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Welcome to the latest round up of news and views on UFOs, alien abductions, crop circles, ghosts, the paranormal, the unexplained, the weird and the wonderful.
More MoD UFO Revelations
Figures released under the Freedom of Information Act show that the Ministry of Defence received 394 sightings so far this year. In 2008 they received 285 sightings. UFO sightings are at a 10-year high and we're on course to smash the record - 750 reports in 1978. In a separate development the MoD has released documents from my opposite number in the Defence Intelligence Staff, showing that our primary aim in relation to UFO investigations was to secure the propulsion system of these craft - wherever they came from. The Sunday Times broke this story on 20th September and as they had obtained the relevant documents under the Freedom of Information Act, I confirmed the basic details and was quoted in the article. However, In view of the sensitivities and classification of this issue, there's little more I can say about this, until and unless the MoD release further information.
Muncaster Castle
I recently gave a talk at an interesting and enjoyable conference held at Muncaster Castle in Cumbria. At first glance, it was an odd affair: the conference was organised by the UK Skeptics and yet took place in a castle which revels in its reputation as one of the most haunted locations in Britain. Despite the skeptical branding, the event certainly wasn't a bunch of people sitting around, agreeing with each other and claiming they had definitive and prosaic explanations for paranormal phenomena. Rather, it was an intellectually stimulating, data rich conference with lots of fascinating material about subjects such as near death experiences, out of body experiences and the psychology of conspiracy theory belief. All that and we got a tour of the castle, including a chance to lie on the bed in the Tapestry Room - reputedly the most haunted room in the castle.
Skeptics In The Pub Edinburgh
With the above in mind, on 15th October I'll be speaking at the Edinburgh Branch of Skeptics in the Pub. I've previously spoken at the London and Leicester branches and despite the skeptics branding, all are welcome and a wide cross-section of belief systens are represented. All that and there's beer too! Check out edinburgh.skepticsinthepub.org for details of this event and other talks in the series.
NASA Bomb The Moon
Well, sort of. On 8th/9th October NASA's LCROSS mission will see a spacecraft slam into the moon, throwing up debris that may be visible with telescopes from Earth. The mission is a scientific one, aimed at analysing the content of the plume. However, various interesting conspiracy theories have resulted from this mission. Some people are convinced this is a pre-emptive strike on an alien moonbase, while others believe it's an attempt to destroy evidence of a secret space programme, before other nations (e.g. India) photograph it from their probes. There are protest groups on Facebook, songs have been written and demonstrations planned for the full moon on 4th October! Putting "bomb the moon" into Google produces over a million hits.
I Know What I Saw
Film maker James Fox has already produced one of the best-regarded UFO documentaries ever made. The critically acclaimed Out of the Blue was, for many years, regarded as pretty much the best of the bunch by the big names in ufology. Here for once, they argued, was a film maker who genuinely understood the subject and had a passion for it. For some time now, James has been working on a follow-up documentary. The provisional title was Beyond The Blue, but this has been ditched and replaced by I Know What I Saw - a phrase used by numerous UFO witnesses. A large part of the new film ties in with the press conference held at the National Press Club in Washington DC in November 2007, which James organised in conjunction with investigative journalist Leslie Kean, at the Coalition for Freedom of Information. The idea was to bring together people with verifiable backgrounds in government, the military and the aviation community, who have either seen a UFO or conducted official investigations into the phenomenon. Consequently, the film is full of politicians, retired generals, pilots, air traffic controllers, military radar operators, police officers and government officials. The programme received its premiere on the History Channel (US) on 4th October but is bound to be repeated and is probably already posted onto YouTube, Google Video and various UFO-related websites. Go to iknowwhatisawthemovie.com for more details and a chance to watch the trailer.
UFO Info Weekend
Most UFO conferences are a labour of love, organised by those who are passionate about the subject. The UFO Info Weekend, scheduled to be held near the Kennedy Space Center on 12th - 15th November, is a very different affair. This commercially organised venture is being put together by a business with a proven track record of putting on conventions on subjects such as sci-fi, comics, video gaming and horror. They hope to have over 1500 attendees and have organised the event (being held at a beachside Florida hotel) to coincide with a space shuttle launch. I'll be speaking, along with many big names from the world of ufology. Check out www.ufoinfoweekend.com for further details of what promises to be a great conference.
3 Year Anniversary
On a personal note, 31st October marks the 3 year anniversary of my departure from the MoD. I very much enjoyed my 21-year career there and still have many friends in the department. Indeed, I return to the building on a fairly frequent basis, to attend various social functions (though I'm not still working for them, undercover, as alleged on some conspiracy websites!). However, while I had many happy days at the MoD, I have no doubt that my decision to leave was the right one. I work now as a freelance journalist, TV pundit and PR consultant, covering subjects ranging from defence and intelligence, space and science fiction, and conspiracy theories and the unexplained. I very much enjoy my new life, outside the world of government. 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. |
