The history of mankind is riddled with the weird and the wonderful; bizarre people, strange places and odd events. For centuries, we’ve told each other fantastic stories around campfires and in darkened rooms. Tales of ghosts, UFOs, and conspiracies, but are these stories exactly that: Stories? There’s only one way to find out! Join me as I dive down the rabbit hole and into… the Unexplained Files. This time: Simulation Theory WTF?
2015 Isaac Asimov Memorial Debate, American Museum of Natural History, New York. The annual science conference is going well; Neil Degrasse Tyson and other boffin types are all having a great sciencey time and laughing at Flat Earthers (rightfully) and religion (probably) when suddenly, Dr James Gates Jr. takes the proverbial floor and watches as his revered colleagues break out in assholes and shit themselves to death. Why? He told them that the chances are we are living in a simulation. That everything around us isn’t actually real. It’s made up. They were all part of the Matrix. Just in shit clothes. And I can hear you cry “Why didn’t the sciencey ones tell this dude to fuck himself?” The answer to that is, he didn’t tell them outright they were all part of the Matrix. He dropped them a little factoid and let the clever peeps work out the rest on their own. So what did he tell them? He’d been looking into string theory, the idea that all of the forces in nature can be described by one theory, that strings everything together. In his research, he’d been studying pictures of equations related to string theory attempting to fathom the true nature of reality, and within said pictures he found codes. Computer codes. Computer codes like those you’d find in an internet browser. If that freaks you out a bit, you might take a little comfort in knowing that after hearing this information Neil Degrasse Tyson spent a full three minutes trying to scoop his melted brain back inside his earholes. That can’t be right though, can it? Over seven billions souls on Earth, how can it not be real? Quantum computers. That’s how. In a nutshell, a quantum computer is like a regular computer, but instead of doing calculations one at a time, it does all of the calculations at the same time, much like a human brain. A computer powerful enough could pretend to be seven billion different brains. In fact, it’s actually more likely that we live in a simulation. More likely?! If you look at the first computer game Pong, it was two rectangle ‘bats’ sliding up and down hitting a square ‘ball’. Compare that with what we have today. Space explorer No Man’s Sky may not have been everything that was expected of it, but what was cool about the game was that the developers themselves hadn’t seen all of the worlds they had created. Because there were 18 quintillion of them. They put code into a computer, and it developed multiple worlds based on that data. What we have to consider is this: If the pattern of improvement continues, at some point the future, we will reach a stage where computer games are indistinguishable from reality. Enter Philosopher Nick Bostrum and his Simulation Argument. Bostrum reckons there are three distinct possibilities and one of them must be true.
Make Your Mind Up Time. So if this is all a computer simulation, doesn’t that make it all a bit sad? We live in a computer-generated world, and nothing is real. Actually, I don’t think it does. Think about it: if the sun shines, don’t you fell a bit better? If you drop a glass, does it not fall to the floor? And probably break? If you cut yourself cleaning it up do you not bleed? In the simulation, if you get hit by a train, it really hurts. You probably die. That’s if you’re lucky. If you kill someone, they stay dead, and you get caught, you go to jail. And perhaps get touched inappropriately by a 200-pound man named “Crystal”. Not good. By the same token. If you fall in love, that spring in your step feels real enough, doesn't it? Real or not, it changes nothing. And if you do get the feeling that none of it matters because it’s not ‘real’, then why not throw caution to the wind and chase your dreams. Make good of it. Take a chance. Just make sure you’re not hurting anybody in the process. Basically, don’t be an asshole. Are we living in a computer-generated simulation? RATING: 1=Bollocks 2=Not convinced 3=Possibly… 4=Compelling stuff 5=Holyshittheskyisfalling If you enjoyed this, you might like my post on Operation Gladio. And if you run out of stuff to read here, you can always join us on the Marc W Shako Facebook page! The history of mankind is riddled with the weird and the wonderful; bizarre people, strange places and odd events. For centuries, we’ve told each other fantastic stories around campfires and in darkened rooms. Tales of ghosts, UFOs, and conspiracies, but are these stories exactly that: Stories? There’s only one way to find out! Join me as I dive down the rabbit hole and into… the Unexplained Files. This week: Stan Meyer’s Water Powered Car WTF?
Ohio, 1998. Viewers of TV station WSYX are about to be presented with a most unusual news item. A local inventor by the name of Stanley Meyer claims to have invented a car that can run on water. More than that he claims that any old water will do: rain water; well water; tap water. He went on to say, “If you don’t have water, go ahead and use snow. If you haven’t got snow, use ocean water,” because Stan was not short on confidence. Then we see it. A water-powered dune buggy which Stan reckons can get from LA to New York on 22 gallons. That’s gallons of water, folks. How has he done this? Stan claims to have invented a water splitting device that separates water into hydrogen and oxygen, using the hydrogen gas to power the car, hydrogen being a better fuel than petrol. Better than that, he also invented a splitting device that can fit right onto an existing gasoline engine modifying it so it too can run on nothing but good ol’ H2O. You’re Kidding, Right? He’s smoking something, right? The idea of splitting water into its component parts is nothing new. As far back as 1800, William Nicholson and Anthony Carlisle did exactly that in the process known today as “electrolysis”. The thing with electrolysis is, it isn’t too efficient. The process requires three times more energy in, as is produced. Enter Stan Meyer. See, Stan’s found a method of splitting the two elements 1700 times more efficiently than electrolysis. Think about what that means for a moment. Engines that run on water instead of burning fossil fuels. No more air pollution, no more high energy bills, an end to oil spills. Why surely, Stan won loads of Nobel awards and the scientific community formed a massive queue and one by one dropped to their knees to fellate their new king? Hold Your Horses! Not quite. See, the scientific community has some laws that they get all pissy about, and our Stan has just violated one of them. Namely, The Law of Conservation of Energy, which states: “The total energy of an isolated system in a given frame of reference remains constant — it is said to be conserved over time.” Essentially, it means that energy can’t be created or destroyed, only transformed from one form to another. So when the bartender in an old-timey Western slides a shot of whiskey across to the hero we see kinetic energy in action. But of course the beverage slows down, eventually coming to a stop, making it look like the kinetic energy is lost. But it is, in fact, being turned into thermal energy through friction, warming the bar, the bottom of the glass, and the air around it. Because of the law that Stan’s device is in direct violation of, it’s tough to get a ‘real’ scientist to back the idea. Such devices are viewed as heresy, and putting your name anywhere near such a device threatens not only scientific reputations, but also future research grants. Make Your Mind Up Time. According to Stan Meyer, he was offered billions to shelve his idea and never talk about it again. By whom? Middle-Eastern oil companies, that’s who. The government were also interested and Stan even claimed to have received death threats. So where is Stan now? Well, were all still using petrol powered vehicles, so presumably Stan’s living on his own personal tropical island getting his ears massaged by beautiful women. No such luck. Stan was at a restaurant in a business meeting with his brother and potential clients when he suddenly stood from the table clutching his throat. He staggered outside, where he died. Before he did die, he managed to utter the words “They poisoned me.” His death was officially ruled as a brain aneurism. So is it all bunk? Was he conning us all? He certainly seems genuine in the interview videos I’ve seen. We may never know. Is it really possible Stan Meyer was murdered because of the threat he posed to big oil? Remember, we are talking about the same industry where General Motors, Standard Oil of California (now Chevron), and tyre company Firestone clubbed together and bought electric tramway systems in 45 US cities, and ripped them all up, so… RATING: 1=Bollocks 2=Not convinced 3=Possibly… 4=Compelling stuff 5=Holyshittheskyisfalling What do you think? Was Stan a fraud? Was he murdered by big oil? Comment below! If you enjoyed this, feel free to share it with your friends! Use the buttons at the bottom of the page to follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ for more!
The history of mankind is riddled with the weird and the wonderful; bizarre people, strange places and odd events. For centuries, we’ve told each other fantastic stories around campfires and in darkened rooms. Tales of ghosts, UFOs, and conspiracies, but are these stories exactly that: Stories? There’s only one way to find out! Join me as I dive down the rabbit hole and into… the Unexplained Files.
This week: The Japan Airlines Incident
WTF?
The skies over Alaska, November 1986: Captain Kenju Terauchi, an ex-fighter pilot with 29 years of experience, flies Japan Airlines flight 1628 heading for Tokyo. A journey like the hundreds he’s flown before, but it’s about to take a turn for the weird. What was supposed to be a routine journey becomes a flight he’ll never forget. He’s heading for a refuelling stop in Anchorage, Alaska when he spots three fast moving objects below them. The largest of the three objects vaguely resembles a shelled walnut, but the striking thing about the object isn’t its shape: it’s the size. That’s because, according to Terauchi, it’s roughly the size of two American aircraft carriers. When he realises the objects are matching their speed, the terrified pilot radios down to air traffic control and requests to change course, because fuck flying alongside a giant space walnut. Terauchi’s request is granted. Shortly after, the ATC in anchorage grows concerned when connections are severed. You’re Kidding, Right? It’s a cargo flight, so no passengers are at risk, but the safety of the three-man crew has Anchorage worried. Imagine being told that a UFO is following a plane before you lose contact with said plane. Now imagine looking at the radar and seeing the UFO. Because that’s exactly what happened. After a terrifying few minutes the plane safely landed for refuelling and all three crew members were thankfully unharmed. But the pilot had one hell of a story to tell. "The thing was flying as if there was no such thing as gravity. It sped up, then stopped, then flew at our speed, in our direction, so that to us it [appeared to be] standing still. The next instant it changed course. ... In other words, the flying object had overcome gravity." He’s a mental, surely. Well, if he’s the only one on board who’s seeing this (which would be bad, seeing as he’s the one flying), then fair enough… but of course he’s not the only one seeing it, or you wouldn’t reading this. That’s right, all three crew members aboard the cargo flight saw something. The co-pilot also reported that the object he saw wasn’t a light, but a solid object, as real as looking at another plane. Hold Your Horses! So everyone saw it? Not quite. When they contacted Anchorage ATC to request a change in flight path, ATC asked a nearby plane to get a visual and see what the hell was going on. They only reported seeing JAL 1628. Also, in turning to change direction and avoid collision with the smaller objects, the giant walnut craft was not visible to first officer Tamefuji. So had Terauchi been at the cargo of Beaujolais? You’d be forgiven for thinking so. Until you realised that during the incident Anchorage received a frantic message from Elmendorf Air Force Base because they had spotted the objects on radar too. An FAA investigation followed. FAA Division Chief John Callahan played back the radar data and synched it with the audio from ATC. A day later, at FAA headquarters, Callahan briefed Donald Engen. Engen told him to keep schtum and set up a briefing for the following day. In attendance at the meeting were members of the FBI, CIA and President Reagan’s Scientific Study Team. After thoroughly reviewing all of the evidence, the FBI and CIA dismissed the whole presentation as horseshit and that is where our story ends. Just kidding. After the video had finished, everyone in the room was sworn to secrecy. The CIA then took all of the data, files and videos that Callahan had assembled. Well, almost all of it, but more about that later… Make Your Mind Up Time. Just because he’s someone who flies a lot doesn’t mean he can’t misidentify something, he is only human after all. And false radar hits happen all the time, for all manner of reasons, from flocks of birds to weather phenomena. Having said that… Here we’ve got a seasoned pilot with over 29 years of experience, his crew, and not one, but two ground based radar readings all saying that they saw something in the skies over Alaska. Let’s not forget how much shit this guy is letting himself in for by even reporting this. Pilots are actively dissuaded from reporting any airborne anomalies they encounter. Terauchi himself was given a desk job straight after the incident and wasn’t allowed to fly for years after. Perhaps this is the reason the other plane in the vicinity reported nothing? By reporting it, Terauchi wasn’t just putting his reputation on the line. He was risking his career. Would someone really do that for fifteen minutes of fame that could possibly lead to a lifetime of ridicule? After Callahan’s meeting in Washington and the suits nicked his data, they slipped up. They thought he had brought everything with him to that meeting. He had not. He had some of the evidence back at his office. They just asked for everything he had with him, so he gave it. Sensing the monumental scale of what he was witnessing, Callahan recorded his own video of the radar from Elmendorf. That video is still available online. Did the pilot and crew of Japan Airlines 1628 witness an Unidentified Flying Object over Alaska in 1977? You bet your ass they did. RATING: 1=Bollocks 2=Not convinced 3=Possibly… 4=Compelling stuff 5=Holyshittheskyisfalling What do you think? Was it aliens? Secret governmental craft? Rogue walnut? If you enjoyed this, maybe your friends will too, so it would be great to share it and as always, use the buttons at the bottom of the page to follow me on Facebook, Twitter for more! Want to read a random UFO story? Sure you do! Lucky dip... Click here! My UNEXPLAINED FILES are all available in a handy little ebook, just 99p from Amazon!
The history of mankind is riddled with the weird and the wonderful; bizarre people, strange places and odd events. For centuries, we’ve told each other fantastic stories around campfires and in darkened rooms. Tales of ghosts, UFOs, and conspiracies, but are these stories exactly that: Stories? There’s only one way to find out! Join me as I dive down the rabbit hole and into… the Unexplained Files.
This week: Operation Gladio
WTF?
2nd August 1980. Bologna, Italy. The waiting room at Bologna station is packed. It’s a hot day and the waiting room is one of the few areas with air conditioning, but the hundreds of passengers amassed there are about to have their thoughts of travel plans, dinner arrangements and daily worries scattered to the four winds, because in a moment, a huge explosion will rip through the station. It seems no one has noticed the unattended suitcase. Housed within it is death. Death in the form of a time bomb made with 23kg of explosives. It will leave 200 injured and eighty-five dead. The explosion will destroy the majority of the main station building, hit the awaiting Ancona–Chiasso train at the first platform and collapse the roof of the waiting room on top of the awaiting passengers, greatly increasing the total number of fatalities. The blast will be heard for miles. In the years previous, Italy has been no stranger to such atrocities. 8 years earlier, 163 miles to the north east in Peteano, a car bomb attack had killed three Carabinieri (Italian military police), and this was on the back of a series of blasts in 1969 that killed 17 and left dozens injured in Milan. It is another attack that will work in favour of the right-wing leadership, drawing the left-leaning public into the arms and protection of their government. A smart-but-cynical government who are using a disaster for political gain? Not quite. Because they planned it. You’re Kidding, Right? You heard me. Welcome to the terrifying world of False Flag terror. But more about that in a moment. During the Cold War, the intelligence arms of NATO countries wanted to prepare for resistance in reaction to the Soviet Union’s Warsaw Pact with Eastern Bloc nations, so they left agents in territories as “Stay-Behind armies”. It was these so-called armies in charge of scaring the shit out of the citizenry, because a scared citizenry is a compliant citizenry. The name “Gladio” refers to the Italian branch of the operation, but is now used as an informal name for all of them, because it wasn’t just Italy involved. There were branches of Gladio in Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal and Turkey. Parallel stay-behind operations also took place in non-NATO countries like Austria, Finland, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. So what’s all this ‘False Flag’ business? The term stems from naval roots where ships would fly the flag of a friendly nation before attacking their enemies, thus maintaining the element of surprise, as well as earning the reputation of being devious shits. Hold Your Horses! Surely this can’t be real… Can it? First of all, there’s absolutely no way that a government would kill their own citizens for political gain, let alone outright admit to it. Apparently one of Winston Churchill’s favourite sayings was “Never let a good disaster go to waste”. It’s much more likely that the terrorists were busy doing their thing and the powers that be simply took advantage of the circumstances, after all, this isn’t House of Cards. Even today, we see terror attacks and other atrocities such as mass shootings used to gain some sort of leverage, whether it’s stealthily nabbing the rights of the people, or swaying election results. It’s much more likely that those in charge are just taking old Winston’s advice. The other option is unthinkable. Isn’t it? ISN’T IT?! Make Your Mind Up Time. Factions of government blowing their own people up is all well and good as the plotline for a Frederick Forsyth novel, but this is real life. Only problem with that is there’s a documentary on YouTube saying that it’s all true. Oh well, if it’s on YouTube! But wait! I’m not on about some foil-hat wearing conspiracy nut fan fiction. It’s a documentary with all of the main players, actually admitting their part in the dastardly scheme, made by a little organisation from the UK going by the name of the BBC for their Timewatch series. Catch it while you can, it’s powerful stuff. Naturally, the CIA are trying to distance themselves as much as possible from what went down, but the Italians are laying it all out, and it’s as shocking as it is captivating. A quick read through Wikipedia and they seem to doing their best to be playing the incident down too. The only problem they‘ve got is in 1990, after Judge Felice Casson discovered Gladio while investigating right-wing terror, the Italian government admitted it to be true. Which makes Wikipedia’s stance a little unnerving. Sorry Wikipedia, this happened. RATING: 1=Bollocks 2=Not convinced 3=Possibly… 4=Compelling stuff 5=Holyshittheskyisfalling Further Reading/Viewing: Those sources mentioned above would be a good start. The BBC doc is in three parts, and the false flag part is in the second 45-minute slot. But maybe check Wikipedia last. What do you think? Do false flags still happen today? Comment below! If you enjoyed this, maybe your friends will too, so it would be great to share it and as always, hit the links to follow me on Facebook and Twitter for more! |
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In this blog I'll be bringing to you short tales of things that go bump in the night, true stories of weird and unexplained events, and the real-life news of all things odd and macabre, and entertain you along the way. Categories
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