Applet credit: Ed Hobbs
October 1999
In the News:
Dinos Did
Not Die- Zikui Zhao of the Institute of Vertebrate Paleoanthropology
in
China claims he has found the fossilized eggs of five different species laid
thousands of years after the meteor that supposedly killed the dinosaurs
hit the Earth. If this is true the leading theory of dinosaur extinction
maybe overthrown. Other scientists are skeptical suggesting that Zhao may
have misidentified the "KT boundary" which is the geological boundary between
pre
and post impact periods.
Will You Pay
Extra for an Earth-View Room? - Hilton Hotels Inc. has admitted that
it is looking into the possibility of building a tourist hotel in orbit.
"We want to take a hard look and see if Hilton can be first into space,"
said a spokesperson. The company estimates the opening of such a hotel could
be 15 to 20 years into the future but only if it makes economic sense. Other
private companies are considering a "Cruise Ship" that would fly from Earth
to the Moon and back. Hilton will be hosting a symposium on space tourism
in December.
Bible Code
Bunk? - An article in the journal Statistical Science refutes
the
"Bible Code." The code first appeared in an earlier article and popular
book in 1994. Supporters of the code claim words hidden in the text of the
Hebrew text of the bible thousands of years ago can be found with a computer
and will predict 20th century events. The authors of the new article tried
to repeat the code finding methods of the book using additional spellings
and more books. They reported "Despite a considerable effort we have been
unable to detect any codes."
The authors of the original article continue to stand behind their work.
Robot Wars
- Like a scene from a science fiction movie, future wars may be fought
by squads of robots. Robot specialist John Pretlove, from the University
of Surry has predicted that within five years humans might be able to "withdraw
from war completely and let the robots shoot it out." A robot flying saucer
capable of hovering and moving through city streets to do recon has already
been developed for the US military. Pretlove also expects robots to also
be used more and more for extremely hazardous tasks like handling radioactive
waste and clearing mine fields.
9,000 Year
Old Flute - Archaeologists in Jiahu, China, have located what seems to
be the oldest musical instrument that is still capable of playing. The flute,
carved from a bone, has a "reedy, pleasant sound" say researchers. Archaeologists
believe the flute shows that music in China in 7,000 B.C. was quite advanced.
While an artifact that might be a musical instrument was found in the excavation
of a Neanderthal site some 43,000 years old, the Jiahu flute is the oldest
still capable of being used.
NASA Invests
in Flying Backpack - NASA and Silicon Valley engineer Michael Moshier
are developing a one-man flying backpack. The SoloTrek Exo-Skeletor Flying
Machine (http://www.solotrek.com)
will be able to carry its pilot as fast as 80MPH to a height of 10,000 feet.
Two large tilting fans positioned outside and above the pilot's shoulders
provide the lift for a 90 minute flight. The backpack is to be tested in
hovering experiments a few feet off the ground later this year.
Clouds or
UFOs? - On October 14, 1961 a pair of clouds resembling "puffy-like daubs
of cotton" floated by over Sunset, Utah. The clouds appeared to be linked
by a cord of long, stringy material. Following directly behind the clouds
were two smooth, metallic, disc-like objects. The next day, as UFO investigators
watched, two more puffy white clouds appeared overhead and flew off in the
same direction as the pair the day before. No explanation has been found
for what was seen.
Three new books
of potential interest have been released this month.
The
I-Files True Reports of Unexplained Phenomena in Illinois by Jay
Rath (Illustrator) and edited by Stan Stoga published by Wisconsin Trails
It is the third in a series. Also
Monsters
of the Deep by Janet Perry and Victor Gentle is a book for younger
readers published by Gareth Stevens. Finally
Wonders
of the World by Mark Bergin and David Salariya a children's
book.
For reviewed books on these subjects checkout the UnMuseum Bookstore.
Evening
Planets - Both Jupiter and Saturn will be very visible this month. They
will rise in the east about an hour and a half after sunset. Jupiter, the
brighter of the two, will be more brilliant than any other object in the
night sky other than the moon and the planet Venus which will not appear
till the early morning hours.
Harvest Moon
- If you've heard the expression "Harvest Moon" but never seen it, check
out the sky on October 25th. The full moon on that night became known as
the Harvest Moon because it gave farmers needed light to work into the evening
harvesting crops.
FORFEST '99
- On November 6th & 7th in College Park, MD, USA the INTERNATIONAL
FORTEAN ORGANIZATION (INFO) will be presenting FORTFEST '99: The 29th Annual
Conference on Anomalous Phenomena. Speakers include Bud Hopkins author or
such books as Missing Time and Intruders and John Michell,
philosopher and
scholar on sacred mysteries. Tickets range from $45 to $125. For more
information E-mail fortfest99@yahoo.com or call (301) 294-4315.
Riddle of
the Desert Mummies - In the China 4,000-year-old mummies have been exhumed
- but none of them are Chinese. Where did these ancient individuals
with blond and red hair come from, and how did they wind up in Asia? Airs
on the Discovery Channel Sunday, October 10, at 9 p.m. and 1 a.m.; Sunday,
October 17, at 5 p.m.; Wednesday, October 20, at 10 p.m. and 1 a.m.; and
Sunday, October 24, at 1 p.m. ET/PT
Voyage to
the Galapagos - Scientific American Frontiers will premiere
Voyage
to the Galapagos on PBS on Tuesday October 5 at 8PM ET. Alan Alda travels
with a scientific expedition on the famous Galapago Islands to observe unique
species including giant tortoises and marine iguanas.
Fall of the
Leaning Tower - Nova follows a decade-long search for a solution
to correct the lean and save the unique building from collapse as it sinks
into the unstable soil on which it was built 800 years ago. PBS on Tuesday
October 5 at 9PM ET.
Time Travel
- Nova explores the possibility of time travel. Many leading physicists
now believe that time travel is not only possible in theory but are discussing
how to build a time machine. PBS on Tuesday October 12th at 9PM ET.
The Strange
Disappearance of the Anaszi - 19th century explorers in the American
southwest encountered the ruins of a vanished civilization that spread across
Colorado, Utah, New Mexico. Why were these spectacular cities abandoned?
Where had the inhabitants gone? The History Channel October 6th 8PM ET.
Repeats October 7 4AM ET.
The Mysteries
of Devil's Triangles - Explore some of the most mysterious spots on
earth--Devil's Triangles--where an unusual number of unexplainable tragedies
occur. Includes the Bermuda Triangle, which
has swallowed up ships, planes, and people, and the more deadly Great Lakes
Triangle, where ghost ships routinely sail. History Channel October 4 at
8PM ET. Repeats October 5th at 4AM ET.
The Mysteries
of Amelia Earhart - The fate of Amelia Earhart
ranks as one of the greatest mysteries of this century. The most accepted
theory was that she crashed into the ocean, but many suspect otherwise. Was
she on a spy mission for FDR and captured by the Japanese? Airs on the History
Channel on October8 at 8 pm ET/9 pm PT
Science over the Edge Archives
Copyright Lee Krystek 1999. All Rights Reserved.
