Science Special News

[Rasputin]

Ice geysers 'discovered on Mars'

Geysers spewing sand and dust hundreds of feet into the air have been discovered on Mars, scientists say. Images from a camera orbiting Mars have shown the 100mph jets of carbon dioxide erupt through ice at the planet's south pole, Arizona State University says. The orbiting camera, called the Thermal Emission Imaging System (Themis), is on the Mars Odyssey probe. The geyser debris leaves dark spots, fan-like markings and spider-shaped features on the ice cap. The scientists said geysers erupted when sunlight warming the ice turned frozen carbon dioxide underground into high-pressure gas. "If you were there, you'd be standing on a slab of carbon dioxide ice," said the university's Dr Phil Christensen. "All around you, roaring jets of CO2 gas are throwing sand and dust a couple of hundred feet into the air."

Dr Christensen said the process was "unlike anything that occurs on Earth". His team discovered the jets through examining more than 200 Themis visible and infrared images. The findings were published in the latest edition of the journal Nature.

[Rasputin]

My night with the devil worshippers - Part 2

Ken Korczak: After dragging Bucky out of the “anti-church” where a squadron of extremely obese women waited -- for what?

He was hitting the strings hard, forcing violent, screeching discords from it, running his bony fingers up and down the guitar neck, like he wanted to choke that neck.So much for my ride out of here! Now what? I looked back at Bucky, who was up on his hands and knees, vomiting violently. And I had to wonder, based on Bucky's bizarre behavior, if he was in on this too. But no, I quickly dismissed that idea. Bucky was a good friend. As for Sparky, I didn’t actually known him. I mean, he was a guy from my around my town, but I had never hung out with him. Nobody did. He was a loner, an odd ball. I had always assumed that he was a dope addict. But obviously, Sparky was into something much more sinister than mere drugs.My next idea was to rouse Bucky and have him go punch Sparky in the head. Then we could get his car keys and leave him and his Beelzebub buddies to their own twisted devices. Why did I want Bucky to punch Sparky in the head? Let me put is this way: When you need someone punched in the head, and the job needs to be done right, Bucky is exactly the kind of guy you want to punch someone in the head. When Bucky punches someone in the head, they stay punched in the head.But after puking, Bucky had slumped back down and became an incoherent sack of wasted humanity on the ground. I shook him violently -- but it was no use. He was in a booze induced coma. In the meantime, something ominous was building. From the anti-church, the fat women started to raise their voices -- blood-curdling wails, moans and high-pitched shrieks. At the same time, the ceremony around the fire was growing more intense, more agitated. Some of the robed figures started getting up, raising their arms up and down, making herky-jerky motions, sitting back down, then jumping up again.Looking around I saw other cars scattered at the outer edges of the firelight. I thought about finding one with a key, taking it, and splitting. But then I thought: “Geez, I’ve been at a Satanic shindig for 20 minutes and I’m already contemplating grand theft auto! What’s the matter with me? The very air here is infected with evil!” Even though I would have been justified in “borrowing” a car that night, I decided against it. Only one option was left -- I’d leave on foot. The idea of walking 20 miles down an isolated dirt road in the black night through thick forest was not especially appealing. The woods of Minnesota are filled with all manner of critters -- gigantic moose, black bears, wolves, wolverines -- some of which would fancy me a tasty treat. Still, I liked my chances better with Mother Nature’s sweet creatures than with this demented pack of nitwits.

So I set off down the road. It was gruesomely dark. I could barely see the outline of the dirt road looming off through the trees. Yet, the damp night air and the aroma of pine was a welcome relief from that acrid stench of burning rubber. And to be honest, 20 miles was not that much to me. I had been a long distance runner since junior high school, and I could probably click off that distance in less than three hours. So I took off at a light jog -- but after 10 minutes, my conscious got the better of me. I thought about Bucky. I had abandoned my friend back there, lying near the door of the anti-church. What might they do with him? I stopped, gritted my teeth, turned, and headed back. Little did I know, the very worst part of the night was about to begin.The fire was still burning when I returned, but to my surprise, there was no one around it now. The putrid rubber smoke was swirling around the grounds, scattered by a shifting breeze. It stung my eyes and assaulted my nose. I walked toward the anti-church where I had left Bucky, hoping he was still lying there. There was no sign of him. As I got closer to the anti-church, it became clear where everyone else had gone. From inside the church came a cacophony of raucous voices -- wild laughter, exhilarated shouts, manic hooting calls. I decided to walk around the anti-church to look for Bucky. The deranged voices coming from the building were maddening. I was nervous and jumpy. My skin crawled.Moving around the building, I could see dingy light glowing from a row of basement windows. I knew that I had to creep up to one of those windows and take a look inside.

I had no idea what I would see. I’ll tell you what I most expected to see -- and orgy going on between the fire chanters and the fat women. What I hoped I would not see was my friend Bucky strung up down there, perhaps the subject of a human sacrifice. But I had to look. I had to see if Bucky was down there.Let me pause here again to strenuously remind my readers that I am not making up a single detail of this story. Let me repeat -- I am NOT making this up! I give you my most solemn guarantee as a professional journalist and writer that what I am telling you is what really happened, and this story is 100 percent accurate.So to continue: I got down on my hands and knees and crept toward a basement window of the anti-church. The windows were grimy and filmed with a coating of streaky black dirt. I was hesitant to rub the window to clear away a spot because I didn't want anyone inside to see me -- but I did so and peered inside. I was flabbergasted by what I saw happening down in that basement! Here is what was going on: All the men and obese women where standing in a crude circle and they were tossing around an object between them. But it wasn’t an “object” -- it was a baby, a naked baby. They were tossing the baby back and forth randomly, like a bunch of six-graders standing in a circle playing hot potato with a soccer ball. As they did so, they were laughing and shouting and calling out: “Kill the baby Jesus! Kill the baby Jesus! Kill the baby Jesus!”For the hundredth time that night, I said to myself: “Could this really be happening?”

I tried to get a better look at the baby. Could it have been a doll? Wait! Maybe it was is just a doll! I kept looking. Damn! It looks like a real baby! In the murky candlelight which illuminated the basement, and through the dirty window, I could not be 100 percent sure if they were tossing around a live baby, or just a very realistic looking doll. But what if it was a real baby? Remember, this was long before the days of cell phones so I couldn’t have simply called 911. What if it was a real baby? What could I do? Storm down there and snatch it away from 30 or 40 crazed devil worshippers? Not likely! But I kept asking myself: What if it was a real, human baby? What could be done? What?I kept looking as I crouched there in the dark. I kept trying to determine if they were tossing around a real baby or a doll. Suddenly, I felt a hard, heavy hand slam down on my back. I yelled, sprang to my feet, whirled around, swung my fist as hard as I could -- and smashed Bucky right in the jaw -- sending him crashing to the ground! Holy crap! “Bucky!” I shouted. I picked him up. “You crazy son-of-a-(bleep)! Come on, let’s get out of here!” Bucky was still not sober, and now he also had the imprint of my fist on his face. I guess I was a better puncher of heads than I thought. Anyway, as soon as I stood him up, he would slump back down. I kept at him, though. When he fell, I got him to his feet and moved him along, stumbling and falling back to the road. It took at least 15 minutes to get Bucky past where the fire was burning. Just as we began to head up the road, I heard the doors of the anti-church burst open violently. I turned, and to my deep dismay, saw the devil worshippers stampeding out of the church. The first thing I thought: “Had they seen me at the window? Were they coming after us?”

They were yelling and screaming and scattering, jostling and elbowing each other, practically falling over each other. But instead of running toward us, they dispersed in all directions, running frantically. They all plunged into the blackness of the woods. Bucky had fallen down again, so I just sat beside him for a moment. One of the robed figures sprinted close by us, not more than 10 yards away. He plunged into the woods. I heard the branches and brush tearing at his robes, twigs snapping under his feet. Then he was gone. They were all gone. All was silent.I got Bucky on his feet again. He was sobering a little. Come on, I said. Let’s walk.” Bucky said, “Walk? Why? Where’s Sparky?” I said, “Just walk, you moron! I’ve got something to tell you about Sparky!”We walked a few yards up the road -- and again -- I had to stop. I had to go back there one more time. Of course, the reason was obvious. I wanted to see if there was a dead baby in that basement. I said to Bucky: “You stand right here. If you move from this spot, I’m going to track you down, hunt you like an animal, and kill you.” Bucky said, “Gee, what are you so pissy up about?” I said, “Shut up,” and proceeded back to the anti-church.Since my tale is already overlong, let me just say I found nothing back in the church -- no baby, no evidence of a baby, or anything else. It was deserted.

Bucky and I spent the rest of that long, endless night on a 20-mile hike back to our cars. The sun was up by the time we got back, and by then the events of the evening had already begun to seem like a bad dream. But it wasn’t a dream. It really happened. I was there. My story is true.

[Rasputin]

Man's bid for Holy Grail search

Submitted by Callum Jenson: An author believes he could have unveiled the final resting place of the Holy Grail - buried within the grounds of Lincoln Cathedral. Local man Callum Jensen, 50, who has written two books based on the Da Vinci Code mysteries, believes he has decoded a parchment which reveals its location. He has now requested permission to carry out a search of the grounds using a penetrative radar scan. A cathedral spokesman said the request was currently being processed. Roy Bentham, chief executive and chapter clerk for the cathedral, said: "All we can say at the moment is that Mr Jensen's request is now going through the relevant committees. "A decision is expected to be made by the end of the year." Mr Jensen said he has always had an interest in the legends of the Knights Templar and the Holy Grail. He was inspired to find out if the mysteries raised by Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code could have any local relevance in April 2005, after an anomaly was found on one of the cathedral's windows. "A glazier was working high up on the east window when he spotted something strange in a stained glass depiction of the last supper," he said. "What he spotted was that instead of a cup or loaf being on Christ's plate, there is actually a dog."

Mr Jensen said he then found further anomalies in the cathedral. This prompted him to look at the Rennes-le-Chateau parchment, a coded document, which enthusiasts believe provides the clues to the resting place of a secret treasure. He decoded the clues, which has led him to a spot near the south east corner of the cathedral. "I decoded the parchments in quite a short space of time and was excited to find it led me to a specific spot at the cathedral.

[Rasputin]

Who will be the first female space tourist?

For U.S. entrepreneur Anousheh Ansari, failure to reach space is not an option. With her eyes on a possible 2008 flight to the International Space Station (ISS), Ansari has spent the last few months training as a backup spaceflyer for Japanese businessman Daisuke Enomoto, who is paying $20 million for a 10-day roundtrip to the orbital laboratory currently set to launch on Sept. 14. “It’s been a wonderful experience for me,” Ansari told reporters at NASA’s Johnson Space Center during a brief break in flight training last month. “I know I’m a backup and am not going to be flying, but the whole learning experience, learning about the program, getting to know some of the astronauts and cosmonauts that could fly…it’s very wonderful.”Enomoto’s trip – and Ansari’s backup training – were brokered by the Virginia-based firm Space Adventures under an agreement with Russia’s Federal Space Agency.

Space Adventures is currently the only firm offering orbital seats for paying customers and has arranged for three previous space tourists to reach the ISSAnsari, 38, is in line to become the world’s first female space tourist, but takes issue with what she sees as an over-simplistic label to a complicated – yet exciting – experience. “Tourists are people who just buy a ticket and then they go,” Ansari said, adding that through her training she’s learned that Russia’s Soyuz vehicle is an extremely reliable – if cramped – spacecraft. “They don’t train for six months and try to learn every system.”

[Rasputin]

Joint mission to collect Martian soil sample

China and Russia are planning a joint mission to Mars that will bring back samples to earth and land on one of the red planet's tiny moons, state media quoted a Chinese scientist as saying Wednesday. Ye Peijian, of the Chinese Research Institute of Space Technology, made the announcement at a forum on the nation's space technology development, Xinhua news agency said. Ye said Russia will launch the spacecraft in 2009 and it will carry China-made survey equipment. The mission will collect samples on Mars and the planet's nearest moon, according to Xinhua. Sun Laiyan, of the China National Space Administration, said in June that China would focus on the moon and Mars in its deep space exploration program over the next five years.

The program calls for stepping up international cooperation, he said. China has previously said it hopes to launch a lunar exploration satellite next year as part of a program that aims to place an unmanned vehicle on the moon by 2010.

[Rasputin]

Perpetual motion machine claim probed

Sean McCarthy believes his small Irish high-tech company has overturned one of physics' most fundamental laws. It happened by accident, he says. His company Steorn was looking for an efficient way to power closed-circuit TVs that spy on ATMs, and instead stumbled on a technique they think produces more energy than it consumes.The company hasn't released specific details about the process, other than to say it involves magnetic fields configured in precisely the right way. Using the magnets results in a motor that's more than 100 percent efficient -- essentially creating energy, McCarthy says.For scientists and engineers, this is the equivalent of a perpetual motion machine, and is almost unanimously viewed as flat-out impossible. McCarthy, an affable former energy company engineer, knows just how preposterous his claims sound. So, he advertised in this week's Economist for a panel of the "most cynical possible" physicists to help validate them."If we're right, that will come out in due course," McCarthy says. "If we're wrong, that will come out. It's such a big claim that it has to be validated by experts."A big claim it may be, but hardly original. The clamor of voices saying they've invented revolutionary new "free energy" technologies has grown tumultuous in recent years, driven perhaps by the internet's capacity to connect and inspire would-be tinkerers, or simply a that lay people are more fascinated with science.

The American Physical Society was worried enough about the trend a few years ago that its executive board put out a statement in June 2002, warning against such claims."(We are) concerned that in this period of unprecedented scientific advance, misguided or fraudulent claims of perpetual motion machines and other sources of unlimited free energy are proliferating," the group said. "Such devices directly violate the most fundamental laws of nature, laws that have guided the scientific progress that is transforming our world."

[Rasputin]

A pregnant man ?

Living in the city of Nagpur, India, Bhagat said he'd felt self-conscious his whole life about his big belly. But one night in June 1999, his problem erupted into something much larger than cosmetic worry. An ambulance rushed the 36-year-old farmer to the hospital. Doctors thought he might have a giant tumor, so they decided to operate and remove the source of the bulge in his belly."Basically, the tumor was so big that it was pressing on his diaphragm and that's why he was very breathless," said Dr. Ajay Mehta of Tata Memorial Hospital in Mumbai. "Because of the sheer size of the tumor, it makes it difficult [to operate]. We anticipated a lot of problems."Mehta said that he can usually spot a tumor just after he begins an operation. But while operating on Bhagat, Mehta saw something he had never encountered. As he cut deeper into Bhagat's stomach, gallons of fluid spilled out — and then something extraordinary happened.

"To my surprise and horror, I could shake hands with somebody inside," he said. "It was a bit shocking for me."One doctor recalled that day in the operating room. "He just put his hand inside and he said there are a lot of bones inside," she said. "First, one limb came out, then another limb came out. Then some part of genitalia, then some part of hair, some limbs, jaws, limbs, hair." Inside Bhagat's stomach was a strange, half-formed creature that had feet and hands that were very developed. Its fingernails were quite long. "We were horrified. We were confused and amazed," Mehta said. At first glance, it may look as if Bhagat had given birth. Actually, Mehta had removed the mutated body of Bhagat's twin brother from his stomach.

[Rasputin]

Boiled bones show Aztecs ate invaders

Submitted by Kratos: Skeletons found at an unearthed site in Mexico show Aztecs captured, ritually sacrificed and partially ate several hundred people traveling with invading Spanish forces in 1520. Skulls and bones from the Tecuaque archaeological site near Mexico City show about 550 victims had their hearts ripped out by Aztec priests in ritual offerings, and were dismembered or had their bones boiled or scraped clean, experts say.The findings support accounts of Aztecs capturing and killing a caravan of Spanish conquistadors and local men, women and children traveling with them in revenge for the murder of Cacamatzin, king of the Aztec empire's No. 2 city of Texcoco.Experts say the discovery proves some Aztecs did resist the conquistadors, led by explorer Hernan Cortes, before the Spaniards attacked the Aztec capital, Tenochtitlan, now Mexico City.History books say many indigenous Mexicans welcomed the white-skinned horsemen in the belief they were returning gods but turned against the Spaniards once they tried to take over the Aztec seat of power in a conflict that ended in 1521.

"This is the first place that has so much evidence there was resistance to the conquest," said archaeologist Enrique Martinez, director of the dig at Calpulalpan in Tlaxcala state, near Texcoco."It shows it wasn't all submission. There was a fight."The caravan was apparently captured because it was made up mostly of the mulatto, mestizo, Maya Indian and Caribbean men and women given to the Spanish as carriers and cooks when they landed in Mexico in 1519, and so was moving slowly.The prisoners were kept in cages for months while Aztec priests selected a few each day at dawn, held them down on a sacrificial slab, cut out their hearts and offered them up to various Aztec gods.Some may have been given hallucinogenic mushrooms or pulque -- an alcoholic milky drink made from fermented cactus juice -- to numb them to what was about to happen.

[Rasputin]

Team finds 'proof' of dark matter

US astronomers say they have found the first direct evidence for the mysterious stuff called dark matter. Dark matter - which does not emit or reflect enough light to be "seen" - is thought to make up 25% of the Universe. By contrast, the ordinary matter we can see is believed to make up no more than about 5% of our Universe. Until now, astronomers have only been able to infer the existence of this dark material through the gravitational effects it has on ordinary matter. The researchers have discovered what is effectively the gravitational signature of dark matter. This signature was created by dark matter and ordinary matter being wrenched apart by the immense collision of two large galaxy clusters. "The kinetic energy of this collision is...enough to completely evaporate and pulverise planet Earth ten trillion trillion times over," said team member Maxim Markevitch of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge, US.

Study leader Doug Clowe, from the University of Arizona, said: "This provides the first direct proof that dark matter must exist and that it must make up the majority of the matter in the Universe." Astronomers have known since the 1930s that these galaxy clusters have far too much gravity to be explained by the amount of visible matter in them alone. This extra gravity has two possible explanations. One is that most matter in the clusters is in a form we cannot see, because it does not absorb or emit light. A second explanation is that gravity does not behave the same way in galaxy clusters light years in size as it does on Earth.

[Rasputin]

It's official: Pluto is no longer a planet

A fierce backlash has begun against the decision by astronomers to strip Pluto of its status as a planet. On Thursday, experts approved a definition of a planet that demoted Pluto to a lesser category of object. But the lead scientist on Nasa's robotic mission to Pluto has lambasted the ruling, calling it "embarrassing". And the chair of the committee set up to oversee agreement on a definition implied that the vote had effectively been "hijacked". The vote took place at the International Astronomical Union's (IAU) 10-day General Assembly in Prague. The IAU has been the official naming body for astronomy since 1919. Only 424 astronomers who remained in Prague for the last day of the meeting took part. An initial proposal by the IAU to add three new planets to the Solar System - the asteroid Ceres, Pluto's moon Charon and the distant world known as 2003 UB313 - met with considerable opposition at the meeting.

Days of heated debate followed during which four separate proposals were tabled. Eventually, the scientists adopted historic guidelines that see Pluto relegated to a secondary category of "dwarf planets". Dr Alan Stern, who leads the US space agency's New Horizons mission to Pluto and did not vote in Prague, told BBC News: "It's an awful definition; it's sloppy science and it would never pass peer review - for two reasons.

[Rasputin]

Do demons really exist ?

LeAnne Miller: "In England, where the Old Ways were more harshly stamped out than in other parts of the British Isles, most of the faery and pagan lore (tales and oral stories put into words on paper in some type of written form) was forced into hiding among faery tales and Mother Goose rhymes. (from pages 27-28 of A Witch's guide to Faery folk by Edain McCoy) And the following is from Merlin: the shooting script; which belongs to Hallmark Productions. 119. Int. Mab's Sanctuary-Day. Mab sits brooding on her throne, whilst Frik, looking like an ancient scholar, writes in a large book.

MAB// What are you doing?
FRIK// Writing fairy stories...So you'll be remembered.
MAB// I don't need to be remembered, Frik, I won't be forgotten.
FRIK// (sounding doubtful) Hmmmmm..... (p. 92)

" From England comes several unique faery protection charms. One of the most well-known protections is also an ancient one, and that is to discover a faery's (or demon spirit's) true name. Recall the German tale of Rumplestiltskin, the baneful faery who wished to take the son of a queen whom he had helped; or of the English, Tom-Tit-Tot, who cheated a miller's daughter. When the heroines of these stories discovered the true names of their tormentors, the earth opened up and swallowed the faeries. The belief that knowing someone's true name will give you power over them goes deep in Pagan history. Additionally, as another form of protection, if one fears he or she is being pursued by a fairy, or ANY ill-meaning Spirit, one should cross over running water. The water acts like a grounding element and diffuses the baneful power. (Like a vacumn hose strongly sucking up water from out of a fish tank).

This concept is annually illustrated by tv shows and films around and on Halloween, in the Wash- ington Irving tale: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." (McCoy, p. 64) And if a faery you don't want around and does not live with you makes an appearance, you can sometimes get it to leave by chanting this common nurs- ery rhyme---which is actually an ancient spell of faery banishment; Ladybug, Ladybug Fly away home. Your house is on fire and your children have gone. McCoy goes on in the introductory chapters of her book that: " One way to explore the subtle world of faeries and learn more about them is by reading faery tales which feature them. Some of these include: Rumpelstiltskin, Sleeping Beauty, The Three Billy Goats Gruff. Much Pagan lore, especially concerning gods, goddesses, and Nature Spirits-- and even malevolent demonic spirits, is also hidden among these old tales and legends (McCoy 53). A perfect example of showing differences between Nature Spirits (for example-Elves) as helpers (to humans) and the Master Demon, Satan (as chaos oppressor)--and major Adversary of the Nature Spirits, is clearly (and most cleverly) illustrated and viewed through the animated film version of Cinderella (as produced by Walter Disney) from the original fairy tale. Especially when reading Edain McCoy's description of Elves, in her work, A Witch's guide to Fairy Folk. McCoy describes the following: Elves can spin cloth and make shoes and are known for aiding deserving humans in need. They have few enemies, the most noted being CATS. Occasionally, elves appear in nursery rhymes and fairy tales disguised...... as mice.

In Disney's version of Cinderella, she is constantly and consistently degraded, overworked (to exhaustion), and always promised something by her malevolent (and jealous) step-mother; yet Cinderella is used and abused by her step mother and step sisters (who can Only ever be described as yapping harpies), all the verbal promises offered to Cinderella are always recanted and used as a means to an end by her so called-family- to pull the proverbial rug out from beneath her. And The mother and sisters show no sort of remorse (or true compassionate humanity) which can be viewed as Disney showing they are ( or even worse) as nothing but baneful, vain, monsters. So, to go back the Edain McCoy's description of the symbolisms for the elves in fairy tales, it is clear for one to see that all of the kind and helpful mice are distinctly aiding the good hearted and genteel Cinderella all throughout the story. At the same time, however, Disney depicts the step- mother as having a cat companion. Under general audi- ence thought, most people would think, " Oh, she has a pet cat. That makes her an okay person...." But wait! When the cat is first introduced, what name does Disney give him? The Big, Lazy, Black, rebellious cat is called Lucifer. So, not only is the cat (figuratively) shown as the Adversary of the 'elvin' mice helpers of Cindrella; he is labeled distinctly as the Master Adversary of the entire Human Race. As well, Disney cleverly used the cat, Lucifer, in a more subtle (yet still insiduous) context within the film. By naming the cat Lucifer, Disney shows he means the cat to be a figure of chaos and rebellion, on and towards the 'helper' mice. Though also, in Disney's act of naming the cat after the Adversarial Angel, Lucifer--who rebelled against God--and was cast out of Heaven to be thrown down to the Earth, Disney also shows the black cat as a 'familiar' spirit who is companion and evil cohort to the step-mother of Cinderella. This appearance of cat, Lucifer as companion/cohort to the step-mother clearly depicts the puritanical image that any woman who was compan- ioned by a cat, dog, frog, ( or other strrange and unfamiliar animal), was instantly viewed as being a witch--and therefore-- "in league with the Devil, Lucifer."

It is interesting to note, however, that for subtly depicting the step-mother as witch, cat as the Devil, elves as mice, and even giving Cinderella a 'fairy godmother,' it could be presumed that for Disney, the mysterious and unexplained permeated his entire life; even from his family's historical, ancestors who lived (and died) during the infamous Salem witch trials of the 1600's. This intriguing part of the Disney family legacy can perhaps be significant in understanding Disney's creative bent in depicting creatures and magical beings in a number of film projects he gave approval for production on. The discovery is that the Disney family ancestors go back in history to the early 1600's (at least) to the infamous Judge of Salem, Mass; the Rev- erand, George Burroughs. Reverend/Judge George Burroughs was among those accused, By the Putnam family, of being in league with the Devil and practiced witchcraft; Burroughs was labeled and persecuted with public hanging on Gallows Hill, in 1692. (Biography Magazine, Page 49, 2004). So, it seems strange (and mysteriously unexplain able) that after eons and eons up to this present day, that Walter Disney would be a major public icon and philanthropist in his life time; and that his legacy to the world is known as: "The Magic Kingdom." Even today, such tv shows as Charmed, Smallville, Buffy the vampire slayer, and Supernatural have tip-toed into the world of fairy tales (and urban legends) and have focused on the very real idea that Spirits and demonic entities utilize the medium of such tales to reach out and connect with humans who grant them tentative belief (even if it's to perform an urban legend mythic ritual in jest as a practical joke). The concept of demons using fairy tales to gain strength from human victims is especially emphasized in the Buffy: the vampire slayer episode entitled: "Gingerbread." (season 3, episode 11).

[Rasputin]

DNA to shed light on 'jenglot'

Universiti Sains Malaysia’s forensic expert Dr Zafarina Zainuddin had agreed to a request by Seekers, a paranormal group, to run a DNA test. Syed Abdullah Al-Attas, the head of the group, claimed the creature was first found in Indonesia in 1972. A jenglot is a vampire-like creature resembling a small human with long hair. It is being shown at several museums, including the ongoing Pameran Misteri, Jin, Hantu dan Keranda at Sultan Alam Shah Museum, Shah Alam. “We had obtained the owner’s permission to examine the creature and had them X-rayed. One showed the presence of bones in its arms,” said Syed Abdullah. “We want to know if this creature is for real. The owner bought the jenglot in Indonesia for between RM5,000 and RM30,000.” Zafarina, who had examined the teeth of a 2,000-year-old human artifact discovered in Gua Niah, Sarawak, last year, said she needed a month to examine the jenglot. “From the naked eye, the creatures looked like they were constructed. “The hair looks like it was implanted while the body parts pasted together. The teeth are not as old as the body parts.

What I can do is run a DNA test on samples of the hair and bone, and see if they match any living species in the data bank. That should take a month. I hope it will shed some light on the creature.” Syed Abdullah also hoped that someone would agree to examine a Bigfoot footprint they discovered in Kota Tinggi, Johor, several months ago. He said they had approached a few research organisations, including one in Singapore, but their efforts were hampered by high cost. “We can’t afford to carry out the test as it costs thousands of ringgit. If there’s an expert willing to help us, we welcome it.”

[Rasputin]

Meteorite find suggests life on Mars

Possible signs of alien life have been found inside a Martian meteorite. Scientists have discovered tiny tunnels in the rock that may have been bored by micro-organisms on Mars.But researchers are cautious after the embarrassment over another Martian meteorite once alleged to contain signs of life.Ten years ago, scientists from NASA said they had found small rod-like structures in the meteorite that were believed to be fossil bacteria.But most experts now believe there is no evidence of life in the 1.9 kilogram rock, ALH 84001. The rods and other "biosignatures" could all have been produced by inorganic processes, scientists say.The new meteorite, called Nakhla, fell to Earth on June 28, 1911, exploding into dozens of fragments over Egypt.Nakhla was one of the first meteorites confirmed to have come from Mars by its chemical composition.The meteorite is estimated to be 1.3 billion years old and shows signs of being altered by the water once thought to have flowed on Mars. It spent some 11 million years drifting through space before entering Earth's atmosphere.Scientists are now quietly taking seriously the possibility that Nakhla contains signs of Martian life, according to a US biology professor writing in New Scientist magazine.A team led by Martin Fisk at Oregon State University found tiny tubular holes similar to those in volcanic Earth rocks believed to be caused by bacteria or ancient organisms called archaeans.Averaging one to three micrometres in diameter and up to 100 micrometres long, the tunnels often contain biomolecules such as nucleic acids.

Peter Ward, from the University of Washington in Seattle, wrote: "When Fisk's team examined volcanic minerals inside Nakhla, to their surprise they found small tunnels virtually identical in size and shape to those in Earth rocks."John McKay, from the Johnson Space Centre in Houston, Texas, later found carbon-rich matter in the rock's tunnels. Analysis suggested that it was carbon originating on Mars — an intriguing finding since all known life is based on carbon."Those involved have been careful not to get carried away by this new evidence," Dr Ward said.Professor Fisk and his colleagues have stopped short of claiming the tunnels are proof of life on Mars.Instead they say the features might be a "useful biosignature" given the abundance of volcanic rock in the solar system.

[Rasputin]

Deunking the skeptics ?

T. Stokes: Most people are a little sceptical about things they have not studied. Even believers in paranormal subjects can be sceptical, of those extremists who are trapped in closed minded scepticism.I see myself as a sceptical believer, maybe even an extreme moderate!A friend who is also an expert on these things and a Rabbi, said:“when a man believes in nothing, he can believe in anything.” It is only by direct contact we develop the confidence to obtain the knowledge which lifts us out from this ignorance.But remember there is a fundamental difference between genuine healthy scepticism, and the entrenched denialism of cranks like James Randi who refuse to listen or be open minded on any aspect, and twist data to prove their point. Some years ago a man would heckle me at all my paranormal talks, after one meeting I asked him if he himself had ever seen a ghost,he smirkingly replied that he had not,I then said; ”how can you not believe in ghosts, If you have never even seen one “ ? Surely you should suspend judgement.

Herbert Mankusa described these material people as;“one dimensional beings, people expressing their identities and feelings only through the acquisition of mass produced objects”It is this shallowness of view that underpins scepticism, For scepticism is allied to atheism, materialism and communism.The sceptical apostle of pessimism Schopenhauer said;“to sleep is good, to die is better, but to never be born at all that is the answer “ in other words, life had no deep purpose or meaning.The biggest cause of depression is this belief that our lives have no meaning.One major problem is that of psychology, where experts tell us that an obsessive interest with anything is a sign of psychosis, and scepticism is an obsessive belief system and a religion to many people, alcoholics and foodies, clothes fanatics, football obsessives and religious followers, we are all told are mentally ill.The big question is where do we draw the line between belief and non-belief, ?Some believe too easily and some not at all, there seems to be a sliding rule here,Where many people who claim to be sceptical on paranormal subjects, alternative medicine and U.F.O’s find they CAN believe that Jesus was born in a stable to a virgin, there are 3 people in one God, but that he was also a man, who could do miracles, yet he ended up on the cross, and it was all for us, and a priest can change a piece of bread and wine into the body and blood of this God which we then disgustingly, must eat.

The old testament is even more extreme.Another belief is that this God wants children to be sexually mutilated, in the circumcision rites, if God did not want the end on little boys willies he would not have put it there, female circumcision is just barbarism.Yet God is a kind just God to some, and a vengeful jealous God to others.So we need to be continually aware and respect the beliefs of others.Let me end on the words of Epictetus.“remember that you are an actor in a drama of such a part that it may please the master to assign you for you a long time or as little as he may choose, and if he wills you to take the part of a poor man or a cripple or a ruler or private citizen, then may you act that part with grace, for to act well the part that is allotted to us, that indeed is ours to do, but to choose is another’s”So even if the part to be played is that of believer or sceptic, we must respect our neighbour, even if we do not agree with their views.

[Rasputin]

2500-year-old mummy found in Mongolia

An international group of archaeologists has unearthed a well-preserved, 2,500-year-old mummy frozen in the snowcapped mountains of Mongolia complete with blond hair, tattoos and a felt hat. The president of the German Archaeological Institute, Hermann Parzinger, hailed the "fabulous find" at a press conference to present the 28-member team's discovery in Berlin. The Scythian warrior was found in June at a height of 2,600 meters (8,500 feet) in the Altay Mountains in an intact burial mound or kurgan. Parzinger said the tomb was practically untouched when the team discovered it. "We just had to sweep away some dust and could begin," he said. Researchers said the most striking feature about the man was his light blond hair, which Parzinger acknowledged may have yellowed after his death. The man, who was apparently well-off, was cloaked in a beaver-skin coat with sable trim and sheep's wool lining that was in remarkably good condition, and still intact skin on his upper body revealed tattoos.

Two horses with elaborately decorated saddles and bridles, weapons and wooden, clay and animal horn vessels were placed in the tomb alongside the corpse to accompany the warrior into the next life. The recovered items are currently in storage in Ulan Bator. Parzinger said even the contents of the horses' stomachs would be examined to offer insights into the region's vegetation two centuries before Christ.