The Best Amateur Lightsaber Duel Ever Created

Robot Walks on Water

Scientists at the Carnegie Mellon Institute have developed a robot that can run on water. Its design is based on the basilisk, a reptile that sprints across open expanses of water, as can be seen in the above photo. The little robot uses the same technique as the basilisk: the foot slaps the water creating an air pocket and is quickly raised before the air pocket can burst. In this way, the robot and the basilisk slap the water with their feet 10 times per second, running on cushions of air.

Unfortunately, the robot can't run very far because of the tether attached to its power source.

The next post about robots will probably relate to the giant robots roaming the British countryside and lending aid to stranded motorists.

(Photos: Courtesy Metin Sitti)

Sarcophagus of the Great Pyramid

Flinders Petrie, the 19th century egyptologist, examined this sarcophagus during his extensive survey of the Great Pyramid. After studying the sarcophagus extremely closely, he concluded that the Egyptians had made use of some, as yet, undiscovered instruments to construct it.

The granite sarcophagus had been sawn to shape using eight-foot long saws. Bronze was the hardest metal known to man at that time, or so history tells us. It was also evident that the stone coffin had been hollowed out using tubular drills. "The amount of pressure, shown by the rapidity with which the drills and saws pierced through the hard stones, is very surprising; probably a load of at least a ton or two was placed on the 4-inch drills cutting in granite. . . These rapid spiral grooves cannot be ascribed to anything but the descent of the drill into the granite under enormous pressure . . ."

Patterson/Gimlin Film Stabilized

This version of the Patterson/Gimlin film has been stabilized allowing the subject to be more clearly seen.

On a side note, the Sonoma Sasquatch Footage posted a couple of weeks ago may have been a hoax. Read more

Baby Bigfoot Captured--Maybe

Yesterday, a baby bigfoot was supposedly shot with a tranquilizer gun and captured in Johor, Malaysia. Now the Wildlife and National Parks Department is denying the incident.
The New Straits Times has the story. Also, take a look at this entry on Cryptomundo and also this entry for more information.

Large Carnivorous Dinosaur Discovered

Mapusaurus roseae is the name given to this newly discovered, forty-one foot long carnivore. Despite the dinosaur's immensity, it is still slightly smaller than Gigantosaurus, the current carnivorous record-holder.

More than one skeleton of Mapusaurus was discovered. In fact, paleontologists found bones from multiple animals, both juveniles and adults, in the same place. They then made the somewhat reasonable assumption that the Mapusaurus traveled in packs. Fair enough (although even that logic could be argued). But then, Rodolfo Coria, who also worked on the excavation and is a paleontologist at the Carmen Funes Museum in Argentina, made this statement based on his assessment of the social nature of these dinosaurs: "The pack even appears to have passed away together in a mass die-off."

Because these animals were found fossilized together, the immediate, and correct, conclusion was that they must have died together. But, since a worldwide flood is unscientific in their minds, they have to contrive another explanation for this mass death. Thus, the statement that these animals chose to die together at the same time and same place.

If evolutionists can stretch their imaginations to make absurd statements such as this one, they at least could admit that creationists are no more fantastical in their claims then the evolutionists.

Creation Museum

The Creation Museum, opening in 2007, has come under attack from the scientific establishment. Critics label it as another attempt by narrow-minded fundamentalists to force theology into the realm of science. Interestingly, the "narrow-minded" leaders of the Creation Museum effort have incorporated both views--Creation and Evolution--into the exhibits, letting visitors make up their own minds (see article).

Possible Sasquatch Photos

This is one of two photos taken on November 17, 2005, by a backpacker from Vancouver, Washington. He was hiking on Silver Star Mountain in Gifford Pinchot National Forest when he noticed a figure on the ridge ahead of him. The resulting photos are inconclusive, yet the outline of the figure suggests something other than another hiker. The BFRO site shows the other photo and gives more information about the incident.

Strange Swirling Surface Feature on the Moon

The Reiner Gamma Formation was originally misidentified as a crater before this and other photos were taken on January 14, 2006. On closer inspection, its true appearance became evident. It is a strange mass of swirls unlike any other topographical feature on the moon. One of the theories about its origin relates how debris from a low-density comet could have changed the properties of the surface material of that region. The ability of the formation to deflect radiation from the sun has promped further study.

Orb of Chatham

On a summer night in 1935, five people witnessed a strange object rolling into Chatham, Massachusetts, a seaside town on the outer elbow of Cape Cod. (From left to right) Herbert Eldredge, Margaret Snow, Walter Snow, "Gus" Nickerson, and Isabel Porter all reported seeing a black, metallic orb either moving through the streets, hovering in front of the church tower, or rolling through the rooms of a house. Their reports were dismissed as hoaxes.

Two months later to the day on Halloween, all five people mysteriously vanished and were never seen again.

orbofchatham.com

Bigfoot 911 call

This 911 call took place in the mid-1990's on the Kitsap Peninsula in Washington State. Even if this isn't authentic, it's still entertaining.

James Gurney Exhibition

Currently on exhibition at the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge through May 20: Dinotopia: The Fantastical Art of James Gurney

On March 4, I was able to meet James Gurney at the Norman Rockwell Museum. Cori and I went to attend a small speaking event featuring James Gurney and the former art director for National Geographic. We were able to look through Gurney's sketchbooks, take one of his sketches with us, and talk to him a little about his work.

The Time Traveler Explains

The Time Traveler in H.G. Well's The Time Machine describes his theory of the feasibility of time travel. Here is an excerpt in his own words:

`You must follow me carefully. I shall have to controvert one or two ideas that are almost universally accepted. The geometry, for instance, they taught you at school is founded on a misconception.'

`Clearly,' the Time Traveller proceeded, `any real body must have extension in FOUR directions: it must have Length, Breadth, Thickness, and--Duration. But through a natural infirmity of the flesh, which I will explain to you in a moment, we incline to overlook this fact. There are really four dimensions, three which we call the three planes of Space, and a fourth, Time. There is, however, a tendency to draw an unreal distinction between the former three dimensions and the latter, because it happens that our consciousness moves intermittently in one direction along the latter from the beginning to the end of our lives.'

`Really this is what is meant by the Fourth Dimension, though some people who talk about the Fourth Dimension do not know they mean it. It is only another way of looking at Time. There is no difference between time and any of the three dimensions of space except that our consciousness moves along it.'

The entire first chapter should be read to gain the full context of what the Time Traveler is attempting to convey. The above illustration was created by myself.

Sonoma Sasquatch Footage, November 14, 2005

This video was shot on November 14, 2005 in Sonoma County. Mark Nelson and his girlfriend were hiking on some private land when he noticed the sasquatch in the brush at the bottom of the hill. He had no previous interest in the subject of the north american great ape.

I realize the resolution is terrible on this video of a sasquatch shot in Sonoma County. It is by no means conclusive. However, note the length of the arms in proportion to the body. Quite longer than a human's. A higher resolution video is available on the BFRO site. Follow the instructions to download a .mov file.

Piri Reis Map

Most everyone is somewhat familiar with the shape of Antartica on modern day maps. What many people may not realize is that the actual landmass of Antartica is much smaller and hidden beneath the great ice shelfs that define the continent on present maps. This landmass has been mapped by modern cartographers only recently using satellite technology.

The Piri Reis map, made in 1513 and discovered in 1929, defines that same, hidden landmass of Antartica. Unbelievably, it has been mapped with laser-like precision. Its accuracy has been compared with modern maps and the measurements are virtually identical. How did a sixteenth century mapmaker, with no twentieth century technology, create such an accurate representation, 300 years before the continent was even discovered?

The Purpose

The purpose of Science and Fiction is dual in nature:

1. To share information relating to the tangible, the factual, the physical world
2. To share information relating to the mysterious, the imaginative, the unknown

Some information will relate to Science, some will relate to Fiction, and some will relate to both. Come back soon to see the first posting.