What does Sue Gough REALLY think about the famous trio of Naval videos that burst into public attention in December 2017 and March 2018? Released after another "FOIA tussle," John Greenewald's latest haul of 264 pages may not answer that question. Hopefully John will provide an analysis. Perhaps easier on the research, and highly relevant to one of John's specified quests, Baptiste Friscourt of Sentinel News has "the best excerpts" from two interviews in Fmr AARO Dir. Tim Philips in the Nimitz UFO Case: "They Actually Sent People To The Princeton To Get Recordings". Numerous highlights include that confirmation of the 2004 Nimitz witness sailors' claims and disappearance of that data, borrowing ideas from two New Jersey scientists, who "had a RV that they fitted with sensors and recording devices," and mention of what seemed an extortion attempt by a Congressional witness. There's much more, too. And Wall Street Journal "opinionist" Holman W. Jenkins, Jr., asserts The UFOs Are Ukrainian. Jenkins blames "our still-simmering UFO panic" on the U.S. government, beginning in December 2017 "to distract from official knowledge of Chinese violations of U.S. airspace." Jenkins apparently means the 1947 Roswell event when he also goes on about "a U.S. government habit of taking advantage of the public's UFO credulity to conceal its own doings, starting with a 1948 incident involving a top-secret U.S. military balloon." Seems Mr. Jenkins has it all figured out. H/T Rob Swiatek for this article. (WM)

"Professional" mediums and channels are everywhere, probably because in this instance the term means "one's paid occupation," notes Craig Weiler, rather than a specific set of skills, ethics, or codes of conduct. That's not to say there aren't professional mediums and channels who are truly gifted and operate with an exemplary level of integrity. Rather, it begs the question of whether we need professional requirements, criteria, or even certifications that must be held before someone working in this field can claim to be a pro. It's not as if there is danger to human life if someone is a fake, or just bad at their job, unlike other career choices like architect or doctor. It would be almost impossible to create testing and certification criteria across the board. Perhaps word of mouth is enough. Or maybe the field in general needs to be considered "for entertainment purposes only" and Caveat Emptor needs to apply, as it would in any other exchange of goods and services. (CM)

A 2018 discovery after a tree fell over in northern Ontario is confirmed as a copy of The Lord's Prayer written in 16th century Nordic runes but likely carved in the 1800s. But why remains a moot question. So say Canadian archaeologist Ryan Primrose and Swedish "runologist" Henrik Williams, as reported here and in a linked CBC article. Christopher Plain writes that a Study Confirms Controversial 23,000-Year-Old Human Footprints, Challenging Past Views On Peopling Of The Americas. While new research strongly agrees with a 2019 discovery's findings that were published in 2021, and complemented by other work, these White Sands tracks' more venerable age is still contested. Another prehistoric puzzler seems solved, as Christopher Plain's The Debrief colleague Micah Hanks reports that 7,000 Years Ago, A 1,200-Ton Boulder Was Dropped on a Pacific Island—Now Scientists Know How It Got There. Glacial "erratics" are a well-known commodity as huge stone movers, but the explanation for this stupendous rock's transportation seems "all wet" at first. Yet it offers information supporting "hazard preparation and risk assessment now and in the future," says a study co-author. And a longtime historical question could be answered, as Archaeologists May Have Finally Solved the Mystery of Roanoke's 'Lost Colony'. Thankfully it's a story of assimilation by the local indigenous Croatoan population, not of starvation or violent annihilation. (WM)

Baptiste Friscourt tackles the human concern and actual competence of an "Ex-NASA Official" who said he'd "tell the people that would call me up with these tales about being visited by aliens, see a psychiatrist." Baptiste thoroughly excoriates the man as close-minded and ignorant of real scientific efforts. Baptiste also asks Are UAPs Hiding in Clouds? While noting the possible importance of some of the imagery George Knapp and Jeremy Corbell have, supposedly from a trove the Government has denied even exists, Baptiste questions the interpretation of the footage he highlights in the included video. The Mysterious 'Jellyfish UFO' Spotted Over US Desert as Scientists Reveal Its Origin surprised us at first, but it appears SpaceX is using that term for the ethereal "crystallized exhaust plume" that's a normal product from its rocket launches, and it's still mystifying people who see it. The term was applied first to controversial footage of an apparently solid object taken from the Iraq military theater. And we complete our look at shorter "news bits" with the latest update of Vicente-Juan Ballester Olmos UFO FOTOCAT Blog. Vicente-Juan's skeptical posts always contain much of interest, including links to the remarks he makes about current UFO developments. (WM)

The Scottish isle of Lewis has become home to a low frequency hum of unknown origin, much to the anguish of its residents. Oddly enough, this Mysterious Hum Torments Scottish Islanders has been potentially attributed to the sound of fish mating. The "hum," whatever it is, has also occurred in Northern Ireland and in Upstate New York, among other places, including Taos, New Mexico, perhaps the most famous one of all. A Facebook group has been formed that is open to the public for those who would like to learn more about how this alarming and disheartening experience is affecting the population of the island. (CM)

Today's look at The UFO Past begins with one of the most horrible outcomes of UFO-related fervor. The Observer staff suggests its origin could possibly lie back in 1974, whose Summer "was one hell of a ride" of violent or historically awful activity. The title's "Superspectrum" notion was popularized by John Keel in The Eighth Tower: On Ultraterrestrials and the Superspectrum, available from Anomalist Books. The Part 1 The Observer article explains that concept. Is it somewhat akin to the cause of "Havana Syndrome"? Heaven's Gate: Pawns...Part 2 continues this "projecting waves of energy" into human brains tack. Experiences reported by Heaven's Gate founders "Bo" and "Peep" square disturbingly with Keel's theories. The group connected the "alien implants" sometimes reported by abductees with their own communications from "Next Level Beings" traveling in UFOs. Stay tuned for Part 3. Not dissimilar is the subject of Aaron Gulyas' UFO Contact from Andromeda, Part 1 and Part 2. Aaron first covers necessary context to a lesser-known Mexican "contact tale." The weird Contactee story that follows seems more similar to those reflective narrations of abductees, and if R.N. Hernandez actually existed, he likely was a very disturbed individual. (WM)

In this article from the "Bulletin of the Parapsychological Association," Mike Cifone challenges traditional science to expand its borders "[t]o create the conditions under which the strange can be studied without being dismissed, and the anomalous can be brought into relation to the known." Mike wants ufology to shift from retrospective investigation of UAP reports and witness testimony to "a proactive observational paradigm," whether of a general "anomaly detection strategy" or "a 'hypothesis-driven' science of UAP." Yet some cases will possess an "excessive remainder"—"The subjective, the psychophysical, the experiential" "high strangeness" elements "that seem to implicate not only the external world but the structure of subjectivity itself." Initiatives melding the natural and human sciences must address the wider Exceptional Human Experiences (EHEs). New tools must deal with "phenomena which do not fall neatly into the categories of the 'mental' or the 'physical' – but appear to implicate both, or to transcend the distinction altogether." Cifone believes these suggestions to be critical, as "The future of science may well depend on how we respond to what exceeds it." And in Exceptional Human Experiences in Ufology and Parapsychology: Connections, Culture, and Cosmosis, David Mitchell focuses on the accounts of EHEs in the 3-part docuseries Cosmosis, co-hosted by Kelly Chase and Jay Christopher King, and then draws on the West African (Akan) principle of sankofa as one framework to understand how to approach EHEs and their profound impact. (WM)

Recently a father and son were fishing in Munroe, Michigan, when they heard a rustling in the surrounding trees. Turning toward the ruckus they saw a large, dark-haired two legged creature hitting the ground with a thud and start moving toward them. Luckily their dog chased the creature off and returned unscathed to its owners. However the incident drew sufficient attention that a Michigan Pot Shop Offers Deal for Bigfoot Photo. It's not the first time Bigfoot has made an appearance in the community—although the last time was in the 1960s. No word on whether anyone will be ambitious enough to go traipsing through the woods to see if anything else falls (jumps) out of the trees. (CM)

More from the "Bulletin of the Parapsychological Association." Bob Davis and Russ Scalpone present the results of three different surveys of experiencers. More about whether the surveys were truly random or the result of self-selected samples from larger populations would be appreciated, and no attention seemed given about the legality of cases had they been human-on-human interactions. Still, while the sequelae seem positive and on the order reported by the '50s-begun "Contactee" movement, they do attest to the basic strength of the human character. Jack Hunter takes us to Wales in Numinous Geometries: Reflections on UFOs and Apparitions from Cymru. Hunter's account of these strange tales is engrossing. He notes his "small, highly selective sample" limitations, emerging patterns and different possible explanations, while characterizing his own "native son" one as "But that's just me." The Sentience of UAP: Reviving an Unjustly Neglected Approach is Michael Jawer's contribution to the Question: "Could UAP be alive?" Jawer could have evidenced thoughts of Charles Fort, Trevor James Constable, and others besides Kenneth Arnold on the matter. But he makes a many-sided case, while his killer whale example reminds us of recent SETI work on non-human communication, and of course his contention is in synch with one of "whistleblower" Jacob Barber's assertions. (WM)

Logan Smith reports on strange, as yet unexplained cattle deaths. Kerri Higgs of the XO Cattle Company in Colorado lost 15 young heifers, either with calves at foot or heavily in calf, all dying suddenly and unexpectedly over the course of a day. The cause of the deaths remains a mystery. The day prior to the deaths, it rained heavily, and the cattle drank from the pooled run-off; might this have been contaminated? Subsequent blood tests on the dead stock have been inconclusive, the ranch has been searched for poisonous plants, and further tests of the air and soil are ongoing. Higgs is resigned to the cause of the deaths likely remaining unknown. Another strange cattle death was reported by Tim Binnall on Coast to Coast: Curious Cattle Mutilation Reported in Argentina. The strangely mutilated body of cow was discovered by a ranch hand in Santillian, Argentina. The animal reportedly appeared as if "something has tried to 'rip its face off;" tongue and eyes had been removed with "surgical precision," and there was an absence of blood, with any cuts appearing to have been cauterized. Typical of similar cases, the corpse failed to attract scavengers. Aliens? Plenty to ruminate upon. (JS)

Thanking journalist Matt Laslo, Pavel Ibarra Meda relays Reps. Luna and Burlisons' very frank reactions to the recent Wall Street Journal article claiming that the DoD lies, rather than UFOs, are behind the UFO frenzy. Meda also questions whistleblower Matthew Brown's recent more esoteric claims. Ryan Bodenheimer had more than a "religious experience," per Baptiste Friscourt's Former F15E Fighter Pilot: "It Really Was Defying Any Type Of Aeronautical Law That I Have Ever Learned". If these accounts don't rivet your attention, check your pulse. More on the human side of the UFO Experience: The Astrophysicist Who Hunts UFOs: Travis S. Taylor Net Worth and Career Uncovered. While the article text/makeup itself invites comment, the lineaments of Dr. Taylor's career do make him "one of the most intriguing names in modern science and entertainment." Perhaps even more unsettling is Christopher Sharp's Hidden Factions, Conflicting Narratives, and Dark Truths Behind Alleged Non-Human Species on Earth. Sharp notes a creepy 2009 story by a Wiltshire (southwest England) police sergeant and transitions to serious governmental speculations about Non-Human Intelligences, Eric Davis and Retired Rear Admiral Tim Gallaudet's most recent assertions, and some outright fabulous stories, and "[t]he most haunting claim...is that Earth may not truly belong to us." But doesn't it also belong to other intelligences we've overlooked? Micah Hanks manifests that SETI Researchers Report Potential Discovery of 'Communication' By Non-Human Intelligence in Earth's Oceans. Are they trying to communicate with humans in a non-threatening way? And/or are they just aquatic windbags, blowing bubbles instead of smoke? (WM)

Dimitrios Aristopoulos recounts the ancient Greek tale of ghostly bedroom antics performed by Philinnion, a young woman who had died a maiden, but rose from the grave to get a taste of what she'd never had in life. A real experience, or a tall tale rooted in superstition and morality? We will, of course, never know. But what, we might ask, is reality? Maria Popova ponders this in her slightly complex piece: The One Hundred Milliseconds Between the World and You: Oliver Sacks on Perception, in which the late neurologist (and thinker) "considers the temporal dimension of consciousness, most evident in our perception of motion." In short, milliseconds of neuronal activity creates for each of us a unique experience, "moments of an essentially personal kind that seem to constitute our very being." No wonder then, that humans just can't get along. (LP)

Genetic findings are altering our understanding of prehistory. "Everything must be rewritten about the greatest extinction in humanity," according to paleoanthropologist Ludovic Slimak about "[A]n end of a way to be human," regarding the discovery of the remains of a Neanderthal named "Thorin" in a Rhône Valley cave. Michael Natale explains how genetic studies forced this "Tolkienesque" conclusion. Another kind of conclusion occurs in The Clovis First Theory is Put To Rest at Paisley Caves. "The Clovis First debate has ended. The theory is now dead and buried." This from a member of an international team that's negated the traditional belief that North America's first human culture was that represented by a New Mexican site, whose "Western Stemmed projectile points" were "the 'Mother technology' for all other technologies in America." Mark Milligan explains how DNA profiles of human excrement and a distinctively different set of dart points discovered in now-proven-undisturbed cave strata show an unrelated group lived in Oregon's Paisley Caves a millennium before the Clovis culture. And Osheen Yadav writes Mysterious 6,000-Year-Old Skeletons with Never-Before-Seen DNA Rewrite Human History. In today's Columbia, "[R]esearchers reconstructed a rare genetic timeline spanning nearly six millennia" but which disappeared completely. Like Thorin’s case, another useful—if somewhat sad—finding for a lost race, while Clovis "fans" may grumble. (WM)

Scientists are only beginning to unravel the mysteries of Antarctica, as demonstrated first by this report from Penn State, where researchers have recently discovered strange radio waves emanating from below the Antarctic ice. For the moment, they can only guess at their origin, but what they do know suggests these "bizarre signals" may indicate previously unknown particles and/or particle interactions. Not aliens. Meanwhile, Real-Life 'Land That Time Forgot' Discovered Beneath the Antarctic Ice using ice-penetrating radar and satellite data. Findings so far  suggest the presence of ancient rivers and forests. "The land underneath the East Antarctic ice sheet is less well-known than the surface of Mars," and there are plans for deep drilling to bring back samples from this "time capsule." (CM)

Reactions to the June 6th WSJ "UFO Deception" revelations, beginning with Baptiste Friscourt whose bottom line is that the WSJ piece itself is deceptive, and though governmental "fibbing" is a given, there's preponderant evidence that UFOs—whatever they are—are real. The Vice article Did the Pentagon Make Up UFO Sightings To Hide Secret Government Projects? largely accepts the WSJ conclusion, apparently super-impressed by that news organization. The New York Post publishes a Fox News writer's US Government Uses UFOs as Cover to 'Hide a Lot of Things': Ex-NASA Official. That official apparently has little regard for some UFO witnesses who contacted him, and misdoubts the "interstellar distance problem" could ever be solved. In The National Review, Andrew Follett says "For once, the mainstream media were right," as The UFO Whistleblowers Were a Trap All Along. Follett sees confirmation for an article he wrote two years ago. But, in What the Wall Street Journal Isn't Telling You about UFOs Ross Coulthart and two former service members "dive into the supposed 'bombshell' piece, rebutting and expanding upon the 'explosive' claims." And in Former Pentagon Investigator Warns of UFOs With Characteristics "We Could Not Duplicate Today" Christopher Sharp notes past AARO Acting Director Timothy Phillips and current Director Jon Kosloski's admissions that some UFOs still resist identification, and National UFO Historical Records Center Executive Director David Marler's observation that whatever their origin we must understand such reports "in the vein of national security." (WM)

Timothy Philips, AARO's former Acting Director, confirms to Baptiste Friscourt the chief allegations that for years some in the military/intelligence complex have been "spoofing" the American People about UFOs. At the same time, Philips emphasizes that AARO's recent investigations have been unable to explain the generally-acknowledged small percentage of apparent physics-defying capabilities. In this case, Friscourt notes, the "black triangles" that "the historical works of David Marler" have noted are the most troubling objects. And Steven Greenstreet himself allows that he actually was impressed by one of these "whats-its" in 2003. There's something for both skeptics and those who've been convinced of a still-unknown phenomenon by experience or data to take from this—and all may worry more about "government transparency" in general. More historical perspective comes from Micah Hanks' Operation Deception: The Pentagon's UFO Disinfo Campaign. Hanks' perceptive conclusion to another informative, excellent, and hard-hitting essay: it "seems like the mainstream media is only getting caught up on a story many of us have known already for quite some time." With these themes and our previous reporting in mind, let's mull over Gizmodo and Lucas Ropek's Pentagon Has Been Pushing Americans to Believe in UFOs for Decades, New Report Finds, and CNN's Hear From UFO Believers Who Hope Trump Will Finally Prove Them Right. Ropek's conclusion is perhaps the best part of his article; and, given his conspiracy and misinformation reporting background, CNN Senior Correspondent Donie O'Sullivan's Contact in the Desert interviews are...interesting. (WM)

There are countless places on earth where high strangeness is the order of the day, but none of them can hold a candle to what goes on in space. Astronauts have experienced some of the weirdest, most inexplicable phenomena there is, as Paul Dale Roberts details, and UFOs of every description are only the beginning. There's mysterious space music, which turns out has nothing to do with how long our space men and women have been floating above the planet. Disembodied voices, scratching, and knocking have been heard from outside the space capsule. The moon has gonged. And then there are the sightings of space fireflies and angels. It's endlessly weird up there, which leads us to the Connecting with Coincidence podcast: Feeling the Unseen: The Science of Exceptional Experiences. Psychologist and parapsychology researcher Dr. Christine Simmonds-Moore describes the science behind "exceptional experiences," those moments that change how we view our conventional reality. She and podcast host Dr. Bernard Beitman discuss communication, and "how altered states, intuition, and boundary-thin personalities may help us tap into something more than language." (CM)

In an interesting and wide-ranging interview with Robert Lawrence Kuhn, well known skeptic Chris French, emeritus professor of Anomalous Psychology at Goldsmiths, University of London, discusses his new book The Science of Weird Shit. French’s overall opinion is clear from the book’s subtitle “Why Our Minds Conjure the Paranormal,” with a focus on why people might be drawn to a belief in the veracity of paranormal experience, despite broader scientific evidence. French emphasizes the importance of psychological explanations for paranormal phenomena. However, he is not dismissive, maintaining an open-minded skepticism, while remaining unconvinced by the evidence to date. On a similar note, Jeffery Mishlove interviews psychologist Callum Cooper of the University of Northampton, UK, for New Thinking Allowed:  Parapsychology Update with Callum Cooper. The discussion ranges over the history and current state of parapsychological research, including Cooper’s particular interest in anomalous experiences related to death and altered states of consciousness. Cooper presents a less skeptical attitude towards parapsychological effects than French, although, like French retains a certain circumspection. Interestingly, methodological issues related to lab work emerge again; Cooper notes the difficulty of controlling for different variables (experimenter effects, the state of mind of the subject, diet, phase of the moon?) in the experimental work. It is probably difficult to know what to control for if you do not have an idea of the mechanism, and one wonders if we can really have an idea of the mechanism without a theory of consciousness. (JS)