October 10, 2009
DT: Alien Mummies
by Oubliette
For their first investigation involving UFOs and extra-terrestrials, the DT team heads off to look into reports of alien mummies said to have been found in the remote desert of northern Chile. Despite the fact that he himself doesn’t put much credence in UFOs, Josh finds himself questioning his own viewpoint on this highly debated subject.
Statistics indicate that 60% of people in the US believe that there is life elsewhere in the universe; one in four think that we have been visited by alien beings. Actual proof of such visitations has remained elusive, but now there appears to be evidence coming out of Chile that involves the discovery of strange looking alien mummies. I have to agree with Josh that the photos shown are questionable (a hydrocephalic infant and a mummified baby bird comes to mind). The area of interest lies in the Atacama Desert in the northern part of Chile, where local Indians report sightings of tiny, humanoid aliens that they claim emerge from centuries-old mine shafts. In addition, many report hearing strange voices in and around the mines. These are accompanied by inexplicable lights seen not only in the sky but also down in the interior of the mines as well. Although similar lights have been reported all over the world and throughout the centuries, the idea that mummified ETs exist is not only intriguing but may provide the physical proof that many ufologists have been searching for.
And so the team is off to Chile and the abandoned mines (pre-dating the Spaniards) to discover for themselves if there is any validity to these mummies and the intriguing stories that accompany them. Landing in Lima, Peru, they steel themselves for a long and grueling drive of 26 hours (!) on the Pan-American Highway to reach Chile. At least it looks like they have, for once, obtained a decent vehicle to venture across the desert. No unusual DT mobile on this trip.
As we’ve come to expect, there are always light-hearted moments along the way. We are treated to some entertaining shots of Josh speaking to various toll booth collectors; the running joke being how far the actual drive to Chile really is (very far indeed). Stopping off en route, Josh decides to get a haircut, but receives more than he bargained for as “just take a little off the top” turns into a close shave, some of which comes courtesy of a razor blade. There is talk of having Bisha’s copious back hair shaved, but the case manager passes up on the opportunity. Though Josh jokes about finding a wig shop to cover up the “regional haircut” he has just received, personally I don’t think he looks half bad. And as the saying goes, it will always grow back.
No visit to the area is complete without inspecting the famous Nazca lines or geoglyphs. Created by the native inhabitants sometime between 200 BC to 600 AD, they are comprised of hundreds of drawings of birds, spiders, monkeys, fish and lizards, to name a few. Their association with aliens has been a matter of debate amongst ufologists, archeologists and the scientific community in general. Even today there is no consensus as to why the Nazca people created these wonders that can only be seen from the air. For those who seek an earthly reason, it is thought that they were done to attract the attention of the sky gods. Whatever one wishes to believe, they are quite a sight to behold as we are treated to a flyover of these ancient masterpieces.
Traveling on, Josh and company come across a “Stargate Monument” built by Daniel Mamani and his family This unusual structure is said to be a portal to another dimension. Mr. Mamani claims that aliens come to this gateway, and describes them as human like, but very tiny– closely matching those in the pictures we see at the beginning of the show. He advises Josh to journey on to a particular mine, where people have been hearing and seeing strange things that they attribute to the aliens said to dwell there.
Ever the animal lover, Josh rescues a dog from a fountain before speaking to Alejandro Alliage, a UFO researcher who confirms that the pueblo dwelling Aymara Indians are convinced that creatures actually live in the mine. So its off to find some tribal members who can tell them how to reach this mysterious place. More driving through a desolate landscape brings them to Montano Biza, a tribal leader who says he saw a strange light in the sky, larger than a star, which suddenly disappeared after he had been staring at it for some time. They are pointed in the direction of the mine, which they finally reach before sunset.
Here things get tricky as they find the entrance consists of a vertical drop of some length that will require serious climbing gear. After pretending to let Jael, who is afraid of heights, be the first to descend (I think she is praying in the shot of her stooping near the entrance), Evan actually is the first to go. After everyone is down, the base camp is set up. IR cameras are placed in various spots in the mine in hopes of picking up any activity, including the strange lights and noises that locals claim to have seen and heard in and around this location.
Josh briefs the team to be on the lookout for anything that might have a bearing on what or who could be causing these strange phenomena. And of course, all should be on the lookout for the mummies that are said to be located in this dangerous and spooky mine. Rex very wisely warns about various gases that might exist in the tunnels and to be aware of any strange smells or physical reactions that might indicate a pocket of noxious gas. Just as he finishes his warning, parts of the tunnel’s ceiling starts falling down near them, emphasizing just how dangerous these mines are.
As usual, Sharra, Bisha and Rex stay behind to monitor the equipment as the others take off into the darkness. It is a creepy trip, but their efforts are rewarded when Josh finds what appears to be smelly remains wrapped in fabric. The find yields bones and decomposing remains of something so odd it is impossible to even begin to identify what it could be, other than there is what appears to be legs and a ribcage. Rex arrives with the evidence kit and examines the remains, declaring himself to be mystified as well. It is truly puzzling as to just what this is, especially since it is unfortunately missing a head. It does have a somewhat humanoid appearance and seems to have been ritualistically buried. Equally puzzling to me is why neither Josh nor Rex are wearing gloves. Safety first, guys!
In any case, Jael and Rex take the find back to base camp as Josh, Evan and Mike continue on their way. As though collapsing walls are not enough, they come across a flimsy bridge that seems barely capable of holding their weight. This has to be one of the most dangerous investigations as far as actual physical safety (barring Chernobyl) that the DT team has come across. The walls seem as though they could collapse down upon them at any moment.
As Josh follows a draft of fresh air flowing into the tunnel, he suddenly sees a strange light ahead of him. It almost looks like the light on their helmets but no one from the team could possibly be down that way. The guys quickly run towards it but it disappears. The tunnel dead ends except for a vertical shaft that extends downward. There was obviously no place for the light to have gone except down into the blackness of the shaft. Is it possible someone else, more familiar with the tunnels, was watching them in the darkness? I did notice some writing on the wall to their left, so it would not be out of the question that people occasionally frequent these mines.
Jael and Rex are having experiences of their own. They see a black mass in the tunnel ahead of them, and a hot spot appears on the FLIR as it is aimed in that direction. When Jael asks “Is their anyone else here with us?”, a rock appears to come flying out at them, although this is not picked up by the camera. Since so much debris is falling all around them, I wonder if their heightened senses may have misinterpreted this event.
Thankfully, another way out of the tunnel is found as Josh and company follow a draft of cold air. I cannot imagine what the climb back up the original shaft would have been like, equipment and all, so this was a lucky break for the team. But no sooner do they climb out then Gabe notices a strange light in the distance. Bright and pulsing, it is coming from across the canyon in front of them. But as he tries to focus on it, it mysteriously fades completely away over the course of a few seconds. Could someone, indiscernible in the darkness, have been shining a bright light in their direction?
What is even more unexplainable are the mechanical/electronic sounds, as Josh describes them, that begin to come out of the parabolic dish. Even more curious, the dish was not plugged in. I’ve listened to it a few times and still cannot imagine what its source could be–a radio transmission, perhaps? But why in such a remote place, and is it connected to the mysterious light? Why would it seem to be transmitting out of the sound enhancer? It is a fitting end to a very eerie and disturbing investigation as they leave the mine behind and head for home.
It is unfortunate that the specimen found in the mine could not be brought back for analysis in the US. Pictures are no substitute for the actual evidence. Still, it was certainly worth having Dr. Jim Dines, the mammologist that we have met in an earlier episode, have a look at the photos. The only conclusion he could make was that the proportions were all wrong as far as it being any type of primate. He had no suggestion as to just what it might be and could shed no further light on its identity.
Mike Dee, another expert often consulted by DT, also had to admit that he too did not have any idea regarding the bizarre remains. He did point out that the feet seemed to end in hoofs but, more importantly, stated he could not find evidence of any kind of feathers. Sadly, without having the actual remains to analyze, we are no closer to knowing what kind of creature we are dealing with.
Equally, the lights both in the mine and across the canyon are problematic. As Josh states, watching the mysterious objects frame by frame brought them no closer to an answer. Enhancing the footage could not provide a clue as to their source. The electronic sounds also remain a mystery. I would like to have seen them take the video and audio evidence gathered outside the mine to experts in those fields. A third party analysis might have yielded if not definitive answers, than perhaps at least a possible clue as to what was seen and heard up on that ridge.
Are there truly UFOs in northern Chile, and does some type of ET live down in the dark and dangerous mines? In 1997, a UFO supposedly crashed outside the village of Paihuano. It was said to break into pieces which were later retrieved by the military.
http://www.ufoevidence.org/documents/doc1674.htm
On the other hand, it seems that in recent years Chile has been attempting to attract UFO enthusiasts to bolster the tourist trade. This may be enough to raise a red flag about the veracity of what the DT team experienced, as well as many of the reports and supposed pictures of alien mummies. Whether evidence was fabricated for the benefit of the show by those anxious to promote tourism, we can only guess.
http://www.rense.com/general26/ufozone.htm
However, like its counterpart Roswell and UFOs in general, there will always remain a question mark. And I would not be surprised to find Josh sculpting a Devil’s Monument out of his mashed potatoes.
Filed under Destination Truth, Posts by Oubliette
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Comments on DT: Alien Mummies »
blinddog50 @ 8:42 am
Although by Chilean law they are were not allowed to take the mummified remains out of the country, I would have at least removed enough of the remains for DNA testing back in the US.
Maybe that's just the closet criminal in me.
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Oubliette @ 9:03 am
I thought the same also, as a tiny section would have been easy to hide. However, IF it were discovered (don't they use dogs to sniff out contraband?) the consequences might possibly have been severe. Or maybe they would just have had the evidence taken away and then allowed to leave after a really thorough search of their bags and equipment. I'd give anything to know what the DNA of that weird thing might show.
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blinddog50 @ 9:49 am
@Oubliette,
Somehow, just by seeing what we saw of the show, I don't think the entry points at the Chilean border is all that strict.
If it had been I'm sure we would have seen the clip.
Besides, how do you teach a dog to sniff out alien mummy pieces?
Even if they found it how would the border guards know what it was?
Hide it in a box of KFC extra crispy and you'd be cool.
Oops, there goes that criminal thing again.
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The Doctor @ 10:27 am
RE: keeping some of the DNA -
Part of me says he was worried about screwing his reputation for future adventures, and part of me says that Josh would have said … "what the heck" and grabbed a piece to take home.
( although another part says he realizes there is a better mystery if it's never proven to be a chicken after all )
But a good show !
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John @ 10:35 am
Besides the oddly-shaped feet (congenital deformity or odd decomp), looked just like a chicken (or similar bird) to me.
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Oubliette @ 12:00 pm
About the legs–if the claws of a chicken were removed, my guess is that it wouldn't look too much different from what was found. Shame there was no head; that would have given away its origin.
@blinddog-my beagle amazes me at what she can sniff out, regardless of how small. I hate it when she wants to drag home a decomposing mess. It's no surprise that beagles are used at airports to sniff out any contraband food. Next to hunting, they love eating best!
LOL, I'm picturing somebody buying some wings and slipping a little bone in with the food. And then accidently picking it up and putting it into their mouth =0
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blinddog50 @ 12:35 pm
@Oubliette
Having had first hand experience with the machismo of Latino legal authorities, I don't see a beagle in the picture. Sorry.
Plus even in the event he got caught, monetary gifts circumvents a lot of sticky situations. Like I said 'first hand'.
@Doctor
Josh Gates's reputation, pfffftt. LOL.
If Josh wanted to 'retrieve' a piece of his discovery and wanted to take no chance of evidence of him doing so, all he would have to do is take a page from the GH playbook.
Snap his head around and shout "Did you see that!"
As the camera pans away from him he pockets a sample, no video record of him doing so.
Brings it back to the States.
If it proves to be a Rhode Island Red then that ends it.
BUT, if it happened to contain humanoid DNA then he becomes the greatest artifact hunter since Indiana Jones.
Therefore, I think it was all staged.
If you remotely thought that you had discovered an alien mummy you would have had to taken the chance on a sample.
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Angelayo1970 @ 5:22 pm
I'm curious as to how they decide to investigate these places. Is it possible, if the Chilean government asked them to investigate the mines, that the "remains" were placed there as potential evidence to be discovered?
As for the lights and the electronic sounds…I'm bumfuzzled!
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Bobarino @ 2:08 am
RE: Keeping the DNA
It may be that they did. If the law states they can't take it, they would be stupid to announce it on their TV show that they did so behind the Chilean Govt's back.
That is, if it was stolen, and it turned out to be chicken DNA. If it turned out to be an alien, I'm thinking they probably would said something.
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Nosfer @ 11:06 am
Easy solution…put the body in one bag, then decide to put it in a different bag which they then turn over to the authorities. Ooops, a LITTLE bit of material was left in the original bag which we took home. Hate it when that happens!
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Oubliette @ 8:47 pm
Re: OK, this is weird.
I just came across an article about Filiberto Caponi, an Italian who in 1993 claimed to have been in contact with strange looking alien beings. The story can be found here:
http://www.ufocasebook.com/caponi.html
But what is most interesting is the photo of the "alien" at the top of the page. Note the similarities between this picture and that of the decaying mummy that was found by the DT team.
I'm not saying that the picture is real; just posting it to see what others think about how closely it resembles the chicken like mummy. So, what do you folks think?
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Revenant @ 5:53 am
Just a quick note on the location of our favorite alien mummy. Did anyone else find it somewhat odd that the mummy was "buried" right in the middle of the path?
Now, I may be imposing my quite human beliefs and knowledge of human tradition and common sense, yet…when we bury something, don't we usually place it in a particular area? Such as an alcove, near a wall, or perhaps near a stone or something. Burying something right in the middle of the path…I don't know. It just seemed awfully fortuitous that they stumbled upon it in the manner that they did. They essentially just stumbled over it. As if…they were literally meant to find it.
It kind of harkens back to the GA "Rams Inn" episode where the guy "found" something in the chimney. We become focused upon what is found as opposed to how it was found. In this case, the ancient version of James Dio went into the chimney, found a loose brick a good six feet up, removed it and stuck in his hand into the hole to find something. Quite unusual behavior. So much so, it must draw a red flag.
Back to the DT episode, I'm going to have to throw the red flag on this too. Either it was just incredibly unbelievable good luck (on the "winning the Powerball" scale of luck) or…something is a bit fishy about that location…
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Sully @ 2:06 pm
Oubliette, I noticed the grafitti you mentioned on the wall, too. I think these "mines" are probably a pretty frequent destination, and I have my doubts that they're actually "ancient." In fact, I suspect Gates and crew knew exactly where the exit was all along — otherwise, why would anybody in their right mind have lowered so much heavy equipment down a hole in the ground?
All of this segment seemed hyped to me. Okay, so they found something that's been dead for awhile (how about adding a zoologist and a botanist to the team, instead of a "case manager"?), and then they saw some lights in the sky. Let's leave it at that. Atributing either experience to something extraterresitrial is a big, big leap.
Maybe GH has made me overly skeptical. Sure, Gates seems like a nice guy. Well, don't most grifters? That's sort of how they sell their cons, after all.
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hobart @ 5:52 pm
"Back to the DT episode, I'm going to have to throw the red flag on this too"
Another red flag to me was the weird sounds they were picking up. It sounded very much like the sounds the aliens made in the movie Signs, and most other alien movies. I think if we ever record strange alien noises it will probably sound quite different than what we expect it to sound like.
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Revenant @ 6:24 am
hobart- "I think if we ever record strange alien noises it will probably sound quite different than what we expect it to sound like."
You know, it's funny that you mention that. Sarah Estep believed that she had heard many alien sounds trying to communicate with her. Who is Sarah Estep? Glad you asked. She was the founder and president of the AA-EVP (the American Association of Electronic Voice Phenomena). She is essentially looked at as a pioneer in the EVP world. Funny how that website doesn't mention anything about aliens now. You can find a little bit about it here:
http://www.skepdic.com/evp.html
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windwhisperer @ 9:21 pm
Was it ever determined what that chicken-looking body was?
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BrendaLee @ 11:22 pm
You know, I thought it looked like a chicken too. And it did seem awfully convenient that it was in the hole created by the investigator's foot…
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WaveyDavey @ 11:43 pm
Hmmm, a lot of points to address here.
First off, this is really the first episode of DT I've
seen (I haven't seen all of them, maybe a dozen) that
actually turned up something that seemed truly hard to
explain so I haven't generally had the sense at all the
this is a rigged show. If it were, I think their
"evidence" would generally be more compelling and it
almost never is. I've started watching the show more for
Jael De Pardo than anything else.
Yes, they could have faked it but if you will throw that
wrench into the works then you might as well stop
watching any and all shows like this because the same
caveat will apply in every case.
As far as the little creature they found being buried in
the path, well that doesn't surprise me because this is
a mine and it's naturally going to be composed mostly of
tunnels, plus it's not like they buried it in a "path"
in the normal sense of some place people are going to be
walking over day after day—these are theoretically
abandoned mines. Consequently the location doesn't
really bother me.
Yes, it looks like a chicken, though I really don't
think the legs are in any way normal for chickens or any
other birds. Neither of the animal experts thought it
was a bird. My reaction was that if it's terrestrial
then it's a bizarre mutation of some kind. That actually
might explain why it was buried ritualistically, due to
the fact that it might have been seen as supernatural in
some way even if it was just a mutated animal. I don't
think it was anything ordinary, though, I definitely
think it was unusual but that doesn't conclusively point
towards it being extraterrestrial.
I thought the noises were really odd. Again, I'm not
going to touch the issue of whether they were hoaxed
because I think it's pointless. Until this show or GH
are REALLY exposed (and I haven't been impressed with
the so-called debunking of GH I've seen on YouTube) then
I'm going to assume that they aren't rigged.
I think odd electronic noises emanating from an unconnected
parabolic dish in the presence of a pulsating light are
definitely compelling pieces of evidence and fall
squarely into the category of the types of things UFO
investigators would seriously take into consideration as
possible evidence of an alien encounter.
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Dr. Herbert West @ 5:23 am
This was the best episode by far of DT.
But to let this "chicken" DNA out of their grasp is beyond my comprehension.
Now the people who do believe in aliens and those who don't, don't have to budge an inch on their beliefs.
Still, there are too many red flags for me as well. Stepping right on this little grave in an "abandoned" tunnel stretches my credulity meter. However, I am still willing to be educated, by evidence, not celluloid.
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Alex Chionetti @ 3:27 pm
The "alien" was in fact found in the lateral tunnel on the rigth side near the entrance.
Personally i think is a possible fetus's calf as the aymaras indians buried,as this as worshiping to mother earth,rapping ir and covering with a red ribbon.The legs seems ending in hooves ,but also is a constant in many cryptozoological creatures (as the Jersey Devil or chupacabras the presence of this type of anatomic characteristics )
Unfortunatly I was not with the crew after the discovery of the and just was informed recently that the carcass was burn without dna examination,and I am dissapointed that was not sampled before its destruction…But above all the show was a sucess as we recorded an ufo as I announced previously to the crew that will happen when in the northern chilean desert.
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alicat @ 3:53 pm
Alex,
May I please direct you to the questions I posted in the Peru forum thread where you posted in earlier. There are several questions relative to your postings here in the reviews and the forum for which a response would be appreciated.
Thank you.
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The Doctor @ 3:58 pm
Hi Alex - "Personally i think is a possible fetus's calf …"
That seems like it for sure … it becomes obvious when you know a bit about the customs of the area. Thanks for clearing that up.
Would you happen to have the GPS coordinates of that area ? I'd like to take a look at in GoogleEarth.
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WaveyDavey @ 3:59 pm
They said it was illegal to transport so if they did take any flesh for analysis they aren't going to be able to openly reveal it unfortunately. It is a shame but there's isn't much they could do. If Alex is right and they burned the body without analysis then that suggests that the Chilean authorities don't care about this issue or they were convinced it was nothing more than a terrestrial mutation. Either that, or they are covering up what they actually did with it.
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WaveyDavey @ 4:01 pm
I'm not so sure about calf fetus as the obvious answer. Why wouldn't the mammalian expert in the states instantly come to that conclusion? He looked extensively at the pictures and said it was a mystery what it was.
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Alex Chionetti @ 4:23 pm
Seems the zoo expert doesn't have to much mammal knowledge or effort himself for more comparative models…The other example is the thunderbird picture…only shadows of the terrain..Thats I am a researcher and consider the official science and scientists…"the stick of the blinds"….
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Alex Chionetti @ 4:29 pm
Regarding to the site we are not exposing its exactly location/gps or real name as I am protecting the area of grave robbers,etc
I will conduct further research with local archaeologist and possibility with Smithsonian's guidance ans support.
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WaveyDavey @ 5:47 pm
I maintain that there will never be an "obvious answer" to what that carcass was. It's gone (supposedly) so there will never be physical examination of the actual remains by multiple experts who can share opinions. Even if you saw it in the field, Alex, that is only one opinion and you had no preserved fetus to compare it to at the time.
Two experts looked at numerous photos and couldn't figure out the real identity of the remains. They could only conclude that it wasn't human or bird. If I hear that they have changed their opinions of agree with yours, then I will feel differently.
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The Doctor @ 7:56 pm
I can appreciate you wanting to keep it secret - ( although I don't see a mad rush to dig up calf fetus's
)
I was going to use GoogleEarth to check out the site lines for the lights they saw, looking for towns, other roads, possible paths for commercial aircraft etc. It's surprizingly good in that area, but I don't think quite good enough for what I needed.
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Alex Chionetti @ 8:45 pm
The sigthing doesn't need a investigation as I was there and is not a road confussion,neither a early morning morning star of first magnitude,etc
I am looking to analyze the footage when I have a promised good resolution secquence footage which long last ten minutes.
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Nosfer @ 8:53 pm
"I am looking to analyze the footage when I have a promised good resolution secquence footage which long last ten minutes."
Isn't that an investigation? Why do you say it needs no investigation?
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Alex Chionetti @ 9:17 pm
Yes,from my side as ufologist and also as propiciator and creator of this episode….I already established that I will solely and objetively analyze this after the program was already release.Now is the time….Let you know in this pages…
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Nosfer @ 9:29 pm
As a scientist do you not recognize the value of independent analysis? I get concerned when someone becomes the sole source of evidence and that the evidence is not allowed to be independently examined. It then becomes a situation of "Take my word for it because I say so" That does not fly in the scientific community. Any results from such an analysis cannot be independently corroborated and are of little value for proving anything.
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WaveyDavey @ 10:15 pm
I thought those odd "electronic" noises were the most intriguing thing of all. I can't understand how those could be explained away given the remote area they were in. Plus, the actual acoustic source was not clear to anyone present at the time (Josh thought they were coming from behind them, but later they decided they were coming from the parabolic dish).
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The Doctor @ 12:04 am
Wavey -
I have to strongly support Alex on this issue of the fetus. He has said the local natives do this sort of ritual burial. He has no reason to supply us with this answer and every reason to simply allow it to be an unsolved mystery.
Alex - I'm sure everyone here would be interested in your results when you have completed your own analysis and presented your report, but when that is done I'm sure everyone here would like you to include a link to the evidence that you analysed to reach that conclusion.
I know I am eager to see it !
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WaveyDavey @ 12:12 am
I understand your position, and Alex's, but it has to be noted that there WAS a mammalian expert who looked at the many photos so it strikes me as odd that bovine fetus didn't even occur to him as a possibility.
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The Doctor @ 12:59 am
True, but this mammalian expert may not have seen many of that particular fetus, of that age and in that particular state of decomposition - maybe it's a goat or a lama ?
Since we have a report that the locals will ritualy bury things like this, do we really need to jump to aliens from UFO's ?
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WaveyDavey @ 1:12 am
Yea, it would be nice to go over it with him again after suggesting the fetus theory. One distinguishing characteristic it seemed to have was what looked like a large bone around the lower abdomen area, but I couldn't tell for sure if that was a bone or remnants of tissue.
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The Doctor @ 1:47 am
"One distinguishing characteristic it seemed to have was what looked like a large bone around the lower abdomen area, but I couldn't tell for sure if that was a bone or remnants of tissue.
"
… and that "distinguishing characteristic" would have told you it was an alien ?
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WaveyDavey @ 1:58 am
No, but it was fairly pronounced, so it seems like, particularly if that was a part of the skeletal structure, it should have helped in pinning down a terrestrial ID.
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alicat @ 8:19 am
@ The Doctor: "True, but this mammalian expert may not have seen many of that particular fetus, of that age and in that particular state of decomposition - maybe it's a goat or a lama ?"
Okay, there is this "expert" and there is Alex and you choose Alex over the "expert" to make the determination? The fact that Alex just posts tidbits here and there will not answer questions about his qualifications or allow anyone else to analyze his "evidence", you choose him? I'm stumped on that one. I have more faith in the expert. Two words: due diligence.
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Angelayo1970 @ 9:27 am
@Nosfer: "As a scientist do you not recognize the value of independent analysis? I get concerned when someone becomes the sole source of evidence and that the evidence is not allowed to be independently examined. It then becomes a situation of "Take my word for it because I say so" That does not fly in the scientific community. Any results from such an analysis cannot be independently corroborated and are of little value for proving anything."
I agree 100% Nosfer, and I think it's this prevalent attitude of "It's MY evidence and I will analyze it MYSELF" that has set paranormal research back and has made it the step-child of the sciences. When are paranormal researchers going to realize that, in order to be taken seriously, they are going to have to open their evidence up to scrutiny. If they are truly convinced that what they have is authentic, what is the fear factor?
@alicat: "Okay, there is this "expert" and there is Alex and you choose Alex over the "expert" to make the determination? The fact that Alex just posts tidbits here and there will not answer questions about his qualifications or allow anyone else to analyze his "evidence", you choose him? I'm stumped on that one. I have more faith in the expert. Two words: due diligence."
And alicat, I have to agree with your comments to The Doctor; I'm stumped as to how a "mammalian expert" would not have known what a calf, goat or llama fetus would look like. That makes no sense to me whatsoever, and I just don't see it being a correct assessment. I'm also confused as to Alex's statement that, even though he wasn't present during the finding of the carcass, he can absolutely guarantee what it was and that the zoologist might not have been an expert of mammals. Doesn't that sort of fly in the face of the definition of a zoologist?
I'm also curious as to why the authorities that were given the carcass burned it as opposed to studying it, if indeed that is what happened.
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Nosfer @ 10:10 am
Angelayo1970: "If they are truly convinced that what they have is authentic, what is the fear factor? "
…-N-G-O, B-I-N-G-O, and Bingo was his Name Oh!
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