Welcome to the April/May 2009 round up of news and views on UFOs, alien abductions, crop circles, ghosts, the paranormal, the unexplained, the weird and the wonderful.

National Archives UFO Files

On 23rd March the National Archives released the third batch of Ministry of Defence UFO files, as part of a three-year process to release the entire archive. The seven files in this latest batch cover the period 1987 to 1993 and include many of the cases that I investigated in the course of my tour of duty on the government's UFO project. Most of the cases can be easily explained as misidentifications of things such as aircraft lights and meteors, but around 5% were more difficult to explain and included instances where UFOs were seen by pilots and tracked on radar. The files also show how, on occasion, there was internal disagreement in MoD about how to handle the issue. As with previous releases, I've done a steady stream of TV, radio and newspaper interviews, commenting on some of the more interesting cases and discussing MoD policy on the subject.

Abduct Me

Sky have launched a new series called Abduct Me, in which journalist and TV presenter Chris Bell sets out not simply to study the alien abduction mystery, but to see if he can get himself abducted. His strategy is to meet abductees and ufologists, looking for any common threads, so that he can replicate them, to maximise his chances of being taken. It's tongue in cheek, of course, but great fun and a fascinating chance for people to see some rare on-camera interviews with British abductees and contactees. As well as featuring in the series, I've been commissioned to write a blog in response to each episode, setting out my thoughts as the eight part series progresses.  Sky have set up a new website for this show, packed with lots of special features, so check out http://sky1.sky.com/show/abduct-me and join Chris Bell as he says ... Abduct Me!

Race To Witch Mountain

Another sci-fi movie worth checking out is Escape To Witch Mountain. It tells the story of two alien children whose UFO has crashed. They go on the run from sinister government agents, enlisting help from a cab driver and a UFO researcher, as well as using some of their special powers to outwit their pursuers. I know all about this, not least because I was contacted by Disney a while ago, with a request to use some material from a DVD I made called Nick Pope: The Man Who Left The MoD. I do a lot of work with film companies and agreed to this. The producers have had great fun with this movie and in a light-hearted way have lampooned the UFO community, with ufologists and a UFO convention featuring in the film. There are various in-jokes in the movie, including the fact that one of the bad guys is an FBI agent called ... Pope. Check out http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/racetowitchmountain/ for further details. This movie is great fun and a must-see Easter holiday movie for all the family.

Joe's Campain

The beautiful Canadian province of Alberta is something of a UFO hotspot, perhaps due to its magnificent scenery, big skies and lack of pollution - perfect UFO spotting territory. The town of St. Paul in Alberta even boasts a UFO landing pad which was designed to attract extraterrestrial visitors. Travel Alberta have launched a campaign that features the UFO theme. Called Joe's Campaign, this is a fun and funky way of linking ufology with tourism, promoting Alberta as a holiday destination for adrenalin junkies, city breakers and laid back adventurers alike. Check out http://www.joescampaign.co.uk/ for more details.

Sunday Night

The popular Australian TV news show Sunday Night has filmed a major UFO feature highlighting the release of the MoD's UFO files, the Rendlesham Forest incident, the Cosford incident and Wing Commander Alan Turner's experience of tracking UFOs on radar. The feature will probably be shown on 19th April and will then be put on the Channel 7 website at their http://au.tv.yahoo.com/sunday-night/ website. I was heavily involved in this feature, writing the story brief, being consulter on the story boards and the CGI and giving an interview.

LOWFI

As mentioned last month, a new group dedicated to the study of the unexplained has been formed in America. The League of Western Fortean Intermediatists (LOWFI) will act as a clearing house for reports of strange phenomena, which will be archived and made available to the public. They will organise informal monthly salons and field trips, as well as hosting visiting lecturers and generally bringing together modern-day phenomenologists. Plans to publish a bi-monthly journal are in the works. Fortean is a reference to the author Charles Fort, a legendary chronicler of the unexplained. This group is the brainchild of journalist and researcher Skylaire Alfvegren. Check out http://www.forteanswest.com/ for more details of this exciting new venture. Despite being so recently formed, the group is already up and running and organising trips, so if you're in the Western US and interested in the unexplained, why not take a look? And check out http://www.skylaire.com/ for details of Skylaire herself.

X-Conference

One of the year's biggest UFO conferences is scheduled for 17th - 19th April in Washington. I'll be speaking along with sixth man on the moon Dr Edgar Mitchell, Graham Hancock, ex-USAF fighter pilot Milton Torres and many more. The conference is being organised by Steve Bassett, a registered US lobbyist who champions the exopolitics branch of ufology. Check out http://www.ancientcode.com/ for further details.

Ancient Code

Ancient Code is a movie that - like The Secret - is set to become a cult classic. The film explores the question of whether the ancients possessed knowledge that enabled them to unlock the secrets of our own minds and existence itself. I have a small part in the movie and am writing a short essay for a book being prepared to tie in with the film. Check out http://www.ancientcode.com/ for further details.

Science: Impossible

Last month I mentioned a new series on History Channel (US) called Science: Impossible, which will look at various fringe science and exotic technologies. If you're interested in subjects such as robotics, nanotechnology, mind control, invisibility and weather warfare, this will be well worth checking out. I contributed to several episodes in my capacity as a defence analyst, commenting on the history and potential military applications of some of these concepts. While the precise broadcast dates are not known, I understand that the series is likely to be shown in the summer.

The Day The Earth Stood Still

Biography:

Author, journalist and TV personality Nick Pope used to run the British Government's UFO Project and is now recognised as one of the world's leading experts on UFOs, the unexplained and conspiracy theories.

Check out www.nickpope.net for more information about Nick.

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