[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=946w7SBqDmc&version=3&hl=en_US]
Month: April 2013
GIANT SNAIL INVASION
This is the type of story the best B-horror films are made of! Move over “Night of the Lupine!” It’s time for the Giant African Land Snail to slime… I mean shine!
Florida is under siege from an invasion of Giant African Land Snails. These gargantuan mollusks that can grow to the size of a large rabbit, are reported to be able to mow through everything from the hardiest form of vegetation to the siding on your house! Their epic, if slow, path of slimy destruction has thrown Florida officials into panic as they scurry to contain the epidemic.
When one pictures a creature with the capability to cause mass panic, the snail is not necessarily the first to come to mind. As you can see in the picture below, they are not exactly the image of environmental catastrophe. Or… are they?
Someone might want to tell all of the people on the internet holding these creatures without gloves like pets that they also carry a human parasite called rat lungworm, which is a form of meningitis and potentially deadly. Suddenly, the Giant African Land Snail is slightly more menacing than I had originally pictured. The snails have also been sited as the cause of car crashes as shards from their shells can puncture tires. Steer clear of the mighty Land Snail, literally.
These snails can also reproduce quickly, producing up to 1,200 eggs per year. The young snails reach full maturity in a year’s time and have a lifespan up to nine years. Each week over 1,000 snails are caught and removed from the Miami-Dade county area, and since first discovered in 2011 over 117,000 snails have been successfully terminated.
One theory held by experts on how the mollusks came to live in the United States is that they “hitched a ride” on overseas luggage, bidding bon voyage to Africa. The search is on in Florida to contain this epidemic before the snails migrate to other states. Countries such as Ecuador and Barbados have now run out of ways to contain their own infestations. The Giant African Land Snail continues to slowly terrorize the planet.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuHaHmKYylU&hl=en_US&version=3]
MILLION DOLLAR BIGFOOT
We could all use a million dollars. However, if you’re looking to retire anytime soon, you might want to stick to your state lottery for better chances of winning such a jackpot. For dedicated Bigfoot hunters, though, keep hunting! Unless someone offers you a higher bid, you can rely on Olympia Beer and Pabst Brewing Company to pay you $25,000 a year for forty years for either a captured live Bigfoot or “irrefutable proof that the creature exists.”
“We have been sharing the same backyard for over a century and we believe it’s time to do what has never been done, and that is to offer a one million dollar reward to anyone who can ensure the safe capture of Bigfoot,” Evan and Daren Metropoulos stated in an official press release from the company. They continue, “When we say safe capture that means Bigfoot has to be alive and breathing folks, with no wounds.”
You heard it, folks. Bigfoot has to be alive and ready for his close-up when the exchange happens!
According to the official rules of the contest, “Evidence may include, but is not limited to DNA Evidence. DNA Evidence may include hair, blood, tissue or saliva that proves the DNA sequence of the donor shows that said donor resides in the primate evolutionary family tree, among other apes or hominids, but does not have the same genetic markers and DNA sequence as any known species.”
For more information visit http://olympiabigfoot.com/. Be the first to submit a photo or video to their site!
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gl3H_KGC_8&version=3&hl=en_US]
STRANGE “ALIEN” SHOT BY HUNTERS IN NAMIBIA
Undocumented new species are discovered all of the time here on Earth, but occasionally, people automatically assume the bizarre is actually “alien.” That said, the lone photo that has been circulating on the web since August of 2012 of the creature shot and killed in a Namibian forest is creepy, to say the least. If the image, and the story are real, the figure is strikingly humanoid, with muppet-esque features, skin covered tentacles on its head, and what appears to be a case of “Patau Syndrome”, otherwise known as “Cyclops Syndrome.”
According to reports, the creature, which was to undergo a full forensic investigation by Namibian authorities after its capture, was spotted by locals as they were escorting a hunting party through the jungle. The “alien” was foraging for food, but when spotted, turned and fled. The hunting party and their escorts took chase and followed the creature back to its lair where it turned on them and attacked in an attempt to defend itself. The creature was shot and killed, but not before the hunting party spied three additional “animals” fleeing into the undergrowth.
Of course “theories” about the creature’s origin flooded weird-news websites quickly following, including a possible relationship to a Mayan god legend. The most reasonable explanation presented so far has been that of genetic deformities unfortunately caused by incessant, long-term inbreeding. Think back to Season 4, Episode 2 of The X-Files, entitled “Home.” The consequences of close inbreeding over the span of several generations can result in severe birth defects and other grotesque anomalies. Another theory is that it is a new species of pigmy, which has, until now, avoided our detection.
Nearly a year later we are still waiting for the results from the forensic autopsy done on this creature, leaving us to believe it was all simply a hoax. However, nothing online has turned up concrete evidence of fact or fiction. Perhaps one day we will know the truth? In the meantime, be careful on those hunting parties when you’re trekking through the jungle…
CREATORS OF THE “BIGDOG” ROBOT UNVEIL THE “PETMAN”
Boston Dynamic’s cute little puppy robot we came to have a strange affection for evolved into the rather menacing, futuristic war beast known as the “BigDog.” Now, in 2013, they have taken their science to a thrilling new level with the newly introduced fully assembled anthropomorphic robot entitled “PetMan.” Now, complete with a head and clothing, the robot has been filmed walking, sitting, jumping, and turning its torso in the video below. In one instance it even holds up both hands in an “I surrender!” motion. Its walk still resembles that of an early C3PO, but the advancements are impressive lending to the consideration that truly humanoid androids in our workforce, homes, and military may not be too far in the future.
“PetMan” was not developed to exist outside the lab, however. The purpose of this particular robot is to test hazardous material suits or flak jackets that may be sprayed with a vast array of toxic agents—basically anything a lab assistant with common sense would refuse to sign up for.
Its capacity for a wide range of motion is not the least of the robot’s impressive evolutionary traits. BD has equipped “PetMan” with the ability to mimic actual sweat and heat to evaluate the body temperature of the person within the suit itself. Equipped with temperature, humidity, and chemical sensors, “PetMan” can determine the safety level and give an accurate determination of whether a person would expire or become dangerously incapacitated by the conditions within the suit.
We can thank the Defense Department’s Chemical and Biological Defense program for funding this particular Boston Dynamic project. The DDCBD is also assisting Boston Dynamic with capital for the development of the “Atlas” robot, which is designed to navigate terrain. We can expect to see a video of this new robot on YouTube later this year.
The latest footage of the new “PetMan” robot in action!
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFrjrgBV8K0&version=3&hl=en_US]
Check out this spooky footage of DARPA’s previous creation, the “BigDog”.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TA4ARPs0R-E&version=3&hl=en_US]
**Photos & Illustrations by Boston Dynamics http://www.bostondynamics.com/robot_petman.html
NESSIE TURNS 80
Today the Loch Ness Monster turned eighty years-old. At least, that is her “modern monster” age, as I like to say. It has been exactly eighty years, to the day, since Aldie Mackay had her first sighting of the legendary aquatic Scottish beast. In 1933 the hotel manager witnessed what she described as a “whale-like fish.” Since that time the creature of the murky Highland depths has become one of the most iconic cryptids in the world, drawing thousands of tourists and creature hunters from around the world each year. We at the Museum of the Weird would like to say Happy Birthday to Nessie! Keep your head high and your body submerged and always remember we love you.
**Photo by Invergarry Lodge http://www.invergarrylodge.co.uk/site/2012/cakes-ahoy/
PREHISTORIC MACHINERY DISCOVERED IN RUSSIA
Let’s take a brief look back 300 million years into Earth’s history. Just what was happening at this volatile juncture in time? The planet was dominated by a single supercontinent known as Pangaea amidst the massive ocean known as Panthalassa. Deserts covered the majority of the interior of the continent where the first reptiles began to rise to dominance. The Permian Era saw the evolution of amniotes into the first groups of mammals, turtles, lepidosaurs and archosaurs. Hardly the time one would picture ancient machinery being constructed by an alien race. However, according to the Voice of Russia and other sources this was a time when some of our cosmic cousins just may have set up residence within the primordial chaos of prehistoric Earth.
Sections of an aluminum gear rail found near Vladivostok are now believed to have been manufactured by a possible ancient alien civilization. A resident discovered the artifact when the light of his fire revealed the outline of what appeared to be a piece of machinery in a clump of coal he was about to use to heat his home. Convinced that what he possessed was more than merely a naturally occurring coincidence the man sought out the professional opinions of scientists located in the Primorey region of Russia. After lengthy analysis by said scientists, it was determined that the approximate age of the artifact is 300 million years. This is an assumption, however, due to the fact that the coal being used by the man was delivered to the Primorey area from the Chernogorodskiy mines of Khakasia region of the same age. It is not specified as to whether or not this artifact has been carbon-dated—as to what tests exactly were run on the gear rail, it is also not revealed.
The discovery of such artifacts is surprisingly not that uncommon. In 1851 workers removed a zinc and silver vase embedded in a block of coal. This vase was carbon-dated and estimated to be nearly 500 million years in age. Six decades after the initial discovery scientists in Oklahoma extracted an iron pot, also embedded in coal, which they later determined to be 312 million years old. The most recent artifact, before the current Russian gear rail, was in 1974—an aluminum “assembly part” was found within a sandstone quarry in Romania. The item was said to resemble either a hammer or the leg of an unknown spacecraft, such as that used in Earth’s own “Apollo”, and was dated to be from the Jurassic era. Can we say Aliens meets Jurassic Park?
Natalia Ostrowski at the KP UA Daily stated that the Russian machine part holds similarities in its design to that of modern microscopes and various technical and electronic devices. Currently, the theory that this new item is evidence of ancient alien inhabitants is based largely on the presence of magnesium-26. Aluminum-26, which is an off-world element found only in meteorites, breaks down into magnesium-26 over time as it interacts with Earth’s atmosphere. This points to either the gear itself having been manufactured elsewhere in the universe or that it was the product of alloy brought to Earth millions of years ago from another world.
Analysis of the Russian gear rail continues as world experts search for the truth behind its origins. Look for our updates as news surfaces!
TINY ALIEN CORPSE REVEALED IN “SIRIUS” FILM
In his soon-to-be-released controversial documentary “Sirius”, Steve Greer, an American osteopath and ufologist who founded the Orion Project, reveals footage of a supposed “alien” corpse that was discovered in Chile’s Atacama Desert several years ago. The legitimacy of the six-inch long extraterrestrial-humanoid body has supposedly been confirmed through CT scans and X-rays, including footage of DNA sequencing.
Against the backdrop of the tiny ET discovery, Greer also will explain in his documentary just how readily available certain forms of off-world alternative energy sources are and how they could be used for advanced alien life forms to cross galaxies to visit our own solar system. Greer has consistently quested, through the development of The Disclosure Project in 1993, to convince the U.S. government to reveal any and all knowledge they may possess about the existence of U.F.O.s and aliens, as well as information about advanced energy and propulsion methods.
“This really is the greatest story never told,” Greer said. “Once people understand that classified projects have figured out how UFOs operate, they will realize we no longer need oil, coal and nuclear power. This is the truth that has driven the secrecy.”
Greer claims the ET corpse has been analyzed by the world’s foremost authority on skeletal abnormalities, dysplasias and fetal skeletal syndromes and has concrete evidence of its authenticity. However, other authorities (not named) have concluded that the mummified skeletal remains are most likely from an aborted 20-22 week-old human fetus. The scientific community at large continues to be skeptical.
“Dr. Bravo, Emery Smith and I traveled to the country that is now home to this small possible ET body and were able to successfully obtain extensive X-Ray and CT Scans of the entire body. We were also able to obtain DNA samples under sterile, surgical conditions. These DNA samples are now being studied by one of the world’s top geneticists.” Greer told Before It’s News.
“Sirius” will receive a theatrical Hollywood debut on April 22. Until that time a limited trailer has been released on YouTube (see below).
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJZ8wZrCCv0&hl=en_US&version=3]
“MYSTERY PRIMATE” SPOTTED IN DORCHESTER, DORSET
A seventeen year-old girl snapped a shot of a “mystery primate” bounding through a local park in Dorchester, Dorset. Terri Leigh Cox spied the creature, hunched over on all fours, from her bedroom window and managed to capture a quick image before it scampered up a tree and disappeared. Cox reported it “looked about the size of a small gorilla. It was walking like one as well, using its arms and feet”. Shaun Bessant, Terri’s boyfriend, investigated the property later, but found no trace of evidence.
Monkey World, an attraction located in Wool about ten miles away from the park reported that all of its primates were accounted for.
“The image is not clear and it is difficult to make out, so we would be unable to confirm its identity,” a representative for Monkey World said. “I can confirm that all of our rescued monkeys and apes are safe and well in the park.”
The image is grainy and unidentifiable due to the distance it was taken from. Similar ape-like creatures have been spotted in a variety of countries including the United States. The photo below is from a sighting in Pennsylvania in February and submitted to the website Ghost Theory. As with the sighting in Dorchester, the creature was too far away for exact identification.
EVIDENCE OF NEANDERTHAL-HUMAN HYBRID IN NORTHERN ITALY
The theory of a Neanderthal-human hybrid may now be considered scientific fact after evidence that was presented in northern Italy earlier this week revealed a distinctive crossover of genetic traits between the two species. A paper published on PLoS ONE discusses aspects of the discovered skeletal remains, including fragments from a jawbone and cranium, which point to the gradual crossbreeding of the Homo neanderthalensis with the modern Homo sapiens, or humans.
Further analysis is needed to cement the theory, but if proven correct, the 30,000 to 40,000 year-old remains will be of the very first hybrid in existence. Previously, genetic research had revealed that humans with DNA of European and Asian descent were between one and four percent Neanderthal. However, the evidence up until now was not conclusive and based solely on “ambiguous fossils.” The Neanderthal genetic line declined and eventually vanished around 30,000 years ago through a mix of interbreeding and human conquest.
The fossilized jawbone and cranial fragments was discovered in 1957 in Riparo Mezzena in the Monti Lessini mountains of northern Italy. Researchers analyzed the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), which revealed the Neanderthal lineage. However, the shape of the bone possessed characteristics more closely in line with traits of the modern human. Since mitochondrial DNA is passed down from mother to child, researchers have concluded that the remains are from a “female Neanderthal who mated with male Homo sapiens.”
“From the morphology of the lower jaw, the face of the Mezzena individual would have looked somehow intermediate between classic Neanderthals, who had a rather receding lower jaw (no chin), and the modern humans, who present a projecting lower jaw with a strongly developed chin,” said study co-author Silvana Condemi, an anthropologist at the University of Ai-Marseille, to Discovery News.
Homo sapiens migrated into the Riparo Mezzena region approximately 41,000 years ago where the Neanderthal already possessed an established culture. The two species coexisted for a lengthy duration before the modern human finally dominated the territory and phased out the Neanderthal lineage. Some experts within the scientific community still doubt the hybrid theory pointing to evidence from Spain, which suggests the Neanderthal species was actually extinct thousands of years before the arrival of the modern Homo sapiens. Genetic similarities, they say, are the result of common ancient ancestors.
The debate and research of the Neanderthal-human hybrid theory will, no doubt, continue. To read the full article published on PLoS ONE visit http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0059781.
