HUMANITY’s achievements in extending the frontiers of its understanding of the universe have been impressive. Science has played, and continues to play, a key role in explaining many of the phenomena that people observe around themselves. For instance, without physics, Friedmann and Lemantre could not have posited the Big Bang model of how the universe came into being, nor could Newton have theorized as to why we stay firmly on the ground rather than float off into space. Though we do not as yet know all the laws of the universe, most of us are confident that we can discover and understand them with the help of science, and thereby better comprehend our world.
There are, however, instances where science has not as yet provided all the answers. Where these occurrences are not universally observable, scientists in general dispute their existence and refuse to investigate them. Where there is evidence that these events did take place, science has to compete with people’s personal beliefs (i.e., religion and spiritualism) and explanations involving conspiracy theories and otherworldly influences.
The Bermuda Triangle is a section of the North Atlantic Ocean where ships and aeroplanes are said to have mysteriously disappeared. Its boundaries are not universally agreed upon, but it is believed to have a vaguely triangular shape marked by the southern US coast, Bermuda, and the Greater Antilles. Some ships were discovered abandoned in the area, while others transmitted no distress signals and simply vanished. Rescue missions sent in search of missing ships and aeroplanes too disappeared. No wreckage has been found, and scientific investigations have shown nothing that would substantiate the legendary dangers of the region, wherever it is. On http://www.bermuda-triangle.org, practically every facet of the mystery that is the Bermuda Triangle is discussed under links like ‘Triangle History’ and ‘A roll call of missing vessels’. Under ‘Theories’, you can inspect some of the explanations, ranging from the logical to the fantastic, given for the disappearances. The ‘Fly the Bahamas’ link will help you learn more about the geographical features of the Triangle and its surrounding areas; the maps given show why no one knows the location of the Triangle.
Also shrouded in mystery is the US Navy’s attempt to make ships ‘invisible’ to magnetic torpedoes in 1943, which culminated in the Philadelphia Experiment. The ship that was the subject of the experiment, USS Eldridge, vanished from sight and reappeared, according to eyewitnesses on another ship, in Norfolk, Virginia. Apparently, the US Navy had succeeded, whether intentionally or not, in bending space and time and teleporting the Eldridge (an event that is possible according to Einstein’s largely discredited unified field theory). If you want to find out more about what might have happened to the Eldridge, visit http://www.abovetopsecret.com/pages/philadelphia.html, where you can also join a discussion board dealing with the paranormal (the web page indicates the mood of the discussions from anywhere between ‘tranquil’ and ‘running for the hills’ daily on a meter). The US Navy, of course, denies that it participated in any experiments in teleportation.
While some have invested time and effort in achieving physical invisibility through optical illusions, others, according to the research of Donna Higbee, are able to disappear at any time, though not of their own will. This phenomenon, known as spontaneous human invisibility, is treated on http://paranormal.about.com/library/weekly/aa083198.htm, a web page that actually invites viewers to share any such experience that they might have had, besides offering a wealth of information on a wide variety of paranormal topics. You can also chat, post messages and sign up for newsletters about paranormal phenomena.
An Internet search for other unusual occurrences would indicate that pregnancy in men is not a scientific impossibility either. A premise that reached ridiculous proportions in the Arnold Schwarzenegger movie, Junior, it is supported with purported visual evidence in a web site that claims to describe the pregnancy of a man named Lee Mingwei. A lot of discussion has focused on some of the allegations made by this web site; the question of their validity is given ample treatment on http://www.snopes.com/pregnant/malepreg.htm#malepreg, which takes a hard look at male pregnancy, an urban legend with many humorous implications, and debunks it once and for all. This web page links to other urban myths, which are organized by category, via Snopes.com.
If you want to learn how to bend spoons without using your hands, let http://www.angelfire.com/or/telekinesisworld be your guide. Be warned, however, that the methods suggested for achieving telekinesis and psychokinesis have more to do with faith and meditation than with creating convincing illusions. There are a variety of links dealing with the power of the mind over matter, including reviews of two of the best-known movies about telekinesis, Carrie and The Rage: Carrie 2. This personal web page also has a chat room and links to web sites on telepathy and psychic education.
While most self-respecting scientists scoff at reports of spontaneous human invisibility and telekinesis, they are hard put to explain how the natives of Easter Island transported giant stone statues weighing several tons to the places where they now stand. The Easter Island Home Page, which can be found at http://www.netaxs.com/~ trance/rapanui.html, offers a levelheaded perspective on the problem, rather than depending on theories about extra-terrestrial influences. Some of the links on the web page show how the islanders could have transported the statues, using just the rudimentary tools available to them. News groups on the area’s archaeology and culture can also be accessed through this page.
Another mystery of the ancient world is the curse that is said to protect King Tutankhamen’s tomb. Legend has it that an inscription on the tomb foretold death for anyone who dared disturb the pharaoh, and sure enough about eleven people connected with the tomb’s discovery and opening in 1922 died under mysterious circumstances by 1929. The facts surrounding the so-called workings of the curse are separated from the rumours on http://www.mummytombs.com/egypt/kingtut.htm, which also links to a news item suggesting that anthrax spores may have been responsible for the death of the people present at the opening of the burial chamber. You can read other mummy news, as well as visit ‘The world of James M. Deem’ for more information on the paranormal.
One of the lesser-known phenomena from the realm of the unknown is ball lightning. The Skeptic’s Dictionary, which can be visited at http://skepdic.com/balllightning.html, describes it as a glowing ball that varies from two to ten inches in diameter and appears seemingly out of thin air and vanishes equally mysteriously. Sightings of ball lightning have been made since ancient times; while most scientists now acknowledge it as real, there is no single satisfactory explanation for its existence. Some disturbing accounts of the damage that ball lightning can wreak, as well as research on how it is created, can be found via the links at the bottom of the page.
HUMANITY’s achievements in extending the frontiers of its understanding of the universe have been impressive. Science has played, and continues to play, a key role in explaining many of the phenomena that people observe around themselves. For instance, without physics, Friedmann and Lemantre could not have posited the Big Bang model of how the universe came into being, nor could Newton have theorized as to why we stay firmly on the ground rather than float off into space. Though we do not as yet know all the laws of the universe, most of us are confident that we can discover and understand them with the help of science, and thereby better comprehend our world.
