Unexplained occurrences

[megladon8]

Sometimes I poop and then when I look in the toilet, there's nothing there.

Where did it go?

No one knows...

[Watashi]

This has always creeped me out.

[megladon8]

This has always creeped me out.

I've never heard of that before and yes, that's pretty eerie...

[megladon8]

I find it quite unnerving the number of articles coming out over the past few weeks in which NASA and SETI scientists are saying that they are certain we will make contact with alien intelligence(s) within the next 25 years.

It seems like just a few minutes ago these same people were saying "yeah, there's probably other stuff out there, but the chances of us ever crossing paths are so slim we might as well forget it"...and now it's "we'll certainly see signs of intelligence in the universe very soon."

Um...what made you guys change your opinions so very drastically?

Kind of makes me think they know something they're not letting on...

[Sycophant]

Here is an article that seems to be the sort of thing where you got that, meg:

http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Sc...years_999.html

It's one of the SETI dudes, saying that with their new and improved setup, they expect they'll be much more likely to catch some kind of signal from somewhere. And then we'll probably never be able to interpret it and we won't establish communication or some kind of real contact. This guy just thinks we'll catch evidence of something in the next 25 years, because we'll be more efficient at it and he believes it's out there.

If you have something clearer, or a broader demonstration of scientists reversing course on contacting alien intelligence, I'd be interested to see it.

[Qrazy]

I've never heard of that before and yes, that's pretty eerie...

The bottom of the article...

"The phenomenon has received international attention, and the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has sent representatives to investigate. David Sexton, an animal habitat expert, discovered there to be mice and mink residing in the underbrush of the bridge. In a test, he distributed odor from all three species in a field and unleashed ten dogs - of the varieties which have died at the bridge - to see which one most interested them. Of the ten dogs tested, only two showed no interest in any of the scents while 70 per cent made straight for the mink."

[Watashi]

That doesn't really solve anything.

[Qrazy]

That doesn't really solve anything.

Doesn't it? The dogs smelled a mink so they jumped off the bridge.

[Watashi]

Why would that cause them to jump off the bridge and continue to do so if they survive? Do minks release an odor that make dogs go crazy?

[Qrazy]

Why would that cause them to jump off the bridge and continue to do so if they survive? Do minks release an odor that make dogs go crazy?

"His first experiment was to recross the bridge with the only dog known to have survived the fall, to see how she reacted.

When he took 19-year-old Hendrix to the scene of her near-death experience, the dog walked happily across the bridge until towards the end on the right-hand side she suddenly tensed.

Because of her advanced age, Hendrix did not have the strength to jump, but something had clearly caught her attention, and Dr Sands concluded one of her three primary senses - sight, sound or smell - must have been so stimulated that she experienced an overwhelming urge to investigate.

Sight was quickly eliminated, as from a dog's eye view the only thing visible on the bridge is uninterrupted-granite.

Visit from an animal expert
To establish if either sound or smell was the culprit, specialists from a Glasgow acoustics company and the RSPB's David Sexton, an animal habitat expert, visited the spot.

Locals thought the nearby nuclear base at Faslane might be emitting some sound audible only to dogs, and there was also the possibility that nearby telephone pylons or the bridge structure itself might give off a sound only animals could hear.

However, after monitoring sound levels across the bridge, acoustic experts found nothing untoward that might explain the dog deaths.

Sexton, on the other hand, who laid bait in the undergrowth beneath the bridge, soon discovered that mice and mink resided there, while evidence of squirrel nests was also found in cannons embedded in the bridge's structure.

In order to narrow down which smell might be attracting the dogs, he distributed odour from all three species in a field and unleashed ten dogs - of the varieties which have died at the bridge - to see which one most interested them.

His findings were remarkable. Of the ten dogs tested, only two showed no interest in any of the scents while the overwhelming majority - 70 per cent - made straight for the mink.

Could a mink be the cause?
The mink's powerful anal glands leave marks wherever they go and the strong musty smell they emit is obviously proving irresistible to dogs.

It would also explain why the deaths have all occurred on sunny, dry days - relatively rare on the notoriously wet west coast - when the mink smell has not been diluted by the damp weather. Furthermore, the theory fits with the timeline of the deaths - single minks were introduced to Scotland in the Twenties but only started to breed in large numbers in the Fifties - which is when the mysterious dog deaths began occurring. But there are 26,000 mink in Scotland. Why are dogs in pursuit of them only jumping to their death from this particular bridge?

According to Dr Sands: 'When you get down to a dog's level, the solid granite of the bridge's 18-inch thick walls obscures their vision and blocks out all sound.

'As a result, the one sense not obscured, that of smell, goes into overdrive.'

For Donna Cooper, at last there is some explanation to offer her troubled son for the reason behind the death of their beloved family pet. Yet for others some questions still remain.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...#ixzz0xZfeUSd3"

[Watashi]

What about this place?

Someone should shoot a movie here.

[megladon8]

Here is an article that seems to be the sort of thing where you got that, meg:

http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Sc...years_999.html

It's one of the SETI dudes, saying that with their new and improved setup, they expect they'll be much more likely to catch some kind of signal from somewhere. And then we'll probably never be able to interpret it and we won't establish communication or some kind of real contact. This guy just thinks we'll catch evidence of something in the next 25 years, because we'll be more efficient at it and he believes it's out there.

If you have something clearer, or a broader demonstration of scientists reversing course on contacting alien intelligence, I'd be interested to see it.

Yes, that's an article with the same guy being quoted, though some of the articles I've been reading have been a little more "definite" in their wording (saying that he thinks we'll find "ET" soon), such as this article.

Yes, it's all theorizing and wishful thinking. It just seems

I do like what he said here...

"Yet simply having proof that we are not alone in the universe would likely be a world-changing achievement"

I would be pretty blown away even if it was just some radio signal we came across. I don't care if we ever meet them...I would just like to know, definitively, whether we are alone in the universe or not.

[Sycophant]

That is hardly the same large mass people of NASA and SETI scientists who were just recently telling us that never ever no never would we contact alien life suddenly changing their opinions in a way that might maybe reveal they know and/or are up to something.

It's not unnerving. It's not suspicious. It's an astronomer who has spent a large portion of his life searching for alien life saying he believes his new tech will make his search become fruitful, probably sooner than before.

[Sycophant]

I will not disagree that it would certainly be interesting if we got any kind of proof of some extraterrestrial civilization.

[megladon8]

You're right. I exaggerated. My apologies.

I still find it slightly unnerving, though. Maybe it's just the concept of it. What if we do find something out there?

I'm kind of scared of humanity's reaction.

[Qrazy]

Yes, that's an article with the same guy being quoted, though some of the articles I've been reading have been a little more "definite" in their wording (saying that he thinks we'll find "ET" soon), such as this article.

Yes, it's all theorizing and wishful thinking. It just seems

I do like what he said here...



I would be pretty blown away even if it was just some radio signal we came across. I don't care if we ever meet them...I would just like to know, definitively, whether we are alone in the universe or not.

This is interesting.

[Qrazy]

You're right. I exaggerated. My apologies.

I still find it slightly unnerving, though. Maybe it's just the concept of it. What if we do find something out there?

I'm kind of scared of humanity's reaction.

Could be the best thing for us actually. Might finally get us to unite in anticipation of a potentially greater threat (see Watchmen or The Foundation series).

[megladon8]

Could be the best thing for us actually. Might finally get us to unite in anticipation of a potentially greater threat (see Watchmen or The Foundation series).

I don't like the idea of immediately taking the stance that the presence of other civilizations in the universe is a threat.

So, I disagree with your "could be the best thing for us" assessment. I'd say that's the very worst thing for us.

[Sycophant]

If we're not actually gonna war with them, a firmer grasp on our shared humanity doesn't seem like a bad thing.

[megladon8]

If we're not actually gonna war with them, a firmer grasp on our shared humanity doesn't seem like a bad thing.

I agree.

What I was disagreeing with is the stance that "if aliens exist, we should immediately see them as a threat".

I guess what I wrote wasn't worded properly.

I would like to see extraterrestrials as friendly until proven otherwise.

[Qrazy]

I agree.

What I was disagreeing with is the stance that "if aliens exist, we should immediately see them as a threat".

I guess what I wrote wasn't worded very properly.

I would like to see extraterrestrials as friendly until proven otherwise.

Yes we would all like that, but there's no reason to believe that is necessarily the case. To clarify, with my initial post I did not mean to suggest that extraterrestrials will be a malevolent force. I was merely, as Sycophant stated, expressing the potential benefit for humanity if such a stance were taken.

But now that the issue has been raised, what do I think/hope we ought to do if first contact was made? Although I'm not sure if picking up another civilization's radio signals would necessarily classify as first contact. But anyway, I think we should approach the relationship with an open mind but extremely cautiously. If human and animal history has taught us anything it's that individual creatures and species will do all they can to ensure their own survival.

It would be great if extraterrestrials were peaceful and enlightened, but we shouldn't just assume as much. If we perform a cost-benefit analysis here, if the extraterrestrials are malevolent and we do not unite or do anything in preparation for the encounter, then we're screwed... like the entire species and history of humanity screwed. Alternatively, if they're benevolent, then no harm done. Assume the worst. Hope for the best.

I'm not suggesting some kind of crazy militarization of the entire planet before we even make contact or anything, but if we were to hear a signal out in space I think we should definitely take some time to think about what we're doing before responding.

[megladon8]

Agreed, Qrazy.

I guess, from your original post, I was just getting a kind The Day the Earth Stood Still vibe of "shoot first, ask questions later".

I totally agree with being cautious. We don't want to be naive and just let them waltz right on over and end up colonizing Earth.

But I also don't want our first experience with an alien race to be us shooting them out of the sky when they've shown absolutely no threatening behaviour.

Then again, if they have the technology to get here, our weapons would probably pose about as great of a threat as sticks and stones would to us...

All I'm saying is, like I said earlier, I would like to see them as "friendlies" until proven otherwise.

I don't want humans to throw the first punch, so to speak.

[BuffaloWilder]

Here's an old one that my brother and I have both been puzzling over for a while.

Tara Leigh Calico (born February 18, 1969) disappeared near her home in Belen, New Mexico on September 20, 1988. Her case, believed to be a kidnapping, received extensive coverage on A Current Affair , Unsolved Mysteries, and America's Most Wanted. It was also profiled on The Oprah Winfrey Show and 48 Hours.

The Unsolved Mysteries segment on Tara's disappearance is available for viewing on You Tube.

Disappearance

On September 20, 1988 Tara left her home at about 9:30 in the morning to go on her customary bike ride. She told her mother, Patty Doel, to come and get her if she wasn't home by noon. Patty went searching for Tara along her usual bike route but could not find her and contacted the police. Part of her Sony Walkman and a Boston cassette tape were discovered along the route and Patty believed that Tara may have left these items in an attempt to mark her trail. Several people saw Tara riding her bicycle, which has also never been found. No one witnessed her presumed abduction, although several witnesses did observe a 1953 or 1954 Ford pickup following her, but it is not known if this vehicle was connected to her disappearance. All efforts to locate the pickup have failed.

The photograph

On June 15, 1989, a Polaroid photo of an unidentified young girl and boy, both bound and gagged, was found in the parking lot of a convenience store in Port St. Joe, Florida. It was theorized that the girl in the photo was Tara and that the boy was Michael Henley, also of New Mexico, who had disappeared in April 1988. According to investigators the picture had to have been taken after May 1989 because the particular film used in the photograph was not available until then. Despite much conjecture, the identification of the boy in the photograph as Michael Henley seems unlikely because his remains were discovered in 1990 in the Zuni Mountains where he had disappeared. (Foul play is not suspected in his death). The Zuni mountains are about 75 miles from where Tara disappeared. Nonetheless, her mother believed the girl in the photo was indeed her daughter due in part to what appeared to be a scar on the girl's leg similar to one Tara received in a car accident. However, the FBI was unable to conclusively prove that it was Tara in the photograph.

Two other Polaroid photographs, possibly of Tara, have surfaced over the years, but they have yet to be released to the public.

There were several reported sightings of her in 1988 and 1989, mostly in the southern half of the U.S. However, none of these sightings could be confirmed.

Tara's disappearance remains unsolved. Patty Doel died in May 2006 due to a complications from a series of strokes. She had been in poor health for several years prior to her death.

Tara's biological father, David Calico, died of a heart attack in 2002.

Tara Leigh Calico would today be 39 years old.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tara_Calico

And, here's the photo. It might be considered a little disturbing to some, so -

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[Dukefrukem]

I love the idea that we may recieve an alien message... what is unfortunite is the time it would take to decipher it.

"We could give our digital television signals to the Neanderthals, and they'll never figure it out. And they're not stupid,"

That sucks.

[Mara]

One of the most annoying things about Tana French's Into the Woods (it's not a good book, don't read it) is that she sets up this fascinating unsolved occurrence at the beginning of the book and then never explains or resolves it.