UFOs, Space Aliens and the like

[maryportfuncity 10,641]

7 minutes ago, Davey Jones' Locker said:

Cool, thanks! I remember all the media circus around the Knowles case when I was a kid and it really intrigued me at the time.

 

I have always wanted to see the Min Min phenomena - might have to drive out into one of the areas where it is spotted one of these days. 

 

BTW, my father observed ball lightning a few times when he was young.

 

 

So, an interesting point about this case is that it is indeed one of the hardest to explain away (most are unexplained but many fall so obviously into particular explanations - meteorites, mistaken observations of Venus etc. - that they soon form a pattern and the more sceptical investigators find it easy to show the pattern). I'm fairly open-minded by comparison to the harder sceptics to the possibility that one or two cases are truly strange. Oddly, the main thing that's "wrong" in this regard with the Knowles family case is how much the initial encounter then goes on to fit the kind of abduction narrative that was fairly prevalent at the time. Given that many of those abductions are discredited now the Knowles' story - sort of - suffers by comparison. Which is why you could take a sceptical view that natural phenomena + hysteria just about explains it. 

[Davey Jones' Locker 1,324]

40 minutes ago, maryportfuncity said:

 

 

So, an interesting point about this case is that it is indeed one of the hardest to explain away (most are unexplained but many fall so obviously into particular explanations - meteorites, mistaken observations of Venus etc. - that they soon form a pattern and the more sceptical investigators find it easy to show the pattern). I'm fairly open-minded by comparison to the harder sceptics to the possibility that one or two cases are truly strange. Oddly, the main thing that's "wrong" in this regard with the Knowles family case is how much the initial encounter then goes on to fit the kind of abduction narrative that was fairly prevalent at the time. Given that many of those abductions are discredited now the Knowles' story - sort of - suffers by comparison. Which is why you could take a sceptical view that natural phenomena + hysteria just about explains it. 

Yes, makes sense. I have heard of cases of people really wanting to see either extinct thylacines or the urban myth of escaped big cats and then convincing themselves they have seen them when they go out in the bush whereas other people in the same area see nothing. I could readily believe someone seeing something unexpected, like a meteor, and the  mind then filling in the blanks and constructing a story around it.

 

I guess the most interesting thing in the Knowles case is the inclusion of the "hard evidence" of the dust on the car which was supposedly an unexplained substance at the time. 

 

The paramilitary explanation sounds as bizarre and paranoid as any explanation involving extraterrestrials: what evidence is there for the claim? Who was the real target? Why on earth would some real high profile target be traveling across the wasteland of the Nullarbor Plain?! Why not just shoot them or blow them up if they were travelling unescorted across the desert and leave the wreckage there instead of trying to use an electro-magnet to abduct their car and drop it in the ocean(!) At the end, he seems to contradict himself by saying high profile events like the Bicentennial at Sydney would be attractive, whereas we are talking about a car out in the middle of nowhere with no media and few witnesses around.

 

At least he tries to explain the dust on the car.

[Davey Jones' Locker 1,324]

Actually, it turns out the guy espousing that theory has been promoting it on this forum too:

 

https://www.unexplained-mysteries.com/forum/topic/246829-australian-family-encounters-glowing-object/

 

He still provides no evidence. Interestingly he draws in the weird, weird story of conman John Friedrich, who was building up just such an organisation under the guise of a "Safety Council" right under the noses of the authorities. One popular theory at the time was that John Friedrich was actually an assumed identity of a re-emerged Frederick Valentich, so this guy is actually, knowingly or unknowingly, linking together three great Australian mysteries!

 

Anyway, as smart phones and dashcams become more and more prevalent, it will be interesting to see if incidents like the Knowles story occur in the future. If they are concocted by publicity seekers or mass hallucinations, people will have to come up with more inventive tales. (In a way it will be sad if there are no more mysteries in the world.) If, on the other hand, they are real, it will be fascinating to see what the footage shows.

[Davey Jones' Locker 1,324]

There is a discussion of all the major Australian UFO stories here. Included is another contemporary news report video on the Knowles case:

 

https://mashable.com/2016/10/27/australian-ufo-sightings-top-5/#h1PWal3AXSq6

 

UPDATE: More contemporary reports on the case:

 

https://www.apnews.com/9bd96fcf56695d960ae48975f4c793c8

 

https://www.apnews.com/c32556c9bfaee668f5194a5a9d6ea047

 

Hmmm.... Police were convinced it was not a hoax, there was the physical evidence of the tar and the fishermen were witnesses too. 

 

UPDATE 2:

 

Patrick Knowles provides an account (not sure when this is dated):

 

 

Quote

 

03.20

Australia [man]

My name is Patrick Knowles. My family and I have been the victim of a media frenzy since first telling our story. Now I very much regret making it public. We have experienced unrelenting ridicule, being described as crazy, or accused of making up a hoax just for money, and so on. But we only wanted people to know what happened to us, we weren't after anything!

It happened on January 20, 1988. My mother, two brothers and I were driving from Perth to Melbourne. We were going to drive straight through in shifts, and we planned to cross the desert at night when the heat wasn't so bad. By 2.30 am we were in the Nullarbor Plain. We stopped for petrol and switched drivers. Sean was driving and I was in the front seat next to him. The road was empty. Suddenly we saw a bright yellow light up ahead and Sean slowed down. As we got closer, the yellow light seemed to be emanating from an egg-shaped object hovering just above ground level. We thought we might be seeing things but then a caravan passed going the other way, and it swerved sharply to avoid the luminous egg. The closer we got to it, the more we realised it wasn't a normal vehicle or a road signal or anything like that. Sean swerved to avoid it and we continued on, leaving it behind.

Suddenly, the object started towards us. It appeared to accelerate with tremendous speed. We drove on and it literally chased us. The faster we went to get away from it, the faster this object went after us. I reckon we reached a speed of 125 miles per hour but it caught up in a matter of seconds. Then Sean made a sudden u-turn and headed back West in the direction of the petrol station. The UFO also turned around. I don't know how the hell it was flying, because it didn't have any wings or anything like wings. It just kept coming after us. Sean made another fast u-turn heading back toward Melbourne again but the UFO turned as well and kept pace with the car. In the backseat, everyone was scared. The dogs started barking and whining.

Then suddenly, we were hit. It shot a beam of light out and punctured our back tyre. The back tyre was on fire. We started sliding across the road. I realised if we braked we would have to confront the UFO, but Sean didn't have any choice. Then it landed on the roof of the car and picked the car up. It lit up the car like a microwave. The heat was intense. Our hair was standing straight up and we felt really funny - like we were being dehydrated. It was awful, frightening, like our brains were being sucked out. My fear was that I would be pulled out of my body. I put my hand out of the window and touched something spongy that burned my hand. I thought we were going to die.
You could actually feel the car rising in the air. The car began to fill with a thick black fog. It was so hot, and all this soot, this junk, started covering us. Our voices started changing - you know how a tape deck sounds when the batteries start to go flat? That's what it was like. Then I passed out.

I came to when I heard a tremendous noise, like a bang, and our car suddenly dropped back to earth. Dawn was coming up. The thing just flew away, that was the last we saw of it. I had to change the tyre, and we tried to clean out the black soot. There were marks on the roof of the car. As soon as we could, we drove fast to the nearest roadhouse. We were too shocked to talk for a while. Then we realised we had lost a couple of hours time during the incident. We called the police. The funny thing was they were already looking for us. Someone, maybe the people in the caravan we passed, had phoned the police anonymously. Their report states that they witnessed our car being picked up off the road and shaken violently. They noticed the car was covered in black ash. The police inspected our car and noted the ash, the bad smell, and the dents on the roof. They was convinced something had occurred. They took us to the hospital where we were treated for burns and shock. But then the media got hold of the incident. I don't think a single reporter or journalist asked sensible questions or tried to console us for our fear, they just wanted to humiliate us. When our car was examined by forensic scientists, they found unexplained high concentrations of chlorine, an element not usually present in cars, animals, or the desert environment. My family does not need proof of this sort because we all know what we witnessed and what we went through that night.

 

Source:  https://www.artangel.org.uk/witness/ufo-sightings-from-around-world/#australia-and-oceania

 

[bladan 293]

Independently of me two persons saw the TR-3B (?) too, in 2008 and in the same city. There is a report in a database. Although I am not sure about the year when I saw the thing

To sum up:

- definitely not an airplane. It was bigger and slower

- it flew very low (although that could be an optical trick because it was so huge)

-triangular (no wings)

-a red flashing light

Only I heard the sound of engines and I don't remember any lights at tips of the triangle.

I could hear its sound inside my house even when I closed the door. I also reported what I saw but I don't remember who got my report.

According to mainstream news or mainstream science, what I saw doesn't exist. I wasn't drunk or anything.

My general impression was that it looked man-made, not of ET origin.

[runebomme 377]

[bladan 293]

1 hour ago, runebomme said:

No, no, it was no Zeppelin.

I very clearly saw and heard the TR-3B or something like that. When I saw it I had zero interest in UFOs and I wasn't drinking at all.

https://www.express.co.uk/news/weird/768362/TR-3B-Triangle-UFO-on-truck-Area-51

 

""Now let me start off by saying that this vehicle could very well be a secret military experimental aircraft." YES! That was my impression too. I live not too away from the Russian border...

In fact my grand parents lived very near to the Russian border. I remember what happened there back in the early 1970s...They had a strawberry field... Their "Yudum" was tasty...  My brother briefly drove an Opel Kadett... Now it's just a fading memory... Is everything just a memory???

 

My uncle was just a kid when Russians tried to kill him in 1940... He had cried: "Why are they shooting at me, I''m just a child" many years later he suddenly died of cancer... I remember his yellow eyes and his wife who told him "Get a doctor". He was a good chess player

[runebomme 377]

9 hours ago, bladan said:

No, no, it was no Zeppelin.

I very clearly saw and heard the TR-3B or something like that. When I saw it I had zero interest in UFOs and I wasn't drinking at all.

https://www.express.co.uk/news/weird/768362/TR-3B-Triangle-UFO-on-truck-Area-51

 

""Now let me start off by saying that this vehicle could very well be a secret military experimental aircraft." YES! That was my impression too. I live not too away from the Russian border...

In fact my grand parents lived very near to the Russian border. I remember what happened there back in the early 1970s...They had a strawberry field... Their "Yudum" was tasty...  My brother briefly drove an Opel Kadett... Now it's just a fading memory... Is everything just a memory???

 

My uncle was just a kid when Russians tried to kill him in 1940... He had cried: "Why are they shooting at me, I''m just a child" many years later he suddenly died of cancer... I remember his yellow eyes and his wife who told him "Get a doctor". He was a good chess player

 

 

 

must have been a Kirov then

 

 

[TomTomTelekom 3,727]

Paranormal Legend Lorraine Warren dead at 92 years

https://bloody-disgusting.com/news/3556775/r-i-p-paranormal-investigator-lorraine-warren-has-died-at-92/

[maryportfuncity 10,641]

Dunno how many of you saw the Panorama programme on the Gatwick drone on Monday but - basically - despite the claimed 100+ sightings Panoram couldn't find any witness who'd go on camera or even be named to say they saw a flying drone. The one report that started the whole thing was an airport worker who saw two drones flying near a perimeter fence when he knocked off work and there was one couple who did come forward to be filmed who'd seen someone in a gateway near the airport with two drones on the first night. No signals detected the second day and the only footage is less than two seconds of a black dot crossing a screen - despite cameras all over the airport and loads of people around with phones. Quite a reality check in terms of matching what people can prove against what they say.

[YoungWillz 21,026]

Helen Sharman convinced aliens exist and could even be here. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-51003374

 

Probably keeping all of drol's African Despots alive....

[the_engineer 1,415]

On 06/01/2020 at 12:07, YoungWillz said:

Helen Sharman convinced aliens exist and could even be here. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-51003374

 

Probably keeping all of drol's African Despots alive....

 

'Aliens might be here now and we can't see them' She said. David icke his been saying something similar for a while, Wouldn't it be weird if David icke was right all along (saw music plays). Still don't believe it myself though.

 

[Bentrovato 1,087]

[Sir Creep 7,070]

On 08/05/2020 at 15:08, Bentrovato said:

Looks like someone zoomed in on the gold chain collection at Walmart.

[gcreptile 10,964]

Lots of news on the UFO front recently. The USA is currently examining the matter. There's a commission or something.

And President Obama more or less confirms that, while there are no secret laboratories with extraterrestial bodies, there are flying objects that we can't explain:

https://www.nbcnews.com/science/weird-science/obama-ufo-videos-dont-know-exactly-are-rcna963

[MariNisia 4,189]

21 minutes ago, gcreptile said:

Lots of news on the UFO front recently. The USA is currently examining the matter. There's a commission or something.

And President Obama more or less confirms that, while there are no secret laboratories with extraterrestial bodies, there are flying objects that we can't explain.

 

[Bentrovato 1,087]

2 hours ago, gcreptile said:

Lots of news on the UFO front recently. The USA is currently examining the matter. There's a commission or something.

And President Obama more or less confirms that, while there are no secret laboratories with extraterrestial bodies, there are flying objects that we can't explain:

https://www.nbcnews.com/science/weird-science/obama-ufo-videos-dont-know-exactly-are-rcna963

Of course there are more UFOs about these last few weeks. They have been collecting Prince Philip's reptilian remains from the crypt and arranging his repatriation back to his home planet. 

[maryportfuncity 10,641]

3 hours ago, gcreptile said:

Lots of news on the UFO front recently. The USA is currently examining the matter. There's a commission or something.

And President Obama more or less confirms that, while there are no secret laboratories with extraterrestial bodies, there are flying objects that we can't explain:

https://www.nbcnews.com/science/weird-science/obama-ufo-videos-dont-know-exactly-are-rcna963

 

One of Trump's parting shots was to oblige the US to investigate what it knows about UFOs and release the information to the public within 180 days. He left office in the third week of January so the report is due early June. That said, the expectation is in line with what Obama indicated (they know a load, have some evidence which hasn't been seen but have no evidence of anything extra-terrestrial). Expect the pro-ET mob to dismiss the report as a whitewash as and when it falls in line with Barak Obama's indications. Similar situation in the UK and one guy in particular - David Clarke - has used FOI requests to find out what we know and has been given access to all the relevant docs in the national archive, which have almost all been declassified and published. If memory serves me right there are seven docs withheld all of which are believed to relate to the MoD's discussions about one of its own staff - Nick Pope - and his sideline in writing pro-ET UFO books. Those docs are - I think - being withheld because Pope doesn't want them out there. It's known we have more evidence including some interesting gun-camera film from an RAF fighter decades ago and photographs from Calvine in Scotland taken by a civilian which are classified until 2072. But it's also known that the official line is that there are mysteries but no proof of anything extra-terrestrial (best guess being the gun-camera footage is some unknown atmospheric phenomenon and the hikers in Calvine saw a secret military craft under test). 

 

I'm here all  week

 

[En Passant 3,741]

 

We really should hope there are no signs of life on Mars and here is a better explanation than I could ever hope to provide as to why.

 

He also debunks a lot of the crap about UFO's whilst he's at it.

Not that I was ever a believer, but this is also one of the better arguments against UFO's pitching up any time soon or indeed ever.

 

People can have as much fun as they like with conspiracy theories, and I shall continue to have fun applying Occams Razor. 

Kennedy assassination, Roswell, 9/11was the gubmint conspiracists, climate change deniers, 5g phone anti-vaxxers..... 

Certified tin-hat-brigade each and every one. Loonies at best, actually dangerous at worst.

 

Fortunately for most, I'm not here all week, it's been a bit boring lately. 

[maryportfuncity 10,641]

1 hour ago, En Passant said:

 

We really should hope there are no signs of life on Mars and here is a better explanation than I could ever hope to provide as to why.

 

He also debunks a lot of the crap about UFO's whilst he's at it.

Not that I was ever a believer, but this is also one of the better arguments against UFO's pitching up any time soon or indeed ever.

 

People can have as much fun as they like with conspiracy theories, and I shall continue to have fun applying Occams Razor. 

Kennedy assassination, Roswell, 9/11was the gubmint conspiracists, climate change deniers, 5g phone anti-vaxxers..... 

Certified tin-hat-brigade each and every one. Loonies at best, actually dangerous at worst.

 

Fortunately for most, I'm not here all week, it's been a bit boring lately. 

 

 

Aye but tarry awhile and banter EP!

 

Re alien life etc. One of the better informed and more interesting things I've read of late is the book below. Basically, a Harvard astronomy professor argues that a strange object that passed through the solar system in 2017 might have been  a purpose built remote probe of some kind and based on a design principal we're just beginning to plan on Earth with a view to using it to reach the nearest star. So, you won't find this guy indulging in conspiratorial crap or raking over the tepid truths of the Roswell case.

 

 

 

[harrymcnallysblueandwhitearmy 1,684]

25 minutes ago, maryportfuncity said:

 

blah blah blah

 

 

Oh god, which one of you lot set him off. 

 

I think most DLers have/had a trigger/catnip word/subject:

 

Starcrossed: Moore

Windy: Royalty

Charon: Rangers

Millwall: Dicky O

Handy: MASH

Cowboy Ronnie: Moon landings

Occy: Footballer/Drivers (obv)

honez/Toast: Language (Timothy)

HMBWA: Too many to mention

Some  old members: Squid

Most current members: Dr Who

Etc etc

 

Who have I missed?

 

 

 

 

[gcreptile 10,964]

31 minutes ago, maryportfuncity said:

 

 

Aye but tarry awhile and banter EP!

 

Re alien life etc. One of the better informed and more interesting things I've read of late is the book below. Basically, a Harvard astronomy professor argues that a strange object that passed through the solar system in 2017 might have been  a purpose built remote probe of some kind and based on a design principal we're just beginning to plan on Earth with a view to using it to reach the nearest star. So, you won't find this guy indulging in conspiratorial crap or raking over the tepid truths of the Roswell case.

 

 

 

Ah yes, Oumuamua (or however it's spelt). While I tend towards believing that, yes, there might be the occasional UFO in our sky, I do believe that this cigar-shaped rock is really just a rock. I think there were some good explanations last year.

[Bibliogryphon 9,570]

34 minutes ago, harrymcnallysblueandwhitearmy said:

 

Oh god, which one of you lot set him off. 

 

I think most DLers have/had a trigger/catnip word/subject:

 

Starcrossed: Moore

Windy: Royalty

Charon: Rangers

Millwall: Dicky O

Handy: MASH

Cowboy Ronnie: Moon landings

Occy: Footballer/Drivers (obv)

honez/Toast: Language (Timothy)

HMBWA: Too many to mention

Some  old members: Squid

Most current members: Dr Who

Etc etc

 

Who have I missed?

 

 

 

 

I feel seen!

[MariNisia 4,189]

47 minutes ago, harrymcnallysblueandwhitearmy said:

Oh god, which one of you lot set him off. 

 

I think most DLers have/had a trigger/catnip word/subject:

 

Starcrossed: Moore

Windy: Royalty

Charon: Rangers

Millwall: Dicky O

Handy: MASH

Cowboy Ronnie: Moon landings

Occy: Footballer/Drivers (obv)

honez/Toast: Language (Timothy)

HMBWA: Too many to mention

Some  old members: Squid

Most current members: Dr Who

Etc etc

 

Who have I missed?

 

13 minutes ago, Bibliogryphon said:

I feel seen!

 

I Feel Good!

 

 

[gcreptile 10,964]

On 19/05/2021 at 14:29, maryportfuncity said:

 

One of Trump's parting shots was to oblige the US to investigate what it knows about UFOs and release the information to the public within 180 days. He left office in the third week of January so the report is due early June. That said, the expectation is in line with what Obama indicated (they know a load, have some evidence which hasn't been seen but have no evidence of anything extra-terrestrial). Expect the pro-ET mob to dismiss the report as a whitewash as and when it falls in line with Barak Obama's indications. Similar situation in the UK and one guy in particular - David Clarke - has used FOI requests to find out what we know and has been given access to all the relevant docs in the national archive, which have almost all been declassified and published. If memory serves me right there are seven docs withheld all of which are believed to relate to the MoD's discussions about one of its own staff - Nick Pope - and his sideline in writing pro-ET UFO books. Those docs are - I think - being withheld because Pope doesn't want them out there. It's known we have more evidence including some interesting gun-camera film from an RAF fighter decades ago and photographs from Calvine in Scotland taken by a civilian which are classified until 2072. But it's also known that the official line is that there are mysteries but no proof of anything extra-terrestrial (best guess being the gun-camera footage is some unknown atmospheric phenomenon and the hikers in Calvine saw a secret military craft under test). 

 

I'm here all  week

 

Report is upcoming, some things have already leaked:

 

It can't be proven that it's aliens, nor that it's not aliens:

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/03/us/politics/ufos-sighting-alien-spacecraft-pentagon.html

 

Hmm, here's something without paywall:

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/06/03/politics/intelligence-officials-navy-pilot-ufo-encounters/index.html