that followed a 16.35-day cycle. That was the first time any FRB was seen behaving in a periodic way.

A cycle begins to emerge

In early 2020, researchers working with the CHIME radio telescope in British Columbia reported a breakthrough. One of the repeating Fast Radio Bursts they had been monitoring, FRB 180916.J0158+65, was behaving differently. The source appeared to turn on and off at regular intervals. Over a 16.35-day cycle, it emitted bursts for about four days, then fell silent for the next twelve. The timing remained consistent across several months of observation, marking the first time any FRB had shown a stable rhythm.

This discovery forced a shift in thinking. Until then, FRBs had been chaotic, single bursts, or repeaters with no apparent schedule. The cycle implied structure. A mechanism was modulating the activity, and that regularity ruled out the most volatile or purely random causes. It also suggested a physical model. Some researchers proposed that the object generating the bursts might be orbiting another body. Others pointed to the possibility of a wobbling neutron star, with bursts only visible from Earth when the emission beam swung into alignment.

Whatever the cause, the precision of the cycle offered a new foothold. It allowed telescopes to prepare for active periods and collect higher-quality data. It also exposed a new category of behavior, FRBs that follow periodic activity windows rather than purely random triggers. That distinction has become central to how different FRB sources are now classified.

FRB 180916 came from a spiral galaxy roughly 500 million light-years from Earth. That made it the closest localized FRB detected to date. It was also the first found in a galaxy that resembles our own. Most earlier localized FRBs, such as FRB 121102, had originated in small, irregular dwarf galaxies with high star formation rates. This new source challenged the assumption that repeating FRBs required extreme environments. If signals like these could come from calmer, more familiar galaxies, their origins might be more varied than researchers had expected.

What might cause a repeating space signal

There are several leading theories about what could produce a repeating space signal like the one observed in FRB 180916. The most prominent involves magnetars, neutron stars with extremely strong magnetic fields. In 2020, astronomers observed a magnetar within our own galaxy, SGR 1935+2154, emit a radio burst with characteristics similar to a Fast Radio Burst. Although far weaker than extragalactic FRBs, this confirmed that magnetars are capable of producing such signals.

Magnetars are compact remnants formed in the aftermath of supernova explosions. They are highly magnetized and often emit bursts of X-rays and gamma rays, especially during starquakes or magnetic reconnection events. Some scientists believe that in certain extreme conditions, these same mechanisms could also produce brief, powerful radio bursts. However, most known magnetars do not emit repeating radio bursts. The magnetar model for repeaters may require additional factors, such as the presence of dense plasma nearby or alignment with Earth during active phases.

Other explanations involve binary systems. In this scenario, a neutron star or magnetar orbits another object, possibly a massive star. During part of the orbit, interactions between stellar winds or magnetic fields could trigger bursts. During the rest of the cycle, the system stays quiet. This type of orbital modulation could account for the periodic windows of activity seen in some repeaters.

More speculative models include interactions near black holes, particularly where material is being drawn into an accretion disk. These environments can produce strong electromagnetic disturbances, though no FRB has yet been definitively linked to such a system. At present, no single model explains all observed FRB behavior. The diversity of signals suggests that more than one type of engine may be responsible.

Where these signals come from

Not all Fast Radio Bursts come from outside the Milky Way. In 2020, astronomers detected an FRB-like signal from a magnetar within our own galaxy. Although far weaker than the extragalactic bursts, it confirmed that the same kind of phenomenon can occur locally. Most FRBs, however, are still coming from distant galaxies, many billions of light-years away.

The closest confirmed extragalactic FRBs have traveled for hundreds of millions of years before reaching Earth. The most distant have been traced to galaxies in the early universe. In some cases, the host galaxies are small and forming stars rapidly. Others are larger and more stable. When a host is identified, astronomers study its structure and surroundings using optical and radio telescopes. Bursts have been found both in central regions and at the outskirts of galaxies.

This range of environments has led researchers to suspect that there may not be a single cause behind all FRBs. Some may be produced by magnetars. Others may come from binary systems or from interactions we have yet to identify. The variety of origins complicates classification but also expands the possibilities.

As these signals cross space, they move through clouds of intergalactic gas. Along the way, they are delayed and scattered in ways that reveal information about the matter they pass through. Scientists now use these distortions to study the space between galaxies, a region that holds much of the universe’s missing baryonic matter, but has been difficult to observe directly.

What is known, and what is still missing

Since 2007, astronomers have recorded over a thousand Fast Radio Bursts, many of them detected in just the past few years.. Most appear once and never return, or if they do, their cycles fall outside the timeframes we can observe. A small number repeat. These have become the most studied, not because they are typical, but because they are accessible.

Scientists have ruled out Earth-based interference. These signals arrive from well beyond our atmosphere, delayed and dispersed by gas between galaxies. They are not noise. They are consistent, directional, and powerful. Their features resemble certain known phenomena, such as magnetar outbursts, but not all FRBs behave alike. No single model explains every burst.

What remains missing is a direct view of the source. Host galaxies have been imaged, and persistent radio sources have been mapped, but the actual object, the star, the system, or the mechanism generating the burst, has never been seen. The signal arrives as radio data. It lasts milliseconds. There is no light, no image, no structure to examine.

This leaves astronomers working backward, reconstructing cause from effect. The timing, strength, and spectral shape of the signal are all that exist. Until an FRB is caught in the act, or a multi-wavelength counterpart is observed, its engine remains out of reach.

The repeating space signal arrives without intent, but not without meaning. Each pulse is a record of something real, an event, a collapse, a process still unfolding. That it repeats means the cause is ongoing. Something out there, in another galaxy, continues to send these flashes.

While most scientists agree the signals come from extreme natural environments, some have proposed more speculative origins. A few researchers have suggested that the regularity, brightness, and energy profile of certain FRBs could match artificial generation, perhaps through light sails or other high-powered technologies. No evidence has yet supported this. But in a universe of trillions of stars and unknown civilizations, the possibility has not been entirely ruled out.

For now, Fast Radio Bursts remain unexplained. They are among the most powerful signals ever observed, and among the least understood. Whether they come from collapsing stars or something stranger, they are still arriving

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{ https://curiosmos.com/category/cosmic-phenomena/  }

23-05-2025 om 23:41 geschreven door peter  

Why are pyramids everywhere? This is a beautiful photo of the Great Pyramid at sunset.

These structures have no shared blueprint. Their builders never met, never traded, never wrote of one another. They spoke different languages and worshipped different gods. Still, the shape repeats. From the Andes to the Nile, from the Sahara to the Yangtze, the pyramid keeps showing up, always rising, always reaching.

So what explains it? Why are pyramids everywhere?

The shape that touches the sky

The pyramid is not just a symbol. It’s a shape grounded in physics and built from the simplest logic of weight and balance. A wide base. Sloping sides. As the structure rises, it narrows. That design doesn’t happen by accident. When you stack stone or mudbrick and let gravity do the rest, the most reliable shape you get is a pyramid. The weight holds itself together. It pushes down, not out. And because of that, pyramids can stand for thousands of years without columns or internal framing. They’re not easy to build, but we are told and reassured by mainstream 

In Egypt, the earliest pyramid-like structures are believed to have begun as mastabas: rectangular tombs with flat tops and sloped sides. Around 2600 BCE, that changed. Djoser, a king of Egypt’s Third Dynasty, commissioned his architect, Imhotep, to stack mastabas into tiers. That experiment became the Step Pyramid at Saqqara, the first pyramid in Egypt. Later builders and architects are believed to have refined the idea, smoothing the angles and expanding the scale. By the time of Khufu, the shape had reached its peak: the Great Pyramid at Giza, aligned almost perfectly to the cardinal points, built from more than two million blocks of stone.

Some of those blocks are still difficult to explain. The core limestone came from quarries nearby, but the smooth outer casing, now mostly gone, came from Tura, across the river. The granite beams above the King’s Chamber, some weighing more than 50 tons, were transported from Aswan, over 800 kilometers to the south. No records explain how they were moved. Ramps are the leading theory, but no ramp system found so far fully accounts for the scale, precision, and elevation involved. For all the study and excavation, the logistics behind the Great Pyramid remain one of archaeology’s most persistent puzzles. And one of my favorite mysteries about the pyramids.

In Central America, the pyramid took on a different role. The Maya, Aztec, and earlier cultures like the Olmec built stepped pyramids not as tombs but as stages. These were sites of ceremony, processions, and offerings to the gods. Temples sat at the top. Staircases ran down the middle. Unlike the sealed pyramids of Egypt, these were designed to be climbed. Many were built over earlier structures, layer by layer, as each new ruler added their mark to the past. One of the largest pyramids on Earth is located in North America, in the city of Puebla. It is called the Great Pyramid of Cholula.

Back to Africa and Egypt. To the south of Egypt, in what is now Sudan, the Nubian pyramids rose after Egypt’s golden age had faded. The Kingdom of Kush built hundreds of small, narrow pyramids in the desert near Meroë and Napata. They were sharper in angle, often just 6 to 30 meters tall, but their purpose was similar, to honor and bury kings, queens, and elites. They reflected Egypt’s influence, but with distinct local style.

In China, the shape appears again. The burial mound of Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor to unite China, was built in the 3rd century BCE and shaped like a low, flat pyramid. It’s still sealed. Remote sensing suggests a vast complex beneath the soil, rivers of mercury, miniature palaces, walls — but the tomb itself remains untouched. Other imperial mausoleums in the region follow the same form: wide at the base, rising to a flat point, then covered in earth and left to blend into the hills.

Independent invention or shared idea?

As much as some would like to believe otherwise, there’s no evidence that ancient Egypt and the civilizations of the Americas ever made contact. The oceans were too wide, the timelines too far apart. They didn’t share a language, trade goods, or leave behind anything that connects them. And yet, both built pyramids. Large, angular, enduring. The resemblance has confused and intrigued scholars for over a century. It still does. But most experts agree: it’s coincidence.

Archaeologists call it convergent design. The pyramid solves practical problems. If you’re stacking stone or mudbrick and want the structure to last, gravity does most of the planning for you. Build up, and the shape naturally tapers. It’s stable. It’s strong. And if the base is wide enough, it will stand for a very long time. Just look at the pyramids in Egypt.

The pyramid is what happens when you stack stone long enough, said one archaeologist when I was living in Mexico (Yup, I lived there for over 15 years). He argued that it is the most efficient way to build tall without needing much engineering.

That’s true in theory maybe. The shape is efficient. But in practice, building a pyramid wasn’t easy. It took organization, manpower, and long-term planning. Moving heavy stone, lifting it into place, and keeping the structure aligned over dozens of vertical meters demanded far more than instinct. So we have to remember that these weren’t casual constructions. Some pyramids, like for example Cholula, took several generations to build.

And also, practicality wasn’t the only reason pyramids were built, either. In many places, height carried symbolic weight. Mountains were often seen as sacred, places where gods lived or where the living could reach toward the sky. By building upward, people recreated that connection. A pyramid placed the dead, the divine, or the ceremonial high above the ground. That elevation wasn’t just by chance or just because a king back in the day wanted something pointy.

The shape also served power. A pyramid stands out. It can be seen from far away. It doesn’t need decoration to feel important. It can be built over time, layer by layer, each generation adding to the one before (just like cholula). It doesn’t crack or lean, well at least not if it was built right. For rulers who wanted to mark the land, or be remembered long after they were gone, it was a shape that worked.

A pattern across continents

Each region built its own kind of pyramid, shaped by the materials they had, the way their societies worked, and what they believed. In Egypt, mainstream experts maintain that the pyramids were tombs (I kind of disagree). In Mesoamerica, they were said to have been used as temples. In China, they sealed emperors underground. In Sudan, they marked the graves of royalty. The designs varied, but the basic form stayed the same, wide at the base, rising to a point.

In Egypt, pyramid construction reached its height during the Old Kingdom. As political power and resources declined, it is believed that the building slowed and eventually stopped. In Mesoamerica, the tradition lasted much longer. The Maya were still building pyramids into the 15th century, often adding new layers on top of older ones. In Sudan, the Napatan and Meroitic kingdoms revived the form long after Egypt had moved on. Their pyramids were smaller and steeper, but just as symbolic.

The Chinese pyramids are harder to spot. Most are covered in earth and blend into the landscape. The largest belongs to Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of a unified China. His tomb has never been opened, but surveys suggest there’s a vast underground complex beneath it, palaces, walls, and rivers made of mercury.

Why the pyramid worked

If you asked me to reply logically, I would probably say that a pyramid holds its own weight. That’s the simplest reason it shows up in so many ancient cultures. The wider the base, the more weight it can carry above. When people were building with stone, without mortar or steel, this mattered. You could stack layer after layer, and the shape would stay intact. It didn’t need columns or supports. It stayed up because of the way it was built.
The question remains, however, how some of the supermassive stones were transported in ancient Egyp, and stacked to the height the stones were stacked. But then again…The structure wasn’t the only reason. Height made a difference. A pyramid could rise above everything around it. In open landscapes, it became a fixed point on the horizon. For rulers, that visibility meant power. It gave their cities a center. It reminded people who was buried there, or who held the land.

In many places, height also carried spiritual meaning. Mountains were seen as sacred. They stood between the world of people and the world of gods. By building upward, ancient cultures brought that idea into daily life. A pyramid wasn’t a mountain, but it borrowed the shape. It gave form to beliefs that were otherwise invisible.

There are other ideas, too. Some people believe that different pyramid-building cultures inherited the design from a lost civilization. Others say there was contact between continents long before recorded history. A few suggest more unusual explanations. Archaeologists don’t accept these theories, because they aren’t supported by evidence. But their persistence shows how much mystery the pyramid still holds. For something made of stone, it remains hard to pin down.

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{ https://curiosmos.com/category/ancient-civilizations/  }

23-05-2025 om 23:28 geschreven door peter  

{ https://www.universetoday.com/  }

23-05-2025 om 22:50 geschreven door peter  

{ https://www.universetoday.com/  }

23-05-2025 om 22:37 geschreven door peter  

{ https://www.universetoday.com/  }

23-05-2025 om 22:29 geschreven door peter