Friday, July 29, 2011

ET life inside black holes?

Dear readers,


An unusually warm winter's day here in Adelaide, 20 degrees Celsius, with possible light rain, according to the local ABC radio news.


When UFO researchers think of the origin point for ET visitors, they usually consider planets around nearby star systems. Recently, however, some scientists have been considering ET life in far more exotic localities.


An article by Myles Gough, in the Jun/Jul 2011 issue of Cosmos magazine (page 14) considers life beyond the event horizon of a black hole!


"Planets with advanced life could hypothetically exist within the boundaries of spinning super massive black holes. Drawing from previous notions that subatomic particles such as photons have stable orbits inisde black holes, Vyacheslav Dokuchev, a physicist from the Institute for Nuclear Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences, states that planets could also find steady orbits near black holes.


"The idea is predicated on planets voyaging through a black hole's event horizon - the imaginary gravitational boundary-line beyond which nothing, even light, can escape. It could explain the paradox that asks ,"If the extraterrestrial civilisation exists, why don't we hear and see them?"


"Inside a rotating black hole, there are two event horizons that a traversing planet would need to pass through before settlingh into a stable periodic orbit.


"According to the theory, the inner-domain of a black hole could also provide sufficient energy to support life, suggesting that advanced civilisations could exist on the inside; invisible to the outside universe.


"Charley Lineweaver, an astrophysicist from the Australian national University in Canberra, said that while these ideas weren't explained in enough detail,there's nothing wrong with far-fetched theories. "There have been a few papers entertaining ideas that we are living in a black hole right now. These ideas may not be completely crazy," he said."

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

"A tale of two sciences" part three

Dear readers,

This is the third and last post on Peter A Sturrock's 2009 book "A Tale of Two Sciences."

Part three of the book is titled "Towards a Synthesis." After discussing "scientific" and "non-scientific" topics, Sturrock poses the question "What is science?"

"My view is that science is defined not by the subject matter, nor by the instrumentation that is used, nor by the calculations that are made. Science - in my view - is defined by the relevant thinking process, which - in my opinion - is that known as "scientific inference." (p.148.)

"I have noticed that, when confronted with a new phenomenon - or an apparently new phenomenon - scientists tend to bypass discussion of the evidence in favour of theoretical considerations." (p154.)

In chapter 18, 'Models of reality" Sturrock proposes that x-rays, quasars, pulsars, and UFOs "...have something in common. They all deal with anomalies..." (p.155.)

Sturrock goes on to suggest classifying anomalies into "OK anomaly," "Not OK anomaly" and "sleeping anomalies." (p.156.) Pulsars would be an "OK anomaly." The original history of meteorites, when people denied they fell from the skies would be a "Not OK anomaly." Current "Not OK anomalies" would be UFOs and parapsychology. An example of a "sleeping anomaly" would be continental drift.

Conclusions:

"UFO reports describe objects that, if real, defy the known laws of gravity and inertia." (p.160.)

"Hence a major challenge in the study of phenomena such as those we have met in preceding chapters is to identify the basic assumptions of our current 'Model of Reality'..." (p.161.)

"...UFO reports definitely point towards Extraordinary Physics." (p.167.)

Comments:

This is an invaluable book which examines why science today still does not like to take a look at the UFO phenomenon.

"A tale of two sciences" part two

Dear readers

This post continues my look at the 2009 book by Peter A Sturrock, "A Tale of Two Sciences."

In 1971, while working on pulsars, Sturrock recruited Jacques Vallee as a research scientist. Sturrock says "It came as a huge surprise to me to learn that Jacques had published three books on the UFO problem..." (pp49-50.)

In reading Vallee's books, Sturrock said to himself "This is intriguing. I should look at some independent and if possible more reliable evidence to see if there really is something to it." (p.50.) He turned to the 1969 "Condon report." (Click here.) However, this report did not turn out to be what he had thought it would be. Sturrock wrote an analysis of the report, but found that he was unable to get it published in a mainstream science journal.

"Part of me remained a reasonably successful scientist...but another part of me was becoming a maverick - even - heretical." (p.57.)

In chapter nine Sturrock describes his involvement in the American Institute for Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA.) In 1968 the AIAA established a UFO sub-committee. Sturrock carried out a survey of the AIAA San Fransisco Chapter; and later in 1975 was involved in "...a special session of an AIAA meeting..." (p.68) which brought together a number of UFO researchers. He also conducted a UFO survey of members of the American Astronomical Society.

Sturrock then organised a "...two day workshop on Extraterrestrial civilization which was held at Stanford...1974..." (p.72.) Three UFO researchers participated.

In 1981 in conjunction with other colleagues, Sturrock founded a new society, Society for Scientific Exploration which is still going today. (Click here.)

1996 brought an opportunity, through Laurance S Rockefeller's interest in the UFO phenomenon to bring together a group of UFO researchers and a panel of scientists, to preset a review of "...evidence on physical properties and effects related to UFO events." (p.116.)

More in the next post.

"A tale of two sciences" part 1

Dear readers

I have just finished reading a fascinating book, which somehow managed to slip by me, when it was published in 2009.

The book, titled "A Tale of Two Sciences:Memoirs of a Dissident Scientist," authored by Peter A Sturrock, was published by exoscience. 2009. ISBN 978-098-4261-0-6.

His mainstream science career saw him educated at Cambridge University. Following this he spent 1943 to 1946 working on the development of radar "...at that stage of my career I was a normal, smug, conventional scientist..." (p.10.)

In 1946 he then returned to Cambridge where he remained until 1949. However, an unusual sighting had an effect on him. In 1947, while in the English countryside he observed in the sky "A round, bright white object..." travelling in a straight line, seen for less than a minute. (p.1.)

Sturrock says that this observation "...was a profound disturbance to my scientific well-being." (p.3.)

Despite this observation, his career remained that of a mainstream scientist. In 1949 he went to the USA, married and through his wife "...learned of the research on parapsychology going on at Duke University." He also was exposed "...to some of the early literature on UFOs..." (p.19.)

In 1951 he worked at the Atomic Energy Research Establishment at Harwell, in the UK. 1953-1955 saw him back at Cambridge and in contact with such people as Fred Hoyle.

Sturrock moved to Stanford in the USA in 1955 as a Research Associate. By 1961 he had become a Full Professor of Applied Physics, specialising in plasma physics. For many years he made contributions in the areas of solar flares, quasars, pulsars and solar neutrinos. This then was his conventional science career.

In the next post we will look at his unconventional science career.

Saturday, July 23, 2011

"Plane spotting"

Dear readers

Adelaide is in the grips of a cold spell. Yesterday's minimum of 1 degree Celsius was a three year record.

Today's post concerns an article by English ufologist Jenny Randles which just appeared in the June 2011 issue of the English Fortean Times magazine (issue no 275, page 27.)

In the article Jenny takes a look at two previously unknown pilot encounters from the United Kingdom, which were discovered in the latest batch of UFO files released by the UK Ministry of Defence.

The first was on 28 August 2001 when a light aircraft pilot was flying over Cherry Valley, near Belfast. In clear sky, he reported seeing "...a large, circular white light moving silently and at high speed at an estimated height of 500 feet."

The second pilot encounter took place on 13 Aug 2005 from an Air France aircraft flying at 30,000 feet 10 miles west of Gatwick airport, near London, at 5.11pm. The object was travelling in front of the plane. The pilot adds that this sausage-like object was "...one-two metres long...and shaped like a 'yellow cylinder'."

Jenny then goes on to relate other aircraft observations she had investigated over the years.

Findings:

The 2001 observation was investigated by the Ministry of Defence which concluded"...nothing of any defence significance."

Jenny comments that "This is a useful insight, because it illustrates the futility of chasing major UFO secrets within the official files..."

At the end of the article Jenny writes "...makes us consider just what does or does not get documented when it comes to aviation source. How much more evidence exists 'out there,' but not on the official record?"

Comments:

I was taken, by Jenny's comments about the negative possibility of finding major UFO secrets in government files.

A previous post of mine (click here to view) looked at what the New Zealand, Australian and British government's defence intelligence agencies had said about UFOs. They all said that the UFO phenomenon had no defence implications. However, they also said that the UFO phenomenon deserved scientific study.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Contactee George Adamski in New Zealand and Australian government files

Hi all

I have been continuing my reading about "contactees." I was surprised to find material about them in both the New Zealand and Australian government UFO files.

George Adamski was a high profile American contactee in the 1950's and 1960's (click here to read about the George Adamski Foundation. )

One of the recently released New Zealand Defence Force UFO files, AIR 39/3/3 Volume 1-Parts 1 and 2 had a document on it about Adamski from 1955. It is titled "75 Questions and Answers asked Geo Adamski by the New Zealand "Adamski Flying Saucer Group" in Timaru. (Click here to read the files.)

Adamski toured New Zealand in 1959 and the American embassy there, sent a "Foreign Service Dispatch" to the US FBI about Adamski's activities in that country. (Source: Redfern, Nick. 2010. "Contactees." The Career Press. Franklin Lakes. NJ. p41.)

Adamski also toured Australia in 1959 (click here to read an item by Bill Chalker on this tour.)

In the National Archives of Australia (NAA), I found a file belonging to the Australian Security Intelligence Agency (ASIO), file series A6122, control symbol 2155, about the Queensland Flying Saucer Research Bureau which mentioned an Australian contactee, Sonjia Ljubicin.

According to the ASIO file, Ljubicin was an Australian national, formerly from Yugoslavia. The file states that she "...was carried away to the extent that she believed she had travelled in space craft to other planets." Ljubicin left Australia on 21 July 1959 "...to join George Adamski..." in the USA.

A check of other NAA files found several titles about Ljubicin, among them files series BP25/1 Ljubicin, S. Alien registration papers. Yugoslavian, arrived Newcastle, on the Amarapoora on 23 April 1950. Also there was file series A12155 control symbol 528. Dept of Immigration. Ljubicin, S. Born 15 August 1926.

Although this is material dealing with things way back in the 1950's I still find it of interest to see what Australian and New Zealand Defence/intelligence files had on them, about the UFO phenomenon.

Monday, July 11, 2011

"The detection of extra-terrestrial life and the consequences for science and society."

Dear readers

My previous post mentioned the February 2011 issue of the journal, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A, and its articles on "The detection of extra-terrestrial life and the consequences for science and society."

I have been to the Royal Society's website (click here) and read the abstracts of all the articles. They make for most interesting reading. Perhaps you might like to take a look?

"Wonders in the sky" - 20 November 1902 - Adelaide, South Australia

Hi all

In a previous post on 30 Dec 2010, my co-blogger, Pauline, reviewed the book "Wonders in the Skies: Unexplained Aerial Objects from Antiquity to Modern Times," published by Jeremy F Tarcher (Penguin), New York. 2010. ISBN 978-1-58542-820-5. Authored by Jacques Vallee and Chris Aubeck.

This book sent me off searching for Australian pre-1947 events, and saw me joining Aubeck's Magonia Exchange network.

Research findings:

I have already posted my research findings on several such pre-1947 events:

1. 5 Feb 1947 Port Augusta, South Australia (29 Jan 2011.)
2. Feb 1944 Bass Strait (8 Feb 2011.)
3. 12 Apr 1793 New South Wales (17 Mar 2011.)
4. 26 Feb 1942 Off Western Australia (24 Apr 2011.)

This post concerns an unusual observation from the year 1902, from Adelaide, South Australia, my home town.

Ball of light:

"Sir Charles Todd stated that on Thursday morning, at 9.27 o'clock, a remarkable phenomenon was witnessed in the heavens by Messrs Griffiths (the assistant astronomer), Chettle and Dodwell, of the Adelaide Observatory. The two last named were taking weather observations when they noticed a brilliant globular light having a planetary disc. It appeared in the south-south-east at an altitude of about 45 deg. It moved slowly northwards, passing within 15 or 20 degrees of the Sun, and was brightly visible till 9.31 - four minutes in all.

"Mr Griffiths, who observed it for a minute, says it moved over about 20 deg. of an arc in that time. The object appeared like Venus does when it is at its greatest brilliancy, soon after sunset.

"Mr Griffiths lost sight of the meteoric object at an altitude of 45 deg. above the horizon. It therefore travelled at least 90 deg. and was lost sight of in the great glare of the sky.

"Messrs Chettle and Dodwell state that when it was near to the prime vertical it became elongated, and took an elliptical form, the long axis lying south to north."

Source: The Register (Adelaide, South Australia: 1901-1929), Friday 21 November 1902 page 4.

"The myth of the Evil Aliens"

Dear readers

A while ago, Stephen Hawking argued that we should not be advertising our presence to the Universe.

An article in the June 2011 issue of Scientific American (page 71) by Michael Shermer disagrees.

"With the Allen Telescope Array run by the SETI Institute in northern California, the time is coming when we will encounter an extraterrestrial intelligence (ETI)...What will happen when we do, and how should we respond?

"Such questions, once the province of science fiction, are now being seriously considered in the oldest and one of the most prestigious scientific journals in the world - Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A - which devoted 17 scholarly articles to "The Detection of Extra-terrestrial life and the consequences for science and society" in its February issue."

Sunday, July 10, 2011

"Ultraterrestrial contact" part two

Dear readers

My apologies for the last post which mysteriously ended at "Portals." Somehow, even after showing the whole post in "Preview;" when published the last section disappeared! Here it is.

Portals:

"There are several places on Earth that seem to serve as portals to other dimensions adjacent to our own." (p.179.) Imbrogno includes the Hudson River Valley in New York, in this list. "The locations I've mentioned above are not randomly placed; they are in fact located on nodes or twisting points in our planet's magnetic field." (p.179.)

Cover-up?

"Since the 1950's, people with great interest in the UFO phenomenon have thought the US government knows more than it is willing to admit, concealing and suppressing the spread of information." (p.245.)

"I believe that a small part of the government attached to our intelligence agencies does in fact have information about UFOs, hidden from the public, congress, and the military." (p.246.)

Mystery:

Among the 1983 Hudson River Valley UFO observations, came sightings of "mystery aircraft." Imbrogno and others tracked a group of aircraft to Stewart International Airport and a supposedly closed section.

Conclusion:

"The contact phenomenon is very real...The contact phenomenon affects people from all walks of life, from every culture around the world. No particular race, religion, or level of education is immune." (p.287.)

Saturday, July 9, 2011

"Ultraterrestrial contact"

Dear readers

Welcome to another cold, wet, cloudy winter's day here in Adelaide, South Australia. Today's post is about a book I missed out reading, when it came out last year. It is titled "Ultraterrestrial Contact: A Paranormal Investigator's Explorations into the Hidden Abduction Epidemic" by Philip J Imbrogno, published by Llewellyn Publications, Woodbury, Minnesota. ISBN 978-0-7387-1959-7.

I like to read the work of longterm UFO researchers to learn what views they have formed over time. Imbrogno is an American who has looked into UFOs and the paranormal, for thirty plus years.

Hudson Valley:

Imbrogno was in the right place to study the mystery of the large, black, triangular UFOs which were observed by hundreds of people in the Hudson River Valley in the USA, in the 1980's and 1990's. Chapter 2 of the book provides example after example of these sightings.

Contact:

Hidden behind the observations of triangles Imbrogno found numerous accounts of contact. "Evidence also indicates the intelligence behind contact phenomena has established communication with thousands of individuals on our tiny planet." (p.61.)

"I believe evidence indicates that in many cases, we are not dealing with a physical phenomenion, per se. It is my belief that many UFO sightings and claims of contact are the product of psychic (and on occasion, physical) communication with an incorporal life form." (p.62.)

"...I believe every close encounter is purposeful, not accidental. My analysis has me convinced that many cases of this type are types of pre-contact experience." (p.65.)

Chapter three:

"The Contact Phenomenon" contains a variety of encounter cases. A typical case was that of "Jane" who on 20 Jun 1992, retired to bed at 11pm. At 3.35am a beam of light shone on her bed. Now awake, she found her body paralyzed. Her husband lay in bed on his back and unresponsive. A figure materialized at the foot of the bed. The being spoke to Jane and told her she would be receiving messages. "...that would help the human race throughout the very hard times approaching in the future." (p.79.)

Abductions:

Chapter four moves into the area of abduction cases. A typical example is "Maria" and "George" in 1992, from, Newburgh, New York.

From childhood, Maria saw "ghosts" and George had unusual dreams and UFO sightings. Once married other things happened. "George feels he has been chosen by an alien intelligence to perform some function in the future." (p.123.) Gray aliens abducted them. Electromagnetic disturbances occurred in their home. Interestingly, "Maria generally has more of a recollection of seeing the beings than George..." (p.125.)

Nocturnal visits:

"My research has shown that the strangest, most bizarre occurrences take place at around three in the morning." (p.139.)

Legends:

Deviating from stories of close encounters, and abductions, chapter six takes a look at fairies, and spirits. Imbrogno relates accounts of sightings of these types of beings in US pre-colonial times.

Portals:

"There are several

Friday, July 8, 2011

Jacobsen, Redfern and an Adelaide informant

Hi all

An Adelaide informant once told me of his father's apparent knowledge of the Roswell "crash."

Going back in time:

Annie Jacobsen's recent book, "Area 51," in part, recounts an EG&G engineer's account of a Russian aircraft crashing at Roswell, New Mexico, in 1947.

The engineer spoke of bodies, and two still alive people being found in the craft. He stated that these individuals were "...human guinea-pigs...They were grotesquely deformed...They had unusually large heads and abnormally shaped oversize eyes..." (p.368.)

The engineer went on to state that "The Atomic Energy Commission...was put in charge of the Roswell crash remains." (p.368.)

When I read this, it reminded me of stories which featured in Nick Redfern's book "Body Snatchers in the Desert." 2005. Paraview Pocket books. New York. ISBN 0-7434-9753-8. These stories included:

Black widow:

In 2001, the "Black widow" who claimed to have worked at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Tennessee related that elements of the United States government conducted high altitude balloon tests with attached gondolas, which contained live test subjects, as well as dead bodies.

These subjects were handicapped humans, including sufferers of Progeria. She speaks of at least three classified balloon flights in May, June and July 1947.

The Colonel:

In 2003, the "Colonel" surfaced and stated that there were no alien crashes and that "...the Roswell and other 1947 events were given a "crashed UFO cover" to hide research that was linked with classified high-altitude balloon experiments..." (p.99.)

This source described crashes in May and July 1947 of two experimental aircraft. On board were handicapped people. "This whole mess in the desert from May to August 1947 with the lifting bodies and the high-altitude balloons..." (p.109.)

Redfern:

Redfern's conclusion was that in May 1947 there was a crash of an experimental aircraft with handicapped people on board; and in early 1947 a second vehicle attached to a balloon array which also crashed with its crew of Japanese. He believes it was these crashes (perhaps with others) which generated the popularly known Roswell legend.

An Adelaide informant:

Months before the publication of Redfern's book, and six years before the release of Jacobsen's work, I heard a similar story, right here in Adelaide, South Australia.

I was interviewed on ABC radio station, 891AM, on Tuesday 11 January 2005 concerning the Disclosure Australia Project being undertaken by the Adelaide based, Australian UFO Research Association.

After the interview, the show's producer relayed the name and contact details for a man who had phoned in while I was on air, who said he'd like to speak to me.

I phoned him back later that day, and based on what he guardedly told me, I made arrangements to visit him at his Adelaide home on 15 January 2005.

The man, whom I will refer to as "Martin" revealed to me the contents of a conversation which had taken place between Martin and his father, some years previously. However, the condition under which he told me this, was that I was not to repeat it to anyone else, without the written permission of Martin, or until his death.

At that time, he was suffering from a critical heart condition and there was some thought in his mind that he might not long survive, and that he wished to tell his story to someone in case his death occurred. It was in this sense a "deathbed confession." I therefore initially kept his confidence.

Enter Body snatchers:

When I read Redfern's book and saw the similarities of the stories contained in this work with what Martin had told me, I told Martin of Redfern's research and conclusions. I asked that Martin release me from my commitment to remain silent. This he did in writing. Then with Martin's consent I told his story to Nick Redfern, who later interviewed Martin by phone from the USA.

Martin's account as told to me:

Martin's father was English and he worked in British Military Intelligence. In about 1959, when Martin was 12 year's old, his father told him a story which he asked Martin not to relate to anyone else until Martin was either very old, or about to die.

Martin's father told Martin that his knowledge came from American military intelligence source, and that the events related to the 1947 time period.

The details which Martin recounted to me, 46 years later included:

The American's were working on getting into space. Their biggest concern was getting back to Earth and landing without killing the people inside the space vehicle. Landing in water was not considered, but a ground landing was the order of the day.

The Americans were experimenting with craft they dropped from 'aircraft' flying in the stratosphere. Also, gigantic balloons were being flown in the stratosphere to drop craft fitted with retrorockets and a drogue shute.

The retrorocket was fitted with an altimeter to fire them close to the ground. Lots of UFO sightings were of these craft. The US released bogus flying saucer sightings and later discredited them.

One night during one of these experiments with one of these craft an incident occurred. They had previously used monkeys and other animals such as pigs on board. Prisoners could volunteer for dangerous missions in return for early release but were not used in these experiments. Two to three live people were needed. The government got people with hydrocephalus-water on the brain- from a facility.

This condition produces people with big heads, tiny bodies, jaundiced colour-one even had no eyes. They put these people in the craft-either the balloon ruptured early or blew off course and came down. Retrorockets went off and set fire to it. It landed and a farmer/rancher saw it and reported it.

One of the humans on board was still alive. The authorities were very concerned that the rancher had hidden souvenirs from the wreckage. The balloons were of chrome plated cellophane to reflect the heat. The experiments were conduced at night so balloons would not explode in the daylight.

The rancher told everyone in town. A medical retrieval came for the "creature." The wreckage was retrieved. They knowingly decided to release a story that little green men had landed and that the Americans had taken them away. This statement was then discredited. Humans had been used and had not given their consent.

This then was the story given to me in January 2005, well before Redfern's book emerged and many years before Jacobsen's Area 51 book.

What do readers think of these similar stories? Was the Roswell vehicle man made or extraterrestrial?

Saturday, July 2, 2011

"Inside Pine Gap" - new book alert

Dear readers

Winter rains have hit Adelaide today, so it's down to my local library to read science magazines.

The subject of today's post is a brand new Australian book titled "Inside Pine Gap" by a former NSA employee, David Rosenberg. Published by Hardie Grant books, Prahan, Victoria, Australia (click here) . ISBN 978-1-742-701-738.

Rosenberg spent 18 years in the operations area of the NSA, and this book is a little bit of dynamite for those of us who love reading about the work of US intelligence agencies. In this case their work at the legendary Pine Gap base ( click here) near Alice Springs in the Northern Territory of Australia.

However, this post is not about the book in its entirety. Whenever I read a new book on intelligence agencies I quickly scan through it for anything on UFOs. When I scanned this book I didn't think there would be any material about UFOs, but I was wrong.

What Rosenberg has to say on Pine Gap and UFOs:

"One of the early rumours surrounding the construction of Pine Gap was a headline in 1967 that claimed flying saucers, or UFOs, might be attracted to the new facility that would become known as the Space Base. (The nickname itself likely encouraged the imagination of others to envisage visits by our extraterrestrial neighbours to the remote interior of Australia.)

"This belief was a likely source of the many UFO sightings near Alice Springs reported over the years. It amazes me that many people believe the isolated Pine Gap facility may serve as a friendly landing and resupply site for weary voyagers eager to catch up with their neighbours after travelling billions or trillions of kilometers.

"Obviously the Australians would make prefect hosts, offering a cold beer or a Bundy to our friends from nearby solar systems.

"For some UFO enthusiasts, Pine Gap is a logical choice to serve as the Earth's welcoming committee for our faraway friends. Alice Springs and Pine gap just happen to be relatively close to the "UFO capital of Australia", Wycliffe Well, only 380 kilometers away, where UFO sightings are considered to be so common that only an unlucky overnight tourist would miss out on an experience.

"Despite the countless stories involving UFOs and Pine Gap offered up by the Internet, the aliens must have kept a very low profile during my eighteen-year tenure in Operations, as I, like the unlucky Wycliffe Well tourist, never saw any evidence of aliens at or around Pine Gap." (pages 148-149.)

European Parliament member and UAP

Five Eyes Out of the Five Eyes partners, which consists of the U.S.A., the U.K., Canada, Australia and New Zealand; questions about UAP hav...