"Beyond the Matrix" part one

Dear readers,

After a delightful weekend, visiting a number of art venues here in Adelaide as part of the South Australian Living Artists program, and indulging a little too much in the excellent wines, we have here in South Australia, it is back to the blog.

Patricia Cori hosts an Internet radio talk show (click here ) titled "Beyond the Matrix" and last year published a book of the same title. It was published by North Atlantic Books. Berkeley. ISBN 978-1-55643-893-6. I missed the book when it came out, but recently had the opportunity to read it, courtesy of my local library.

The book is a series of interviews with individuals such as Dr Michio Kaku; Dr Edgar Mitchell; Dr Mario Beauregard and many others. Five of the interviews specifically appealed to me and I thought I would make myself some notes here of points I found of interest.

Dr Edgar Mitchell:

On the way back from the Moon, astronaut Mitchell experienced a state "...the ecstasy of bliss." After returning to Earth he researched the subject and the closest he could find in the literature was Savikalpa Samadhi (click here .) This transformational experience led Mitchell to form the Institute of Noetic Sciences (click here ) in 1975. "I was working and interested in so called "parapsychological phenomenon," although I don't like the term 'para.'" (p.65.)

Asked about life beyond Earth, Mitchell notes "We have been visited; I have no doubts about that. The evidence, my knowledge, my research are there, and I have been well briefed. In fact, by what I call the 'old timers' who were involved in the Roswell incident - both in military and intelligence circles...From what I have been given from the old-timers who were involved with the Roswell incident sixty years ago, I know that was a real visitation and there have been many since then." (p.72.)

Stanton T Friedman:

Asked "What do you think will happen when we have global contact "Friedman responded "...I don't think they are going to send fleets over our cities..." (p.99.)

Turning to the government, "I know it may come as a shock, but there have been occasions when the government has lied about UFOs." Later, "Most media people, in my acquaintance anyway, are totally unaware of this vast amount of information that has yet to be released." (p.102.)

Continued in part two.

Crop formations and physics

Dear readers

In December 1973, Adelaide based researchers Keith Basterfield and Garry Little investigated seven, circular, flattened, swirled areas in an oat paddock near Bordertown in South Australia. The sizes of the marks ranged from 2.1 to 4.6 metres in diameter. The oats had been swirled in an anti-clockwise direction. No explanation put forward, satisfactorily explained the marks. However, Keith noted that a real-life, rare tornado had passed through the area some two weeks before the farmer found the circles, suggesting that, perhaps, there was a meteorological explanation. This was years before English researcher Terence Meaden raised the meteorological possibility for UK crop circles.

Move forward to 2011 and once again science is taking a look at the subject of crop circles. The 4 August 2011 issue of physics world.com carried an article covering the research of Richard Taylor of the University of Oregon, in the USA.

After providing a brief history of pre-1980's circles; Taylor outlines the meteorological approach of Terence Meaden, which evolved into electromagnetic-hydrodynamic 'plasma vortexes.'

Taylor goes on to relate the 1991 work of astronomer Gerard Hawkins, who, after analysing 25 crop formations believed he had uncovered 'construction lines.'

Noting that recent crop circles are extremely complex, Taylor automatically assumes they are man made. He poses the question "...how do you imprint patterns in crops that are a challenge even to draw on paper?"

"One such team is known as the circlemakers, and when - in a rare breach of security - it allowed BBC filmmakers to document its construction of a 100 circle roulette pattern in 1998, team members were observed physically implanting circles at the remarkable rate of one every minute."

Taylor then goes on to say that "There are further signs that traditional imprinting techniques are reaching their limits."

"If artists want to maintain the movement's secrecy and anonymity it is clear that they will need to exploit more efficient construction methods."

Taylor moves on to 'Biophysical speculations,' covering the work of Eltjo Haselhoff, "a medical physicist' and William Levengood, a biophysicist. "Levengood interpreted his results as evidence of Meaden's plasma vortex theory, while Haselhoff proposed that the sources of radiation were the mysterious balls of light that some observers have reported hovering over formation sites.

Then Taylor poses a question. "Might some artists therefore be supplementing physical implantation with mircowaves?" Intriguingly, he says, a group of crop circle enthusiasts called the BLT Research team claims to be able to replicate the observed changes to crop pulvini using 30s exposures to microwaves generated by magnetrons from readily available microwave ovens."

Taylor's full article may be read at (click here - you will need to register on the site.)

Aerospace companies and UFO research

Dear readers,

It seems to me, only logical that aerospace companies would conduct research into the UFO phenomenon.

I previously posted on this subject (click here, here, and here ). In summary, I was aware of three studies of UFOs undertaken by aerospace companies:

1. McDonnell Douglas study 1966-1970. (Source: MUFON Journal Oct 2008 - article by Dr Robert M Wood.)

2. Douglas Aircraft study 1955. (Source: Vallee, J. 2008. Forbidden Science Volume 2. Documatica Research, LLC. p.335.)

3. McDonnell Douglas study 1974-1978. (Source: Vallee, J. 2008. Forbidden Science Volume 2. Documatica Research, LLC. p.277.)

Recently, when re-reading Vallee's book Forbidden Science volume 1, page 286, I came across mention of yet another study, in a diary entry dated 30 Jun 1967.

"Now I am reading a letter to ATIC signed by A. H. Rochlen, public relations vice-president, summarizing an independent analysis that was done by the Douglas Aircraft Corporation 'within the framework of a study...having to do with unconventional propulsion methods.' The study was headed up by Dr W B Klemperer, chief engineer of their missile division. The report was distributed to R. M. Baker and A.M. Chop, the same man who was in touch with Keyhoe in the early years and eventually became the spokesman for Project Blue Book. What was he doing on the staff of Douglas and what was this study of 'unconventional propulsion?"

Have readers come across any other aerospace study of UFOs?

Where did Allen Hynek's interest come from?

Dear readers

Adelaide has just been through 6 days in a row where it rained - a bit of a winter record for us.

In a recent post about Jacques Vallee on Peter Sturrock, I noted that both Vallee and Sturrock, had early on in their lives, seen a UFO. I also noted that I didn't know where J Allen Hynek's interests came from.

Upon re-reading Vallee's book "Forbidden Science-Volume 1" I came across a diary entry dated 13 Nov 1966 which might answer my question (p.227.)

Hynek says to Vallee "Did I ever tell you how I became interested in science?"

"Wasn't your mother a schoolteacher? You told me she once gave you a book about astronomy that fascinated you."

"That's not what made me decide to take up science as a profession. So many people get into science looking for power, or for a chance to make some big discovery that will put their name into history books...For me the challenge was to find at the very limits of science, the place where it broke down, the phenomena it didn't explain."

"Had you studied the paranormal before you decided to become an astronomer?"

"I had spent a great deal of time reading about esoteric subjects...as a student I read everything I could find about the Rosicrucians and the hermetic philosophers...I never cease to be fascinated by the limitations of our science...Now we are about to see how it handles this phenomenon of UFOs that has become so familiar to you and me..."

Vallee on Sturrock - part three

On an October 1972 visit to the offices of NICAP, Vallee met John L Acuff. "Acuff had a letter from Sturrock on his desk, so he asked if I knew him, which showed how uninformed he was. I urged him to cooperate with Peter's project." (p.159.)

Feb 1973. "Over lunch with Sturrock and Harder on Thursday I was finally able to see and touch the famous sample of tungsten silicate that got Allen so excited he wanted to start a new company." (p.180.)

March 1974 saw a joint meeting of the AIAA's UFO sub-committee and Cufos. Present was Peter Sturrock. "Sturrock suggested organizing a workshop of academics at Aspen. We spoke of international cooperation. " (p.241.)

Aug 1974. "A symposium on UFOs and radio astronomy organized at Stanford University by Peter Sturrock and Ron Bracewell has gathered a select group of specialists for the last three days." (p.265.)

Jan 1976. "Peter Sturrock, who came over to our house for breakfast, is preparing a UFO questionnaire aimed at scientists. Cufos proposed to publish it. Peter wisely prefers his independence. 'There is a need to separate this research from Cufos, which promotes a belief in UFOs,' he said. He argues that professional scientists are more likely to respond to a questionnaire from Stanford." (p.324.)

Apr 1976. "Peter Sturrock, who is quietly setting up a real scientific group as a committee of the AIAA, sought my advice about the agenda. I said I would stress physical effect cases and avoid pointless quarrels with Menzel and Klass. " (p.332.)

Comment:

Although the last three posts may seem old history to some, I find they help me understand where Peter Sturrock was coming from.

Vallee on Sturrock - part two

In May 1972, famed French researcher Aime Michel visited Vallee. "I introduced him to Peter Sturrock, who started arguing about UFOs. I tried Poher's recent argument on Peter.

"If one assumes that these objects can bring their mass down to zero, don't you think a lot can be explained? No sonic boom, time relativity effects, ionization..." Peter smiled.

"Next Aime tried Plantier's theory. Again, Peter shook his head skeptically. 'You're looking in the wrong direction,' he said softly. 'Antigravity, electromagnetisim, relativity, magneto-hydrodynamics, all that is irrelevant. What's at stake is much more fundamental.'

"'More fundamental than relativity?' asked Aime, looking around him to make sure he was actually speaking to a Stanford professor."

"He seemed reassured by the long shelves loaded with physics publications, the photographs of the solar corona on the walls. 'That may be a shock for your physics colleagues,' he continued. 'It won't be a shock,' Peter said in his restrained English manner, 'only a revolution.'" (p.133.)

Sep 1972. "Peter Sturrock has written a proposal for the evaluation of UFO phenomena. His idea is to gather a team of objective experts and bring before them the serious people who have something to say on the subject."

"I called Allen: 'Will you cooperate?' I asked. 'Peter is serious; his name carries a lot of weight.' 'I have reservations about the whoel approach, Allen answered. 'Sturrock is setting himself up as a referee for the whole field..."

"The truth is that Allen is fearful to see a scientist with greater clout emerge as a focus for the UFO community. This is a petty reaction, but Peter would have been well-advised to anticipate it, and to enlist Allen's help beforehand." (p.152.)

Continued in next post.

Vallee on Sturrock - part one

Dear readers

Yesterday, Adelaide's maximum temperature for August, our winter, hit an all time record 25 degrees Celsius. Today, however, the usual cold front and rain has reduced it to the more average 17 degrees.

I have just posted a review of Peter Sturrock's excellent book, in which he laments science's inability to come to grips with the UFO phenomenon. The book also mentioned that Sturrock at one time recruited Jacques Vallee as an assistant. I thought I would delve back into Jacques Vallee's "Forbidden Science Volume 2" to see what mentions there are of Sturrock.

In December 1970, Vallee writes "During my visit to Santa Cruz an astronomer told me that professor Peter Sturrock, a Stanford physicist engaged in pulsar research, was looking for computational help. I decided to go see him." (p.61.)

"I have programmed some pulsar computations that Peter Sturrock had requested to test my skills. They revealed an intriguing periodicity in the frequency of three pulsars, and this could lead to determining their diameter. Peter Sturrock will talk about this result at an astronomy conference in Austin. We are thinking of co-authoring a note about this result." (p.62.)

In a diary entry dated 28 Dec 1980 Vallee writes "I have moved to an office in the electronics laboratories, where I am now consulting for Peter Sturrock's Plasma Research Institute." (p.62.)

In November 1971, "Last Tuesday Peter and Marilyn Sturrock came over for dinner with Larry Berman...Peter encourages my work on UFOs...I found out about his private interests when he asked me to computerize an index to his personal collection of reprints. It contained the keyword "ESP" which could have applied to such topics as Elementary Statistical Projection or Electron Spin Potential. When I inquired about the meaning he said 'Extrasensory perception, of course!' It was my turn to tell him of my interests, which led to his requesting a copy of my books." (p.108.)

7 Feb 1972 "When Allen Hynek came over on Wednesday I introduced him to Peter Sturrock. The two men offer an interesting contrast because Peter is intensely focused, a theoretical physicist, a British academic to the top of his fingernails...Allen informs and entertains but he has missed the opportunity to build a consensus among scientists. In contrast, it is precisely such a movement that Peter Sturrock tells me he intends to form, a true scientific society dedicated to frontier topics. " (p.113.)

Continued in next post.