Chinese Scientist Predicts UFOs to Bring 'Great Events'
AOLNews - All those UFOs that have been spotted around China this year, closing down airports and causing general flying saucer mayhem and wonder, are on the increase. And "great events" will soon follow, an astronomer says.
"First, I'd like to say something about the conception of 'great events about UFOs,'" Wang Sichao, a planetary astronomer at Purple Mountain Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, told the Beijing Review.
Wang Sichao, a planetary astronomer at Purple Mountain Observatory in China, predicts UFO sightings in China will continue to increase.
"It does not mean large numbers of UFOs but refers to events of credible facts backed by observation. But these facts cannot yet be explained by existing scientific knowledge or natural phenomena," he told the English-language weekly.
Those are strong pro-UFO words from a scientist who, in September, dismissed UFO sightings over Hong Kong as "ghost images" -- reflections of outdoor lamps caught by camera lenses.
Wang has investigated UFO sightings in China for nearly 40 years and described the many types of unidentified objects that have been seen: "bolide, light spot, spiral, fan, bright star, flying rod, ball lightning and V-shaped."
The astronomer has a theory as to why, over so many decades, there hasn't been much progress in available UFO information -- presuming some UFOs are a type of extraordinary vehicle.
"The reason is that a UFO only appears randomly and often disappears rapidly in a few minutes. By the time large professional telescopes are started up, it has already disappeared. So, we can only rely on information from occasional sightings or encounters by observers," he said.
"Astronomers all over the world are now intensifying their efforts to explore extraterrestrial life. As long as we have open minds about scientific exploration of the unknown and employ multiple methods, the contact between humans and extraterrestrial life will, hopefully, come this century."
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Honey Bee Colony Collapse Mystery Possibly Solved
It has been one of the great murder mysteries of the garden: what is killing off the honeybees?
Since 2006, 20 to 40 percent of the bee colonies in the United States alone have suffered “colony collapse.” Suspected culprits ranged from pesticides to genetically modified food.
Now, a unique partnership — of military scientists and entomologists — appears to have achieved a major breakthrough: identifying a new suspect, or two.
A fungus tag-teaming with a virus have apparently interacted to cause the problem, according to a paper by Army scientists in Maryland and bee experts in Montana in the online science journal PLoS One. Continue reading at NYTimes
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Seance Plans Deep-Sixed by Religious Leaders and Residents
winnipegfreepress - Plans for a Halloween seance at a Saskatchewan museum have been sent to the grave following complaints from religious leaders and residents.
Officials at the provincially run Western Development Museum in Moose Jaw had organized a Halloween "ghost walk" to help raise funds to repair a train that takes children around the building. The event was to include a presentation on talking with the dead as well as a demonstration.
Many in the city were spooked by the idea.
"The manager at the museum started receiving phone calls and emails and personal visits from individuals who were objecting to the seance pretty much by and large on religious grounds," said David Klatt, the museum agency's executive director.
"One of the specific comments that was made, which I guess would give you an example of what we were hearing, is that we would be inviting evil through the doors if we were to conduct the seance."
Even the local legislature member, Warren Michelson, ended up fielding concerns.
The museum gave in to the pressure and cancelled the event, but only after a lot of deliberation.
"The board really struggled with it ... because there are matters of principle here," Klatt said. "Does the museum have the right to put on a broad spectrum of programming? Are we going to limit our programming because of the concerns of a special interest group?"
The other problem was that it's too late to put together a different fundraiser before Halloween.The museum's board had hoped to raise $1,000 toward the train-repair bill. The money will be raised eventually, Klatt said, and the train should be back on track by next summer.
The Western Development Museum was established by the Saskatchewan government in 1949 to preserve farm machinery and other aspects of the province's history. Board members are appointed by the province to oversee four facilities in Saskatoon, Moose Jaw, Yorkton and North Battleford.
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Priest Fears Masonic 'Witchcraft'
times-age - A Christian minister in Carterton is objecting to a Masonic Lodge being used for a temporary library because he considers it connected to witchcraft.
John Cromarty and his wife Marilyn, of St David's Church, are handing in their library cards and are asking all their friends not to visit the lodge, which is housing the town's books while the $6 million events centre is built.
In a letter to Carterton Mayor Gary McPhee, which was distributed at yesterday's Carterton council meeting, Mr Cromarty warns that any decision to enter the premises is "not wise".
"Freemasonry, while it does good works in the community, is based upon the worship of pagan gods," Mr Cromarty wrote.
"While it portrays a facade as being compatible to Christianity in its teaching, it has its foundation rooted in witchcraft and pre-Christian teachings and practice."
Mr Cromarty suggested alternatives, such as an empty building on High St, Carterton, or the Wai Art Centre.
The couple are leaving at the end of the year but have taken the decision to hand their library cards in now to make a stand.
Called by the Times-Age, Mr Cromarty said he had "no comment" but objected to his letter being published, believing it to be private correspondence.
Mr McPhee said the letter showed a few people in the community were "stuck in the wrong century".
"We are now in the 21st century but clearly some people didn't move along with us," he said.
Warwick Cashmore, a past master and a Freemason of the lodge, said he was saddened by Mr Cromarty's comments.
"I'm extremely disappointed he's taken this attitude.
"The basic tenants of freemasonry are brotherly love, relief, and truth."
He said freemasons, like Christians, believed in a god and, perhaps most importantly, had shared connections to paganism.
"He should examine his own religion and see there are some very big connections to paganism there.
Christmas and Easter both derive from pagan rituals," Mr Cashmore said.
He believed the comments to be further evidence there were grave misunderstandings about freemasonry in the community after a recent court case in Wellington debating whether the society is a charity or not.
Carterton's Masonic Lodge has 52 members.
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Protein Cocktail is 'Elixir of Life'
BBC - A cocktail of amino acids - the building blocks of proteins - is the latest contender in the age-old search for the elixir of life.
Scientists gave mice drinking water laced with three amino acids. They said the rodents lived significantly longer than other mice fed a normal diet.
The research, reported in a scientific journal, has yet to be tried in people.
The study leader said a large patient trial was needed to provide evidence to convince doctors.
In experiments, middle-aged healthy male mice were given drinking water containing the amino acids leucine, isoleucine and valine.
Dr Enzo Nisoli, of the University of Milan, and colleagues, said it increased the average lifespan of the mice by 12% and boosted their fitness and co-ordination.
They wrote in their paper, published in Cell Metabolism: "Our study offers a rationale for deeply exploring the role of amino acids in prevention and control of age-related disorders in humans."
The amino acids - three of the 20 that make up proteins - have been shown to extend life span in yeast. However, the precise role of these amino acids in humans is unknown.
They are used by bodybuilders to maintain muscle tissue and can be bought in health food stores and online.
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Incredible Video!
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A 44-year-old Brazilian woman has survived after being hit by a car and tossed in the air.
Rosalina de Jesus was arriving home from work when a car travelling at high-speeds lost control and slammed into her.
Security camera footage from a nearby shop showed Jesus being thrown some 20m in the air and landing in the middle of a street in the northern city of Belem, in Para state.
The driver stopped to help the victim, who survived with only mild injuries in her arm and collarbone.
