One of the most ambitious hunting expeditions in history — the search for signals from extraterrestrial civilizations — is getting a new lease on life. The SETI@Home project, which has attracted more than 2 million enthusiasts from around the world, is completing its analysis of a colossal array of data collected by the legendary Arecibo telescope. Despite the destruction of the observatory, scientists now have a unique “golden hundred” of candidate signals for detailed verification.

The idea of searching for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) faces a fundamental problem: space is filled with radio noise from stars, gas, and other natural sources. It is incredibly difficult to pick out a possible technological signal from this chaos. In 1999, a team of scientists decided to enlist the help of the entire planet. They asked volunteers to install a special program on their home computers that would analyze real data from Arecibo in the background. They expected 50,000 participants, but ended up with a true global collective mind — millions of people from 100 countries used their home computers to help science.

The Legacy of Areisibo

Over the course of 21 years, volunteers sifted through the information and identified more than 12 billion “interesting” signals. Now, this list has been narrowed down to the 100 most promising ones. Their detailed verification has been entrusted to a new giant — the Chinese FAST radio telescope, the world’s largest single-dish antenna. This is a symbolic passing of the baton from the late Arecibo, who in 1974 sent the famous message about humanity into space.

So far, none of the candidate signals has provided irrefutable evidence of extraterrestrial intelligence. However, as project co-founder David Anderson notes, this work is of immense value: “If we don’t find aliens, we can say that we have established a new level of sensitivity. We have a long list of things we would do differently.”

Path to future discoveries

SETI@Home has concluded as a large-scale experiment in citizen science. It has not only sifted through cosmic noise, but also created an invaluable database of knowledge and methodologies. This experience will serve as a foundation for future, even more accurate searches, proving that the most complex scientific problems can be solved through the combined efforts of all humanity.

Earlier, we explained the reasons behind humanity’s failure to detect extraterrestrial life to date.

• According to berkeley.edu

• Posted in News, Tech

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15-01-2026 om 22:23 geschreven door peter  

Little red dots in deep space are 'the most violent forces in the universe', study finds - solving a mystery that has baffled scientists for decades

• READ MORE: Scientists are baffled by a blast from a supermassive black hole

By WILIAM HUNTER, SENIOR SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY REPORTER

Scientists have solved one of the universe's great mysteries as they finally reveal the identity of the 'little red dots' in deep space.

Ever since the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) started peering back into the dawn of the universe, experts have been perplexed by the appearance of these tiny red dots.

Astronomers found hundreds of the faint lights in images from when the universe was only a few hundred million years old, without any clue what they might be.

Now, scientists from the University of Copenhagen have revealed that the JWST's little red dots are actually 'the most violent forces in nature'.

According to a new study, published in the journal Nature, the red dots are actually supermassive black holes concealed in 'cocoons of ionised gas'.

As these young black holes feed on their cocoon, the swirling matter creates a vast amount of heat and radiation that shines out through the cloud of gas.

Lead author Professor Darach Watson says: 'We have captured the young black holes in the middle of their growth spurt at a stage that we have not observed before.

'The dense cocoon of gas around them provides the fuel they need to grow very quickly.'

Scientists say that the mysterious 'little red dots' discovered by the James Webb Space Telescope (pictured) are actually ancient supermassive black holes 

When the first little red dots were discovered, they presented a baffling puzzle for astronomers of the early universe.

The dots first appear in images from around 13 billion years ago, and simply disappear about a billion years later.

At first, scientists thought that the dots must be very young galaxies in their earliest stages of formation.

However, this didn't fit with our understanding of how the universe evolved after the Big Bang, as the first galaxies shouldn't have been visible until much later.

Others suggested that the dots might be black holes, ultra-dense bodies formed by the collapse of enormous stars, but there was another problem.

Scientists couldn't explain how any black hole could have become big enough to form a red dot so soon after the Big Bang.

Professor Watson's solution is that the black holes that form little red dots are actually much smaller than previously thought.

He says: 'When gas falls towards a black hole, it spirals down into a kind of disk or funnel towards the surface of the black hole.

Ever since the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) started peering back into the dawn of the universe, astronomers have been perplexed by the appearance of these tiny red dots

Now scientists say that these dots are actually young black holes wrapped in a cocoon of ionised gases, giving them a distinctive red glow 

'It ends up going so fast and is squeezed so densely that it generates temperatures of millions of degrees and lights up brightly.'

'The red colour arises because the UV and X-ray radiation from the central black hole is absorbed and reprocessed by the ionised gas around it, which gives it the characteristic red colour and spectra that look reminiscent of a star. 

Professor Watson and his co-authors looked at the spectral emission lines, the 'fingerprint' of the light being released, from several little red dots.

Just as they had suspected, these spectral lines were missing much of their UV and X-ray radiation, suggesting that the light was passing through a cloud of gas. 

More importantly, this data also shows that little red dots are far smaller than previously thought.

 Professor Watson told the Daily Mail: 'They are quite small - only a few light days or weeks at most. 

'The only mechanism we know in the universe that can dump that much energy in such a small volume is a BH.'

In fact, their analysis shows that the masses of these objects are about 100 times lower than astronomers had assumed.

Even though they are up to 10 million times more massive than the sun, these black holes are still around 100 times smaller than previously estimated. This makes them much more consistent with theories about the evolution of the universe (artist's impression)

Even though these would be some of the smallest black holes ever discovered, they are still up to 10 million times more massive than the sun and have diameters of over 6.2 million miles (10 million km).

However, that is still 'small' enough to be consistent with our understanding of how black holes formed after the Big Bang.

The researchers say this discovery could shed light on how black holes appeared so quickly in the early universe.

These young black holes' feeding frenzies could allow them to grow at speeds close to the maximum theoretical rate, known as the Eddington Limit.

That could explain why astronomers have started to discover black holes with masses up to a billion times greater than the sun, just 700 million years after the Big Bang.

'We found that the black hole masses are 10 to 100 times smaller than previously supposed, and that they are accreting gas at the limit, so these facts ease up very much on the problem of how they grow so fast,' says Professor Watson. 

'These black holes are more like one of the missing links between stellar mass black holes and the real monster black holes that lie in quasars that are 1000 times larger than the Little Red Dots.'

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15-01-2026 om 22:07 geschreven door peter  

China applies to launch 200,000 satellites into space, sparking concerns they plan to build a 'mega-constellation'

• READ MORE: NASA sets historic date for returning Americans to the moon

By WILIAM HUNTER, SENIOR SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY REPORTER

China has applied to launch almost 200,000 satellites into space, sparking concerns that the nation seeks to build a 'mega-constellation'.

On December 29, a newly formed body called the Institute of Radio Spectrum Utilisation and Technological Innovation filed applications for two satellite constellations.

Each of these enormous collections of spacecraft, dubbed CTC-1 and CTC-2, would contain 96,714 satellites spread over 3,660 different orbits.

If completed, China's new mega-constellation would dwarf even SpaceX's bold ambition to put 49,000 Starlink satellites in orbit.

Together, CTC-1 and CTC-2 would be the largest assembly of satellites ever put in orbit, and would effectively lock competitors out of a region of low-Earth orbit.

With Chinese authorities remaining quiet about the satellites' intended use, experts have raised concerns that the constellation may pose a security or defence threat.

As reported by China in Space, the Nanjing University of Aeronautics claims that the satellites will focus on: 'Low-altitude electromagnetic space security, integrated security defence systems, electromagnetic space security assessment of airspace, and low-altitude airspace safety supervision services.'

This suggests the constellations may play a similar role to the SpaceX Starshield satellites used by the US military for secure tracking and communications.

China has filed an application to launch almost 200,000 satellites into orbit, sparking concerns that the country might be building a mega-constellation (stock image) 

These applications were filed with the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), a UN body that allocates spectrum allowances in space.

With the applications filed, other operators will need to demonstrate to the ITU that new satellites in this orbit won't interfere with the constellation's operations.

These satellites may have any number of benign functions, from tracking extreme weather and providing navigation for aircraft to offering Starlink-style communication services.

However, the applications come at a time of increasing tension between the space ambitions of China and the US.

Not only are the two nations racing to be the first to establish a permanent presence on the moon, but they are also competing for dominance in the field of low-Earth orbit.

Military satellites form part of the so-called 'kill mesh', an automated network linking sensors, satellites, communications systems and weapons.

In the war in Ukraine, satellite communications and the ability to jam the enemy's own satellites have been critical to shaping the conflict.

Additionally, analysts have recently become concerned that the behaviour of China's satellites is becoming increasingly erratic and dangerous.

The Chinese People's Liberation Army has increasingly pursued space capacity to provide communications and surveillance. Experts are concerned that this new constellation could form part of that capacity 

The constellation may be similar to Starlink's Starshield system for secure communications, which has been used to great effect by Ukrainian troops fighting Russia's invasion (pictured) 

China appears to be testing several 'fast movers' capable of moving around the geostationary orbit belt (GEO), lifting falling satellites back into orbit or potentially sabotaging US space assets.

Speaking at an event at Chatham House in March, Chief Master Sergeant Ron Lerch, deputy chief of Space Operations for Intelligence with the U.S. Space Force, said: 'There are a number of what the Chinese refer to as these experimental communication satellites that are out in GEO, and yet these GEO satellites.

'They’re sliding, or they’re moving very frequently across the GEO belt, which is a behaviour that is very uncharacteristic of a satellite that’s intended to provide satellite communication.'

Mr Lerch added: 'We [U.S. Space Force] see great risk right now because of the unprecedented growth, as well as the unmanaged competition.'

For its part, China has been clear that it sees space as a legitimate frontier for competition with the US.

As early as 2021, President Xi Jinping claimed that space was an 'important strategic asset for the country that must be well managed and utilised and, more importantly, protected.'

China now has approximately 1,000 satellites in orbit, marking a significant increase from around 40 satellites in 2010.

While these two new constellations might become part of China's growing military space presence, the more serious worry is that they may be part of a 'land grab'.

China has been clear that it sees space as a legitimate area for competition, with President Xi Jinping (pictured) calling space 'an important strategic asset for the country'

By staking their claim with the ITU, the Institute of Radio Spectrum Utilisation and Technological Innovation has effectively locked off a huge section of GEO.

Under the ITU's rules, they must launch at least one satellite within seven years of the initial filing, with another seven years to complete launching all the satellites.

China might have legitimate aims to build the constellations, but there is nothing preventing China from filing a 'dummy' application to lock off a section of space for later use.

Victoria Samson, Chief Director of space security and stability for Secure World Foundation, told New Scientist: 'It is possible they’re just trying to create some space for later on.'

This would not be the first time that a nation has attempted such a manoeuvre.

In 2021, Rwanda filed an application for a constellation of 327,000 satellites in 27 orbits that it had absolutely no realistic ability complete.

Similarly, it seems extraordinarily unlikely that China even has the capacity to complete CTC-1 and CTC-2 if it wanted to.

China's commercial sector can currently produce about 300 spacecraft per year, with plans to expand up to 600, while the state can produce several hundred more.

China does not have the rocket launch capacity to realistically complete this project, launching only 94 rockets last year. This makes it likely that the application is a form of 'land grab' to secure orbital space for future use. Pictured: A Chinese Long March-2F rocket launches in October 2025

However, China would need to launch 500 satellites per week, every week, for seven years to get 200,000 satellites in orbit.

In 2025, China launched a record 92 rockets into space but hundreds, if not thousands, would be needed to complete the project.

Even within China, experts don't seem to seriously believe that this project will ever be completed.

Yang Feng, General Manager of commercial satellite maker Spacety, told China Daily: 'Leading in terms of filing applications does not mean surpassing in final execution.

'Turning these plans into operational constellations faces major challenges in terms of systems engineering, manufacturing and launch capacity.'

This makes it more likely that China is simply attempting to secure a large section of orbit for later use.

Perhaps ironically, this move comes just weeks after China lambasted SpaceX for creating 'safety and security' concerns by locking off sections of orbit with its own satellite constellations.

'With the unchecked proliferation of commercial satellite constellations by a certain country, in the absence of effective regulation, has given rise to pronounced safety and security challenges,' a Chinese representative said at an informal UN Security Council event.

THE NINE FIRMS WORKING ON NASA'S RETURN TO THE MOON

Astrobiotics' Peregrine lander is one of the many in the running

Astrobotic Technology : The Pittsburgh-based firm was founded in 2008 by Carnegie Mellon professor Red Whittaker. It was among the many teams that participated in Google’s $20 million Lunar XPrize, which shut down this year without a winner.

Astrobiotic’s lunar lander, dubbed Peregrine, stands on four shock-absorbing legs and attaches to the launch vehicle via a standard clamp.

'The Peregrine Lander precisely and safely delivers payloads to lunar orbit and the lunar surface on each mission,' the firm says.

'Payloads can be mounted above or below the decks, and can remain attached or deployed according to their needs.'

Deep Space Systems: The systems engineering company from Colorado is long been a subcontractor to NASA and other aerospace giants, including Lockheed Martin. 

The firm develops everything from plans and interface control documents to ground software tools for missions. Deep Space Systems says it focuses on the ‘the design, development, integration, testing and operations of science and exploration spacecraft.’

 Their lunar lander concept is a rover that appears to feature smaller scouting robots that can be deployed.

Draper: The Cambridge, Massachusetts-based laboratory is a not-for-profit research and development organization. Draper develops everything from autonomous systems and biomedical solutions to systems. 

Notably, Drapers accomplishments include a device that measures cabin air on the International Space Station to check for volatile organic compounds.

The firm’s concept lander, dubbed Artemis-7, will sit on four mechanical legs to carry out sample collection and return.

Firefly Aerospace: Firefly showed off a concept for a commercial launch vehicle and a lunar lander. 

While the firm hasn’t released much detail just yet, it appears to be a three-stage system upon which the lander sits at the very top.

Intuitive Machines: The Houston-based firm also unveiled a concept lander that looks much like R2D2. 

The Nova-C lander is the key component of its Lunar Payload and Data Service plan. It’s capable of 24/7 data coverage, and can hold a payload of at least 85 kg.

The firm says it can land anywhere on the moon.

The Houston-based firm also unveiled a concept lander that looks much like R2D2 (left). Firefly showed off a concept for a commercial launch vehicle and a lunar lander (right)

Lockheed Martin: The aerospace giant unveiled its McCandless Lunar Lander, named after late NASA astronaut Bruce McCandless.

Lockheed Martin named its lunar lander after late NASA astronaut, Bruce McCandless

It’s ‘capable of transporting large payloads weighing hundreds of kilograms – including stationary scientific instruments, deployable rovers, or even sample return vehicles – to the surface of the Moon,’ the firm says.

‘The lander uses a proven propulsive landing approach that relies upon on-board radars and a set of rocket thrusters firing 10 times a second to slow to just five mph before touching down. 

'Once on the lunar surface, the lander can provide power, communications and thermal management for sophisticated payloads.’

Masten Space Systems: Masten’s XL-1 is a ‘small, single use lander’ that can carry 100-kg payload.

‘The XL-1 is designed to offer a mission duration that is minimally sufficient to land on the lunar surface, transmit payload activation commands, and activate the payload release/deployment mechanism,’ the firm says.

Masten’s XL-1 is a ‘small, single use lander’ that can carry 100-kg payload

Moon Express: Cape Canaveral-based Moon Express was previously pegged to develop a fleet of low-cost robotic spacecraft that can be assembled like Legos.

The initial spacecraft, known as MX-1E,is a similar size and shape to the R2D2 droid from Star Wars. It will hop across the lunar surface on its legs.

Last year, the firm said it hoped its ‘Harvest Moon’ expedition will take place by 2020, including the first commercial sample return mission, which also begins the business phase of lunar resource prospecting.

Orbit Beyond: The New Jersey firm unveiled a four-legged concept lander that could soon be used to deliver payloads to the moon. The firm has yet to reveal more details on the project.

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15-01-2026 om 21:43 geschreven door peter  

NASA has carried out the first-ever medical evacuation of astronauts from the International Space Station (ISS), rushing a four-person crew back to Earth after an in-orbit health emergency.

The Crew-11 capsule splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego, California at approximately 3:41am ET on Thursday, ending a roughly 10-hour return flight after leaving the ISS the day prior.

The return was prompted by a medical issue that NASA flight surgeons determined could not be fully treated in microgravity.

On board were NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov. 

The spacecraft fired its engines to deorbit at 2:50am before enduring a fiery re-entry through Earth's atmosphere, deploying four parachutes to slow its descent into the ocean moments before splashdown.

A recovery vessel with medical personnel retrieved the capsule at sea, conducted immediate health assessments, and transported the astronauts by helicopter and jet to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston for further evaluation.

The American space agency has declined to identify the affected crew member or disclose the nature of the condition, citing medical privacy.

NASA administrator Jared Isaacman decided to bring the crew home early out of an abundance of caution, noting that the astronaut's medical episode was considered 'serious' and would require additional medical care on Earth. 

The spacecraft fired its engines to deorbit at 2:50am before enduring a fiery re-entry through Earth's atmosphere, deploying four parachutes to slow its descent into the ocean

Crew-11 before leaving the ISS. Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov (Back left), NASA astronaut Mike Fincke (Front left), JAXA astronaut Kimiya Yui (Front right), and NASA's Zena Cardman (Back right)

A live press briefing was held about one hour after the crew returned to Earth, where Isaacman said the crew member of concern is doing fine, and NASA will release more when possible.

NASA's chief medical officer, Dr James Polk, said last week they were in stable condition and were not in any immediate danger. 

He noted that the astronaut's medical condition had nothing to do with an upcoming spacewalk on January 8, which was cancelled, or any other operations on board the station. 

Boats swarmed the capsule as it bobbed on top of the water, which pulled the craft towards a recovery vessel in the distance, following splashdown.

The capsule was then hoisted onto the vessel, and the SpaceX ground team quickly went to work cooling it down and removing any debris that may have attached to the hatch door during the descent. 

The hatch was opened at 3:19am, giving the astronauts their first breath of fresh air since launching to the ISS on August 1.

Medical doctors were the first to meet the crew for a quick routine health check. 

Fincke was the first to emerge from the capsule, followed by Cardman, Platonov and Yui. 

The SpaceX Dragon capsule hit the water at 3:41am, brining the four-person Crew-11 home

The return capsule was hoisted onto a recover vessel that was waiting nearby in the Pacific Ocean

The crew spent 10 hours soaring through space before splashing down in the Pacific Ocean. Pictured is Crew-11 inside the capsule

'It's so good to be home,' said Cardman, the capsule commander. This was her first space mission.

Each astronaut was put on a stretcher, as they had been in zero-gravity for more than 100 days, and then carried off for more medical tests.

The four astronauts who were evacuated had been trained to handle unexpected medical situations, said Amit Kshatriya, a senior NASA official, praising how they have dealt with the situation. 

Crew-11 is set to stay overnight at a medical facility outside of San Diego. 

Michael Fincke was the first to emerge from the capsule (PICTURED)

Pictured is cosmonaut Oleg Platonov after emerging from the capsule

The four astronauts were scheduled to leave after Crew-12 arrived on a new SpaceX Dragon capsule no earlier than February 15.

Until their arrival, a group including NASA astronaut Chris Williams, who arrived at the ISS aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft in November 2025, will be maintaining the station.

The evacuation followed NASA's Spaceflight Human-System Standard, which mandates contingency return procedures whenever onboard medical resources are insufficient.

Although statistical models have long predicted that such an event could occur roughly once every three years, the plan has never before been used.

Located 250 miles above Earth, the ISS functions as a testbed for research that supports deeper space exploration, including eventual missions to return humans to the moon and onward to Mars. 

The ISS is set to be decommissioned after 2030, with its orbit gradually lowered until it breaks up in the atmosphere over a remote part of the Pacific Ocean called Point Nemo, a spacecraft graveyard.

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15-01-2026 om 21:02 geschreven door peter  

Story by Shane Rowe

 

Baba Vanga, the blind Bulgarian mystic who died in 1996 at age 85, allegedly made predictions for 2026 that have captured worldwide attention. Born in 1911 as Vangeliya Pandeva Gushterova, she became known as the "Nostradamus of the Balkans" for prophecies attributed to her over decades. Devotees claim she foresaw events including 9/11, Princess Diana's death, and the COVID-19 pandemic. For 2026, she reportedly warned that a colossal alien spacecraft would enter Earth's atmosphere in November, according to The Mirror.

Her most alarming forecast centered on global conflict. Vanga allegedly predicted World War III would erupt in 2026, a warning that has gained attention amid current geopolitical tensions, including a potential Chinese takeover of Taiwan and confrontation between Russia and the United States. Despite this dire prediction, she also foresaw that the world would not end until 5079, suggesting humanity would survive the potentially catastrophic war she warned about for this year.

The alien prediction has taken on added intrigue among believers amid recent developments. Followers point to an uptick in reported Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena sightings over the past decade and continued speculation surrounding 3I/ATLAS, an object lingering in the solar system that has fueled debate over whether it is an interstellar comet or something more unusual. Vanga did not elaborate on the visitors' intentions when she allegedly warned that the spacecraft would enter Earth's atmosphere.

A Society-Wide Reckoning Over Technology and Morality Looms

Beyond extraterrestrial contact and war, Vanga allegedly warned that society is nearing a breaking point where it will realize it has "gone too far," according to The Mirror. This prediction reportedly centers on technology and morality, with enthusiasts claiming she foresaw a time when societies would collectively recognize they had crossed ethical and technological boundaries. Followers interpret this as a reckoning that would not arrive as a single catastrophic event but unfold gradually, driven by rising global tensions and scientific advances that fundamentally reshape human relationships.

• Related video:Mystic who predicted 9/11 warned of alien spacecraft and World War III in 2026.

Looking further ahead, she allegedly predicted artificial organs could enter mass production as early as 2046. Her purported forecasts about breakthroughs in cancer detection are often linked to the same ethical and technological concerns attributed to her 2026 warnings. Vanga's reported timeline suggests humanity faces a prolonged period of technological advancement intertwined with moral dilemmas. These alleged predictions reflect her broader warning that progress and peril would walk hand in hand throughout this century.

Her track record, however, includes significant failures that complicate her legacy. Vanga allegedly claimed Barack Obama would be the last US president, a forecast proven false by subsequent elections. She also predicted World War III would begin in 2010, more than a decade before the current year. These inaccuracies have led skeptics to question both the authenticity of predictions attributed to her and how followers interpret her warnings, though devoted believers continue finding meaning in her prophecies.

Her Extended Timeline Maps Humanity's Journey Through Millennia

Vanga's alleged prophecies extend thousands of years into the future, creating a detailed roadmap of what followers claim is humanity's fate. She reportedly predicted humans would begin exploring Venus as an energy source in 2028, just two years from now. By 2033, she purportedly warned that polar ice caps would melt completely, raising sea levels to drastic heights worldwide. Her attributed timeline suggests the near future holds both technological achievement and environmental catastrophe. These early milestones set the stage for more dramatic predictions ahead.

Her mid-range forecasts grow increasingly extreme. Vanga allegedly predicted communism would spread globally by 2076, and that a drought would devastate much of the planet in 2170. By 3005, she purportedly foresaw Earth going to war with a civilization on Mars. She reportedly warned that by 3797, humans would have to vacate Earth entirely because it would become uninhabitable. Despite these apocalyptic visions, she maintained that humanity would persist for thousands more years.

The mystic's final prediction allegedly marks humanity's ultimate end in 5079. This reported timeline suggests that despite wars, environmental disasters, and interplanetary conflicts, human civilization would endure for more than three millennia beyond the present day. Her attributed prophecies paint a picture of a species constantly adapting to new challenges, from melting ice caps to Martian warfare, yet somehow surviving catastrophe after catastrophe until meeting its end more than 3,000 years from now.

Decades After Her Death, the Mystic's Influence Endures

Baba Vanga lost her sight during a dust storm as a child and allegedly developed her clairvoyant abilities afterward. She spent decades offering prophecies to visitors in Bulgaria before she died in 1996 at age 85. Followers continue to analyze predictions attributed to her, claiming major historical events, including 9/11, Princess Diana's death, and the COVID-19 pandemic, align with her prophetic abilities. Her alleged predictions remain a subject of fascination and debate more than 25 years after she passed away.

The interpretation of predictions attributed to her presents ongoing challenges. Many of Vanga's alleged prophecies were reportedly vague or cryptic, leaving room for multiple interpretations by followers who attempt to match her words to world events. Some enthusiasts claim she foresaw developments she never explicitly mentioned, while skeptics argue failed predictions like the 2010 World War III forecast undermine claims of her accuracy. The debate over her legitimacy continues as new generations discover the warnings attributed to her about humanity's future.

Whether predictions attributed to her for 2026 prove accurate remains to be seen. The year has only just begun, leaving eleven months for her alleged warnings about alien contact in November and the outbreak of World War III to potentially materialize. Current global tensions and the ongoing mystery of 3I/ATLAS keep her purported prophecies in the public conversation. For believers and skeptics alike, 2026 will serve as a test of claims about the blind mystic's alleged foresight.

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15-01-2026 om 18:42 geschreven door peter  

Astronauts evacuated early from the International Space Station (ISS) due to a medical issue were seen for the first time back on Earth in the early hours of Thursday morning after their SpaceX Dragon craft splashed down off the Californian coast.

NASA has not given details on who within Crew-11 was experiencing the issue or what the specific problem was, citing patient privacy. Officials have emphasized that it was not an emergency.

Why It Matters

This was the first evacuation prompted by a medical issue in NASA’s near 68-year history, and the first from the ISS since it became continuously inhabited in 2000.

What To Know

Splashdown occurred at 12:41 a.m. PT (3:41 a.m. ET) in calm waters off San Diego, following a nine-and-a-half-hour ride back to Earth. Crew members had been away from Earth for 167 days. The hatch opened at 1:10 a.m. PT (4:10 a.m. ET).

The crew, launched in August, were scheduled to remain on the ISS until late February. But the mission was canceled on January 7, meaning a planned spacewalk by Zena Cardman and Michael Fincke the next day did not take place.

The ailing astronaut is “stable, safe and well cared for,” outgoing space station commander Fincke said earlier this week via social media. “This was a deliberate decision to allow the right medical evaluations to happen on the ground, where the full range of diagnostic capability exists.”

NASA astronaut Fincke was first to exit the craft before his fellow American, and mission commander, Cardman. JAXA (the Japan’s space agency) astronaut Kimiya Yu and then Roscosmos (Russia’s space agency) cosmonaut Oleg Platonov followed.

Crew members were given an initial medical check by a SpaceX medical doctor as they disembarked, NASA said. The space agency’s live footage of the event showed all four crew members were carried away on stretchers.

Pennsylvanian Fincke, a veteran of three previous ISS trips, was seen smiling and giving a thumbs-up as he was helped on to a stretcher.

NASA astronauts Mike Fincke gives a thumbs-up.

Mission commander Cardman, a Virginia native who was on her first ISS mission, was also seen smiling as she waved and pointed to someone out of shot.

Yu gave a double wave as he was pushed away on a stretcher. He had just completed 300 days in space across two missions, NASA said.

Platonov raised his arms and gave a double thumbs-up as he was carried away.

NASA and Roscosmos take turns transporting each other’s astronauts or cosmonauts between Earth and the ISS under one of few remaining cooperation agreements between the United States and Russia following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yu.

What People Are Saying 

NASA announced on January 8 that the early evacuation would take place, saying: “NASA announced on Thursday its decision to return the agency’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission to Earth from the International Space Station earlier than originally planned as teams monitor a medical concern with a crew member currently living and working aboard the orbital laboratory.”

Asked at a January 8 news conference about the medical issue, NASA administrator Jared Isaacman said: “This was a serious medical condition; that is why we’re pursuing this path. [The] Crew member’s stable. As we mentioned, we’re not electing an emergency deorbit. But obviously, as we’ve already communicated, the capability to diagnose and treat this properly does not live on the International Space Station. And I think there’s pretty broad agreement across our experts here on the ground, as well as the crew members in space. So I think there’s complete alignment around that point.”

“Our timing of this departure is unexpected,” NASA astronaut Zena Cardman said before the return trip, “but what was not surprising to me was how well this crew came together as a family to help each other and just take care of each other.”

What Happens Next

NASA was scheduled to hold a news conference at 2:45 a.m. PT (5:45 a.m. ET).

Update 1/15/2026 6:17 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with more information.

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15-01-2026 om 18:24 geschreven door peter  

Jack Nicholson Explains UFOs in Easy Rider Movie, 1969, UAP UFO Sighting News.

Now check out this scene in Easy Rider, where Jack Nicholson has all the right answers and he is spot on folks. You can't tell me that he didn't know about aliens, he was defiantly getting inside information about them. Here in Easy Rider you see him improvises and tells the world the truth about aliens regardless of what the director wants or not. 

Scott C. Waring

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

14-01-2026 om 23:42 geschreven door peter  

What exactly are we looking at in these remote area of Tierra del Fuego, an extremely rugged, uninhabited landmass far south of Patagonia, where the terrain appears to reveal a giant humanoid figure structure. They have nicknamed it the “King of the Jinn.” Even stranger, in the same area two massive serpent-like heads appear to emerge from the fractal cliffs as well as another unknown structures perfectly aligned. How can all of this be a coincidence? 

If these formations are truly ancient, then who shaped them and what purpose did this remote location serve? 

Skeptics will immediately default to the usual: symmetrical map mirroring, visual glitches, compression artifacts, or simple pareidolia, the brain interpreting random shapes as faces. But I’m not convinced. If this were true mirroring, both sides should line up with mathematical precision and they don’t. They only approximate symmetry, which makes it far stranger, not less. 

Then there’s the name itself: “King of the Jinn.” In Middle Eastern esoteric tradition, the title refers to powerful jinn rulers, non-human intelligences associated with boundaries, thresholds, portals, forbidden zones and abandoned places. In occult lore the jinn operate in liminal regions between worlds, often tied to landscapes that feel otherworldly or “off.” 

But the rabbit hole goes deeper: Ask yourself: why would someone choose a mythic Near Eastern occult title for a remote Patagonian outcrop containing humanoid and serpent iconography? It suggests the author understood the symbolism or recognized it. 

So whoever labeled this site “King of the Jinn” did so deliberately, selecting a mythic and symbolic name for an extremely remote location that appears to show humanoid shapes and serpent heads, along with other anomalous structures. That submission was intended for global visibility , suggesting the author believed this was not merely natural geology, but evidence of something artificial, ancient, occult, or at least unexplained. 

Once you factor Antarctica into the equation, the Tierra del Fuego anomaly becomes harder to wave away. The region isn’t an isolated curiosity, it sits at the Antarctic gateway, the transition zone between Patagonia and the polar continent. 

If the “King of the Jinn” formation functions as a portal or transit marker, its placement is strategic, not symbolic — positioned near the Drake Passage, the South Sandwich Trench, subglacial Antarctic ridges, and geomagnetic anomalies linked to the South Atlantic Magnetic Anomaly (SAMA). These are exactly the kinds of zones extraterrestrial intelligences would use if their movement relies on bathymetry, geomagnetic, or plasma-conductive pathways. 

In that light, the Tierra del Fuego structures may not be a monument, but an index marker pointing toward Antarctic nodes. If Earth is a transit hub rather than a habitat, Antarctica may be the infrastructure and Tierra del Fuego the signage, visible only from orbit.

So the question isn’t just “What’s in Tierra del Fuego?” but “What exactly is Antarctica hiding, and why are its most anomalous regions so heavily off-limits?” 

The fact that someone flagged it, suggests intent, a subtle signal that something is here, and it’s not natural. 

Location Google Map (Red pushpin): 37PGFP4M+CM 

Coordinates Google Earth: 55°32'38.0"S 69°15'57.0"W 

DAHBOO77 points out in his video that the supposed “symmetrical mirroring” explanation doesn’t hold up, as the formations don’t line up perfectly.

{ http://ufosightingshotspot.blogspot.com/ }

14-01-2026 om 23:33 geschreven door peter  

If you worry about your pets getting lonely in the house, this bizarre robot companion might be the perfect solution.

Aura is the robotic 'pet butler' designed to keep your furry friends company while you're at the office.

Developed by the AI service provider Tuya, this smiling robotic assistant can wheel around the house, filming and interacting with your pet.

Equipped with a digital smile, voice module, and the ability to shoot treats out of its face, Aura claims to address your pets 'deeper emotional needs'.

That is possible due to what Tuya calls an 'emotional translator' for pets.

The robot supposedly has the ability to 'accurately interpret a pet's emotional state' through behaviour and sound analysis.

Owners will then receive automatic reports through their smartphones, telling them whether their pooch is happy, sad, anxious, or excited.

Aura can even play 'family photographer', autonomously capturing your pet's memorable moments while you are busy working.

Aura is the robotic 'pet butler' designed to keep your furry friends company while you're at the office

Unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Aura is a three-wheeled robot that looks a little like an iPad stuck to a hamster wheel.

Its large, flat 'face' displays a pair of eyes and a smiling mouth that appear to look at people around them.

Its body, meanwhile, is hollow, apparently to allow cats to ride around inside the robot.

The little robot uses a pair of cameras to give it depth perception and can autonomously navigate your home.

This allows Aura to automatically find its way around without crashing into objects and return to its charging dock when needed.

In bad news for nervous cats, Tuya adds that the robot 'moves freely throughout the home, proactively seeking out pets to interact with them'.

However, Aura's real selling point is its supposed ability to understand and interact with your cats on a more emotional level.

While automated feeders, cameras, and even treat-shooting toys already exist, Tuya claims that none of these help your pet feel any less lonely.

Unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Aura is equipped with toys, cameras, and an onboard AI that is designed to keep your pets happy 

Using its animated face and AI-powered voice interactions, Aura is supposedly designed to be a 'responsive and warm' companion.

Tuya doesn't say exactly how the robot will try to bond with your pet, but it is equipped with an array of toys, including a laser pointer, treat dispenser, and 'simulated pet sounds'.

Using its 'emotion translator', Tuya claims that Aura will be able to keep owners apprised of their pets' well-being, and capture any exciting moments.

Aura tracks pets' movements, including sudden bursts of energy, playful interactions, and naps, and decides which are worth photographing on the owner's behalf.

Tuya says that Aura can also autonomously generate short videos to 'reserve precious memories and strengthen emotional bonds'.

The company hasn't yet revealed when the robot will become commercially available, nor how much it will cost.

However, Tuya has suggested that this strange pet butler is only the first step in their robotic ambitions.

The company claims that Tuya lays a foundation for future applications in 'elder care, home monitoring, and family connectivity' with 'diverse hardware forms'.

Using its 'emotion translator', Tuya claims that Aura will be able to keep owners apprised of their pets' mood, and capture any exciting moments

Strangely, this was not the only automatic companion unveiled at CES this year.

Startup FrontierX revealed its Vex robot, which can follow your pets around the house, filming them as they go.

While the Vex can also play with your pet, its operations are a lot more simplistic.

Unlike Aura, the palm-sized Vex only films your pet and doesn't interact with voice and other toys to keep it busy.

Tuya did not respond to the Daily Mail's request for additional comment.

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

14-01-2026 om 23:25 geschreven door peter  

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.

These small fragments turned out to be leftovers from ancient asteroids that crashed into the moon billions of years ago.

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.

Moreover, scientists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences discovered that the relics came from the same type of space rocks that likely delivered chemicals necessary to spark life on planets like Earth billions of years ago.

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.

The research in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) noted that most of the rocks ever taken back from the moon formed there over time.

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, China, and India have all announced that they will be sending additional missions to the moon before 2030, including manned missions by the US.

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

14-01-2026 om 23:07 geschreven door peter  

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.

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

Read More

• Extraterrestrial relics found in samples from the moon's far side 

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'.

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

14-01-2026 om 22:50 geschreven door peter  

Story by Greg Wehner

NASA plans to 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 SAYS AMERICA WILL WIN ‘THE SECOND SPACE RACE’ AGAINST CHINA

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.

AP Newsroom© John Raoux/AP Photo

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."

• TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY DUFFY TO ANNOUNCE NUCLEAR REACTOR DEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR 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.

Fox News© Fox News

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.

• BLUE ORIGIN LAUNCHES NEW GLENN ROCKET TO MARS AFTER DELAYS

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.

Fox News© Fox News

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.

Original article source: 

• NASA returns humans to deep space after over 50 years with February Artemis II Moon mission

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{ Fox News }

14-01-2026 om 22:27 geschreven door peter  

Biblical figures validated by archaeological finds

©Getty Images

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.

©Getty Images

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."

©Getty Images

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).

©Getty Images

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.

©Getty Images

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.”

©Getty Images

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.

©Getty Images

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.

©Getty Images

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.

©Public Domain

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.

©Public Domain

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.

©Public Domain

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.

©Getty Images

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.

©Getty Images

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.

©Public Domain

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.

©Getty Images

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.

©Getty Images

Herod Antipas
The name of Herod Antipas stamped across coins of Galilee and Perea attests to his existence as a ruler of the region.

©Getty Images

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.

©Public Domain

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.

©Getty Images

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.

©Getty Images

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.

©Getty Images

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.

©Getty Images

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.

©Getty Images

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.

©Getty Images

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.

©Getty Images

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.

©Getty Images

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.

©Getty Images

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.

©Getty Images

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.

©Getty Images

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.

©Public Domain

James the Just
In 62 CE, Jewish historian Josephus made a reference to “James, the brother of Jesus who is called Christ,” who was executed.

©Getty Images

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.

©Getty Images

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.”

Sources: (History Collection) (National Geographic) (Biblical Archeological Society)

See also: The largest empires in world history

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{ Stars Insider }

14-01-2026 om 22:01 geschreven door peter  

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.

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13-01-2026 om 23:58 geschreven door peter  

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.

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.

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)

Smart Weapons: SMASH

Along with lasers, jammers, and drone-capturing drones, systems designed to simply shoot the UAVs out of the sky are also under development. One such pair of systems, the SMASH 2000 Plus Fire Control System and the SMASH Hopper Light Remote-Controlled Weapon Station, was unveiled at IDEX 2021 by Israeli company Smart Shooter.

As The 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.”

_

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.”

Fighter-mounted lasers

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.

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.

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

13-01-2026 om 23:10 geschreven door peter  

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

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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.

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13-01-2026 om 22:29 geschreven door peter  

China Builds Wild Gravity Machine

CHIEF

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.

More on centrifuges: 

• NASA Tests System to Fling Satellites Into Sky Using Huge Centrifuge

{https://futurism.com/category/science-energy }

13-01-2026 om 21:26 geschreven door peter  

Asteroid Behaving Strangely

{ https://futurism.com/category/space }

13-01-2026 om 21:15 geschreven door peter  

Prehistoric discoveries beneath a US lake found to be older than Egypt's Great Pyramid

• MORE:  The five unsolved mysteries of 2025 that captivated the world

By CHRIS MELORE, US ASSISTANT SCIENCE EDITOR

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 

Read More

• Discovery at Pompeii confirms long-lost secret that built the Roman Empire 

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.' 

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13-01-2026 om 21:02 geschreven door peter