No evidence of space aliens so far in the Pentagon’s UFO deep-dive

Ronald Moultrie, who oversees a newly formed Pentagon-based UAP (unidentified aerial phenomena) investigation team as US Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence & Security, testifies about these phenomena during a hearing before a US House of Representatives intelligence subcommittee on Capitol Hill in Washington, US May 17, 2022. (REUTERS)
Ronald Moultrie, who oversees a newly formed Pentagon-based UAP (unidentified aerial phenomena) investigation team as US Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence & Security, testifies about these phenomena during a hearing before a US House of Representatives intelligence subcommittee on Capitol Hill in Washington, US May 17, 2022. (REUTERS)
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Updated 17 December 2022

No evidence of space aliens so far in the Pentagon’s UFO deep-dive

No evidence of space aliens so far in the Pentagon’s UFO deep-dive
  • A government report last year documented more than 140 cases of what the US military officially calls “unidentified aerial phenomena,” or UAPs, observed since 2004

WASHINGTON: The Pentagon’s new push to investigate reports of UFOs has so far not yielded any evidence to suggest that aliens have visited Earth or crash-landed here, senior military leaders said on Friday.
However, the Pentagon’s effort to investigate anomalous, unidentified objects — whether they are in space, the skies or even underwater — led to hundreds of new reports that are now being investigated, they say.
But so far they have seen nothing that indicates intelligent alien life.
“I have not seen anything in those holdings to date that would suggest that there has been an alien visitation, an alien crash or anything like that,” said Ronald Moultrie, under secretary of defense for intelligence and security.
Sean Kirkpatrick, director of the Pentagon’s newly formed All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), did not rule out the possibility of extraterrestrial life and said he was taking a scientific approach to the research.
“I would just say that we are structuring our analysis to be very thorough and rigorous. We will go through it all,” Kirkpatrick said, speaking at the first news conference since AARO was established in July.
“And as a physicist, I have to adhere to the scientific method, and I will follow that data and science wherever it goes.”
AARO’s mission focuses on unexplained activity around military installations, restricted airspace and “other areas of interest” and is aimed at helping identify possible threats to the safety of US military operations and to national security.
A government report last year documented more than 140 cases of what the US military officially calls “unidentified aerial phenomena,” or UAPs, observed since 2004.
All but one of the listed sightings — an instance attributed to a large, deflating balloon — remain unexplained, subject to further analysis, the report said.
For the other 143 cases, the report found that too little data exists to conclude whether they represent some exotic aerial system developed either by a US government or commercial entity, or by a foreign power such as China or Russia.
The 2021 report included some UAPs revealed in previously released Pentagon video of enigmatic objects exhibiting speed and maneuverability exceeding known aviation technology and lacking any visible means of propulsion or flight-control surfaces.
Kirkpatrick said several hundred more cases have been documented since then. The exact figure will be disclosed soon, but a senior Navy official said in May the total number of reported cases had already reached 400.
Congress focused on the new Pentagon push in its annual defense policy bill, which it passed this week. The legislation, which has not yet been signed by President Joe Biden, calls for the Pentagon to prepare a report looking at the historical record of the US government related to UFOs, or unidentified flying objects, going back to 1945.
“That is going to be quite a research project,” Kirkpatrick said, acknowledging that Congress sought to ensure that AARO researches all records — even ones so highly classified that few people know about them.
The Air Force conducted a previous investigation called Project Blue Book, ended in 1969, that compiled a list of 12,618 sightings, 701 of which involved objects that officially remained “unidentified.”
In 1994, the Air Force said it had completed a study to locate records relating to the 1947 “Roswell incident” in New Mexico. It said materials recovered near Roswell were consistent with a crashed balloon, the military’s long-standing explanation, and that no records indicated that there had been the recovery of alien bodies or extraterrestrial materials.

 


Little Amal, a 12-foot puppet of a Syrian refugee, will travel the US

Little Amal, a 12-foot puppet of a Syrian refugee, will travel the US
Updated 31 May 2023

Little Amal, a 12-foot puppet of a Syrian refugee, will travel the US

Little Amal, a 12-foot puppet of a Syrian refugee, will travel the US
  • The puppet of the 10-year-old girl will visit the US Capitol, Boston Common, Joshua Tree National Park and the Edmund Pettus Bridge among other sites
  • Little Amal was created by the Handspring Puppet Company of South Africa, who made the award-winning puppets for the hit show “War Horse”

NEW YORK: Little Amal, a 12-foot (3.7-meter) puppet of a Syrian refugee, will journey across the United States this fall, visiting key places in America’s history to raise awareness about immigration and migration.
The puppet of the 10-year-old girl will visit the US Capitol, Boston Common, Joshua Tree National Park and the Edmund Pettus Bridge among other sites during a trek which starts in Boston on Sept. 7 and ends Nov. 5 along the US-Mexico border.
“There is something in the act of welcoming a stranger which redefines you,” says Amir Nizar Zuabi, the artistic director. “I think that’s part of what we’re trying to create when walking into places that have a beautiful, complicated, defining history.”
Stops are also planned for Philadelphia, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Detroit, Chicago, Atlanta, the Tennessee cities of Nashville and Memphis, New Orleans, the Texas cities of Austin, Houston, San Antonio and El Paso, as well as the California cities of Los Angeles and San Diego.
“Obviously there’s a lot of specific points in our American history that we felt that we needed to address and that’s the reason why we’re starting in Boston,” says Enrico Dau Yang Wey, lead puppeteer and co-associate artistic director. “The reason why we’re finishing in San Diego is that there’s just such a thin line between the United States and Mexico.”
Little Amal demands empathy, the puppet of a vulnerable, naive girl who is in a strange place after surviving a long ordeal alone.
“She’s just a symbol of millions of children,” says Zuabi. “Just having a community breathe together and walk with Amal for a stretch in the streets becomes a very, very meaningful act.”
Organizers are reaching out to community artists and leaders at each of the 35 stops — including places revered in Civil Rights Movement history like Selma, Alabama, and recent scenes of gun violence like Uvalde, Texas — to create more than 100 special events anchored by each place visited.
“We work very closely with our local partners and try and understand what is the story they’re trying to tell and try to co-create an event that resonates in this place to this community,” says Zuabi. “I think that’s part of why this project becomes so emotional for many people.”
Little Amal was created by the Handspring Puppet Company of South Africa, who made the award-winning puppets for the hit show “War Horse.” She requires four puppeteers at each visit, three to move her head and limbs and one to collect items people give her. A total of nine puppeteers will make the coast-to-coast trek with Little Amal.
“A lot of the ways we think about refugees, about immigrants, about migration, are formed and informed in American,” says Zuabi. “In a way, that’s a discussion we want to join and learn and listen.”
Last year, the puppet made a 17-day circuit through every corner of New York City, including joining a reading of the book “Julián Is a Mermaid” at the Brooklyn Public Library and a drum circle in Harlem. This June, she will be in Toronto.
The puppet completed a 5,000-mile (8,050-kilometer) trek across Europe in 2021, from the Syrian-Turkish border to northwest England, traveling through 12 countries — including greeting refugees from Ukraine at a Polish train station and stopping at refugee camps in Greece — and meeting with Pope Francis.
Wey describes Little Amal as a “miraculous thing that pulls people together suddenly” to create a “collective sense of empathy and a collective sense of awe.”
“Every time it’s different and every time you learn a little bit more. It’s one of those things where we learn on the job,” he adds. “I have to get a new pair of walking boots.”


Air New Zealand asks passengers to weigh in before their flights

Air New Zealand asks passengers to weigh in before their flights
Updated 31 May 2023

Air New Zealand asks passengers to weigh in before their flights

Air New Zealand asks passengers to weigh in before their flights
  • Month-long survey for pilots can better know the weight and balance of their planes before takeoff
  • Health statistics show New Zealanders are becoming heavier

WELLINGTON: New Zealand’s national airline is asking passengers to step on the scales before they board international flights.
Air New Zealand says it wants to weigh 10,000 passengers during a month-long survey so pilots can better know the weight and balance of their planes before takeoff.
But the numbers from the scales won’t be flashing up for all to see. There will be no visible display anywhere, the airline promised, and the weigh-in data will remain anonymous even to airline staff.
“We weigh everything that goes on the aircraft — from the cargo to the meals onboard, to the luggage in the hold,” said Alastair James, a load control improvement specialist for the airline, in a statement. “For customers, crew and cabin bags, we use average weights, which we get from doing this survey.”
Indeed the numbers are required by the nation’s industry watchdog, the Civil Aviation Authority.
Under the authority’s rules, airlines have various options to estimate passenger weight. One option is to periodically carry out surveys like Air New Zealand is doing to establish an average weight. Another option is to accept a standard weight set by the authority.
Currently, the authority’s designated weight for people 13 and over is 86 kilograms, which includes carry-on luggage. The authority last changed the average passenger weight in 2004, increasing it from 77 kilograms.
Health statistics show New Zealanders are becoming heavier. The latest national health survey put the adult obesity rate at 34 percent, up from 31 percent a year earlier. Childhood obesity rates increased to 13 percent, up from 10 percent a year earlier.
Customers on Air New Zealand domestic flights were asked to weigh in a couple of years ago.
James said there was nothing for passengers to fear by stepping on the scales.
“It’s simple, it’s voluntary, and by weighing in, you’ll be helping us to fly you safely and efficiently, every time,” he said.
The airline said the survey began this week and will run through July 2.


Dubai to take part in June’s London Design Biennale

Dubai to take part in June’s London Design Biennale
Updated 30 May 2023

Dubai to take part in June’s London Design Biennale

Dubai to take part in June’s London Design Biennale
  • Bake bread, see an AI robot designing, weave a tapestry, get inside a space pod, visit a virtual garden

LONDON: Dubai is set to take part in this year’s London Design Biennale, which is an interactive, musical and kinetic exhibition of creative innovation from across the globe, organizers have announced.

Dubai will feature a pavilion entitled “And Beyond,” in line with the theme for the fourth edition — “The Global Game: Remapping Collaborations” — from June 1 to 25.

Over 40 international exhibitors will showcase world-leading design, confronting global challenges and inspiring audiences with thought-provoking installations, organizers said.

 

 

“Bake bread, witness an AI Robot designing, weave a tapestry, get inside a space pod, find inner peace and visit a virtual garden,” according to a statement from the organizers.

Overseeing this year’s event is Nieuwe Instituut, the Dutch national museum and institute for architecture, design and digital culture, led by General and Artistic Director Aric Chen.

The theme of this year’s biennale aims to go “beyond borders and territories to enact new forms of international cooperation and participation through design.”

Launching this year, the Eureka exhibition will share design-led innovation from leading research centers featuring cross-disciplinary invention and creativity, involving academics, leaders and problem solvers.

“The London Design Biennale provides a wide space for constructive dialogue, anticipating the future of design, encouraging the exchange of experiences, and showcasing best practices in the creative sector, which Dubai attributes special importance to and works to enhance and push towards its growth and prosperity,” Khulood Khoory, Director of the Projects & Events Department at Dubai Culture, said.

“This global event contributes to enhancing the competitiveness and strength of the design sector in Dubai and elevating it to new levels.

“Design is an essential element in creative expression, consolidating creativity, innovation, and sustainability. At Dubai Culture, we seek to highlight the emirate’s cultural identity on the global map through our participation in the exhibition,” she added.

Abdalla Almulla, founder of ‘MULA’ design studio, said: “‘And Beyond’ takes visitors on a creative journey from camel caravans to the Hope Probe via scenes inspired by my observations and experiences in Dubai, whose desert environment I rediscovered and prompted me to think about the nature of the challenges our ancestors faced and their ability to face harsh conditions and adapt to them.

He continued: “I juxtaposed their story with the remarkable success achieved by the Hope Probe, which is an example of human ambition and our infinite capabilities.”

Almulla stated that the installation aligns with the biennale’s theme, ‘The Global Game: ReMapping Collaborations,’ adding: “The design installation is based on the idea of collaboration and its role in encouraging creativity and innovation. It helps introduce different points of view, allowing us to reach various solutions that lead us to a better future.”


Venice’s Grand Canal turns bright green due to fluorescein

Venice’s Grand Canal turns bright green due to fluorescein
Updated 30 May 2023

Venice’s Grand Canal turns bright green due to fluorescein

Venice’s Grand Canal turns bright green due to fluorescein
  • The results “have not shown the presence of toxic elements in the samples analyzed,” the statement said, without specifying the origin of the substance

ROME: The spectacular transformation of a stretch of Venice’s Grand Canal to fluorescent green was due to fluorescein, a non-toxic substance used for testing wastewater networks, local authorities said on Monday.
Residents noticed a stretch of Venice’s Grand Canal turned bright green Sunday, prompting police to investigate amid speculation it could be a stunt by environmentalists.

In this image released by the Italian firefighters, a firefighter on a boat looks at the arched Rialto Bridge along Venice's historical Grand Canal as a patch of phosphorescent green liquid spreads in it, Sunday, May 28, 2023. (AP)

But analysis showed “the presence of fluorescein in samples taken,” said the the Regional Agency for Environmental Prevention and Protection of Veneto (Arpav).
The results “have not shown the presence of toxic elements in the samples analyzed,” the statement said, without specifying the origin of the substance.
The change in color noticed by residents raised eyebrows, with police looking into whether Sunday’s development could be a protest by climate change activists, according to local daily La Nuova Venezia.
It is not the first time the Grand Canal has turned green.
In 1968, Argentine artist Nicolas Garcia Uriburu dyed the waters of Venice’s Grand Canal green with a fluorescent dye during the 34th Venice Biennale in a stunt to promote ecological awareness.
 

 


Saudi astronaut Ali Al-Qarni shares image of Riyadh

Saudi astronaut Ali Al-Qarni shares image of Riyadh
Updated 29 May 2023

Saudi astronaut Ali Al-Qarni shares image of Riyadh

Saudi astronaut Ali Al-Qarni shares image of Riyadh
  • Al-Qarni and his fellow astronaut Rayyanah Barnawi are the first Saudi nationals to be sent to the International Space Station (ISS)

LONDON: Saudi astronaut Ali Al-Qarni shared a photo of the Saudi capital Riyadh from space on his Twitter account on Sunday.

Al-Qarni and his fellow astronaut Rayyanah Barnawi are the first Saudi nationals to be sent to the International Space Station (ISS), with the latter the first Saudi and Arab woman to be given the honor.

Both have shared images of their homeland and the Middle East from their vantage point more than 400 kilometers above the Earth’s surface.

“Riyadh is shining even in space,” Al-Qarni tweeted alongside a photo of Riyadh and a photo of the Saudi flag inside the space station.

Al-Qarni and Barnawi are conducting experiments and research including cancer prevention and prediction, microgravity, cloud seeding and cell reprograming, according to reports.