The purpose of this blog is the creation of an open, international, independent and free forum, where every UFO-researcher can publish the results of his/her research. The languagues, used for this blog, are Dutch, English and French.You can find the articles of a collegue by selecting his category. Each author stays resposable for the continue of his articles. As blogmaster I have the right to refuse an addition or an article, when it attacks other collegues or UFO-groupes.
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Deze blog is opgedragen aan mijn overleden echtgenote Lucienne.
In 2012 verloor ze haar moedige strijd tegen kanker!
In 2011 startte ik deze blog, omdat ik niet mocht stoppen met mijn UFO-onderzoek.
BEDANKT!!!
Een interessant adres?
UFO'S of UAP'S, ASTRONOMIE, RUIMTEVAART, ARCHEOLOGIE, OUDHEIDKUNDE, SF-SNUFJES EN ANDERE ESOTERISCHE WETENSCHAPPEN - DE ALLERLAATSTE NIEUWTJES
UFO's of UAP'S in België en de rest van de wereld Ontdek de Fascinerende Wereld van UFO's en UAP's: Jouw Bron voor Onthullende Informatie!
Ben jij ook gefascineerd door het onbekende? Wil je meer weten over UFO's en UAP's, niet alleen in België, maar over de hele wereld? Dan ben je op de juiste plek!
België: Het Kloppend Hart van UFO-onderzoek
In België is BUFON (Belgisch UFO-Netwerk) dé autoriteit op het gebied van UFO-onderzoek. Voor betrouwbare en objectieve informatie over deze intrigerende fenomenen, bezoek je zeker onze Facebook-pagina en deze blog. Maar dat is nog niet alles! Ontdek ook het Belgisch UFO-meldpunt en Caelestia, twee organisaties die diepgaand onderzoek verrichten, al zijn ze soms kritisch of sceptisch.
Nederland: Een Schat aan Informatie
Voor onze Nederlandse buren is er de schitterende website www.ufowijzer.nl, beheerd door Paul Harmans. Deze site biedt een schat aan informatie en artikelen die je niet wilt missen!
Internationaal: MUFON - De Wereldwijde Autoriteit
Neem ook een kijkje bij MUFON (Mutual UFO Network Inc.), een gerenommeerde Amerikaanse UFO-vereniging met afdelingen in de VS en wereldwijd. MUFON is toegewijd aan de wetenschappelijke en analytische studie van het UFO-fenomeen, en hun maandelijkse tijdschrift, The MUFON UFO-Journal, is een must-read voor elke UFO-enthousiasteling. Bezoek hun website op www.mufon.com voor meer informatie.
Samenwerking en Toekomstvisie
Sinds 1 februari 2020 is Pieter niet alleen ex-president van BUFON, maar ook de voormalige nationale directeur van MUFON in Vlaanderen en Nederland. Dit creëert een sterke samenwerking met de Franse MUFON Reseau MUFON/EUROP, wat ons in staat stelt om nog meer waardevolle inzichten te delen.
Let op: Nepprofielen en Nieuwe Groeperingen
Pas op voor een nieuwe groepering die zich ook BUFON noemt, maar geen enkele connectie heeft met onze gevestigde organisatie. Hoewel zij de naam geregistreerd hebben, kunnen ze het rijke verleden en de expertise van onze groep niet evenaren. We wensen hen veel succes, maar we blijven de autoriteit in UFO-onderzoek!
Blijf Op De Hoogte!
Wil jij de laatste nieuwtjes over UFO's, ruimtevaart, archeologie, en meer? Volg ons dan en duik samen met ons in de fascinerende wereld van het onbekende! Sluit je aan bij de gemeenschap van nieuwsgierige geesten die net als jij verlangen naar antwoorden en avonturen in de sterren!
Heb je vragen of wil je meer weten? Aarzel dan niet om contact met ons op te nemen! Samen ontrafelen we het mysterie van de lucht en daarbuiten.
14-01-2026
Scientists discover extraterrestrial relics in the first samples from moon's mysterious far side
A human space probe has brought back an ancient extraterrestrial visitor from the moon, rewriting the early history of the solar system.
China's Chang'e-6 spacecraft made history in June 2024 by returning the first-ever samples from the moon's far side, a region humans had never explored before.
In a new study, scientists examined the dusty soil from an ancient crater called the Apollo basin and found seven tiny rock pieces that didn't belong to anything that naturally formed on the moon's surface.
Unlike normal moon rocks, these pieces came from watery asteroids that floated into space between Mars and Jupiter, making them true 'extraterrestrial relics' from outside our planet.
Asteroids like these delivered water and other key ingredients to the moon early in its history, possibly helping create its thin water ice deposits we see today.
On a larger scale, the new findings have rewritten our understanding of how space rocks shaped the Earth and moon, since Earth's meteorite finds are limited by our atmosphere and gravity, burning up potential samples before they can be studied.
China's Chang'e-6 lander (pictured) returned to Earth in June 2024 and scientists have just uncovered an extraterrestrial relic deposited by an asteroid in the moon samples
The samples (pictured) are completely foreign compared to the makeup of the moon, meaning asteroids likely brought the ice water found on the lunar surface
The far side of the moon is the hidden half we never see because our planet and the moon are tidally locked, meaning we always see the same face from our perspective.
Specifically, the team identified these seven fragments as leftovers from a rare type of asteroid called CI-like carbonaceous chondrites.
At the heart of these mysterious samples were tiny green crystals called olivine, which look like olive-shaped gems and make up the backbone of the asteroids they came from.
Finding olivine in these space rocks was special because it's loaded with water trapped inside, plus just the right mix of iron, zinc, and other metals not seen across the relatively dry moon.
The samples matched the composition of other nearby asteroids that astronomers and recently studied, including Ryugu, studied by Japan's Hayabusa2 mission, and Bennu, studied by NASA's OSIRIS-REx.
Scientists knew the new samples from Chang'e-6 didn't form on the moon because of their makeup and hidden chemical fingerprints, which included 10 to 20 percent water trapped in clay-like minerals, amino acids, and tar-like carbon compounds.
Scientists also uncovered lightweight gases like hydrogen, nitrogen, and sulfur, making these relics from space resemble soggy sponges carrying the seeds of oceans and air.
The Chinese lander collected over four pounds of rocks from the lunar surface after successfully landing on the moon's far side in May 2024
Typical Moon rocks are mostly dry black lava stone and white feldspar, made from iron-heavy minerals, calcium, aluminum, and titanium, with almost no water at all.
'This finding supports the hypothesis that asteroids played a role in delivering water and other volatiles to the lunar surface,' the researchers wrote.
Experts believe these asteroid bits crashed into the moon's far side over four billion years ago, during the chaotic formation of the early solar system, when giant impacts blasted materials across planets.
The discovery appeared to prove that a similar process involving water-carrying asteroids took place on the moon that scientists suspect occurred on Earth at the dawn of time.
One theory argues that asteroid collisions like the ones found on the moon are believed to have slammed into our planet as well, creating oceans and scattering amino acids - the basic ingredients that kickstarted tiny life forms in Earth's warm pools.
Scientists believe the same asteroid rain hit other planets, too, like Mars, where it might have created ancient rivers and maybe even early microbes hiding underground today.
Even icy moons like Europa around Jupiter could have gotten a life-giving boost from these asteroids, delivering heat, water, and chemicals deep into their frozen oceans to brew something organic.
NASA has announced that America is now just weeks away from a historic return to the moon for the first time in over 50 years.
The space agency revealed on Tuesday that the earliest Artemis II, the first manned mission to the moon since 1972, will launch on February 6.
NASA officials noted that the official launch window for Artemis II will remain open from January 31 to February 14, with several alternate dates also being picked out.
The mission will take NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen on a 10-day journey around the moon and back to Earth.
The Artemis II mission will not land on the moon's surface. The first lunar landing in the Artemis program is scheduled for Artemis III, currently planned to take place in 2027.
Artemis II can't launch on just any day. The timing will depend on precise orbital mechanics, such as where Earth and the moon are positioned, rocket performance, and weather conditions near the launch site at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
February 7, 8, 10, and 11 have been chosen as potential backup launch dates. If something prevents the launch in February, NASA has also picked out dates in early March and April for the upcoming moon mission.
Artemis II will be the first space mission with a human crew in 53 years to go beyond low Earth orbit.
(From left to right) Astronauts Jeremy Hansen, Victor Glover, Reid Wiseman, and Christina Koch pose in their flight suits for the Artemis II mission, scheduled for February 2026
NASA's new moon rocket lifted off from Launch Pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on November 16, 2022. It was the first test fight of the Artemis program
As early as February 6, the astronauts will launch from Cape Canaveral in an Orion spacecraft, carried by NASA's powerful Space Launch System (SLS) rocket system.
They'll first orbit Earth a couple of times to test the life support equipment and then head toward the moon for a lunar flyby, a close pass without orbiting or landing.
The spacecraft will use the moon's gravity to slingshot back toward Earth in a 'free-return trajectory', meaning if anything goes wrong, it can safely return without extra use of its engines.
The main goal of the mission will be to prove the rocket, spacecraft, and systems work perfectly with humans on board, paving the way for Artemis III's landing next year.
NASA is less than a week away from the first part of this historic event, the rollout, set to begin as soon as January 17.
The fully stacked SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft are scheduled to 'roll out' from NASA's Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Pad 39B at Kennedy Space Center.
It's a four-mile trip that uses a giant crawler-transporter to carry the rocket and can take up to 12 hours to complete.
Once at the pad, teams will connect power and fuel lines and do final rocket testing before the astronauts start their walkthrough for the flight.
Join the debate
Should NASA focus on returning to the moon or prioritize missions to Mars instead?
NASA's SLS (Space Launch System) rocket, which will carry the Artemis II spacecraft, is seen inside High Bay 3 of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida
Once Artemis II is on the launch pad, NASA crews will go through what's called a 'wet dress rehearsal' and 'tanking' procedure.
They'll load the SLS rocket with over 700,000 gallons of super-cold liquid hydrogen and oxygen, which act as the propellants that ignite and blast the craft into space.
NASA will even run through a fake countdown to launch, practice holds and restarts, and then safely drain the tanks of the fuel until it's time for the real launch.
The rehearsal tests the space agency's fueling procedures and helps check for any problems with the rocket, such as leaks in the rocket tanks or valves.
If any problems are spotted, NASA will likely need to run multiple rehearsals and possibly delay the launch.
In September 2025, former NASA Administrator Sean Duffy publicly announced that 'about a year and a half' after the Artemis II mission, the Artemis III astronaut mission would 'land and establish a long-term presence of life on the moon led by America'.
He continued by saying that what astronauts learn from the renewed missions to the moon will help in future efforts to 'put American boots on Mars'.
NASA returns humans to deep space after over 50 years with February Artemis II moon mission
NASA returns humans to deep space after over 50 years with February Artemis II moon mission
Story byGreg Wehner
NASA plansto return humans to deep space next month, targeting a Feb. 6 launch for Artemis II, a 10-day crewed mission that will carry astronauts around the Moon for the first time in more than 50 years.
"We are going — again," NASA said Tuesday in a post on X, saying the mission is set to depart no earlier than Feb. 6.
The first available launch period will run from Jan. 31 to Feb. 14, with launch opportunities on Feb. 6, 7, 8, 10 and 11.
If the launch is scrubbed, additional launch periods will open from Feb. 28 to March 13 and from March 27 to April 10. For the former, launch opportunities will be available on March 6, 7, 8, 9 and 11, and for the latter on April 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6.
NASA's new moon rocket lifts off from Launch Pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2022. This launch is the first flight test of the Artemis program.
The mission is scheduled to lift off from Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida aboard the Space Launch System, the most powerful rocket the agency has ever built.
Preparations are underway to begin moving the rocket to the launch pad no earlier than Jan. 17. The move involves a four-mile journey from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Pad 39B aboard the crawler-transporter 2, a process expected to take up to 12 hours.
"We are moving closer to Artemis II, with rollout just around the corner," Lori Glaze, acting associate administrator for NASA’s Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate, said. "We have important steps remaining on our path to launch and crew safety will remain our top priority at every turn, as we near humanity’s return to the Moon."
The crew of NASA’s Artemis II mission (left to right): NASA astronauts Christina Hammock Koch, Reid Wiseman (seated), Victor Glover, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen.
The 322-foot rocket will send four astronauts beyond Earth orbit to test the Orion spacecraft in deep space for the first time with a crew aboard, marking a major milestone following the Apollo era, which last sent humans to the Moon in 1972.
The crew includes NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, along with Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen, making Artemis II the first lunar mission to include a Canadian astronaut and the first to carry a woman beyond low Earth orbit.
After launch, the astronauts are expected to spend about two days near Earth checking Orion’s systems before firing the spacecraft’s European-built service module to begin the journey toward the Moon.
A full moon was visible behind the Artemis I SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion spacecraft at Launch Complex 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on June 14, 2022. The first in an increasingly complex series of missions, Artemis I tested SLS and Orion as an integrated system prior to crewed flights to the Moon.
That maneuver will send the spacecraft on a four-day trip around the far side of the Moon, tracing a figure-eight path that carries the crew more than 230,000 miles from Earth and thousands of miles beyond the lunar surface at its farthest point.
Instead of firing engines to return home, Orion will follow a fuel-efficient free-return path that uses Earth and Moon gravity to guide the spacecraft back toward Earth during the roughly four-day return trip.
The mission will end with a high-speed reentry and splashdown in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego, where NASA and Department of War teams will recover the crew.
Artemis II follows the uncrewed Artemis I mission and will serve as a critical test of NASA’s deep-space systems before astronauts attempt a lunar landing on a future flight.
NASA says the mission is a key step toward long-term lunar exploration and eventual crewed missions to Mars.
Biblical figures validated by archaeological finds Science has confirmed that many parts of the Bible are indeed true, but how about its characters? The quest for evidence when it comes to biblical characters continues, but several archeological finds suggest that many of these people may have actually existed. These inscriptions, artifacts, and historical texts all amount to possible evidence that many biblical characters lived.
Curious? Click through the gallery to find out what has been discovered and how compelling the evidence is.
King David The archeological evidence that proved the existence of King David was not unearthed until 1993 in Israel. A piece of stone known as the Tel Dan stele dating from the 9th century BCE contained a reference to the “House of David."
King Solomon There are a number of archeological finds that confirm the existence of King Solomon, namely in ancient Israeli cities such as Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer. Six official clay seals found in 2014 also support the existence of the biblical king (and of his father, King David).
King Hezekiah Multiple pieces of evidence that confirm the existence of King Hezekiah have been found. First, the Taylor Prism in the 1830s, where Assyrian King Sennacherib wrote about the failed siege of Jerusalem in 701 BCE. There was also an inscription found in 1880 in the Siloam Tunnel in Jerusalem.
Pontius Pilate Evidence of the existence of the Roman governor who ordered Jesus’ crucifixion was found in 1961. The “Pilate Stone” was found at Caesarea Maritima, an ancient Roman Judea city, containing a Latin inscription that made reference to “Pontius Pilate, Prefect of Judea.”
Herod the Great The King of Judea left quite a legacy across Israel. His tomb was found in the 1800s in Herodium, a fortress near Bethlehem. He was also the man behind constructions such as Jerusalem’s Second Temple and the Antonia Fortress.
Cyrus the Great There is archeological evidence that the founder of the Persian Achaemenid Empire lived. In 1879, archaeologists discovered a clay cylinder from Babylon’s ruins dating back to 539 BCE. The cylinder contained a text praising Cyrus and his rule.
Nebuchadnezzar II The Babylonian Chronicles, a series of clay tablets from 590 BCE, make reference to major Babylonian events, including King Nebuchadnezzar II’s capture of Jerusalem in 586 BCE.
Pharaoh Shishak (Sheshonq I) There is also evidence that the Pharaoh who attacked Jerusalem (1 Kings 14:25–26) lived. This can be found in inscriptions inside Egypt’s Karnak Temple.
Judas Maccabeus Judas Maccabeus, or Judah Maccabee, is yet another biblical figure whose existence was proven by archeology. There are some coins and pottery fragments that make reference to the Jewish priest and how he defeated the Syrian armies between 166 and 160 BCE.
Caiaphas The bones of the High Priest of Israel who played a role at the trial of Jesus are evidence of his existence. An ossuary bearing the words “Joseph son of Caiaphas” was found in 1990.
Pontius Sergius Paulus The Roman official was Proconsul of Cyprus. Inscriptions found in Paphos, on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus, match the account found in Acts.
King Ahab A basalt monument called the Mesha Stele was unearthed in Jordan in 1868. The stone’s inscriptions make reference to King Mesha of Moab’s victories against Israel’s King Ahab, as per 1 Kings. Ahab also left an ivory palace complex in Samaria behind, providing further proof of his existence.
King Jehoiakim There are a number of archeological finds that prove the existence of the King of Judah. These include the Babylonian Chronicles (clay tablets), as well as seals with King Jehoiakim’s name.
Hiram of Tyre Proof that Hiram I, the Phoenician king of Tyre, lived was found in Sidon, Lebanon, in 1855. The Phoenician text in Eshmunazar II's sarcophagus makes reference to King Hiram of Tyre.
King Josiah A seal stamp with the name “Nathan-Melech” from the 7th century BCE was discovered in the City of David archeological site. In 2 Kings 23:11 we find reference to this man as one of King Josiah’s officials.
King Zedekiah The Babylonian Chronicles detail King Zedekiah’s attempt to save Jerusalem from Nebuchadnezzar’s men. In addition, an unearthed clay tablet from Sippar makes reference to Zedekiah’s children among the exiles in Babylon.
Sennacherib The Neo-Assyrian king is mentioned on the Taylor Prism (an early cuneiform artifact). More specifically, it details his siege of Jerusalem in 701 BCE.
King Ahaz The Kurkh Monolith lists King Ahaz’s tribute to Tiglath-Pileser III. Royal seals also add to the veracity of the biblical character mentioned in 2 Kings 16 and 2 Chronicles 28.
Nehemiah Evidence that Governor Nehemiah lived can be found in the Elephantine Papyri. Archaeologists also found sections of walls rebuilt by Nehemiah under the streets of modern-day Jerusalem.
Peter (Simon Peter) There are a few artifacts that support that the disciple of Jesus lived, including early Christian documents. In addition, graffiti that reads “Peter is here” was found at a tomb beneath St. Peter’s Basilica, dating back to the 1st century, which suggests this is his resting place.
James, Son of Zebedee Jewish historian Flavius Josephus wrote in ‘Antiquities of the Jews’ about the execution of James in 62 CE, which is a remarkable non-Christian piece of evidence that he existed.
John the Evangelist There are historical accounts of John’s life in Irenaeus’ book ‘Against Heresies.’ Justin Martyr’s ‘Dialogue with Trypho’ also makes reference to “John, one of the Apostles of Christ” who lived in Ephesus.
Andrew the Apostle The historian Eusebius’ book ‘Ecclesiastical History,’ also known as ‘Church History,’ mentions Andrew’s missionary work. His remains are believed to be held in the Cathedral of St. Andrew in Patras, Greece. Christian symbols discovered in Sinope and Nicea also support Andrew’s presence in the region.
Thomas the Apostle It’s believed that Thomas traveled to India and preached there. His tomb is believed to be located at the Santhome Basilica in Chennai, India. Crosses, coins, and other archeological finds also add weight to the veracity of his story.
Philip the Apostle This Apostle of Jesus spread the gospel across Asia Minor. Evidence includes early Christian artifacts found in Hierapolis (modern-day Pamukkale, Turkey), including the Martyrion of St. Philip, which is believed to be the place where Philip died.
Bartholomew the Apostle The ruins of Saint Bartholomew Monastery in Vaspurakan, Armenia, are believed to be the final resting place of the Apostle. Christian symbols have also been unearthed along India’s Konkan coast, which also match his story.
Matthew the Apostle An old manuscript called GG 00039, held at the Gunda Gunde Monastery in Ethiopia, contains the first part of Matthew’s Gospel. Christian objects were also found in Persia, which suggests a Christian community was active in the area Matthew traveled to. A ceramic pot found in a lake in Kyrgyzstan is also believed to be linked to Matthew.
Jesus of Nazareth Many archeological finds point to the possibility that Jesus existed. This includes houses from his period found in Nazareth, the Pilate Stone, which proves that Pontius Pilate existed, and proof that Roman crucifixion practices matched the ones described in the Bible.
Jesus of Nazareth Another piece of the puzzle includes a letter Roman governor Pliny the Younger wrote to Emperor Trajan, where he makes reference to early Christians singing “hymns to Christ as to a god.”
Shocking breakthrough makes colonizing Mars more realistic
Shocking breakthrough makes colonizing Mars more realistic
Story byCassian Holt
Shocking breakthrough makes colonizing Mars more realistic
For decades, the idea of people living on Mars has felt like a distant fantasy, limited by the brutal cost of hauling everything from Earth and the difficulty of building safe shelters on a hostile world. That picture is starting to shift as engineers quietly solve the hardest part of the problem: how to construct real infrastructure using Martian soil itself. A cluster of new techniques for making bricks, concrete and even self-assembling structures from local material is turning the dream of a permanent foothold on the Red Planet into a practical engineering challenge rather than a science fiction plot.
The new Martian brick that changes the equation
The most striking development is a method that lets future settlers turn raw Martian dust into solid building blocks without importing heavy equipment or binders from Earth. NASA scientists have announced a way to create robust bricks on Mars using only local dust, minerals and a small amount of human sweat, effectively turning the grit under an astronaut’s boots into structural material. In reports shared in Jul, the agency described how this process could produce dense, durable bricks that lock together into walls and radiation shields, cutting out the need to ship conventional construction materials across interplanetary space.
What makes this so disruptive is not just the chemistry, but the logistics. Launching one kilogram of cargo from Earth is already expensive, and a settlement would need thousands of tons of material for habitats, storage and shielding. By relying on Martian dust and minerals, the NASA approach slashes that mass requirement and lets crews scale up construction as they go, brick by brick, instead of waiting for resupply. The technique, detailed in a Facebook group post on NASA scientists, frames human presence not as a fragile outpost, but as a growing worksite where the planet itself becomes the raw stock for expansion.
From improvised shelters to full Martian communities
Once you can make a single brick, the next question is whether you can build entire neighborhoods. Follow up work has shown that scientists have successfully created bricks strong enough to support not just small test structures, but the foundations of full-scale habitats. Using similar principles that combine Martian dust with minimal additives, researchers have demonstrated blocks that could be stacked into domes, tunnels and multiroom shelters capable of housing crews for months at a time. The same Jul reporting on NASA’s work has been echoed in other technical communities, where engineers argue that these bricks could underpin entire communities on Mars rather than just emergency bunkers.
That shift in ambition matters because it changes how mission planners think about timelines. Instead of shipping prefabricated modules for every new crew, agencies could send a compact starter kit of tools and rely on local brick production to expand living space, storage and even agricultural enclosures. The idea that settlers might one day walk through streets lined with structures made from Martian dust is no longer a poetic metaphor, but a scenario grounded in lab-tested materials. One widely shared discussion of how scientists have successfully created bricks robust enough for entire communities captures how quickly the field has moved from proof of concept to city-scale thinking.
Self-building tech and shape-optimized structures
Material is only half the story. The other half is how to assemble it in a place where human labor is scarce, dangerous and expensive. In June, a study from Texas A&M University, working with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, introduced a self-building technology that could let habitats on Mars assemble themselves from modular components. The concept uses robotic systems and smart joints that lock together autonomously, guided by algorithms that account for Martian gravity and the properties of regolith, which consists of dust, sand and rocks. Instead of astronauts spending weeks in bulky suits stacking bricks, swarms of machines could raise walls and roofs while crews focus on science and survival.
At the same time, structural engineers are rethinking what Martian buildings should look like in the first place. Rather than copying Earth-style boxes, they are designing shape optimized structures that use arches, shells and curved forms to handle pressure differences and radiation with far less material. One detailed analysis shows that such structures can remarkably reduce the energy and material required for construction, while also eliminating the need for large imports from Earth. The study argues that these optimized geometries, when combined with in situ concrete and regolith-based bricks, can lead to sustainable colonization on Mars by aligning architecture with the physics of the environment. The case for these designs is laid out in research that notes how Such structures reduce both energy and imported mass, a crucial advantage when every kilogram counts.
When I put these threads together, the picture that emerges is of a construction ecosystem that is both automated and highly efficient. Self-building systems from Texas and the University of Nebraska, Lincoln can handle the assembly, while shape optimized shells minimize the amount of Martian material that needs to be processed in the first place. That combination does not just make habitats cheaper, it makes them faster to deploy, which is vital in the narrow windows when launch trajectories and Martian seasons line up in favor of new arrivals.
Concrete, 3D printing and the rise of in situ manufacturing
Bricks and shells are powerful tools, but long term settlements will also need heavy duty infrastructure: landing pads, radiation bunkers, pressure locks and industrial floors. Here, researchers are turning Martian soil into a kind of waterless cement known as AstroCrete. Studies of future Mars settlements, often described as the Red Planet’s first towns, point out that All the key ingredients for this material, including regolith, certain salts and even biological components, will be available in relative abundance in Martian environments. AstroCrete made from Martian regolith and human byproducts behaves like a tough concrete that can be cast into slabs and beams without relying on scarce water, which is too valuable to waste on construction. One technical overview notes that All of these components can be sourced locally, making AstroCrete a cornerstone of Martian civil engineering.
Alongside concrete, 3D printing is emerging as the workhorse for turning raw regolith into precise parts. Techniques originally developed for products as mundane as an airless basketball are being adapted to extraterrestrial construction. One analysis of advanced additive manufacturing notes that this approach not only reduces the need for carrying heavy payloads from Earth, but also offers the potential for rapid prototyping and adaptability to the unique Martian environment. The same logic that lets engineers print a complex lattice for a sports ball can be applied to printing pressure vessels, support trusses and custom connectors on Mars, all tuned to local gravity and temperature swings. The broader promise of this method is captured in work showing how 3D printing can cut launch mass from Earth while boosting flexibility on site, a point underscored in coverage of how printing directly from regolith reduces the need to ship bulky components from Earth.
A broader blueprint for sustainable colonization
Behind these individual breakthroughs sits a larger strategic shift in how space agencies and researchers think about Mars. Instead of treating each mission as a one-off expedition, planners are sketching a comprehensive blueprint for colonization that assumes permanent, growing infrastructure. A recent synthesis of this thinking argues that Technological evolution is central to making Mars habitable in a sustainable way. It highlights Key advancements in propulsion, in situ resource utilization, closed-loop life support systems and advanced robotics as the pillars of a long term presence. In that framework, construction technologies like regolith bricks, AstroCrete and self-building habitats are not side projects, but core enablers of a settlement that can expand without constant resupply. The same work on Technological evolution on Mars makes clear that construction, life support and robotics must advance together if colonization is to move beyond flags and footprints.
Self-building systems, shape optimized structures and in situ materials are already being woven into that broader roadmap. In June, the work from Texas and the University of Nebraska, Lincoln on self-assembling habitats was framed explicitly as a bridge from science fiction to operational reality, showing how regolith-based modules could be deployed in advance of human crews. Combined with NASA’s Jul breakthroughs on Martian bricks and the growing body of research on sustainable concrete, these developments suggest that the hardest part of colonizing Mars may no longer be the rockets, but the patience to test and refine the tools that will turn dust into cities. As I look across the emerging blueprint, the shocking part is not that colonization is possible, but that the practical pieces are arriving faster than the public conversation has caught up, quietly making a permanent human presence on Mars feel less like a fantasy and more like an engineering deadline.
These images highlight three scarp-fronted deposits in a segment of Valles Marineris on Mars. These features are nearly identical to river deltas on Earth, and add to the growing body of evidence showing that ancient Mars was wet and warm, with liquid water flowing on its surface. Image Credit: Argadestya et al. 2026, NPJ Space Exploration/MOLA
Bit by bit, scientists are piecing together Mars' climate history. Thanks to orbiters armed with powerful cameras and rovers carrying suites of scientific instruments, the red planet's history is becoming clearer year-by-year. In the past decade or so, evidence of Mars' ancient habitability is becoming more and more convincing.
In order to be habitable, Mars had to be both warmer and wetter than it is now. There are two broad types of evidence that show that's exactly what it was: One is the existence of minerals that only form in the presence of water, and the other is in landforms created by water. New evidence in NPJ Space Exploration highlights the presence of scarp-fronted deposits in Valles Marineris, features very similar to river deltas here on Earth.
"The structures that we were able to identify in the images are clearly the mouth of a river into an ocean." - Fritz Schlunegger, University of Bern.
Valles Marineris is an extremely large tectonic crack in the Martian crust, and the largest canyon system in the Solar System. Along with Olympus Mons, it's one of Mars' defining features. This research is focused on the southeast part of Coprates Chasma, a massive sub-canyon that's a central part of Valles Marineris.
"Information on water-lain deposits on Mars provides a key contribution to the understanding of the planet’s geologic history and its past environmental conditions, particularly considering the potential for past habitability," the authors write. "Consequently, major scientific efforts have been undertaken to reconstruct the geological history of Mars by documenting the occurrence of water," they write, emphasizing what many Universe Today readers are already aware of.
The researchers used images from multiple orbital cameras: CTX and HiRISE on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, and CaSSIS on the ESA/Roscosmos Trace Gas Orbiter. They also worked with Digital Elevation Models (DEM) based on CaSSIS, Mars Express' High-Resolution Stereo Camera, and the Mars Orbital Laser Altimeter (MOLA) on the now defunct Mars Global Surveyor.
*These figures show the location of the research area in Southeast Coprates Chasma. The red quadrangle in (A) shows the extent of the identified SFDs. The dark blue and yellow rectangles in (B) depict the areas for which HiRISE and CaSSIS images are available, respectively. Basemap image (B): Global CTX V1 overlain with MOLA – HRSC Global DEM V2. Pl= Plateau, Pr= Promontory, and VMD= Valles Marineris Depression.
Image Credit: Argadestya et al. 2026*
They used all this data to examine the "geomorphology of the promontory and the sedimentology of scarp-fronted deposits (SFDs) in Southeast Coprates Chasma," the authors write.
"In the promontory, we find a network of branched channels bordered by screes and bedrock along the drainage divides, indicating a fluvial origin," the researchers explain. "The SFDs, occurring at the downstream end of the promontory, display convex break-in-slopes, separating a flat surface with a radial drainage network from a steep front downstream." The authors say that they interpret these features to be fan-deltas with their sources in the promontory, and that they're records of an ancient high water mark.
Previous research suggested that this was the case, but it lacked the high-resolution DEMs that these authors have at their disposal. According to these results, the SFDs are where a river drained into an ocean and are evidence of an ancient coastline.
"The unique high-resolution satellite images of Mars have enabled us to study the Martian landscape in great detail by surveying and mapping," said lead author Argadestya in a press release.
*(A) shows where three SFDs are located along the northern margin of the promontory in Southeast Coprates Chasma. The dashed black line indicates the boundary of the deposits. The subsequent panels show them in greater detail. The red lines show their rough boundaries, and the white dots show their apexes.
Image Credit: Argadestya et al. 2026*
"CaSSIS has been providing high-resolution color images of the surface of Mars since April 2018," said Nicolas Tomas, Professor at the Department of Space Research & Planetary Sciences (WP) at the University of Bern. "The images are regularly used in scientific studies. I am personally very pleased that the images have now also been used in a geomorphological study by the Institute of Geological Sciences," added Thomas, who provided leadership for the development of the CaSSIS camera.
"When measuring and mapping the Martian images, I was able to recognize mountains and valleys that resemble a mountainous landscape on Earth. However, I was particularly impressed by the deltas that I discovered at the edge of one of the mountains," said Argadestya. SFDs are like river deltas, where fan-shaped deposits of sediments form where a river empties into a body of standing water.
"Delta structures develop where rivers debouch into oceans, as we know from numerous examples on Earth," explained study co-author Fritz Schlunegger, Professor of Exogenous Geology at the Institute of Geological Sciences at the University of Bern. "The structures that we were able to identify in the images are clearly the mouth of a river into an ocean," Schlunegger continues.
*This image shows tributary channels identified in the northward facing promontory of the Southeast Coprates Chasma. The Strahler order in the inset box shows the stream size hierarchy.
Image Credit: Argadestya et al. 2026*
The SFDs are all at about the same elevation in Valles Marineris, and in previous research on the northern lowlands, an important detail. The bulk of research shows they were deposited between the Late Hesperian period and the Early Amazonian period. The Hesperian spanned from 3.7 billion to 3 billion years ago, and the Amazonian period spans from about 3 billion years ago to the current age. "We consider this as the time with the largest availability of surface water on Mars," the authors write.
Multiple studies have shown that ancient Mars had a massive, perhaps global ocean. This study adds to that weight of evidence by providing clear evidence of ancient coastlines.
"We are not the first to postulate the existence and size of the ocean," Schlunegger said. "However, earlier claims were based on less precise data and partly on indirect arguments. Our reconstruction of the sea level, on the other hand, is based on clear evidence for such a coastline, as we were able to use high-resolution images."
*This is an oblique view of a 3D Digital Elevation Model from CaSSIS showing more detail in SFD A. The -3750 and -3650m elevation contours are shown in red dashed lines, indicating the high-water mark of Mars' ancient ocean.
Image Credit: Argadestya et al. 2026*
The three SFDs in Coprates Chasma aren't the only ancient fan deposits on Mars. There are also some in Capri Chasma, Chryse Chaos, and Hydraotes Chaos. This evidence of an ancient paleoshoreline indicates that an ocean reached the same high level from Valles Marineris to the Northern Lowland.
*These panels show where an ancient paleoshoreline existed on Mars. (A) shows the westward extension of the inferred paleoshoreline (orange line) identified in the study area (red rectangle) across the Valles Marineris depression into Chryse Chaos, a transitory region between the Southern highlands and the Northern lowlands on Mars. B,C, and D, show more detail for the three SFDs in the study and how they fit in.
Image Credit: Argadestya et al. 2026*
"With our study, we were able to provide evidence for the deepest and largest former ocean on Mars to date – an ocean that stretched across the northern hemisphere of the planet," said Argadestya.
"In conclusion, the SFDs at the foothills of the Promontory of Southeast Coprates Chasma reflects a period (boundary between the Late Hesperian and the Early Amazonian) with the highest water availability on Mars," the authors write. "We thus consider that our findings on the environmental stage during the Late Hesperian to Early Amazonian will have implications for research on the evidence for potential life on Mars."
In the 21st century battlefield, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are increasingly part of the enemy arsenal. “Drone Killers” have become significantly more important, as these drone platforms move beyond surveillance and into lethal systems. These remote-controlled vehicles can tasked as strike craft and bombers, deployed in “swarms,” operating as a wingman for human-piloted fighters, or operating autonomously using AI.
This expanding range of abilities makes UAVs a growing threat to allied military forces. As Acting Secretary of Defense, Chris Miller told The Debrief in January, “Small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) were previously viewed as hobbyist toys, but today it is evident that the potential for hazards or threats has the ability to impact the Joint Force.”https://thedebrief.org/pentagon-releases-new-counter-drone-strategy/
Not surprisingly, this has led to a new wave of counter-drone tools and strategies, many of which are at the very edge of current technology. Some are already being tested, and others are still on the drawing board, but all seem more like science fiction than reality. However, at The Debrief, we focus not only on the cutting edge of science and tech but also on the future. Therefore, here are:
The Top 7 “Drone Killers” Currently In Development
Ground to Air Missile: SkyKnight
At the 2021 International Defense Expo (IDEX), Emirati defense company Halcon unveiled their radar-equipped anti-aircraft missile SkyKnight. Integrated into the German Oerlikon air defense system, made by Rheinmetall, SkyKnight is specifically designed to neutralize a whole host of airborne threats, including UAVs. As Defense News previously reported, “the counter-drone system was designed to mitigate modern threats such as rotary-wing aircraft, UAVs, rockets, artillery, mortars and other fixed-wing aircraft at a range of up to 10 kilometers.”
“The system is able to detect, track and neutralize small-sized threats,” Halcon CEO Saeed Al Mansoori told Defense News in that report. “It is not a joint venture, we are not participating in the technology; they already have air defense systems, and we already have our missile and canister…We are just integrating the systems together.”
The first such ground-based missile system to be designed and manufactured in the United Arab Emirates, SkyKnight is expected to begin field tests in 2024.
SkyKnight is a radar-equipped missile made by Emirati defense company Halcon. (Image: Defense News/Agnes Helou)
High Energy Lasers
Due to their high level of accuracy and lack of additional munitions, lasers have consistently been developed and tested against several enemy targets, including drones.
The U.S. Navy has one such system, the Lasers Weapon System (LaWS), already mounted on the USS Ponce and has recently deployed the new Optical Dazzling Interdictor, Navy (ODIN) on the USS Dewey. As The Debrief reported at the time, that system can interfere with unmanned aerial system sensors. In that same report, we noted the Navy also plans to deploy Lockheed Martin’s HELIOS system aboard the USS Preble this year.
Not to be outdone, both the U.S. Air Force and the Army are developing drone killer laser systems of their own.
For the USAF, Raytheon’s High-Energy Laser Weapon System (HELWS) is already undergoing field testing to identify and neutralize enemy drones. As Jeff Newson, the company’s director for high-energy laser systems, explained to Defense News, “Raytheon has updated the tracking algorithms and the advanced electro-optical targeting system that helps to identify the drones, with a limitless magazine. The cost per shot is what two people can pay for a cup of coffee, hence the advantages for customers who are going to target very small, cheap drones.”
The Army’s system is an even more complicated, six-layer concept, composed of the Ballistic, Low-Altitude Drone Engagement (BLADE), the Multi-Mission High-Energy Laser (MMHEL), the Next-Generation Fires Radar; Maneuver Air Defense Technology (MADT), the High-Energy Laser Tactical Vehicle Demonstrator (HEL-TVD), and the LowCost Extended Range Air Defense (LOWER AD) systems. Like the Navy and Air Force systems, this array is designed to track, attack, and neutralize airborne targets, primarily missiles and drones, using the power of various types of lasers.
An artist’s rendering of the High Energy Laser with Integrated Optical-dazzler and Surveillance (HELIOS) system at work. (Image: Lockheed Martin)
Hunter-Killer Drones
In 2017, the Air Force Research Lab unveiled a pair of airborne systems (or “spirals” in AFRL parlance) designed to counter enemy drones.
According to a report by Defense Daily, the first spiral, which is the size of a microwave oven and has already been deployed overseas for months, “is designed to precisely disrupt radiofrequency communications between a drone and its operator and push the drone away from protected areas.”
That same report notes that unlike current jamming systems that can inadvertently interfere with friendly communications, this system is more targeted.
The AFRL also unveiled a second system that is essentially a “hunter-killer” drone with a net attached. The system was tested back in 2016 at Robins Air Force Base, where it successfully captured a Phantom 3 drone in mid-flight. Both systems work on entirely different concepts but support the notion that one method for countering enemy drones is deploying drones explicitly designed for that purpose.
A hunter-killer drone with attached net, part of the unmanned aerial system solution developed by the team from Robins Air Force Base, Ga., captures a Phantom 3 drone in mid-flight during the 2016 Air Force Research Laboratory Commander’s Challenge at the Nevada National Security Site, Las Vegas. (Image: U.S. Air Force photo by Wesley Farnsworth)
AsThe Debrief reported at the time, the company brochure says, “the SMASH 2000 Plus is a sophisticated electro-optical target acquisition and tracking system designed to be attached to small-arms weapons systems. Using advanced proprietary algorithms and sophisticated image processing software, the SMASH 2000 Plus dramatically increases a shooter’s ability to hit their intended target in all-weather and lighting conditions. Based on the original SMASH 2000 system, the SMASH 2000 plus offers an additional advanced counter-unmanned aerial systems mode, giving individual ground troops an accurate hard-kill capability to counter emerging drone threats.”
The company crystalized this point further, stating, “With a unique ‘One Shot – One Hit’ capability, SMASH allows the operator to quickly and effectively neutralize any ground or airborne target, manned or unmanned.”
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(Image Source: Smart Shooter)
Microwaves: The Power of THOR
Also on the docket for testing in 2024, a weapon named after the Norse God of Thunder brings an entirely different approach to downing an attacking drone: microwaves. The Tactical High Power Operational Responder (THOR), built at Kirtland Air Force Base, offers a benefit other systems can’t. Specifically, it can spread a wide field of electromagnetic radiation to counter several targets at once.
In an interview with the Albuquerque Journal, Army Lt. General L. Neil Thurgood said, “The Army’s directed-energy capabilities will need to provide a layered defense with multiple ways to defeat incoming threats. High-energy lasers (only) kill one target at a time, and high-powered microwaves can kill groups or swarms, which is why we are pursuing a combination of both technologies.”
Working with a budget of $15 million, the Air Force Research Lab’s Directed Energy Directorate built THOR with help from Verus Research, an Albuquerque-based engineering firm, BAE Systems, and Leidos.
As far as a timeline and plans for actual deployment of this drone killer system, AFRL’s Directed Energy Directorate head Kelly Hammett told the Albuquerque Journal. “They intend to procure enough systems for a platoon unit in 2024 to do experimentation with a mix of weapons. They will put microwaves and lasers together in a single unit to assess how to deploy it all.”
Unlike ground-based or even ship-based laser systems, lasers mounted directly on aircraft have long been a dream for military engineers. Now, Lockheed Martin is setting a 2025 timeline for reaching that goal.
“We’re committing to putting a laser pod equipped with a high-energy laser in the air within five years,” Mark Stephen, business development lead for strategic technology development at Lockheed Martin’s missiles and fire control division told National Defense Magazine back in 2020.
A crucial part of the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Self-Protect High Energy Laser Demonstrator, or SHiELD, program, Lockheed Martin indicated that the system results from many years of research and development. “The beam director is the optical system that puts the high-energy light on the target and keeps it there with enough precision to defeat the threat. We spent several years developing producible, low [size, weight, and power] and low-cost tactical beam directors in-house.”
Because the lasers are pod mounted, they are likely poor fits for Stealth aircraft like the F-22 or F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, and therefore will most likely be integrated into larger aircraft like F-15s, F-16s, or even the A-10c Warthog.
Rendering of a Lockheed Martin producible tactical airborne laser weapon. Image: Lockheed Martin
Super Laser
If tactical lasers, killer drones, and microwave jammers aren’t sci-fi enough, the Army recently posted a request for proposals for a Tactical Ultrashort Pulsed Laser.
Unlike conventional continuous wave (CW) laser systems which are mostly designed to interfere with an incoming drone or missile’s optics, the ultrashort pulsed laser (USPL) would pack enough energy into a short blast to completely disable an attacker’s electronic systems or even blow the thing out of the sky.
“USPL systems are able to neutralize threats via three distinct mechanisms,” the Army’s posting states, “ablation of material from the target, the blinding of sensors through broadband supercontinuum generation in the air, and the generation of a localized electronic interference used to overload a threat’s internal electronics.”
To accomplish this goal, the proposal indicates that the laser must operate in the incredibly powerful terawatt range (current systems only operate in the kilowatt range) and be able to fire all of that energy in a shockingly brief 200 femto-second pulse. For comparison, a terawatt is a trillion watts, as opposed to a kilowatt which is a comparatively paltry 1,000 watts, and a femto-second is essentially a quadrillionth of a second.
Packing that much power into such a short burst means this laser system will be three orders of magnitude more powerful than even the most powerful systems currently in use, and can offer an ultra-precise, ultra-potent option for forces hoping to counter the increasing threat from UAVs.
Outlook: How To Shoot Down A Drone?
Although most of the advanced weapons systems listed above are still in development, even those platforms appear only a few years away from real-world implementation. Until then, UAVs will continue to see an increase in use, as they offer a low-cost option for militaries and other military-style organizations worldwide. Fortunately for the U.S. and its allies, the growing list of “drone killers” now in development appears to offer a veritable array of tactical countermeasures to even the most sophisticated 21st century UAVs.
Belgian scientist Bernard Heuvelmans is considered to be the father of cryptozoology, the study of creatures rumored to exist. lain BENAINOUS/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images
Cryptozoology is the study of creatures that are rumored to exist, but whose existence has not been substantiated using the scientific method. These include new species and legendary beasts such as Bigfoot and the Loch Ness monster, as well as other lesser-known animals and entities around the world. A few of these creatures may have a basis in reality, while others seemingly do not.
Either way, the aim of cryptozoologists is to prove that these entities really exist in the wild, and some people dedicate years of their lives to these quests. In doing so, they find biologists and other established scientific types scoffing at them. While some cryptozoologists may apply critical thinking principles to their investigations, the field itself often draws skepticism from a vast majority of those in mainstream science.
Because cryptozoology pursues creatures based mostly on rumor or folklore, it's considered a pseudoscience. That is, it's not regarded as "real" science because it doesn't use the scientific method as part of its investigations. Instead, cryptozoologists rely on historical documents, eyewitness accounts and their own observations in their attempts to prove what often seems unprovable. As you can probably guess, their efforts frequently come up empty-handed.
As a discipline, cryptozoology has its roots in the 1950s, thanks largely to Belgian scientist Bernard Heuvelmans and Scottish biologist and writer Ivan T. Sanderson. Both men had formal scientific degrees but also found themselves fascinated with rare creatures and paranormal subjects. Sanderson even claimed to have been personally attacked by an Olitiau, a legendary giant bat with a 12-foot (3.6-meter) wingspan that supposedly exists somewhere in Central Africa.
Likewise, Heuvelmans was always hot on the trail of mysterious animals. His 1958 book, "On the Track of Unknown Animals," is often regarded as a watershed moment for the cryptozoology subculture. Surely, Heuvelmans speculated in his tome, there could be pockets of dinosaurs still hidden in remote parts of the world. It was just a matter of finding them.
Both researchers drew minor fame from their various investigations, as well as scorn from mainstream scientists who were perturbed about its reliance on anecdotal evidence and eyewitness testimony (which can be unreliable). And although they never officially found any of their fantastical creatures, their pursuits live on in the adventure of many other wannabe cryptozoologists. Looking for Bigfoot? Don't kid yourself — you're not the only one.
13 Famous Cryptids of Folklore
Mystery animals have captured the imagination and curiosity of people worldwide for centuries. The potential existence of such creatures in the modern world continues to inspire passionate debates as well as new tales and legends.
1. Marozi
With a maned lion's face fronting a jaguar-like body, the Marozi (also known as the spotted lion) was reported several times in the 1930s in Kenya's mountains but hasn't been mentioned much since.
The Natural History Museum in Great Britain is said to be in possession of the spotted skin of a marozi, but many experts think the specimen represents a jaguar that bred with common, spotless plains lions.
2. Kamchatka Giant Bear
Swedish zoologist Sten Bergman, working in Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula in the 1920s, discovered a paw print that measured a full square foot, suggesting a bear of remarkable size.
Similar sightings tell of an ursine almost twice the size of a typical North American grizzly bear, measuring 6 feet at the shoulder. Some Russian biologists believe there is a small group of Kamchatka Giant Bears that survived the most recent ice age.
3. Bigfoot
Bigfoot, also known as Sasquatch, is a big, hairy, two-legged beast that arose in North America, and first received the "Bigfoot" nickname in California in the late 1950s. What started with a flurry of local stories turned into a full-fledged media sensation and ultimately a legend that's now known around the world.
Many people claim to have caught glimpses of Bigfoot, and the Patterson-Gimlin film, which supposedly shows one creature fleeing through the forest, is probably the most iconic bit of evidence in the entire library of 20th-century cryptozoology.
4. Yeti, aka Abominable Snowman
The Himalayan Mountains are reportedly home to the Yeti (or in Western culture, the Abominable Snowman), a bear-like or ape-like creature that's been part of Eastern lore for centuries. Covered with long hair and built for rugged, cold environments, the Yeti is as evasive and mysterious as Bigfoot.
5. Skunk Ape
Bigfoot's smelly Southern cousin has been reported a number of times in Florida's swamps, most convincingly in 2000 by a couple who took an excellent snapshot of what looked to be a 6-foot-6-inch (2-meter) orangutan. The picture didn't capture its scent, of course, but the couple attested to its atrocity.
6. Lizard Man
This scaly green hominid, the resident mysterious beast of Escape Ore Swamp in South Carolina, has long been at the center of local lore. While many consider the creature a hoax, others swear they've encountered it face to face.
Lizard Man has had several brushes with fame: A local radio station once offered $1 million for a live capture, and in 1988, a South Carolina Republican leader labeled Lizard Man a staunch Democrat.
7. Jersey Devil
According to most reports, New Jersey's cryptozoological curiosity has wings, a horse's face, a pig's hooves, and a kangaroo's body. The legend of the Jersey Devil was born in the 1700s — based on a tale of a cursed baby-turned-demon that flew off into the night — and boomed in the early 1900s, with people seeing it all over the state.
To this day, people report Jersey Devil sightings, mostly in the spooky Pine Barrens of southern New Jersey. While some locals think the creature is truly a supernatural beast, others say it's probably a misidentified sandhill crane.
8. El Chupacabra
<source "="" dataEl Chupacabra differs in appearance according to sightings, but some characteristics — like the spiny back and prominent fangs — are consistent.
Latin America's legendary "goat sucker" is a fanged and clawed beast that performs vampirism on livestock.
The first accounts of its victims — often goats, chickens, horses, cows and even domestic pets — were reported in the 1950s by farmers who found animals drained of blood, with several large puncture marks.
Some who have allegedly sighted the chupacabra describe it as a short, kangaroo-like monster with oversize teeth and an oval head, but others liken it to a large reptile or bat.
9. Kraken
The Kraken is a legendary monstrous creature in the deep ocean waters near Scandinavian regions. It's described as an enormous, octopus-like animal that's big enough to attack ships and frighten sailors.
This one might have basis in reality, thanks to the existence of giant squids (a former cryptid) that can grow up to 50 feet (15 meters) long.
10. Loch Ness Monster
Also known as Nessie, the Loch Ness monster is another world-famous creature that's appeared in countless headlines and movies. It's an ancient legend, too, appearing in historical records dating to 1,500 years ago. It's supposedly a large marine animal with a slender neck that lives in Loch Ness, a 23-mile (37-kilometer)- long lake in Scotland.
Nearly 800 feet (244 meters) deep in some places, the lake (the largest body of fresh water in the United Kingdom) would make a sufficient hiding place for a shy creature, but aside from a few famous (and blurry) photographs and unreliable eyewitness accounts, there's no proof that Nessie exists. A 2019 Washington Post article says scientists now think Nessie might have been a giant eel.
11. Tahoe Tessie
Deep in Lake Tahoe on the California-Nevada border lurks a storied sea creature that's the Sierra Nevada cousin of the Loch Ness Monster. It's alleged that after a submarine expedition, undersea explorer Jacques Cousteau said, "The world isn't ready for what's down there." (He could, of course, have been referring to anything odd.)
Popular descriptions portray Tessie as either a freshwater relative of a whale or a 20-foot (6-meter) sea serpent with a humped back.
12. Mogollon Monster
In eastern Arizona there's a long, rocky ridge, called the Mogollon Rim, that runs deep through a thick forest. That's the reported home of the Mogollon Monster, which is described as a tall, two-legged monster with thick hair and a rancid stench.
Although amateur hunters have produced various bits of so-called evidence over the past century, there's no reason to think this famous cryptid really exists.
13. Champy
Like Tessie, Champy is named for the body of water in which it purportedly lurks — in this case, Lake Champlain, a body of water on the New York-Vermont border.
Several hundred recorded sightings typically describe the beast as a serpentlike black sea monster with scales, measuring about 50 feet (15 meters) in length. One investigative group believes the oft-sighted Champy is actually a surviving plesiosaur, a dinosaur that died off over 60 million years ago.
6 Cryptids That Mainstream Science Confirmed as Real
From the depths of the ocean to the heart of the rainforest, the realm of cryptids has witnessed remarkable transformations as real creatures have emerged from the shadows of legend to become validated and recognized as real species by mainstream scientists.
1. Giant Squids
Once the stuff of legends and maritime lore, giant squids were long considered mythical monsters. However, scientific exploration and advancements in deep-sea technology led to the first documented encounter with a live giant squid in 2004.
Subsequent expeditions have since captured more sightings and even footage of these elusive cephalopods, shedding light on their mysterious lives.
2. Coelacanth
The term "cryptid" doesn't only refer to mythical creatures with magical properties. It also describes creatures that were thought to have gone extinct but have reappeared, like the coelacanth, which was rediscovered in 1938 after disappearing in the Cretaceous period of the dinosaur age.
This primitive fish, with its lobed fins and unique physiology, challenged the scientific community's understanding of evolution and the fossil record.
3. Okapi
Native to the dense rainforests of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Okapi remained unknown to the Western world until the early 20th century. It had been dismissed as a myth until a British explorer encountered the elusive creature in 1901, revealing a fascinating relative of the giraffe.
4. Komodo Dragons
Legends of monstrous dragons dwelling on remote Indonesian islands were validated with the discovery of the Komodo dragon. These formidable reptiles, known for their size and venomous bite, were officially recognized as a distinct species in the early 20th century.
5. Mountain Gorillas
Once considered a myth, the mountain gorilla was discovered by Western scientists in the early 20th century. Their remote habitats in the mountains of Central Africa and the elusive nature of these very real animals had kept them hidden from scientific exploration until their existence was confirmed.
6. Goblin Shark
Resembling a creature from nightmares, the goblin shark was known only through fragmented reports until its first live specimen was captured in 1898. This deep-sea shark with its protruding jaws and eerie appearance has since been studied and recognized as a real species.
Portions of this article were adapted from "The Book of Incredible Information," published by West Side Publishing, a division of Publications International, Ltd. HowStuffWorks earns a small affiliate commission when you purchase through links on our site.
This article was updated in conjunction with AI technology, then fact-checked and edited by a HowStuffWorks editor.
China has unveiled an extremely powerful “hypergravity machine” that can generate forces almost two thousand times stronger than Earth’s regular gravity.
The futuristic-looking machine, called CHIEF1900, was constructed at China’s Centrifugal Hypergravity and Interdisciplinary Experiment Facility (CHIEF) at Zheijang University in Eastern China, and allows researchers to study how extreme forces affect various materials, plants, cells, or other structures, as the South China Morning Post reports.
It can effectively compress space and time, allowing researchers to recreate the conditions during catastrophic events, from dam failures to earthquakes. For instance, it can analyze the structural stability of an almost 1,000-feet-tall dam by spinning a ten-foot model at 100 Gs, meaning 100 times the Earth’s regular gravity.
It could also be used to study the resonance frequencies of high-speed rail tracks, or how pollutants seep into soil over thousands of years.
China Debuts World's Mightiest Centrifuge, Unleashing Ultra-Intense GravityThe machine officially dethroned its predecessor, CHIEF1300, which became the world’s most powerful centrifuge a mere four months ago.
The previous record holder was the centrifuge at the Army Corps of Engineers in Vicksburg, Mississippi, which can generate 1,200 g-tonnes, a metric that combines gravitational acceleration (G) and a mass measured in tonnes (2,200 pounds), of force.
To generate these forces, CHIEF1900 spins a payload inside a beefy centrifuge, not unlike those being used by the US Air Force to simulate high G-forces during pilot training.
Except that the forces are orders of magnitude stronger. It can generate 1,900 g-tonnes of force, or 1,900 times the Earth’s gravity. To put that into perspective, a washing machine only reaches about two g-tonnes.
Engineers had to overcome some significant challenges in getting CHIEF1900 up to that mighty force. For one, spinning at such high speeds generates an enormous amount of heat. To dissipate all of it, the engineers came up with a vacuum-based temperature control system, as the SCMP reports, which uses coolant and forced-air ventilation to keep things cool enough.
“We aim to create experimental environments that span milliseconds to tens of thousands of years, and atomic to [kilometre] scales — under normal or extreme conditions of temperature and pressure,” Zhejiang University professor and CHIEF’s chief scientist Chen Yunmin told the SCMP.
“It gives us the chance to discover entirely new phenomena or theories,” he added.
NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory/NOIRLab/SLAC/AURA/P. Marenfeld
Using early data from the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, which is set to kick off full operations later this spring, an international team of astronomers has discovered an asteroid that spins so fast, it should’ve torn itself apart.
The unusual cosmic lump — dubbed 2025 MN45, 2,300 feet in diameter and located in the Main Asteroid Belt between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter — completes a full rotation every minute and 53 seconds, as detailed in a new paper published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.
While that may not sound like all that fast at first blush, it’s an astonishing feat considering the object’s sheer bulk. The centrifugal forces involved should’ve already overcome its estimated structural integrity, the researchers found, especially if it were a “rubble pile” made up of smaller rocks, like many other asteroids in the Main Belt.
It’s an especially surprising finding, considering that most distant asteroids were thought to be spinning at much slower rates, as Science Alert points out.
“For objects in the main asteroid belt, the fast-rotation limit to avoid being fragmented is 2.2 hours; asteroids spinning faster than this must be structurally strong to remain intact,” the paper reads. “The faster an asteroid spins above this limit, and the larger its size, the stronger the material it must be made from.”
The team used data collected during the Rubin Observatory’s commissioning phase in the spring of last year to discover 2025 MN45, one of three “ultrafast rotators” that complete a full rotation in less than five minutes. They also found 16 “superfast” rotators with periods between 13 minutes and 2.2 hours. All 19 are larger in diameter than the length of an American football field.
“Clearly, this asteroid must be made of material that has very high strength in order to keep it in one piece as it spins so rapidly,” said Sarah Greenstreet, study lead and assistant astronomer at the National Science Foundation National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory (NOIRLab), in a statement. “We calculate that it would need a cohesive strength similar to that of solid rock.”
“This is somewhat surprising since most asteroids are believed to be what we call ‘rubble pile’ asteroids, which means they are made of many, many small pieces of rock and debris that coalesced under gravity during Solar System formation or subsequent collisions,” she added.
Asteroids beyond the orbit of Mars are very faint and extremely hard to spot. But thanks to the Rubin Observatory’s extremely light-sensitive sensors, the team was able to discover the most distant fast rotators ever spotted.
It’s the first peer-reviewed study that’s based on data from the observatory, and a sure sign that many more discoveries from it are still to come.
“As this study demonstrates, even in early commissioning, Rubin is successfully allowing us to study a population of relatively small, very-rapidly-rotating main-belt asteroids that hadn’t been reachable before,” Greenstreet said.
A new prehistoric discovery in a Wisconsin lake has revealed the existence of an advanced culture in America during the same time as the ancient Egyptians.
Researchers unearthed six previously undiscovered canoes from Lake Mendota, including one that archeologists said was approximately 5,200 years old - older than the Great Pyramid of Giza, which is at least 4,500 years old.
Overall, 16 ancient 'dugout' boats have been found during excavations of the lake since 2021, all carved from individual tree trunks using fire and simple tools like stones and shells.
Testing the wood to see how much of a naturally radioactive element has decayed over time revealed that the canoes were built between 1300AD and 3000BC.
The discovery suggests a previously unknown civilization thriving in the area for thousands of years, engaging in trade, fishing and possibly spiritual journeys along a sophisticated travel network throughout the present-day Midwest.
Researchers from the Wisconsin Historical Society (WHS) said the new findings rewrite what we know about history in North America, revealing that humans on the continent lived and developed into organized communities much earlier than previously thought.
The canoes, found 30 feet below the surface, were found in clusters near natural paths, suggesting the lake was a busy spot for generations.
The oldest boat recovered from Lake Mendota places the ancient ancestors of a group known as the Ho-Chunk on the same timeline as some of the Egyptians in terms of showing how long ago human boat-making skills were developed worldwide.
The boats in Lake Mendota are known as dugout canoes because each was constructed out of a single tree trunk
A new excavation of the Wisconsin lake discovered six previously unseen canoes, including one that is believed to be older than the Egyptian pyramids
So far, only two of the 16 canoes located in Lake Mendota have been taken out of the water and are nearing the end of a multi-year preservation process, including a 14-foot-long boat that's approximately 3,000 years old.
These ancient dugout vessels were mostly made from tough hardwoods such as red and white oak, including the oldest, dating back to the time of the Egyptians, and were carved from the trunk of a red oak.
The WHS team noted that using oak was unusual because red oak typically absorbs water through the tree's open pores, which could make boats heavier or less buoyant.
However, it's believed their mysterious builders may have prepared trees to form natural blockages, called tyloses, in the wood that seal it against water, rot and improve floating.
Archaeologists suspected that the native people of the area selected stressed or damaged trees, or intentionally wounded them while growing, to produce these more resistant tree trunks.
Maritime archaeologist Tamara Thomsen said: 'Archaeology is kind of like putting together pieces of a puzzle, and the more pieces you can find, the better you can start to form a picture of what was going on and why during a period of history.'
'We can't go back in time to get answers to our questions, but we can examine the available data alongside knowledge from First Nations and cultural history to form theories to answer our questions.'
The canoes were found with rocks meticulously placed on top, while below the surface, which experts speculated was done to ensure the boats did not warp during the winter months.
The discovery of ancient boats in Wisconsin has rewritten the timeline of sophisticated civilizations living in North America
Archeologists have pulled two of the 16 canoes from the lake and are working on preserving them for a future museum exhibition
Archaeologists have been investigating Lake Mendota since 2021
While the Ho-Chunk tribe once lived in the area surrounding Lake Mendota, the Paleo-Indian people were the earliest inhabitants, arriving around 12,000 years ago.
The Ho-Chunk tribe migrated there no earlier than 800AD.
This discovery of ancient canoes in Lake Mendota has been deeply significant to the Ho-Chunk people because it proved their ancestors lived in this region for thousands of years, strengthening their ongoing cultural and spiritual connection to the waters and lands.
The Ho-Chunk view the nearby Lake Wingra, which this ancient community likely traveled across by canoe, as holding profound spiritual importance, with one of its springs seen as a sacred gateway to another realm.
Dr Amy Rosebrough, state archaeologist for WHS, said: 'One of its springs, with its white clay bottom, is viewed as a portal to the spirit world. For generations, the Ho-Chunk have honored this place through ceremonies of remembrance.'
The Gateway, NASA’s upcoming lunar space station, is one step closer to reality as engineers have successfully powered on its solar electric propulsion system, a spacecraft engine designed to orbit and maneuver around the Moon. This achievement marks a major milestone in NASA’s Artemis program, which aims to establish a sustainable human presence on the lunar surface and prepare for future missions to Mars.
Building The Power And Propulsion Element
At the heart of the Gateway lies the Power and Propulsion Element (PPE), developed under the supervision of NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio. Construction and assembly are led by Lanteris Space Systems in Palo Alto, California, where teams have integrated the spacecraft’s main electrical system within protective panels. This ensures the hardware can withstand the harsh environment of deep space.
Once fully operational, the PPE will generate up to 60 kilowatts of electricity,enough to supply power for communications, navigation, and orbital adjustments. The engine’s advanced solar electric propulsion allows for continuous, efficient thrust powered by sunlight, offering an innovative alternative to traditional chemical propulsion.
The system’s propulsion capability is built around three 12-kilowatt thrusters developed by L3Harris and four 6-kilowatt BHT-6000 thrusters by Busek. Together, these thrusters provide the necessary maneuverability to maintain the Gateway’s orbit and reposition it as needed for lunar missions. Redwire, another NASA partner, is responsible for the roll-out solar arrays, lightweight, flexible panels that convert sunlight into electrical energy.
This hardware will power not only the Gateway’s core functions but also its visiting spacecraft and future science payloads, forming the energetic backbone of NASA’s next-generation lunar operations.
The Gateway’s Role In NASA’s Artemis Program
The Gateway is a cornerstone of NASA’s Artemis program, which aims to return astronauts to the lunar surface for the first time since Apollo 17. Unlike the International Space Station, the Gateway will not be permanently crewed. Instead, it will serve as a modular outpost, orbiting the Moon in a highly stable near-rectilinear halo orbit (NRHO).
This orbit provides ideal access to both the lunar surface and deep space, making it an essential platform for testing life-support systems, radiation protection, and advanced propulsion technologies. Astronauts visiting the Gateway will conduct scientific experiments, prepare landers for surface missions, and evaluate long-duration spaceflight conditions, all critical for future crewed missions to Mars.
NASA envisions Gateway as an international collaboration, involving key contributions from ESA (European Space Agency), JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), and CSA (Canadian Space Agency). Each partner will deliver specialized modules, robotics, and technology to create a truly global platform for exploration.
Engineering A Sustainable Future Beyond Earth
NASA’s decision to rely on solar electric propulsion for the Gateway is both a technological and environmental breakthrough. Unlike conventional rockets, which burn large quantities of fuel in short bursts, this system produces continuous, gentle thrust using electricity derived from sunlight. Over time, it can achieve impressive velocities with minimal resource consumption, an essential feature for long-duration missions far from Earth.
The Gateway will also act as a proving ground for autonomous operations, as it will often function without a human crew onboard. This autonomy will be vital for deep-space missions where communication delays make real-time control impossible. The spacecraft’s design prioritizes efficiency, durability, and adaptability, ensuring it can operate safely and independently in lunar orbit for years at a time.
Through its partnership with Lanteris, L3Harris, Busek, and Redwire, NASA is cultivating a powerful ecosystem of innovation that bridges public and private sectors. These collaborations are essential for building the infrastructure required for humanity’s next leap: establishing a permanent foothold on another world.
Believing in historical figures usually requires a leap of faith, but finding Jesus’ footprints outside the Bible feels like striking gold. I remember my first deep dive into ancient history during college. I wanted to know if this figure actually walked the earth or if he remained a myth constructed by followers. You might feel the same skepticism.
I found that critics and historians from the Roman Empire actually documented his existence. These writers had no reason to promote Christianity. In fact, most of them despised the movement.
Bart Ehrman, a renowned agnostic scholar, states that “Jesus certainly existed” because virtually every competent scholar of antiquity agrees on this point. I find this consensus fascinating because it bridges the gap between theology and history. We see a man named Jesus emerging from the ink of his enemies rather than just his friends. This list breaks down the most compelling non-biblical accounts that place Jesus firmly in the history books.
Tacitus Links Jesus To Pontius Pilate Cornelius Tacitus is among the most trusted historians of the ancient world. He wrote his Annals in 116 AD and did not hold back his disdain for Christians. Tacitus detailed how Emperor Nero blamed Christians for the Great Fire of Rome to deflect rumors that he started it himself. In this account, Tacitus connects the name “Christians” directly to “Christus” and mentions his execution.
I love this entry because Tacitus clearly has no agenda to support the religion. He calls Christianity a “mischievous superstition,” yet confirms two massive historical facts. He notes that Pontius Pilate executed Jesus during the reign of Tiberius. This aligns perfectly with the biblical timeline. IMO, this hostility makes his testimony even more reliable.
Josephus Identifies James, the Brother of Jesus Flavius Josephus gives us a Jewish perspective on first-century Judea. In his work Antiquities of the Jews, published around 93 AD, he references Jesus twice. The most accepted passage involves the execution of James. Josephus identifies James specifically as “the brother of Jesus, who was called Christ.” Scholars like Louis Feldman regard this passage as highly authentic because it lacks the flowery language Christian scribes might add later.
This brief mention carries heavy weight in the historical community. Josephus does not preach here. He simply uses Jesus as a marker to identify James. Most historians agree that this casual reference proves Jesus was a known public figure at the time.
Pliny The Younger Describes Early Christian Worship Pliny serves as a fascinating source because he wrote from the perspective of a frustrated government official. As the governor of Bithynia in 112 AD, he wrote a letter to Emperor Trajan asking how to handle Christians. He described their practice of gathering before dawn and singing hymns to Christ “as to a god.”
I find this letter incredible because it captures the early church in action through the eyes of an outsider. Pliny cared about law and order, not theology. His letter confirms that within a few decades of his death, Jesus had a dedicated following willing to die for him.
Suetonius Records the Expulsion of Jews Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus served as a court official under Emperor Hadrian. In his Lives of the Twelve Caesars, written around 121 AD, he mentions a disturbance during Claudius’s reign. He writes that the Emperor expelled Jews from Rome because they “constantly made disturbances at the instigation of Chrestus.”
Most scholars agree that “Chrestus” is a common misspelling of “Christus” or “Christ.” This aligns with the biblical account in Acts 18:2, where Paul meets Priscilla and Aquila after they left Rome. It shows that Jesus’ influence reached the empire’s capital within roughly 20 years of his death.
The Talmud Mentions the Trial and Hanging The Babylonian Talmud contains rabbinic writings that offer a hostile but confirming view of Jesus. In Sanhedrin 43a, the text mentions “Yeshu,” who was “hanged” on the eve of the Passover. The text accuses him of practicing sorcery and leading Israel astray.
I appreciate this source because it represents the opposition. The writers had every reason to deny his existence if he were a myth. Instead, they attempt to explain his power through sorcery. This confirms he performed deeds that people could not easily explain.
Mara Bar Serapion Refers to the Wise King Mara bar Serapion wrote a letter to his son from prison sometime after 73 AD. He compares the deaths of Socrates, Pythagoras, and the “wise King” of the Jews. He observes that the Jews lost their kingdom after killing this wise ruler.
Though he does not use the name Jesus, scholars universally agree that he refers to him. He credits this “wise King” with laying down new laws. I think this letter is touching because it frames Jesus as a philosopher and a martyr rather than just a religious figure.
Lucian of Samosata Mocks the Crucified Sophist Lucian brings a touch of satire to the historical record. A Greek satirist writing in the second century, he poked fun at Christians in The Passing of Peregrinus. He calls Jesus “the man who was crucified in Palestine” and mocks his followers for worshipping him.
Lucian describes Jesus as a “crucified sophist” who introduced new mysteries. While his goal involves ridicule, he inadvertently cements the fact that Jesus existed and died by crucifixion. It proves that even comedians of the era knew exactly who Jesus was.
Celsus Attacks the Miracles of Jesus Celsus wrote The True Doctrine around 175 AD as a comprehensive attack on Christianity. We know his arguments because the church father Origen wrote a massive rebuttal titled Contra Celsum. Celsus did not deny that Jesus performed miracles. Instead, he claimed Jesus learned magic in Egypt.
This mirrors the accusations found in the Talmud. I find this line of attack very telling. Celsus could not simply say “Jesus never did those things.” The evidence was likely too strong. So he attacked the source of the power rather than the events themselves.
Thallus discusses the darkness at the crucifixion Thallus provides one of the earliest potential references to Jesus. Although his original works are lost, Julius Africanus quotes him in a history written around 221 AD. Africanus debates Thallus regarding the darkness that fell over the land during the crucifixion. Thallus argued it was a solar eclipse.
Africanus points out that a solar eclipse cannot occur during a full moon, which falls on Passover. This debate is significant. FYI, it shows that even skeptics did not deny that the darkness occurred. They simply tried to find a natural explanation for it.
Key Takeaway The historical existence of Jesus is supported by nine ancient non-Christian sources, including writings by Roman historians such as Tacitus and Jewish sources such as Josephus. These texts provide independent verification of his life, execution under Pontius Pilate, and the early worship practices of his followers, separating the man from the myth. Collectively, these diverse accounts from critics and historians alike confirm that Jesus was a real figure who left an undeniable mark on the ancient world.
Disclosure line: This article was developed with the assistance of AI and was subsequently reviewed, revised, and approved by our editorial team.
Visitors descending into the depths beneath the Great Pyramid encounter what appears to be an abandoned, roughly-hewn cavern, dismissed by scholars as an unfinished burial chamber that ancient builders left behind. But what if this crude appearance was intentional? What if the so-called "subterranean chamber" holds the key to understanding the entire pyramid's purpose? New geometric analysis reveals that this neglected space, 30 meters below the desert surface, contains sophisticated mathematical proportions that connect the physical world to the divine - a stone testament to the earth god Geb and the first rung on King Khufu's ladder to the heavens. The ancient Egyptians, it seems, were far more deliberate in their designs than modern archaeology has given them credit for.
Pythagorean Pyramid
It is well-known that Pythagoras’ ancient Greek equation for right triangles: a2+ b2= c2 , is older than ancient Greece. We also know that in Khufu’s pyramid the height equals the radius of a circle that has the circumference of the sum of the pyramid’s four sides added. That is, if we use the value 22/7 for p (pi), usually ascribed to Archimedes.
The much neglected subterranean chamber in Khufu’s pyramid reveals more ancient geometry.
It is quite understandable why the subterranean chamber in Khufu’s pyramid was thought to be unfinished and abandoned as burial chamber. (John & Morton Edgar photo from: Great Pyramid Passages and Chambers, Vol. I, 1910.)
In the interpretation of this author, the subterranean “unfinished cave” was neither unfinished nor abandoned; on the contrary, it was designed to fit perfectly into a system in which the vertically arranged chambers are meant to be rungs of a ladder to the sky for the deceased King Khufu’s spirit.
Each chamber can be seen as representing, or honoring, one of the five famous nature element gods from nearby Heliopolis. Earth, ‘water’ (rain & mist), and air gods define the three known chambers. The subterranean chamber likely honors the earth god Geb and his most massive material - stone. Naturally it would be good to find evidence that points to this.
In this respect, the chamber’s form, dimensions and connection with the upper chambers are truly fascinating to study.
This old photoof the cleared chambershows the flat elevated plateauin the west end and its sloping front. (John and Morton Edgar: Great Pyramid Passages and Chambers, Vol. I,1910.)
‘Earth’ in the Subterranean Chamber The drawing below shows how a short square wooden pipe, placed vertically in the well, with water hoisted up and poured onto the chamber floor, would create a scenery matching what the Greek historian Herodotus was told when he visited Egypt two thousand years after Khufu lived: that the king lay buried under his pyramid, on an island surrounded by water coming from a canal. Suddenly it all gives meaning - the blind canal, the water well and the “island”. It was a staged symbolic tableau.
A short wooden pipe is all that is needed to turn the chamber into a burial chamber reflecting Herodotus’ description. (Author provided)
Square In later ages and cultures the quadrangle, especially the quadrat (square), and the number four have been earth element symbols. Since the Heliopolitan nature elements and the later Greek elements appear to be rather similar, perhaps it is not impossible that the Egyptian Earth-god Geb’s element predates the later earth element in square/quadrat and number 4 symbolism. It is worth checking.
A hexagon inscribed in the Queen’s chamber – which I believe was Tefnut’s rain and mist (water) chamber, constructed with the depressed floor as a low basin for water. (Author provided)
Queen’s Chamber and “6” A hexagon can be inscribed vertically in the Queen’s chamber (likewise traditionally regarded as unfinished), the middle of which is exactly in 1/6 of the pyramid’s altitude. The side walls have six layers. Apparently they took that form and number serious. I refer to my earlier Ancient Origins article “A Watery Solution to the Enigmas of Khufu Pyramid’s Queen’s Chamber”for details.
The elevated – most ‘earth’ filled - part of the chamber is near-to quadratic. This and following illustrations are based on Maragioglio & Rinaldi’s fine survey drawings. (Maragioglio & Rinaldi: L’architettura delle Piramidi Menfite, parte IV, tavole, 1965) (Author provided)
Quadrat The Maragioglio & Rinaldi fine survey drawing (with my indication of a sarcophagus) depicts the most ‘Earth filled’ – western part of the chamber as a square, just a little too short to the eastern side to be a perfect quadrat. Photos like the ones in the start of this article reveal that the plateau’s side slopes slightly outwards-downwards, so its difficult to define bottom ‘edge’ must be a little longer to the east than the top edge. The whole mass of bedrock should be included in our 3D vision of the block of Earth in this chamber’s west end. It is all inside the quadrat.
Once you spot the square it is almost impossible to ignore it again, accurate quadrat or not.
The Number 4 Maragioglio and Rinaldi measured the chamber width to be 8.36 m at the west wall. In the ancient Egyptian unit the royal cubit (=0.5236 meter) this distance is very close to 16 cubit = 8.3776 meter. Less than 2 centimeter difference. The Edgar brothers mentioned (1910) that the rough surfaces in this chamber made precise measuring difficult.
Presuming 16 cubit was the intended size, you may reflect on that 16 is a square number (4x4). 4 is even a square number itself (2x2) as well as the number of sides in a square. Furthermore, in the vertical section 4x4 cubit squares – four of them – strongly indicate that the king’s built-in sarcophagus was placed on a flat plateau a quarter of the chamber width (4 cubit) below the ceiling.
In comparison to the nice quadrate 16 cubit width the Queen’s chamber measures precisely 10x11 cubit and the King’s chamber precisely 10x20 cubit.
The length of the subterrber is close toanean cham 27 cubit (north and south walls measured to be 14.06 and 14.08 meter – c. 2617/20 cubit).
In the vertical section squares 4x4 cubit seem to define the plateau’s level. (Author provided).
Diagonal: not ‘the divine proportion’, but a ‘half-divine’ one
Let us for a moment visualize this burial chamber split into two sections. The earth square part, and the rest. The diagonally turned well may hint to an interesting explanation to the size of the chamber’s eastern part. Namely the diagonal understood with the symbolism we know from later ages. So perhaps this symbolism originated in ancient Egypt?
Left: An old tarot card showing how the compass is the architect’s tool for transforming heavenly circle-wisdom into square buildings. Jacques Viéville tarot deck, c. 1650 (By the way: notice the building has five floors!).Right:Square and compass freemason’s logo from the Copenhagen loge building.
Much later the Italian renaissance architect Andrea Palladio (1508-1580) listed in his Quattro Libri dell’ Archittura several especially beautiful proportions for rectangles - among them the rectangle with one side length the size of the square’s diagonal. This new side length is easily drawn on paper with the help of a compass. Or constructed on a building site with a rope. Thinking about why he found it beautiful, the circle was regarded heavenly and the quadrat material, so the combination symbolically expressed divine-human collaboration (which was to become an ideal for freemasonry, reflected in their square-compass logo).
Today the format is used in A-format paper: A1, A2, A3, A4…
A square with sides 5.93 m has a diagonal as long as the chamber’s north-south width. Notice the diagonally turned well that almost urges us to think in diagonals. The square that defines this eastern part of the chamber has side lengths that combines square/earth and circle/heaven – extremely well-planned If it was intended to be a symbolic platform for the king’s spirit to ascent from.
Now take the chamber width and turn it with the help of a compass to become diagonal of a smaller square. This new square is near to fittting the space between the chamber’s western part and the east wall. Not exactly, it is a little bit larger, but look at the drawing with two such squares to fill the A-format space and all diagonals drawn: the diagonals seem to rather precisely define the well’s sides. This can hardly be a coincidence.
Might we then actually have a confirmation from the diagonally turned well that the ancient Egyptians saw the diagonal-defined square as a combination of both earth and sky, or earth and sun?
A symbolic explanation for the two different square formats combined in the subterranean chamber - quadrat in west, A-format in east - is that the chamber held two functions: 1) the west part containing the whole quarry-resembling mass of bedrock was meant to be caring for the king’s physical corpse, and 2) the east part had the purpose of servicing his spirit’s coming and going.
Here I have tried to separate the two square formats that seem to be intersecting a bit.
(Author provided).
The circle-section I have drawn shows how the 16 cubit long diagonal matches a quadrat width of 5.93 meter, or c. 11⅓ cubit (a quadrat’s diagonal is = 1.4142 times bigger than its sides). It seems however that they planned the east part square with whole-digit measures, 11 cubit. If you look at the pyramid chambers from above in a transparent view, such a whole number quadrate drawn in the middle is near to coincide with the subterranean west-part quadrate’s east side, and it coincides exactly with the King’s chamber’s north wall and the Queen’s chamber’s south wall. Suddenly there is a visual connection between the waterfilled east part of the subterranean chamber and the likewise watercovered floor of the Queen’s chamber. They have the same 11 cubit length. Somehow a whole-number 11 cubit quadrate seems to have been central for the planning of how the three chambers were distributed around the central well.
What is the explanation for why the central quadrate does not have the exact size we had figured out? I do not know. Maybe, in Egyptian understanding, squares created with the help of heaverly circles does not even have to be exact A-formats. Or is it because they did not calculate in decimals but in fractions, and probably did not know square roots? The assumption seems right, however, that the eastern part of the subterranean chamber is central for helping the king’s spirit to move from one level to the next on his ascent to heaven and back.
The well is placed in the middle of the three known chambers. Notice how the Queens chamber (Tefnut’s watery chamber) has the same east-west length as the area in the subterranean chamber that was covered with water.
From Underworld to Sky All in all it is satisfying that the search for earth square and number 4 symbolism in the subterranean chamber was succesfull. It even gave us the diagonal A-format in the eastern part, and the thereby defined square was apparently central for the layout of all the known chambers. This quadrate layout seems to have facilitated the king’s spirit’s ascent to the other chambers, and further to the sky. Perhaps the well was even seen as a portal to the sun barque’s nightly journey through the underworld. It is all connected!
Top image: The Great Pyramid, Inset; The restored Subterranean Chamber.
Swiss author Erich von Däniken, whose groundbreaking 1968 book Chariots of the Gods? spawned the modern ancient astronaut movement and sold over 70 million copies worldwide, has died at age 90. His representatives announced his death on his website, stating that he passed away on Saturday, January 11, 2026, in a hospital in central Switzerland. Von Däniken's radical theories about extraterrestrial visitors shaping human civilization brought him both fame and fierce criticism, but his influence on popular culture remains undeniable.
Revolutionary Book Challenged Scientific Orthodoxy
Born in Schaffhausen, Switzerland, in 1935, von Däniken rose to prominence when he published Chariots of the Gods? while working as a hotel manager in Davos. The book posed a provocative question that would define his career: "Was God an astronaut?" According to The New York Times, von Däniken argued that ancient civilizations like the Maya and Egyptians were visited by alien astronauts who provided them with advanced technology to construct monumental structures. His theories suggested that the Egyptian pyramids could only have been built with extraterrestrial assistance, pointing to mathematical relationships and engineering feats that seemed beyond ancient capabilities.
The book arrived at a pivotal moment in 1968, when humanity was on the cusp of landing on the Moon and counterculture movements questioned established authority. Von Däniken's blend of biblical interpretation, ancient mythology, and speculative archaeology resonated with readers seeking alternative explanations for human history. He reinterpreted religious texts, suggesting that Ezekiel's vision of "fiery wheels in the sky" was actually a description of alien spacecraft, and argued that the Nazca Lines in Peru served as landing strips for extraterrestrial visitors.
Von Däniken's theories faced much criticism from the scientific establishment. Renowned astrophysicist Carl Sagan dismissed his work, stating that von Däniken attributed everything he couldn't understand to extraterrestrial intelligence”. Anthropologists and archaeologists accused him of misrepresenting evidence, selective quotation, and promoting pseudoarchaeology that undermined legitimate scholarship.
In 1991, von Däniken became the first recipient of the Ig Nobel Prize for literature "for raising the public awareness of science through questionable experiments or claims." When confronted with fabricated evidence in a British television documentary, he refused to recant, insisting that minor discrepancies aside, his fundamental theories remained sound. His critics pointed to his criminal past - he served time in prison twice for fraud and embezzlement related to falsifying hotel financial records - as evidence of a broader pattern of deception.
However, raise public awareness he did, of the fact that what you read in the mainstream academic accounts is far from the whole story in many areas.
Lasting Cultural Impact Despite Academic Rejection
Despite scholarly disdain, von Däniken's influence permeated popular culture. He published more than 40 books over five decades, translated into 32 languages, establishing himself as one of Switzerland's most widely read authors. His ancient astronaut hypothesis prompted a whole new area of investigation, opening people’s eyes to the possibility of alternatives to the mainstream theories that were largely accepted as difinitive.
His work inspired Marvel Comics' The Eternals series, influenced Ridley Scott's Prometheus, and provided conceptual foundations for the Indiana Jones franchise. Most significantly, his work directly led to the creation of the History Channel's long-running series Ancient Aliens, which debuted in 2009 and featured von Däniken as a frequent commentator.
According to the AP News report, von Däniken traveled over 100,000 miles annually at the peak of his fame, surveying archaeological sites worldwide and lecturing to devoted followers. In 2003, he opened Mystery Park near Interlaken, Switzerland, a theme park based on his theories featuring replica pyramids and exhibition spaces. The venture struggled financially and was later renamed JungfrauPark, symbolizing the complex relationship between von Däniken's popular appeal and commercial sustainability.
The Giza pyramid complex in Egypt, which von Däniken claimed could only have been built with alien assistance.
Controversial Legacy Shapes Modern Mystery Culture
A 2018 Chapman University poll revealed that more than 40 percent of Americans believed aliens visited Earth in prehistory, testament to von Däniken's enduring impact on public consciousness. While mainstream archaeologists and historians continue to reject his theories as scientifically baseless, his work fundamentally changed how millions of people think about ancient civilizations and humanity's place in the cosmos. He remained active into his final years, refusing to retire and expressing unwavering confidence in his beliefs.
In the foreword to the 50th anniversary edition of Chariots of the Gods?, von Däniken wrote:
"Today, I know definitively that Earth, our home, has been visited by extraterrestrials in the distant past. I also know that those visitors promised our forebears they will return to Earth."
Von Däniken is survived by his wife of 65 years, Elisabeth Skaja, his daughter Cornelia, and two grandchildren. His son Peter died in 1962 at age two.
Von Däniken's groundbreaking 1968 book that launched the ancient astronaut movement, available from Amazon.com
NASA has announced the date of the world’s first medical evacuation from the ISS. The Dragon spacecraft with the Crew-11 mission team will undock from the station on January 14.
Crew-11 mission members. Source: NASA
The medical issue aboard the ISS became known on January 7, when NASA canceled a spacewalk scheduled for the following day. Astronauts Mike Fincke and Zena Cardman were supposed to participate in the spacewalk.
Shortly thereafter, the aerospace administration announced that it would bring the Crew-11 mission team home early in order to better diagnose and treat this medical issue. NASA did not disclose which astronaut had fallen ill or what the problem was, citing privacy concerns. According to unofficial reports, it is 58-year-old Mike Fincke. This is his fourth flight into space and his third long-term assignment to the ISS.
At a subsequent press conference, NASA Chief Medical Officer James Polk declined to name the astronaut or disclose his diagnosis. However, he provided the following general description of the situation:
“This is not an operational issue. This was not an injury that occurred in the pursuit of operations,” Polk said. “It’s mostly having a medical issue in the difficult areas of microgravity, and with the suite of hardware that we have at our avail to complete a diagnosis.”
According to NASA’s plan, Crew-11 will leave the ISS on the evening of January 14. The next day, the spacecraft will splash down in the Pacific Ocean, where it will be picked up by the Shannon ship. Overloads during re-entry into the atmosphere can create additional risks for the astronaut — but NASA has well-developed scenarios for this case and instructions for ground crews.
After the departure of Crew-11, for the first time in many years, the ISS crew will be reduced to just three people. NASA astronaut Christopher Williams and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergei Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikayev will remain on board the station.
The launch of the next manned spacecraft to the ISS (Crew-12 mission) is currently scheduled for February 15. However, NASA is considering the possibility of postponing the date if possible.
If you find brushing your teeth an annoying chore but still want sparkling clean pearly whites, Japanese inventors might have the perfect solution.
The 'g.eN' is the world's first fully automatic robotic toothbrush that can scrub your teeth without any assistance.
While it might sound like something out of Wallace & Gromit, this very real quirky science project is now available for sale.
And its creators say that the robotic device is even better for you than a manual toothbrush.
Developed using technology from the Waseda University Robotics Laboratory, the g.eN consists of 16 tiny brushes driven by a small but powerful motor.
Simply bite down on the mouthpiece and the machine automatically drives the brushes up, down, left, and right to brush your teeth completely in about a minute.
Its creators say that the device is the first oral care robot that can 'make tooth brushing less stressful and more reliable.'
Japanese inventors have released an automatic toothbrushing machine that can scrub your teeth in less than a minute
The machine uses eight pairs of brushes to clean your teeth from all sides simultaneously for the most even results
Genics, the company behind the strange device, says that its goal is to combine over a decade of robotics research with dentistry.
Their robotic toothbrush claims to clean your teeth faster and more thoroughly than a conventional brush by cleaning both sides at once.
Pairs of brushes simultaneously scrub the inner and outer faces of the tooth in a process that, according to Genics, reduces uneven brushing.
A study published in 2022 by the Japan Society of Healthcare Dentistry found that the g.eN achieved an average plaque retention of 22.4 per cent.
This meets industry-approved standards for 'good oral hygiene', and shows that the robot performs as well, if not better than, a standard brush.
Genics says that this is the first time a device has been shown to 'brush automatically and quickly without moving your hands'.
The latest version of g.eN is significantly lighter than previous versions, weighing just 220 grams, and features USB-C charging.
The device also includes four distinct brushing modes: Easy, Careful, Special Care, and Children.
The 'g.eN' is the world's first fully automatic robotic toothbrush that can scrub your teeth without any assistance.
On social media, some tech fans welcomed the innovation, with one writing: 'I'm tired of brushing my teeth so I'll buy some right away.'
'It might be good for busy mornings,' another commenter mused.
While another added: 'I don't think I can use it every day, but I'd like to use it occasionally when I'm feeling lazy.'
But not every social media user was convinced that the g.eN would be practical, and many were worried about the difficulty of replacing the brush heads.
One sceptical commenter wrote: 'It seems like cleaning this brush is harder than cleaning your teeth.'
While another complained that they would 'definitely vomit' if they tried to use the bulky brushing machine.
Although Genics is now making the g.eN available to the public, the main audience for the toothbrushing machine isn't just people who are short on time.
The company believes that its devices will be particularly useful for people with disabilities and nurses working in social care.
The company behind the brush says that its invention achieves results that are as good or better than a standard brush in a fraction of the time
The company believes that its devices will be particularly useful for people with disabilities and nurses working in social care, as well as people who are just short on time in the mornings
Genics claims that more than 200 'limited edition nursing care' brushing machines are already in daily use in care settings across Japan.
The company adds: 'The belief that "our robotics technology can be of greater use to society" is what is driving our technological development forward.'
Top dentists reveal how trendy fads can wreak havoc with people's teeth.
Despite the likes of Gisele Bündchen and the Hemsley sisters swearing by starting every morning with a refreshing glass of hot water and lemon, Dr Ben Atkins, a dentist based in Manchester and Trustee of the Oral Health Foundation, warns the drink effectively dissolves teeth and could even make them darker.
While critics link fluoride to everything from dementia to diabetes, experts argue numerous studies show the mineral does not harm people's health, with free-from varieties missing out on 'the main protective ingredient'.
Dr Atkins also describes the ancient Ayurvedic practice of oil pulling, which involves swishing coconut oil around the mouth, as a 'waste of time', with Dr Rhona Eskander, Best Young Dentist Winner 2016, adding it will not give you a Hollywood smile.
In terms of brushing your teeth with charcoal or apple cider vinegar, both Dr Atkins and Dr Eskander add the 'natural remedies' could do more harm than good as while their acidic, abrasive consistencies may remove surface stains, they could also permanently damage enamel.
Botched haircuts and dodgy fades might become a thing of the past, as a startup unveils its artificial intelligence (AI) powered clippers.
Unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) inLas Vegas, GLYDE claims to be the 'world's first smart hair clipper'.
The bizarre device uses an AI 'cutting coach' and 'auto fade' technology to let even the most inexperienced barber give a trim like a pro.
As long as you are willing to trust your hair to an algorithm, GLYDE says it can give a full cut in under 10 minutes.
To get a new haircut, users first select their chosen style from the app on their phone.
Then, someone can simply run the clippers over their head as the device automatically adjusts the depth of the cut.
The blades move automatically so that complex cuts like a fade can be done in a single pass, without any experience or skill.
GLYDE is so confident in its technology that it boasts the clippers can deliver a cut with 'zero mistakes', but would you trust AI to cut your hair?
A startup has unveiled the 'world's first smart clipper', named GLYDE, which uses an AI 'cutting coach' and 'auto fade' technology to let even the most inexperienced barber give a trim like a pro
According to GLYDE, the clipper features built-in sensors that track your motion and the angle of the blade.
Onboard motors compare this motion to the design for the haircut, and automatically shift the blades.
In theory, this means that your hair should end up at the exact right length, no matter how the clipper is held.
To prevent wonky cuts, the user first needs to put on a mask-like headband.
This 'fade band' provides a constant reference point for the clippers so that they know exactly where the fade should begin.
For nervous first-time barbers, the GLYDE also includes several features that should, in theory, make it impossible to mess up.
If you suddenly change the speed or angle of the cut, the blades will retract and prevent any further cutting.
Likewise, if GLYDE detects that you are holding it at the wrong angle or starting the cut from the wrong position, the blades won't deploy in the first place.
The AI-powered clipper automatically adjusts the blades as you cut, to deliver a smooth and consistent haircut without any skill or experience
Users simply select a haircut from the app and follow the on-screen instructions, while the clipper automatically moves the blades to perform the cut
To make things even easier, the clippers themselves feature a screen that shows information like cutting zone and blade depth.
They also include a small spirit-level display, so that you can be sure to hold them straight and level.
Currently, users can only choose their trim from a library of pre-made styles, which GLYDE says have been 'tested across different head shapes'.
However, in the future, the company plans to allow users to upload their own templates and take inspiration from other users' results.
If you are particularly brave, GLYDE even says that it may add options for 'beard and body trimming' in a future update.
As reported by The Verge, the company also plans to add voice controls for the AI.
Eventually, the onboard AI will be able to recommend specific hairstyles to the users and send them straight to the clippers.
The company has not yet provided an official release date, but the GLYDE clippers are expected to start shipping in the summer this year and cost around £110 ($150).
Currently, users can only choose from a set of pre-made haircut options on the GLYDE app. However, in the future, the company will add options to upload your own templates
GLYDE have not yet responded to the Daily Mail's request for additional information.
The clippers will be available directly from GLYDE's website or from selected online retailers.
However, AI-powered clippers weren't the only strange gadgets revealed at CES this year.
Beauty company L'Oreal unveiled a strange, flexible LED face mask that combats visible signs of ageing through 'targeted red light and near-infrared light'.
Meanwhile, the health startup Vivoo launched its hormone-sensing menstrual pads that can detect signs of fertility issues or conditions like polycystic ovary syndrome.
Kai-Fu Lee, the author of AI Superpowers: China, Silicon Valley, and the New World Order, told Dailymail.com the world of employments was facing a crisis 'akin to that faced by farmers during the industrial revolution.'
Half of current jobs will be taken over by AI within 15 years, one of China's leading AI experts has warned.
Kai-Fu Lee, the author of bestselling book AI Superpowers: China, Silicon Valley, and the New World Order, told Dailymail.com the world of employments was facing a crisis 'akin to that faced by farmers during the industrial revolution.'
'People aren't really fully aware of the effect AI will have on their jobs,' he said.
Lee, who is a VC in China and once headed up Google in the region, has over 30 years of experience in AI.
He believes it is imperative to 'warn people there is displacement coming, and to tell them how they can start retraining.'
Luckily, he said all is not lost for humanity.
'AI is powerful and adaptable, but it can't do everything that humans do.'
Lee believe AI cannot create, conceptualize, or do complex strategic planning, or undertake complex work that requires precise hand-eye coordination.
He also says it is poor at dealing with unknown and unstructured spaces.
Crucially, he says AI cannot interact with humans 'exactly like humans', with empathy, human-human connection, and compassion.
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Black-Eyed kids, phantom calls and transplant memory: What’s going on?
Black-Eyed kids, phantom calls and transplant memory: What’s going on?
Strange cases are surfacing worldwide, reports of black-eyed children, mysterious phone calls from the dead, and transplant patients inheriting memories. Skeptics dismiss them as urban legends or coincidences, yet the stories refuse to disappear.
So what’s really going on?
Case 1 - Two children tap on a car window at night, asking for a ride home. Their eyes are solid black, no whites, no color. Witnesses say they cannot enter unless invited. Those who let them in rarely talk about what happened afterward.
But those who encounter the Black-Eyed Children (BEK) describe pale, emotionless kids between 6 and 16 and report sudden terror, panic, and an overwhelming sense that something supernatural is at play.
So what are they? Paranormal entities? Interdimensional beings? Or simply a myth.
Meanwhile, researchers point to similar unexplained events that blur the line between science and the paranormal.
For example: Other strange cases that make no logical sense.
Case 2 — Phantom Phone Calls: A dead man’s mobile phone reportedly dialed rescuers 35 times over 12 hours, guiding them to his body. The battery should have been dead. The phone was never recovered.
Case 3 — Transplant Memory Transfer: A heart transplant patient developed the donor’s cravings, handwriting, and even married the donor’s widow. Thirteen years later, he died the same way, in the same place, as the donor before him.
Three cases and No scientific explanation that survives scrutiny. From the Black-Eyed Children phenomenon to phantom calls and organ memory, these cases raise a larger question: Are we looking at mere coincidence and internet fueled folklore, or at consciousness based models not yet recognized by science or could this be evidence of a genuine paranormal phenomenon involving unknown intelligences?
A group of Australian scientists have revealed how we may be able to learn to speak with aliens, and the answer is found right here on Earth.
If we do make contact with extraterrestrial life, it will likely require sending messages across vast distances of interstellar space.
The question for astronomers looking out for distant civilisations is how this communication would even be possible if we don't share a language.
Now, scientists say we might be able to develop a 'universal language' with an unlikely inspiration: The humble honeybee.
With six legs, five eyes, and a radically different social structure, scientists say that bees are among the closest things we have to aliens here on Earth.
Although humans and bees have wildly different brains, we have both evolved complex methods of communication and cooperation.
More importantly, new research shows that bees also have another very important thing in common with humans, which is the ability to do maths.
Scientists say we might learn how to communicate with aliens by studying the concepts that we share with honey bees
One of the big problems for communicating with aliens is the enormous distances involved.
Given that the nearest star to the sun is 4.4 light-years away, it would take an absolute minimum of 10 years to send a message and get a reply.
This makes it impractical to try to learn an alien's language from scratch, like in the sci-fi movie Arrival.
Instead, scientists want to develop a universal language that can be understood by any species, regardless of how they communicate.
To find a solution to this puzzle, the researchers asked how we might communicate with one of the most alien-like species on Earth.
Co-author Dr Adrian Dyer, of Monash University, told the Daily Mail: 'Because bees and humans are separated by about 600 million years in evolutionary time, we developed very different physiology, brain size, culture.'
However, despite these enormous differences, both humans and bees seem to have a similar basic understanding of mathematics.
Scientists have found that bees can learn to add and subtract in specialised tests, giving credence to the idea that mathematics might be a universal language
The researchers set up experiments in which bees could participate in maths tests to receive a reward of sugar water.
Incredibly, bees even demonstrated an ability to link abstract symbols with numbers, in a very simple version of how humans learn the Arabic numerals.
The fact that such a different organism shares mathematical concepts with humans lends evidence to the theory that mathematics could be a universal language.
The idea that mathematics could be the basis of alien communication is not a new theory.
In fact, the covers of the Golden Records, which accompanied the Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 space probes launched into deep space in 1977, were carved with mathematical and physical quantities.
Likewise, when researchers broadcast the Arecibo radio message into space in 1974, it contained 1,679 zeros and ones, ordered to communicate the numbers 1 to ten and the atomic numbers of the elements that make up DNA.
However, scientists weren't sure whether aliens would have similar enough mathematical concepts to understand these messages.
If bees can understand maths, then aliens might share those same universal concepts. That means attempts to communicate with mathematics, such as the cover of the golden disks on Voyager One and Two, could be successful
In their new paper, the researchers argue that their evidence from bees suggests that maths really is universal.
Dr Dyer says: 'When we tested bees on mathematical type problems, and they could build an understanding to solve the questions we posed, it was very interesting, and convincing that an alien species could share similar capabilities.'
'Now we know maths can be solved by bees, we have a solid basis to think about how to try to communicate with alien intelligence.'
As to what that language might look like, Dr Dyer says it may be very similar to the mathematics most of us use every day.
'Mathematics, which was first developed by philosophers to communicate complex problems more efficiently, is already a language we humans use every day.
'At a simple level, binary coded information would be a start, then, like we humans learn language through many "baby steps", we learn with another species to build a commonly understood language framework.'
The Drake Equation is a seven-variable way of finding the chance of active civilizations existing beyond Earth.
It takes into account factors like the rate of star formation, the amount of stars that could form planetary systems, the number potentially habitable planets in those systems.
The equation includes recent data from Nasa's Kepler satellite on the number of exoplanets that could harbor life.
Researchers also adapted the equation from being about the number of civilizations that exist now, to being about the probability of civilization being the only one that has ever existed.
Researchers found the odds of an advanced civilization developing need to be less than one in 10 billion trillion for humans to be the only intelligent life in the universe.
Unless the odds of advanced life evolving on a habitable planet are astonishingly low, then humankind is not the only advanced civilization to have lived.
But Kepler data places those odds much higher, which means technologically advanced aliens are likely to have existed at some point.
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Over mijzelf
Ik ben Pieter, en gebruik soms ook wel de schuilnaam Peter2011.
Ik ben een man en woon in Linter (België) en mijn beroep is Ik ben op rust..
Ik ben geboren op 18/10/1950 en ben nu dus 75 jaar jong.
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