dailygrail--2020-06-24--Prison Planets: Could the Kessler Syndrome Explain Why We Haven’t Heard from Aliens?

There ’ s a reason they call it space : there ’ s a lot of it .
From the distance between planets , to the tiny relative size of satellites compared to the volume of orbital space around the Earth , there seems to be a lot of ‘ clear air ’ ( for want of a better term ) available for space flight .
But things aren ’ t exactly what they seem when it comes to the latter case of the orbital space around the Earth .
And this is because of an effect that ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ , given that name based on a seminal paper co-authored in 1978 by astrophysicist and NASA scientist , Donald Kessler .
In “ Collision Frequency of Artificial Satellites : The Creation of a Debris Belt ” , Kessler and co-author Burton Cour-Palais pointed out that , as the number of artificial satellites in earth orbit increases , the probability of collisions between satellites also increases .
And furthermore , that any initial satellite collision would produce orbiting fragments – a cloud of unintentional missiles traveling at tens of kilometres per second – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of further collisions , leading to what is known as “ collisional cascading ” .
If you ’ ve seen Alfonso Cuarón ’ s 2013 movie Gravity , you know exactly how this works : Once the exponential chain of collisions begins , it will keep going for decades , until there is a ‘ shell ’ of debris surrounding the Earth , orbiting at high speed , capable of destroying any other object that enters that zone of destruction .
And this isn ’ t a hypothetical : according to Donald Kessler @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The cascade is happening right now , ” Kessler told the Guardian , after being started by a collision in 2009 between two communications satellites , the Iridium 33 and the derelict Russian military satellite Kosmos-2251 .
That one event is said to have created around a thousand pieces of debris that will likely orbit the Earth for the next 10,000 years .
If Kessler ’ s scenario plays out in coming decades , it will have grave implications for modern society – cascading collisions of satellites and a resulting ‘ dead zone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ satellites in orbit could play havoc with telecommunications , weather forecasting and other systems that depend on this technology .
But there is another possible implication : could an orbital shell of debris grow to a size and density where it is virtually impervious to spacecraft attempting to leave the planet ?
At the moment transiting the debris field seems less of a problem than that of the issue with satellites , which have to sit within this zone – as Kessler says , “ you can cross the street a lot safer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” But taken to the extreme , is it possible that residents of a planet might become ‘ prisoners ’ on it , within a century of their civilisation learning how to escape their gravity well and become a space-faring civilisation ?
In short : could the answer to the Fermi Paradox – ‘ if aliens exist , where is everybody ?
’ – be that they ’ re all isolated on their own planets , locked in by an orbital debris field created by their own technological success ?
One would hope @ @ @ @ @ @ @ able to figure out a way to clear a path so they can leave their own planet .
But all the same , perhaps we should add the ‘ Prison Planet ’ possibility to the list of proposed answers to the Fermi Paradox , like the Zoo hypothesis and the ‘ Great Filter ‘ theory .

There’s a reason they call it space: there’s a lot of it. From the distance between planets, to the tiny relative size of satellites compared to the volume of orbital space around the Earth, there seems to be a lot of ‘clear air’ (for want of a better term) available for space flight.
But things aren’t exactly what they seem when it comes to the latter case of the orbital space around the Earth. And this is because of an effect that’s become known as the ‘Kessler Syndrome’, given that name based on a seminal paper co-authored in 1978 by astrophysicist and NASA scientist, Donald Kessler.
In “Collision Frequency of Artificial Satellites: The Creation of a Debris Belt”, Kessler and co-author Burton Cour-Palais pointed out that, as the number of artificial satellites in earth orbit increases, the probability of collisions between satellites also increases. And furthermore, that any initial satellite collision would produce orbiting fragments – a cloud of unintentional missiles traveling at tens of kilometres per second – each of which would increase the probability of further collisions, leading to what is known as “collisional cascading”.
If you’ve seen Alfonso Cuarón’s 2013 movie Gravity, you know exactly how this works:
Once the exponential chain of collisions begins, it will keep going for decades, until there is a ‘shell’ of debris surrounding the Earth, orbiting at high speed, capable of destroying any other object that enters that zone of destruction.
And this isn’t a hypothetical: according to Donald Kessler, it has already begun. “The cascade is happening right now,” Kessler told the Guardian, after being started by a collision in 2009 between two communications satellites, the Iridium 33 and the derelict Russian military satellite Kosmos-2251. That one event is said to have created around a thousand pieces of debris that will likely orbit the Earth for the next 10,000 years.
If Kessler’s scenario plays out in coming decades, it will have grave implications for modern society – cascading collisions of satellites and a resulting ‘dead zone’ that limits our ability to place satellites in orbit could play havoc with telecommunications, weather forecasting and other systems that depend on this technology.
But there is another possible implication: could an orbital shell of debris grow to a size and density where it is virtually impervious to spacecraft attempting to leave the planet?
At the moment transiting the debris field seems less of a problem than that of the issue with satellites, which have to sit within this zone – as Kessler says, “you can cross the street a lot safer than living in the middle of it.” But taken to the extreme, is it possible that residents of a planet might become ‘prisoners’ on it, within a century of their civilisation learning how to escape their gravity well and become a space-faring civilisation?
In short: could the answer to the Fermi Paradox – ‘if aliens exist, where is everybody?’ – be that they’re all isolated on their own planets, locked in by an orbital debris field created by their own technological success?
One would hope that any advanced civilisation would eventually be able to figure out a way to clear a path so they can leave their own planet. But all the same, perhaps we should add the ‘Prison Planet’ possibility to the list of proposed answers to the Fermi Paradox, like the Zoo hypothesis and the ‘Great Filter‘ theory.


News Briefs 25-06-2020

Remember when we were kids and the only thing we ever worried about was a nuclear holocaust ?
Good times… • Five wild facts about the Saharan plume dust that is about to hit North America .
• Saharan dust may help fuel red tide in Gulf of Mexico , study finds .
• Spikes of new coronavirus cases in Florida , Arizona , Oregon and other Southern and Western states in the US can be traced back , ‘ shockingly ’ enough , to the Memorial Day reopening .
• A team of appointed fact checkers approved a Facebook @ @ @ @ @ @ @ group who claims we need to burn more fossil fuels .
This is how it happened .
• New species of monkey found ‘ hiding in plain sight ’ .
• Buck Nelson and the downhome visitors from Venus .
• Photo analysis of the latest Loch Ness monster picture –which turned out to be fake .
• Red Pill of the Day : Police wrongly arrested a black man using facial recognition technology which notoriously misidentifies people of color .
Thanks to Greg and Steven .
Quote of the Day : There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world that is far away , nearby and invisible .

Remember when we were kids and the only thing we ever worried about was a nuclear holocaust? Good times…
Thanks to Greg and Steven.
Quote of the Day:
There is a world beyond ours, a world that is far away, nearby and invisible.
María Sabina


News Briefs 26-06-2020

“ One of the goals of education should be to teach that life is precious.
” • Why the chicken @ @ @ @ @ of the Day : “ Secrecy , censorship , dishonesty , and blocking of communication @ @ @ @ @ .
”

“One of the goals of education should be to teach that life is precious.”
Quote of the Day:
“Secrecy, censorship, dishonesty, and blocking of communication threaten all the basic needs.”
Abraham Maslow


News Briefs 29-06-2020

• Mapping reveals the size and shape of Earth ’ s lost 8th continent , Zealandia , which disappeared under the Pacific Ocean .
• The Maya ruins at Uxmal still have more stories to tell .
• See 14 mind-blowing places in our solar system .
• Scientists show one type of planet is more likely to have alien life .
• Senators want the public to see the government ’ s UFO reports .
• What are those glowing orbs that dart across the sky the world over ?
• ‘ Off the record ’ email may shed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases .
• A Scheme of Heaven is a deep investigation of astrology from a scientist ’ s perspective .
• Pizzagate is back , thanks to Justin Bieber and TikTok .
• Related : Pizzagate is back out of the shadows .
• New study combines A.I .
and folkloric knowledge to better understand how unfounded conspiracy theories emerge online .
• Can we have conscious artificial intelligence and other mind-blowing things science can ’ t answer ?
• Scientists used dopamine to seamlessly merge artificial and biological neurons .
• Video @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on another planet recorded by a space-traveling robot , no big deal .
Thanks Rob for your support !
Quote of the Day : An idea is something you have ; an ideology is something that has you .

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News Briefs 01-07-2020

Stepping into the second half of the year… • The mystery of the dark asteroid that scorched Russia : a @ @ @ @ @ the enigmatic Tunguska event .
• Beyond Pluto : the hunt for our solar system @ @ @ @ @ .
• A ‘ monster ’ star 2 million times brighter than our sun just @ @ @ @ @ a trace .
• Could Proxima Centauri be the key to finding life beyond Earth @ @ @ @ @ of Amazon soil teems with fungal life .
• Mysterious abandonment of once-great Maya city @ @ @ @ @ • New report predicts technology could fuel an age of freedom…or alternatively , make civilisation @ @ @ @ @ of genomics and drugs is extending human longevity .
• Dolphins are learning tool use @ @ @ @ @ Video of the Day : Imagining the future – the seminal space art of Don @ @ @ @ @ Day : I think that technologies are morally neutral until we apply them .
It @ @ @ @ @ use them for good or for evil that they become good or evil .

Stepping into the second half of the year…
Quote of the Day:
I think that technologies are morally neutral until we apply them. It’s only when we use them for good or for evil that they become good or evil.
William Gibson


dailygrail--2020-06-30--Imagining the Future: The Space Art of Don Davis

Growing up in the ’ 70s and ’ 80s , in the afterglow of the Apollo space program , there was a real expectation that humans were about to begin moving into space .
Before NASA ’ s exploration took a turn towards the robotic , we all had visions of living in pastoral landscapes sitting within spinning space stations .
While sci-fi writers have long been one of the main inspirations for imagining our future in space , one of the main people responsible for visualising that future was artist Don Davis .
His images of toroidal space stations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , have become iconic .
The work of Don Davis was featured in an episode of the recent documentary series , Artist Depiction , which profiled a number of ‘ space artists ’ including Charles Lindsay , Rick Guidice , Pamela Lee , William K. Hartmann , and Pat Rawlings .
The Don Davis episode has been put on YouTube for us all to enjoy ( embedded below ) – if the series is up your alley , you can watch the other episodes via Amazon Prime , Labocine , and Vimeo .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ history of how these NASA images came to be , and the thoughts and inspiration of the artists themselves , as they sought to inspire the rest of us .
As Don Davis notes : Even in the ’ 70s , it was a fresh idea , and it still has a freshness to it , because it ’ s not just people going in these space suits and protective gear to some hostile planet .
It ’ s a transplanting of our world , of our liveable environment to a location beyond @ @ @ @ @ @ @ essential dream I think many people have of one day having the human race migrate to space and beyond the solar system eventually .
Once you have a closed environment , once you have a place to live that ’ s free of the gravity well of a planet , you can go almost anywhere , you could go to other stars and such if you ’ re used to living in a self-contained world , if you have the time .
So I think that the general dream of humanity migrating into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is continuing , and I think that the paintings I did back then continue to embody something of that ideal , something of the aspirations that people have had for it , ever since the space age began .
…These are all things that I had in the back of my mind .
Just the enthusiasm for the idea in general , I tried to communicate that and keep that in my mind throughout the entire creative process .
You can view a hi-res gallery of NASA ’ s space station images , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , here , and also other amazing selections of Don ’ s NASA space art on his own website .

Growing up in the ’70s and ’80s, in the afterglow of the Apollo space program, there was a real expectation that humans were about to begin moving into space. Before NASA’s exploration took a turn towards the robotic, we all had visions of living in pastoral landscapes sitting within spinning space stations.
While sci-fi writers have long been one of the main inspirations for imagining our future in space, one of the main people responsible for visualising that future was artist Don Davis. His images of toroidal space stations, created for NASA during the 1970s, have become iconic.
The work of Don Davis was featured in an episode of the recent documentary series, Artist Depiction, which profiled a number of ‘space artists’ including Charles Lindsay, Rick Guidice, Pamela Lee, William K. Hartmann, and Pat Rawlings. The Don Davis episode has been put on YouTube for us all to enjoy (embedded below) – if the series is up your alley, you can watch the other episodes via Amazon Prime, Labocine, and Vimeo.
It offers some wonderful insights into the history of how these NASA images came to be, and the thoughts and inspiration of the artists themselves, as they sought to inspire the rest of us. As Don Davis notes:
Even in the ’70s, it was a fresh idea, and it still has a freshness to it, because it’s not just people going in these space suits and protective gear to some hostile planet. It’s a transplanting of our world, of our liveable environment to a location beyond the earth. And that is an essential dream I think many people have of one day having the human race migrate to space and beyond the solar system eventually. Once you have a closed environment, once you have a place to live that’s free of the gravity well of a planet, you can go almost anywhere, you could go to other stars and such if you’re used to living in a self-contained world, if you have the time. So I think that the general dream of humanity migrating into space, it is strong, it is continuing, and I think that the paintings I did back then continue to embody something of that ideal, something of the aspirations that people have had for it, ever since the space age began. …These are all things that I had in the back of my mind. Just the enthusiasm for the idea in general, I tried to communicate that and keep that in my mind throughout the entire creative process.
You can view a hi-res gallery of NASA’s space station images, created by Don Davis and Rick Guidice, here, and also other amazing selections of Don’s NASA space art on his own website.


News Briefs 30-06-2020

• Prison planets : could the ‘ Kessler Syndrome ’ explain why we haven ’ t heard from aliens ?
@ @ @ @ @ and sound ) like to aliens .
• This is what space smells like .
@ @ @ @ @ light from colliding black holes .
But how ?
• “ My synaesthesia is no @ @ @ @ @ strangeness.
” • How to have a safe psychedelic trip .
• The meaning of @ @ @ @ @ humanity ’ s earliest ancestors arose .
• Our greatest invention was the invention of @ @ @ @ @ shot of this gene-editing serum appears to prevent heart disease in monkeys .
• The @ @ @ @ @ truth about UFOs .
Quote of the Day : As far as we can discern @ @ @ @ @ human existence is to kindle a light in the darkness of mere being .


News Briefs 02-07-2020

Didn ’ t you say you ’ ve always wanted to become a luchador ?
Well here ’ s your chance !
• In 1973 , an MIT computer predicted that by 2020 average quality of life would drop dramatically —and civilization would collapse two decades later .
• These are the people who are still dealing with the after effects of COVID-19 , months after getting infected .
• “ We ’ re just a mirror of society !
” cries Zuck now that Facebook is bleeding advertisers .
• Parler , the “ uncensored ” ( read ‘ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discovers the hard truth about free speech… • NASA delays launch of its next Mars rover as time runs out for take-off .
• NASA just released a spectacular 10-year timelapse of our mesmerising sun .
• Astronomers may have glimpsed light from merging black holes .
• Tom DeLonge thinks the US government has information that would “ change the world in ten seconds.
” • So you ’ re in love with an angel .
• All the cool kids that grow shrooms are gathering around in the unlikeliest of places @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Subreddit .
• Making music from brainwaves and heartbeats : can biofeedback help to unlock the mysteries of music ’ s therapeutic effects ?
• Strange new species discovered in abyss at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean .
Paging James Cameron !
• Hundreds of elephants have died in Botswana and nobody knows why .
• Red Pill of the Day : Is the Arctic melting faster ?
Blame the beavers .
Quote of the Day : I have learned silence from the talkative , toleration from the intolerant , and kindness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I am ungrateful to these teachers .

Didn’t you say you’ve always wanted to become a luchador? Well here’s your chance!
Thanks to Greg.
Quote of the Day:
I have learned silence from the talkative, toleration from the intolerant, and kindness from the unkind; yet strange, I am ungrateful to these teachers.
Khalil Gibran


dailygrail--2020-07-03--The Hill and the Hole (Movie Review)

The Hill and the Hole (Movie Review)

When it comes to paranormal mysteries Hollywood has a very short and defined set of predilections , with aliens being at the top of the pyramid thanks to their summer blockbuster potential , followed by ghosts on a closed second since those films are now very cheap to make and satisfy our ancient need for a good fright .
Perhaps the reason Cryptozoology lags waaay behind on a third place is because the studios never found the proper formula to turn Bigfoot and Nessie into cash cows –even though both of them have had some few but memorable moments on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ movie in the true sense of the word is as rare and precious as a rain of frogs on a climatic scene .
The movie The Hill and the Hole –directed by Bill Darmon and Christopher Ernst , and produced by the independent film studio Bright Rectangle— can proudly claim its place among the annals of true Fortean films .
It ’ s a loose adaptation of Fritz Leiber ’ s short story of the same name , which was published in the pulp magazine “ Unknown Worlds ” in 1942 , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ together a lot of strange ideas and tantalizing concepts into a coherent plotline , the end result would leave any follower of the venerable Fort very satisfied and has the potential to attain cult status outside the paranormal community .
Fritz Leiber Jr. ( 1910-1992 ) was an American fiction writer who had a very long and prolific career .
Nowadays he ’ s mostly remembered as one of the founders of the “ sword-and-sorcery ” literary genre with his Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser series , but in his early years he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the time , and “ The Hill and the Hole ” seems to be greatly influenced by his friendship with none other than the legendary HP Lovecraft : a topographer by the name of Tom Digby who is surveying the lands of some indeterminate midwestern region of the United States , is stumped by the barometric readings he ’ s getting from an unusual mound located inside a little farm –his altimeter registers the promontory below his benchmark level , which means the ‘ hill ’ is technically a ‘ hole ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ little girl warns Digby of the dangers of getting too close to the hill/hole , and when he later finds out from his colleague Ben Shelley that a couple of years prior another geologist by the name of Wolfcratson had died on that very spot under very unusual circumstances .
In this modern adaptation , Director and writer Darmon takes Leiber ’ s straightforward and good ole-fashioned ghost story , and turns it into a deep dive of American Esoterica by borrowing heavily from the pages of Jim Brandon ’ s Rebirth of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and this book have also acquired something of a legendary status among circles of paranormal enthusiasts –Lovecraft and Brandon have , incidentally enough , other commonalities which we won ’ t get into , but suffice it to say there ’ s a reason why Rebirth of Pan is out-of-print and extremely hard to find– because Brandon was among the first to try to connect the dots between UFO sightings , ghost apparitions , cryptid activity and their links to the mysterious mounds dotting the American landscape , which continue to this day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ among alternative historians –the web series Hellier helped to bring attention to a whole series of obscure books , including Brandon ’ s In the movie , the hill is now located in New Mexico instead of the Midwest , and instead of a geologist Tom Digby is now an archeologist working for the Bureau of Land Management ; also the friendliness in which he ’ s received in Leiber ’ s original story –due to the farmer ’ s hope that his presence might indicate a deposit of oil in his land– @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( the owner ) and his friends Joel and Michael make Tom know in no uncertain terms that his presence and interest in the hill on their land are not welcome .
The movie script is deliberately ambiguous and inserts dreamlike sequences which doesn ’ t make it an easy story to grasp .
But what I had the hardest time understanding , though , were the motives of pretty much most of the characters in this movie : why are Gabriel and his thugs willing to go to such lengths to guard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the reason the three of them were given the names of angels ? )
that they end up kidnapping Tom and are planning to kill him ?
Why doesn ’ t Tom get the hell away as far as he can once he manages to escape ?
Why instead of seeking help at the nearest police station he goes to the town ’ s library instead ( ! )
?
Why instead of calling his employers or the State police or the FBI , he ends up calling his friend Ben Shelley who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years ( !
! )
?
And what does Layne , the attractive librarian and local stargazing instructor , know or doesn ’ t know about all of it , that she decides all of the sudden to help this complete stranger –or does she ?
?
The first part of the movie left me the impression the directors wanted to make this film in the manner of a “ monster of the week ” X-Files episode –a small town with a terrible secret , trying to keep strangers away– but Chris Carter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be revealed before the credits roll ; with The Hill and the Hole I never felt that sense of closure , despite watching the movie three times in a row .
But the second half of the movie is far more interesting once you stop trying to explain the rationale behind the characters ’ actions –OK so Tom is stupid enough to risk his life to get to the bottom of the hill ’ s mystery , so be it– and also because the most colorful character in the story is finally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ‘ crackpot historian ’ and author Adam Gorightly ) who was once Digby ’ s predecessor in the surveying of the ominous hill and is now selling fried dough during little league baseball games with the help of his assistant Tiny ( Tim Binnall ) .
It is thanks to Person that the movie can explore yet another fascinating aspect of American Esoterica : That of secret societies and the ‘ forbidden ’ knowledge they claim to possess –even though most of them probably amount to little more than old boys ’ clubs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out , as it seems to be the veiled social comment of the filmmakers .
As some of the mystery begins to finally unravel , Pearson delivers this fascinating monologue ( which was written by Gorightly himself ) : By now things start to speed up quite a bit , until we get to the climactic scene in which Person again steals the show –and I ’ m not saying that just because Gorightly happens to be a colleague and personal friend ) – with an open-ended finale in the best Kubrickian tradition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forum debates among paranormal fans for years and years to come .
Despite leaving a few loose threads which I feel the filmmakers tried their hardest to weave together into a parsimonious tapestry –a funny cameo with famous cryptozoologist Loren Coleman which was left as a post-credit scene is evidence of this– The Hill and the Hole is a beautiful film that is well worth a view , and deserves a recognition for turning an old ghost story from the 1940 ’ s into a road trip across the heartland of Weird America @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now available on Prime Video .

When it comes to paranormal mysteries Hollywood has a very short and defined set of predilections, with aliens being at the top of the pyramid thanks to their summer blockbuster potential, followed by ghosts on a closed second since those films are now very cheap to make and satisfy our ancient need for a good fright. Perhaps the reason Cryptozoology lags waaay behind on a third place is because the studios never found the proper formula to turn Bigfoot and Nessie into cash cows –even though both of them have had some few but memorable moments on the silver screen. But a Fortean movie in the true sense of the word is as rare and precious as a rain of frogs on a climatic scene.
The movie The Hill and the Hole –directed by Bill Darmon and Christopher Ernst, and produced by the independent film studio Bright Rectangle— can proudly claim its place among the annals of true Fortean films. It’s a loose adaptation of Fritz Leiber’s short story of the same name, which was published in the pulp magazine “Unknown Worlds” in 1942, and although it struggles at times with mixing together a lot of strange ideas and tantalizing concepts into a coherent plotline, the end result would leave any follower of the venerable Fort very satisfied and has the potential to attain cult status outside the paranormal community.
[Mild Spoilers Ahead]
Fritz Leiber
Fritz Leiber Jr. (1910-1992) was an American fiction writer who had a very long and prolific career. Nowadays he’s mostly remembered as one of the founders of the “sword-and-sorcery” literary genre with his Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser series, but in his early years he wrote horror stories for the pulp magazines of the time, and “The Hill and the Hole” seems to be greatly influenced by his friendship with none other than the legendary HP Lovecraft: a topographer by the name of Tom Digby who is surveying the lands of some indeterminate midwestern region of the United States, is stumped by the barometric readings he’s getting from an unusual mound located inside a little farm –his altimeter registers the promontory below his benchmark level, which means the ‘hill’ is technically a ‘hole’. The mystery deepens when a strange little girl warns Digby of the dangers of getting too close to the hill/hole, and when he later finds out from his colleague Ben Shelley that a couple of years prior another geologist by the name of Wolfcratson had died on that very spot under very unusual circumstances.
In this modern adaptation, Director and writer Darmon takes Leiber’s straightforward and good ole-fashioned ghost story, and turns it into a deep dive of American Esoterica by borrowing heavily from the pages of Jim Brandon’s Rebirth of Pan. Just like Lovecraft, Brandon and this book have also acquired something of a legendary status among circles of paranormal enthusiasts –Lovecraft and Brandon have, incidentally enough, other commonalities which we won’t get into, but suffice it to say there’s a reason why Rebirth of Pan is out-of-print and extremely hard to find– because Brandon was among the first to try to connect the dots between UFO sightings, ghost apparitions, cryptid activity and their links to the mysterious mounds dotting the American landscape, which continue to this day to be the subject of heavy speculation among alternative historians –the web series Hellier helped to bring attention to a whole series of obscure books, including Brandon’s
In the movie, the hill is now located in New Mexico instead of the Midwest, and instead of a geologist Tom Digby is now an archeologist working for the Bureau of Land Management; also the friendliness in which he’s received in Leiber’s original story –due to the farmer’s hope that his presence might indicate a deposit of oil in his land– is turned into uncalled hostility when Gabriel (the owner) and his friends Joel and Michael make Tom know in no uncertain terms that his presence and interest in the hill on their land are not welcome.
The movie script is deliberately ambiguous and inserts dreamlike sequences which doesn’t make it an easy story to grasp. But what I had the hardest time understanding, though, were the motives of pretty much most of the characters in this movie: why are Gabriel and his thugs willing to go to such lengths to guard the secret of the hill is that the reason the three of them were given the names of angels?) that they end up kidnapping Tom and are planning to kill him? Why doesn’t Tom get the hell away as far as he can once he manages to escape? Why instead of seeking help at the nearest police station he goes to the town’s library instead(!)? Why instead of calling his employers or the State police or the FBI, he ends up calling his friend Ben Shelley who he hasn’t talked to in years(!!)? And what does Layne, the attractive librarian and local stargazing instructor, know or doesn’t know about all of it, that she decides all of the sudden to help this complete stranger –or does she??
The first part of the movie left me the impression the directors wanted to make this film in the manner of a “monster of the week” X-Files episode –a small town with a terrible secret, trying to keep strangers away– but Chris Carter and his writers knew the conspiracy had to be revealed before the credits roll; with The Hill and the Hole I never felt that sense of closure, despite watching the movie three times in a row.
But the second half of the movie is far more interesting once you stop trying to explain the rationale behind the characters’ actions –OK so Tom is stupid enough to risk his life to get to the bottom of the hill’s mystery, so be it– and also because the most colorful character in the story is finally introduced: Roger Person (played by ‘crackpot historian’ and author Adam Gorightly) who was once Digby’s predecessor in the surveying of the ominous hill and is now selling fried dough during little league baseball games with the help of his assistant Tiny (Tim Binnall).
It is thanks to Person that the movie can explore yet another fascinating aspect of American Esoterica: That of secret societies and the ‘forbidden’ knowledge they claim to possess –even though most of them probably amount to little more than old boys’ clubs looking for excuses to drink and hang out, as it seems to be the veiled social comment of the filmmakers. As some of the mystery begins to finally unravel, Pearson delivers this fascinating monologue (which was written by Gorightly himself):
“Where the hell’s anything going? Just ’round and ’round and back to the ground. We all come from the earth and like fools reach out to the stars…for what? Eternal life? A stairway to Heaven? But when it’s all said and done we end up right back where we started, in good ol’ Mother Earth, ten feet under. Just more food for the gods to take in and spit out and start this whole fucked up cycle all over again.”
By now things start to speed up quite a bit, until we get to the climactic scene in which Person again steals the show –and I’m not saying that just because Gorightly happens to be a colleague and personal friend)– with an open-ended finale in the best Kubrickian tradition, which will no doubt spur countless forum debates among paranormal fans for years and years to come.
Despite leaving a few loose threads which I feel the filmmakers tried their hardest to weave together into a parsimonious tapestry –a funny cameo with famous cryptozoologist Loren Coleman which was left as a post-credit scene is evidence of this– The Hill and the Hole is a beautiful film that is well worth a view, and deserves a recognition for turning an old ghost story from the 1940’s into a road trip across the heartland of Weird America.
The Hill and the Hole will be available on Prime Video in August. In the meantime, you can rent it on Vimeo:


News Briefs 03-07-2020

• Actually , it is rocket science .
• If it ’ s the end of the world… I feel @ @ @ @ @ see here– Just a robot with a horse mask .
Quote of the Day : @ @ @ @ @ that you must not fool yourself – and you are the easiest person to fool @ @


News Briefs 06-07-2020

Don ’ t get off your sofa – sit back and enjoy the Monday news… • Aboriginal artifacts reveal first ancient underwater cultural sites in Australia , from a time thousands of years ago when the current seabed was dry land .
• Shillings , gods and runes : clues in language suggest a Semitic superpower in ancient northern Europe .
• The Doctor Strange of the American revolution .
• To celebrate July 4th , former US national security advisor Michael Flynn posts a video pledge to conspiracy group QAnon .
• Related : Civil war psy-op – an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
• Many COVID-19 patients are reporting paranoid hallucinations during the delerium induced by the virus .
• A cloud of nuclear radiation is floating above northern Europe , and nobody knows why .
• China and AI : what the world can learn , and what it should be wary of .
• Bumping an asteroid ’ s moon off course , to help protect Earth .
• The world ’ s first 3D-printed vegan steak is here , and it could be hitting restaurants soon .
Quote of the Day : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and reprobated by every inhabitant of America .


News Briefs 07-07-2020

• Three countries are scheduled to send missions to Mars this month .
• The flying triangles : UFOs that are nothing new .
• Related : Could the ‘ Phoenix Lights ’ UFO incident have been a sighting of a massive airship ?
• Magic mushrooms could help ex-soldiers to overcome trauma .
• Related : From shock to awe – documentary explores how psychedelics can heal the wounds of war .
• Ashoka ’ s moral empire : Being good is hard .
How an ancient Indian emperor , horrified by the cruelty of war , created an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of entropy has led us astray .
• Some blind people can still see , and their brains could help us explain consciousness .
• Fish are nothing like us…but they are sentient beings .
• AI behaving badly : new model could help AI make more ethical choices .
• The hidden magnetic universe begins to come into view .
• Astronomers have found the source of life in the universe .
• Mysterious emergence of pink ice in the Alps could have dire consequences .
Quote of the Day : Fear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hate or jealousy .


dailygrail--2020-07-07--Prying Open the Third Eye: Scientists Investigate the Role of the Pineal Gland in Spiritual Experien

Prying Open the Third Eye: Scientists Investigate the Role of the Pineal Gland in Spiritual Experiences

The pineal gland – a small endocrine gland located near the center of the brain – has long been suggested as playing an important role in spiritual experiences , with it often being linked with the mystical concept of the ‘ third eye ‘ , an esoteric organ said to offer visions , clairvoyance and ultimately , enlightenment .
The 2nd century Roman surgeon and philosopher Galen stated that the pineal gland might be a valve that regulated the flow of ‘ psychic pneuma ’ .
French philosopher René Descartes would , some 1500 years later , put the pineal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mind-body theories , claiming that it was the ‘ seat of the soul ’ .
And in the last couple of centuries , Western esotericism has blended theories of the pineal , the Hindu Ajna chakra , and the ‘ third eye ’ to promote it as a bridge between the physical world and the spiritual .
But does the legend hold up against scientific scrutiny ?
Psychedelics researcher Dr Rick Strassman asked whether the pineal gland could be a possible trigger for altered states of consciousness , through the secretion of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ DMT .
So could some people ’ s natural ability to enter altered states be directly associated with an abnormal pineal gland ?
Enter a group of scientists in Brazil , who decided to investigate the pineal gland , and associated hormone levels , in 16 spirit mediums ( the ‘ medium group ’ , or ‘ MG ’ ) , as compared to 16 healthy ‘ non-mediums ’ as control group ( CG ) .
In their paper , “ ‘ Seat of the Soul ’ ?
The structure and function of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spirit possession — Results of two experimental studies “ , they discuss their experiments measuring the relative size of the pineal gland in each group , and the levels of its secretions , such as melatonin ( MLT ) – noting that in some other dissociative experiences , such as schizophrenia , MRI scans have shown a smaller than normal pineal gland , and MLT levels have been lower .
The experiments took place in Campo Grande , Brazil , from January 2018 to April 2019 , with mediums selected through consultation with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Grande , the Spiritist Federation of Mato Grosso do Sul .
All mediums and controls were female .
In pre-screening tests , it was found that subjects in the MG reported a significantly higher number of anomalous experiences than the subjects in the CG , but no significant differences were found in the subjects ’ mental health .
As for their investigation of whether the pineal gland of the mediums differed from control group ?
They found no significant difference : In the present study , no differences were found between the MG @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pineal gland volume , nocturnal urinary aMT6s levels [ 6‐sulfatoxymelatonin ( aMT6s ) is the main metabolite is of melatonin , and thus morning levels in urine are correlated with melatonin production during the previous night ] , and self‐reported subjective sleep quality ( PSQI ) .
In other words , structurally and functionally normal pineal glands were found in mediums , that are individuals often considered to have psychotic‐like experiences .
This picture contrasts sharply with the data available in the literature describing these aspects in individuals with psychotic disorder/schizophrenia .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ predominantly reduced pineal gland volume , reduced MLT production and higher frequency of sleep disturbance , when compared to healthy controls .
The results suggest , the scientists note , that any future research on “ the conjectured relationship of the pineal gland with spiritual experiences , if any , should be done on other ( yet unexplored ) bases other than through the production of melatonin ” – that is , further experiments could look into “ the secretion of hallucinogenic tryptamines , and magneto receptors ” .
In short : the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sized pineal gland , or abnormal levels of melatonin secretion – though , the researchers warn , ” calculating the volume of pineal gland and melatonin level is obviously not enough to clarify the putative role of the pineal gland in spirit possession ” .
The researchers do note however , in their conclusion , that their findings support the idea that mediumship should not be considered a form of mental illness : In sum , the findings of the present study indicate that individuals with psychotic‐like symptoms linked to the cultural context @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) have normal secretory and structural characteristics of PG , quite different from the picture usually found in individuals with psychotic disorder .
Yet , an increase in MLT production does not appear to be a distinguishing feature of mediumistic experience .
Additionally , mediums presented a fast recovery stress response pattern , indicating good emotional regulation , unlike patients with pathological dissociation .
Hence , the main implication of this study is to reinforce the notion of mediumship as a nonpathological dissociative phenomenon .
This underscores the importance of refining the differential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ versus psychotic and dissociative disorders , as evidence increasingly demonstrates that culturally well‐integrated mediums are often mentally and physically healthy .
Thus , the correct differentiation between these conditions could avoid stigmatization and unnecessary treatments .
Hopefully we ’ ll see some research on DMT levels in mediums next , based on this other recent research…

The pineal gland – a small endocrine gland located near the center of the brain – has long been suggested as playing an important role in spiritual experiences, with it often being linked with the mystical concept of the ‘third eye‘, an esoteric organ said to offer visions, clairvoyance and ultimately, enlightenment.
The 2nd century Roman surgeon and philosopher Galen stated that the pineal gland might be a valve that regulated the flow of ‘psychic pneuma’. French philosopher René Descartes would, some 1500 years later, put the pineal gland at the centre of his famous mind-body theories, claiming that it was the ‘seat of the soul’. And in the last couple of centuries, Western esotericism has blended theories of the pineal, the Hindu Ajna chakra, and the ‘third eye’ to promote it as a bridge between the physical world and the spiritual.
But does the legend hold up against scientific scrutiny? Psychedelics researcher Dr Rick Strassman asked whether the pineal gland could be a possible trigger for altered states of consciousness, through the secretion of the sleep-regulating hormone melatonin and/or the powerful psychedelic DMT. So could some people’s natural ability to enter altered states be directly associated with an abnormal pineal gland?
Enter a group of scientists in Brazil, who decided to investigate the pineal gland, and associated hormone levels, in 16 spirit mediums (the ‘medium group’, or ‘MG’), as compared to 16 healthy ‘non-mediums’ as control group (CG).
In their paper, “‘Seat of the Soul’? The structure and function of the pineal gland in women with alleged spirit possession — Results of two experimental studies“, they discuss their experiments measuring the relative size of the pineal gland in each group, and the levels of its secretions, such as melatonin (MLT) – noting that in some other dissociative experiences, such as schizophrenia, MRI scans have shown a smaller than normal pineal gland, and MLT levels have been lower.
The experiments took place in Campo Grande, Brazil, from January 2018 to April 2019, with mediums selected through consultation with a regulatory organization for Spiritism in Campo Grande, the Spiritist Federation of Mato Grosso do Sul. All mediums and controls were female.
In pre-screening tests, it was found that subjects in the MG reported a significantly higher number of anomalous experiences than the subjects in the CG, but no significant differences were found in the subjects’ mental health.
As for their investigation of whether the pineal gland of the mediums differed from control group? They found no significant difference:
In the present study, no differences were found between the MG and the nonmedium CG in terms of pineal gland volume, nocturnal urinary aMT6s levels [6‐sulfatoxymelatonin (aMT6s) is the main metabolite is of melatonin, and thus morning levels in urine are correlated with melatonin production during the previous night], and self‐reported subjective sleep quality (PSQI). In other words, structurally and functionally normal pineal glands were found in mediums, that are individuals often considered to have psychotic‐like experiences. This picture contrasts sharply with the data available in the literature describing these aspects in individuals with psychotic disorder/schizophrenia. In patients with schizophrenia, there is a predominantly reduced pineal gland volume, reduced MLT production and higher frequency of sleep disturbance, when compared to healthy controls.
(It should be noted though, as the researchers point out in the passage above, that it could also be seen as strange that individuals having mediumistic experiences don’t have correlating changes in the pineal gland and associated secretions similar to other groups of people who experience dissociation.)
The results suggest, the scientists note, that any future research on “the conjectured relationship of the pineal gland with spiritual experiences, if any, should be done on other (yet unexplored) bases other than through the production of melatonin” – that is, further experiments could look into “the secretion of hallucinogenic tryptamines, and magneto receptors”.
In short: the spirit mediums seemed to have no abnormally sized pineal gland, or abnormal levels of melatonin secretion – though, the researchers warn, ” calculating the volume of pineal gland and melatonin level is obviously not enough to clarify the putative role of the pineal gland in spirit possession”.
The researchers do note however, in their conclusion, that their findings support the idea that mediumship should not be considered a form of mental illness:
In sum, the findings of the present study indicate that individuals with psychotic‐like symptoms linked to the cultural context (in this case, Spiritist mediums) have normal secretory and structural characteristics of PG, quite different from the picture usually found in individuals with psychotic disorder. Yet, an increase in MLT production does not appear to be a distinguishing feature of mediumistic experience. Additionally, mediums presented a fast recovery stress response pattern, indicating good emotional regulation, unlike patients with pathological dissociation. Hence, the main implication of this study is to reinforce the notion of mediumship as a nonpathological dissociative phenomenon. This underscores the importance of refining the differential diagnosis between nonpathological forms of spiritual possession versus psychotic and dissociative disorders, as evidence increasingly demonstrates that culturally well‐integrated mediums are often mentally and physically healthy. Thus, the correct differentiation between these conditions could avoid stigmatization and unnecessary treatments.
Hopefully we’ll see some research on DMT levels in mediums next, based on this other recent research…
Title image is from Tool’s Parabola music video.


News Briefs 08-07-2020

• Astronomers release startling catalogue of objects best suited for seeking intelligent extraterrestrial life .
• China finally figured out @ @ @ @ @ ” substance from the far side of the moon was .
• The astronomer who @ @ @ @ @ utopia on Mars .
• Prying open the third eye : scientists investigate the role @ @ @ @ @ spiritual experiences .
• Speaking to people who found God after taking psychedelics .
• @ @ @ @ @ may be crude sculptures of humans .
• Ancient 12,000-year-old mine discovered in under water @ @ @ @ @ • Where does the Milky Way get its energy ?
Scientists may have found the @ @ @ @ @ sample return mission from Mars unleash a plague upon the Earth ?
• Image of @ @ @ @ @ portents ?
Quote of the Day : Victory through morality is the best victory .


News Briefs 09-07-2020

What 2020 has taught us : To cherish the little fleeting things we used to take for granted .
• We owe our existence to white dwarf stars –something which would have made Tolkien very happy .
• Four mysterious objects spotted in deep space are not like anything ever seen .
• Earth ’ s magnetic field could be changing much faster than we ever realized .
• Google ’ s UFO-looking Loon balloons are now providing Internet service in Kenya .
• Did the Aurora secret aircraft program exist ?
Over the years , John Greenewald has tried @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the ring : Devoid ’ s Billy Cox interviews a new UFO witness whose testimony will be part of Unidentified ’ s second season .
• The new episode of The Saucer Life focuses on Wayne Aho and Otis T. Carr , the first who tried to make money out of a DIY flying saucer –of course , this marketing method is alive and well… • ‘ Spooky ’ quantum movements seen happening to large objects , scientists say .
• Red Pill of the Day : Japanese theme parks ban screaming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Day : The more a thing tends to be permanent , the more it tends to be lifeless .

What 2020 has taught us: To cherish the little fleeting things we used to take for granted.
Quote of the Day:
The more a thing tends to be permanent, the more it tends to be lifeless.
Alan Watts


dailygrail--2020-07-09--New Unsolved Mysteries Netflix Series Review: Dude, Where’s My Paranormal Content?

As I mentioned in January of last year –you know , back when we could still remember what month we were living in– I ’ m a child of the 1980 ’ s , and my development as a Fortean was largely influenced by Robert Stack ’ s baritone voice and the ominous piano riff of Unsolved Mysteries , as unmistakable to my ears as the X-Files theme .
So when the announcement came that Netflix was planning on bringing back this beloved TV series , I had very high hopes for it .
The series premiered a week ago @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , my favorite piano riff was back .
There was even a very brief and quasi-etherical homage to Robert Stack by the end of the intro , for us nostalgic Gen X-ers out there .
Aaaaaand… that ’ s it : no new host walking out from a dry-ice fog to explain the particulars of each mystery to the audience .
Whether the decision to do without a presenter in this new installment of Unsolved Mysteries , was out of respect to the memory of the Elliot Ness interpreter –or just a gimmick @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the readership to decide ; all I know is that Luke Cage ’ s Mike Colter would ’ ve looked badass in a black trench coat… Ahh , if only this would ’ ve been the only major change in the new Unsolved Mysteries !
If there were any other paranormal junkies out there waiting on Netflix to provide them with a fresh fix of weird stuff , then now doubt they were as disappointed as I was with the choice made by the producers for this first season : Six episodes in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was devoted to UFOs ; the rest dealt with murders and disappearances that have left the authorities scratching their heads , and the families of the victims grieving due to a lack of closure .
Now , maybe it ’ s a cultural thing or something , but unlike the majority of American viewers I ’ ve never been too much of a fan of true crime stories ( my visit to the Museum of Death in Los Angeles with a group of friends in 2017 made me extremely uncomfortable ) .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so obsessed with the pain and suffering inflicted by these real-life monsters on their victims .
All those popular series on Netflix about serial killers like Making a Murderer and Manhunt ?
I ’ d rather rewatch old episodes of TNG while I wait for the new season of The Witcher , thank you very much .
So I got ta give credit to the Netflix producers that in spite of this they did manage to get me hooked on all the unsolved crimes presented in the episodes within minutes : The strange @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his death from the rooftop of the old Belvedere hotel in Baltimore , leaving a strange note behind his home computer and with his long-time friend and employer refusing to talk to the police ; the death of Patrice Enders , who disappeared in 2004 from her beauty salon and whose remains were later found , leaving behind her young son Pistol ( ! )
and her much older husband who kept her ashes and slept with them as if they were a Teddy bear ( !
! )
; the murder of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ father being the prime suspect and nowhere to be found ; the death of Alonzo Brooks , a young man who was last seen alive at a party in rural Kansas ; and finally , the disappearance of young Lena Chaplin , who was the main witness in the murder of her stepfather at the hands of Lena ’ s own mother and her new boyfriend .
Yes , all the cases were very intriguing , and the possibility that bringing them into public exposure could help solve these crimes is of course @ @ @ @ @ @ @ provide more information were encouraged to call the authorities or log in to unsolved.com– but the bad aftertaste they left in my mouth reminded me why I stay clear of this sort of entertainment .
There was even one case ( Episode # 4 : “ No Ride Home ” ) in which the disappearance of Alonzo Brooks and the unusual circumstances surrounding his death reminded me of the controversial Missing 411 cases investigated by researcher David Paulides : for instance , the fact that Brooks ’ s boots were found not far @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and his body was located by his family members on a place which had already been thoroughly searched by the authorities : a small brook , yet the corpse had no signs of drowning –or even signs of bodily trauma nor decomposition ; bodies of water are , according to Paulides , a common recurrence in Missing 411 ’ s .
When I mentioned this on my Twitter timeline during the weekend though , there were several people ( including my good friend Tim Binnall ) who disagreed with me and thought associating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 411 mystery was an unnecessary distraction .
To which I still maintain that I ’ m not trying to question the motive of his tragic murder , but the methodology ; after all , when one suggests a particular crime shares some of the elements of the Missing 411 pattern , we are not saying the victim was killed by aliens or fairies ( even though the circumstances behind a percentage of these deaths have led people to suggest some sort of ‘ supernatural ’ intervention ) .
Alonzo Brooks could have very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ murder –his interviewed friends mentioned he was particularly loquatious that night , which might suggest someone spiked his beverage– and taking notice of the odd details in his case could hopefully help in the finding of his attackers .
Or not .
So what about the one true paranormal episode , then ?
In January of 2019 I wrote that I hoped the producers of the new Unsolved Mysteries would stay clear of cases that suffer from too much exposure , and in this regard at least they did not disappoint at all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clustered around Berkshire County , Massachusetts , on Sept 1st , 1969 which involved different independent witnesses of varying ages and background –Jane Green , Tom Warner , Melanie Kirchdorfer , Thomas Reed and his mother Nancy– are fascinating stories this seasoned UFO enthusiast had never heard of before and definitely deserve further attention , because they show a wide gamut of elements which have by now become cliched in close encounter narratives ( mind control , paralyzing beams , abduction , missing time , etc ) but back then hadn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ psyche –this is 14 years before Travis Walton had his abduction experience , and 20 before Budd Hopkins published his seminal Missing Time .
The original Unsolved Mysteries became one of the first TV shows to employ CGI in order to recreate what by now have become classic UFO events –like the boomerang-shaped objects seen on the Hudson valley in the 80s , or the triangular UFOs flying over Belgium in the 90s– but in the new Unsolved Mysteries the CGI is way more subtle and the UFOs remain almost ephemeral on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the true nature of these events continue to elude us , and the only record of them are the impression left in the memories of those fortunate ( or unfortunate ) to experience them .
So overall a must-watch episode that felt like a delicious ice cream dessert after having to finish a dreadful broccoli dinner .
If future seasons of Unsolved Mysteries continue to follow this uneven format of 85 % True Crime vs 15 % Paranormal , I ’ m afraid I ’ ll have to give the show a hard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Unsolved Mysteries is now available on Netflix .

As I mentioned in January of last year –you know, back when we could still remember what month we were living in– I’m a child of the 1980’s, and my development as a Fortean was largely influenced by Robert Stack’s baritone voice and the ominous piano riff of Unsolved Mysteries, as unmistakable to my ears as the X-Files theme. So when the announcement came that Netflix was planning on bringing back this beloved TV series, I had very high hopes for it.
The series premiered a week ago on July 1st and, sure enough, my favorite piano riff was back. There was even a very brief and quasi-etherical homage to Robert Stack by the end of the intro, for us nostalgic Gen X-ers out there. Aaaaaand… that’s it: no new host walking out from a dry-ice fog to explain the particulars of each mystery to the audience. Whether the decision to do without a presenter in this new installment of Unsolved Mysteries, was out of respect to the memory of the Elliot Ness interpreter –or just a gimmick to save costs– I’ll leave the readership to decide; all I know is that Luke Cage’s Mike Colter would’ve looked badass in a black trench coat…
Ahh, if only this would’ve been the only major change in the new Unsolved Mysteries! If there were any other paranormal junkies out there waiting on Netflix to provide them with a fresh fix of weird stuff, then now doubt they were as disappointed as I was with the choice made by the producers for this first season: Six episodes in total, out of which only one was devoted to UFOs; the rest dealt with murders and disappearances that have left the authorities scratching their heads, and the families of the victims grieving due to a lack of closure.
Now, maybe it’s a cultural thing or something, but unlike the majority of American viewers I’ve never been too much of a fan of true crime stories (my visit to the Museum of Death in Los Angeles with a group of friends in 2017 made me extremely uncomfortable). I’ve never understood why people get so obsessed with the pain and suffering inflicted by these real-life monsters on their victims. All those popular series on Netflix about serial killers like Making a Murderer and Manhunt? I’d rather rewatch old episodes of TNG while I wait for the new season of The Witcher, thank you very much.
[Mild Spoilers]
So I gotta give credit to the Netflix producers that in spite of this they did manage to get me hooked on all the unsolved crimes presented in the episodes within minutes: The strange suicide of Rey Rivera who fell to his death from the rooftop of the old Belvedere hotel in Baltimore, leaving a strange note behind his home computer and with his long-time friend and employer refusing to talk to the police; the death of Patrice Enders, who disappeared in 2004 from her beauty salon and whose remains were later found, leaving behind her young son Pistol (!) and her much older husband who kept her ashes and slept with them as if they were a Teddy bear (!!); the murder of an aristocratic family in France with the father being the prime suspect and nowhere to be found; the death of Alonzo Brooks, a young man who was last seen alive at a party in rural Kansas; and finally, the disappearance of young Lena Chaplin, who was the main witness in the murder of her stepfather at the hands of Lena’s own mother and her new boyfriend.
Yes, all the cases were very intriguing, and the possibility that bringing them into public exposure could help solve these crimes is of course important –at the end viewers who could provide more information were encouraged to call the authorities or log in to unsolved.com– but the bad aftertaste they left in my mouth reminded me why I stay clear of this sort of entertainment.
There was even one case (Episode #4: “No Ride Home”) in which the disappearance of Alonzo Brooks and the unusual circumstances surrounding his death reminded me of the controversial Missing 411 cases investigated by researcher David Paulides: for instance, the fact that Brooks’s boots were found not far from where he was last seen, and his body was located by his family members on a place which had already been thoroughly searched by the authorities: a small brook, yet the corpse had no signs of drowning –or even signs of bodily trauma nor decomposition; bodies of water are, according to Paulides, a common recurrence in Missing 411’s.
Alonzo Brooks, who always loved wearing red (bright clothes are also a feature in Missing 411 cases)
When I mentioned this on my Twitter timeline during the weekend though, there were several people (including my good friend Tim Binnall) who disagreed with me and thought associating this probable hate crime to the Missing 411 mystery was an unnecessary distraction. To which I still maintain that I’m not trying to question the motive of his tragic murder, but the methodology; after all, when one suggests a particular crime shares some of the elements of the Missing 411 pattern, we are not saying the victim was killed by aliens or fairies (even though the circumstances behind a percentage of these deaths have led people to suggest some sort of ‘supernatural’ intervention). Alonzo Brooks could have very well been the target of a ritualistic murder –his interviewed friends mentioned he was particularly loquatious that night, which might suggest someone spiked his beverage– and taking notice of the odd details in his case could hopefully help in the finding of his attackers. Or not.
So what about the one true paranormal episode, then? In January of 2019 I wrote that I hoped the producers of the new Unsolved Mysteries would stay clear of cases that suffer from too much exposure, and in this regard at least they did not disappoint at all: The series of strange UFOlogical events clustered around Berkshire County, Massachusetts, on Sept 1st, 1969 which involved different independent witnesses of varying ages and background –Jane Green, Tom Warner, Melanie Kirchdorfer, Thomas Reed and his mother Nancy– are fascinating stories this seasoned UFO enthusiast had never heard of before and definitely deserve further attention, because they show a wide gamut of elements which have by now become cliched in close encounter narratives (mind control, paralyzing beams, abduction, missing time, etc) but back then hadn’t had a chance to penetrate the collective psyche –this is 14 years before Travis Walton had his abduction experience, and 20 before Budd Hopkins published his seminal Missing Time.
Witness Tom Warner reliving his UFO experience in front of the camera
The original Unsolved Mysteries became one of the first TV shows to employ CGI in order to recreate what by now have become classic UFO events –like the boomerang-shaped objects seen on the Hudson valley in the 80s, or the triangular UFOs flying over Belgium in the 90s– but in the new Unsolved Mysteries the CGI is way more subtle and the UFOs remain almost ephemeral on the screen, as if to highlight how the true nature of these events continue to elude us, and the only record of them are the impression left in the memories of those fortunate (or unfortunate) to experience them.
So overall a must-watch episode that felt like a delicious ice cream dessert after having to finish a dreadful broccoli dinner. If future seasons of Unsolved Mysteries continue to follow this uneven format of 85% True Crime vs 15% Paranormal, I’m afraid I’ll have to give the show a hard pass despite my 80’s nostalgia.
Unsolved Mysteries is now available on Netflix.


News Briefs 10-07-2020

• Astronomers want to figure out what the hell ‘ Planet Nine ’ is once and for all .
• The Pentagon has a ‘ lot more ’ classified UFO videos , says ex-head of secret government program .
• What should you do in the unlikely event you meet an alien ?
• What can SETI scholars learn from the public response to the COVID-19 pandemic that might apply to a startling event like the reception of a signal from an alien civilisation ?
• Science proves farm animals really can sense earthquakes before they happen .
• How @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
• Evidence found of epic prehistoric ocean voyages between the Americas and eastern Polynesia .
• Also related ?
Archaeologists discover that humans sailed the Mediterranean Sea at least 130,000 years ago .
• 120,000-year-old necklace suggests string may have been invented more than 150,000 years ago .
• Americans have increased their use of LSD – and a bleak outlook for the world may be to blame .
• Deep pockets , dreams of space : Robert Bigelow has probably spent more of his own money investigating UFOs than any other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Day : You ’ re only as young as the last time you changed your mind .


News Briefs 13-07-2020

Welcome to another Monday .
Hope you ’ re all doing good out there !
• Have archaeologists proven the @ @ @ @ @ in the Judaean desert , or twisted science for political end ?
• Spiritual and @ @ @ @ @ against pseudoarchaeology .
• Detection of electrical signaling between tomato plants raises interesting questions about @ @ @ @ @ through fungi .
• Humans actually have an irrational preference for round numbers .
• @ @ @ @ @ of everything ?
• NASA issues two new directives to stop humans from contaminating Mars @ @ @ @ @ Footprints on the moon and cemeteries on Mars : an interview with a space archaeologist @ @ @ @ @ the Top 10 UFO and paranormal cases that he has investigated .
• Wayfair debunks @ @ @ @ @ trafficked children in furniture .
• Image of the Day : Comet NEOWISE over Stonehenge @ @ @ @ @ : Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be .
Be @ @

Welcome to another Monday. Hope you’re all doing good out there!
Quote of the Day:
Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be. Be one.
Marcus Aurelius


News Briefs 14-07-2020

• Findings from new investigation into Dyatlov Pass Incident announced .
• Are UFOs a threat ?
We need to @ @ @ @ @ of secret US program .
• Self-destructive civilizations may doom our search for alien intelligence @ @ @ @ @ – will advances in science and engineering eventually kill us all ?
• New findings @ @ @ @ @ their pets way back in the Neolithic Age .
• Royal descendants can keep temple @ @ @ @ @ Supreme Court rules .
• Does human consciousness exist separate from matter , or is @ @ @ @ @ brain ?
• Doctors heal human lungs by attaching them to live pigs .
• @ @ @ @ @ Comet NEOWISE , seen from the International Space Station .
Quote of the Day : @ @ @ @ @ like hair .
They are born suddenly , portending a change of royal power or @ @ @ @ @ .


News Briefs 15-07-2020

Play like a crow on a seesaw who thinks no-one is watching… • The head of well-known UFO investigation organisation MUFON has been arrested on child solicitation charges .
• Just when you thought politics couldn ’ t get any crazier : the QAnon candidates are here .
• Related : Civil war psy-op – an alternative narrative of the QAnon conspiracy theory .
• Did ancient Americans settle in Polynesia ?
The evidence doesn ’ t stack up .
• Uncovered : the most ancient evidence for Bronze Age horsemanship .
• Scientists have stored The Wizard of Oz @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Related : Our alien DNA – could messages from E.T .
be hidden in our genetic code ?
• How koalas with a sexually transmitted disease could help humanity .
• Five years after fly-by , the case for Pluto being considered a planet holds up .
• Cosmic clock : Time could be the result of particles interacting with a ticking cosmic timepiece .
Quote of the Day : It is more useful to watch a man in times of peril , and in adversity to discern what kind of man he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of truth are drawn from the depths of his heart , and the mask is torn off , reality remains .

Play like a crow on a seesaw who thinks no-one is watching…
Quote of the Day:
It is more useful to watch a man in times of peril, and in adversity to discern what kind of man he is; for then at last words of truth are drawn from the depths of his heart, and the mask is torn off, reality remains.
Lucretius


News Briefs 16-07-2020

2020 : The f $ % k that keeps on f $ % king… • Why are conspiracy theories so appealing ?
• Seagulls drunk from eating ants may pose a danger to humans – got ta give it to the Simulators : at least they ’ re willing to try new ideas… • Wild bison to roam Great Britain for the first time in thousands of years .
• A submerged 7000-year-old discovery shows the great potential for underwater archeology in Australia .
• Mummification : The lost art of embalming the dead .
• Is there a mysterious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nobody tell Tyler Strand or he ’ ll Leroy Jenkins-it faster than you can say “ Hellier season 3.
” • Next season of Unsolved Mysteries will have one ghost episode .
Wow , a whole episode , I can hardly wait… • Fans of the Dyatlov pass incident are disappointed by the findings of the latest investigation .
• Sleep paralysis and the monsters inside your mind .
• NASA reveals what the Mars helicopter is really going to do .
Mars bugs Mars bugs , whatcha gon na do when they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ FAA documents reveal unprecedented look into the Colorado drone swarm mystery .
• On UFO Classified , Erica Lukes invites Greg Bishop to talk about the current state of UFO culture .
• Red Pill of the Day : Mysterious face appearing on a mum ’ s bum in Cornwall has got to be the most awkward religious icon in history –only surpassed by the Holy Foreskin , that is… Quote of the Day :


News Briefs 17-07-2020

TFW you put on the sunglasses… • The closest images ever taken of the Sun have revealed a never-before-seen stellar phenomenon dubbed ‘ campfires ’ .
• What is an individual ?
To recognize strange extraterrestrial life and solve biological mysteries on this planet , scientists are searching for an objective definition for life ’ s basic units .
• Scientists find an earthquake ’ s toll in an organism ’ s DNA .
• The greatest journey of all time : how the first Americans made their way from Siberia to Patagonia .
• Stonehenge tunnel decision delayed for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stunning archaeological find in the area .
• Hyksos ‘ invasion ’ of ancient Egypt may actually have been an immigrant uprising .
• Most experts blame a 2017 chemical attack on the Syrian regime .
But an emeritus MIT professor remains stubbornly unconvinced .
• This scientist spends his time predicting the end of the world .
Wouldn ’ t have much spare time these days I ’ m thinking… • Ready or not , inexpensive VR sex is going mainstream .
• Indigenous group apologises after accidentally blowing up mining corporation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ satire , in response to this story . )
Quote of the Day : Their intention to rule rests with the annihilation of consciousness .
We have been lulled into a trance .
They have made us indifferent to ourselves , to others .
We are focused only on our own gain .
Please understand .
They are safe as long as they are not discovered .
That is their primary method of survival .
Keep us asleep , keep us selfish , keep us sedated .

TFW you put on the sunglasses…
Quote of the Day:
Their intention to rule rests with the annihilation of consciousness. We have been lulled into a trance. They have made us indifferent to ourselves, to others. We are focused only on our own gain. Please understand. They are safe as long as they are not discovered. That is their primary method of survival. Keep us asleep, keep us selfish, keep us sedated.
from John Carpenter’s ‘They Live’


News Briefs 20-07-2020

• The Pentagon moves to launch its own experimental mini-space station .
• The United Arab Emirates launches its first mission to Mars .
• The cathedral and the starship : learning from the Middle Ages to build an interstellar spacecraft .
• Giant caves on alien worlds could be havens for life , scientists say .
• Like sea-monsters on pre-modern maps , deep-space images are science ’ s fanciful means to chart the edges of the known world .
• Prosecutors say an avalanche the killed Dyatlov Pass group in Urals in 1959 .
• Could a huge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Australian bunyip ?
• Mysterious ‘ templar ’ crop circle appears out of nowhere in French field , draws thousands of curious visitors .
• Please stop freaking out : NASA has not changed your star sign .
• An operation to remove a brain cyst changed Matthew ’ s identity .
Who will he become after the next round of surgery ?
Quote of the Day : Do not get lost in a sea of despair .
Be hopeful , be optimistic .
Our struggle is not the struggle of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ month , or a year , it is the struggle of a lifetime .
Never , ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble , necessary trouble .

51 years ago today…
Quote of the Day:
Do not get lost in a sea of despair. Be hopeful, be optimistic. Our struggle is not the struggle of a day, a week, a month, or a year, it is the struggle of a lifetime. Never, ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble.
John Lewis


News Briefs 21-07-2020

• Mathematician predicted violent upheaval in 2020 all the way back in 2012 .
• India ’ s ancient sites @ @ @ @ @ .
• Searching for islands of fertility beneath Antarctica , and on Mars and Europa @ @ @ @ @ irradiated ocean planets ?
So , basically Mad Max meets Waterworld… • US Senator Marco @ @ @ @ @ .
• Pentagon has ‘ a lot more ’ UFO evidence which remains ‘ highly @ @ @ @ @ head of AATIP .
• KFC will test lab-grown chicken nuggets made with a 3D @ @ @ @ @ .
Quote of the Day : If we amplify everything we hear nothing .


News Briefs 22-07-2020

So I guess this means *all* the QAnons have to leave Twitter ?
# WWG1WGA • Twitter bans 7000 QAnon @ @ @ @ @ others as part of a broad crackdown on ‘ coordinated harmful activity ’ .
• @ @ @ @ @ – the dangers in priming people for armed revolution .
• Nearly a third of @ @ @ @ @ conspiracy theory .
• The long history of how Jesus came to resemble a white @ @ @ @ @ the western Mediterranean did not become extinct because of changes in climate .
• A @ @ @ @ @ has revealed how 70 percent of life on Earth died .
• Future generations deserve @ @ @ @ @ be one ?
• Video of the Day : Mars in 4K .
Quote of @ @ @ @ @ re only given a little spark of madness and if you lose that , you @ @ @ @ @

So I guess this means *all* the QAnons have to leave Twitter? #WWG1WGA
Quote of the Day:
You’re only given a little spark of madness and if you lose that, you’re nothin’.
Robin Williams