Extraordinary claims. Ordinary investigations.

The first five issues of the “Zetetic Scholar”, published by Marcello Truzzi, are available online for download on George Hansen’s website. As Luis Ruiz Noguez points out:

“The consulting editors are impressive. We see an incredible and unrepeatable mix of believers and skeptics of all camps of the paranormal world: Milbourne Christopher (magician and skeptic), Persi Diaconis (mathematician and skeptic), Martin Ebon (writer and editor of paranormal subjects), Christopher Evans (magician and skeptic), Martin Gardner (science writer and skeptic), Michel Gauquelin (astrologist), Bernard Heuvelmans (criptozoologist), Ray Hyman (psychologist and skeptic), J. Allen Hynek (ufologist), David M. Jacobs (ufologist), Edward J. Moody (parapsychologist), Charles T Tart (parapsychologist) y Ron Westrum (writer in paranormal subjects).”

All edited by Truzzi. You can’t, no, you shouldn’t miss them.
[via Note Zetetiche, Paranormal Trickster]

Astrona is an online collection of space and astronomical art, science fiction art, visions of future worlds, design and visualization of technologies for living in space, space exploration, spaceships, starships, space colonies and everything. Seen above, the work of Alexander Preuss. Of course, flying saucers and alien worlds and beings, as well as psychedelic art also feature proeminently. All fascinating.

Given the recent news about the head of an alleged Chupacabras, we offer photographic evidence of a very real and alive specimen. Do not be fooled by its size. It’s deadly.

UPDATE: We have been linked by TDG (thanks!), and I thought I should post a better version of the image for those skeptic about it. Beware.

Meanwhile, I received an email of another Chupacabras specimen:

Seriously, it’s nice that criptozoologist Coleman has offered help to analyze DNA samples from the “Chupacabras” head.

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Full documentary “UFOs Are Here!”, featuring: Steven Spielberg, Stan Deyo, Jacques Vallee, Prof. Allen Hynek, Stanton Friedman, Margaret Mead, Ken Arnold, Betty Hill, Rev. William Gill, Klaus Nobel, RAAF Sqdn Ldr White, Ray Palmer and Colin Cameron.

Produced in 1977, it’s very interesting to listen their opinions thirty years later. Most of them are also deceased now. Rev. Gill, for instance, passed aways a few weeks ago, so it only adds to the value of these interviews.

At that time, president Carter, who had previously reported a UFO, was promising greater things for ufology. And Spielberg was about to release “Close Encounters”.

This is the same documentary from which I excerpted some clips and commented some time ago, I didn’t know it was available in full on the internet.

[via Anomaly TV]

“Space fireworks” (Uchuu-hanabi) lit the head of Japanese people this Sunday, glowing as bright as the moon. At least for a few moments, it is.

Part of an experiment to study the atmosphere conducted by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Hokkaido University and Kochi University of Technology, the three luminous orbs were composed of clouds of lithium vapor released into the ionosphere by a rocket. The red glow was caused by sunlight striking the lithium vapor clouds as they disperse. “In the first few seconds after each lithium release, the light should become as large and bright as the moon,” says team member Masayuki Yamamoto, a professor at Kochi University of Technology.

You can check some pictures on the official JAXA page, or on 2-channeru. As it is, unfortunately it wasn’t seen by everyone, because the weather was cloudy.

This experiment reminds of several episodes in ufology. For instance, there was the case of a chemical trail left by a rocket launch, believed by some to be the face of Jesus, but debunked by late ufologist James McDonald and which even made into the cover of Science. There countless instances where missile launches were mistaken for UFO cases. The case of Canary Islands is of notice, as much was made of it.

Outside ufology, this experiment also bring to mind the bizarre tests of nuclear weapons in space. Yes, you read that well, both Americans and Russians exploded nuclear devices in space. Though not very widely known, there’s an excellent documentary about these, with exclusive footage of the spectacular and dangerous shows: Nukes in Space: The Rainbow Bombs. You can watch one of the tests, Starfish Prime, here.

[news of the Japan test via Pink Tentacle]