Ivan T. Sanderson on the Long John Nebel Show, 1956

Ivan Sanderson

Ivan T. Sanderson is best known as the man who coined the term, cryptozoology -- the study of unknown animals -- but he also founded SITU, the Society for the Investigation of the Unexplained.

Here, he discusses his theory of UFOs as biological entities on the Long John Nebel Show in November of 1956.  Sanderson frequented the radio show throughout the 1960s, but this is probably his best known appearance.

Ivan T. Sanderson died in 1973, but his legacy lives on in the numerous books he penned on the paranormal and cryptozoological, as well as travel, zoology, and more.  Sanderson's SITU is still around, as well.

© The Weirding, 2019

Horror Movies Include Infrasound to Scare You

Infrasound

“If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration.”- Nikola Tesla

© The Weirding, 2016

Naga Fireballs

Naga Fireballs

Each October, fireballs appear to emerge from the Mekong River in Nong Khai, Thailand. Also known as the Mekong Lights, or "bung fai paya nak," legend has it that the Naga Fireballs are spat by a river monster from Buddhist lore. Some "explanations" include swamp gas and tracer rounds fired by soldiers on opposing banks, but swamp gas (methane) can apparently be ruled-out.

While soldiers do fire tracer rounds and fireworks (apparently for tourism, as the Mekong Lights are sparse some years), many films and photos appear to show the Naga Fireballs emerging from the water. One study by a Thai science institution claimed the Mekong Lights are actually isoprene.

© The Weirding, 2016

8' Bull Shark Caught in Potomac

Willy Dean set out nets in the Potomac River to catch cow-nosed rays but caught an 8' bull shark, instead!  Dean was fishing for a marine biologist, yet neither expected the catch.  Experts note that, while unusual, sharks are known to swim up rivers hundreds of miles, in some cases. 

This is not even the first time sharks have been caught in the Potomac!

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

Bats Know One Another's Voice

According to Dr. Yossi Yovel from the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel, bats can differentiate between one another solely from the sound of their "voice." The phenomenon was described as being able to distinguish a friend's voice from a single yell.

Dr. Yovel and his team pushed several bats through a series of tests in which two bats' "voices" - echolocation calls the rodents use as sonar to guide them - were played and the test subject had to choose the correct one. At first, the bat was rewarded for choosing correctly, but in later tests, the subject was rewarded regardless of the results. Dr. Yovel said the bats were correct 80% of the time in these later tests.

Analysis of the "yells" revealed that each creature is capable of producing a range of frequencies and once bats learn these, they can identify the bat making the noise. Dr. Yovel and his team believe this range is based on the differences in the bats' vocal chords. The findings help shed light on how bats remain in tight formation when flying at high speeds through the dark, and how they avoid interference from one another's echolocation calls.

© C Harris Lynn, 2009

The Cat Abortions

My littlest cat, Sable, is only a few months old and got pregnant. I have been worried sick that she might die giving birth and have been asking what to do. Remember that I live in a rural area which is thoroughly corrupt, but seeing as how 90+% of the residents are uneducated rednecks, you would think they'd know a thing or two about animal husbandry. I freely admit I haven't the faintest idea as to how to handle this situation. But I no longer need to, as my littlest and youngest cat, Sable, is aborting her kittens as I type. Under my chair, no less!

I called a week ago to ask about the situation and the conversation went like this (remember, I am in one of those "typical," thoroughly corrupt, rural, Southern towns in the Bible Belt):

MD: What do I do?
Vet Tech: You need to bring her in to get spayed.
MD: She's already pregnant. Will that abort the kittens?
Vet Tech: [Long, awkward pause] Well... um, no.
MD: ...
MD: What happens to the kittens, then? Do they just disappear?
Vet Tech: Yes.

Scout's honor. But I digress.

I noticed her licking on something on the floor which I first thought was a chicken bone or something. When I looked closer, it was a hairless fetus! I was instantly grossed-out and stopped her from eating it. I threw it away, even though I wasn't certain it was dead. It was still warm, but obviously not breathing (well or often, if at all). Sable let loose a small river of blood from her womb-ish area, but otherwise appeared just fine.

A few minutes later, following frantic phonecalls to after hours vets which went unanswered, another fetus appeared. This one was breathing - even moving its head! However, she waited until it had mostly stopped to chew off the umbilical cord and proceed devouring it.

The one vet I spoke to - the only one who answered his phone - said the kittens had no chance of making it and to just leave her be and let her do her thing. A moment later, a family friend I'd called returned my phonecall and said she was aborting them and there was nothing to be done but wait it out. I looked online (briefly) but found no mention as to cats aborting their feti. Nevertheless, Sable has given birth to two live feti and ate one - the other I kept her from eating.

She keeps wanting to jump in my lap or on the couch and I put a towel down on the porch for her, but she won't stay there. In fact, Sable is acting perfectly fine, as though nothing were happening. While I'm thankful for that (and more than a little thankful I will not have even more mouths to feed), this is a terrible thing and I'm a little heartbroken by it.

If anyone knows anything about this phenomena (assuming there is any), please share!

© C Harris Lynn, 2009

Dracula Fish

Researchers have discovered a species they named Danionella dracula for its bony "fangs." The Dracula fish has only been found in one Burmese stream. Scientists believe the fish lost their teeth through evolutionary process, which left the bony protrusions that have a fang-like appearance.

In captivity, the males have been observed "sparring" with their fangs, but no blood appears to be drawn. They nudge one another after opening their jaws "incredibly widely," but it appears to be more a symbolic mating ritual than actual combat. Only the males bear these tell-tale fangs.

The fish do not have actual teeth - even the males' fangs are not teeth - rather, the jawbone has developed sharp protrusions which mimic the appearance of teeth.

Since scientists did not recognize the fish as a new species immediately, they note there could be more swimming around in other bodies even now.

© C Harris Lynn, 2009

Lost World Discovered on Google Maps

Some years back, a team of scientists was looking for a new area to explore at least 5000 feet above sea level.  They were astonished when they discovered a patch of forest in Africa not on any map.  How?  Google Earth, of course!

The forest surrounding Mt. Mabu had been overlooked for years by wildlife experts and cartographers alike, largely due to decades-long war in the region.  While few Mozambiqueans are even aware of the 27 acres of lush forest growth (or Mount Mabu), those who are have kept it secret as they use it for refuge when the fighting becomes too intense.  Researchers note that, while it may be on some maps under another name, Mt. Mabu is basically unknown.

Once discovered, a team of researchers from several countries (including Mozambique, Switzerland, Britain, and more) made the trip to discover a lush Eden, filled with rare and exotic species of butterflies (including three new species), giant snakes (including a new adder), and colonies of rare birds.  They returned home with some 300 samples of flora, and more discoveries have yet to be made.

The Mail Online has more on the trip, including pictures.

© C Harris Lynn, 2008

Korea Claims First Dog Clones... Again

A firm in South Korea claims to be the first to successfully clone canines.

An American from California ponied-up $50,000 to have her dead dog cloned.  The clones were unveiled at a press conference in Seoul today.  One of the scientists involved was also on the team which claimed to have cloned the very first dog in 2005.

While cloning canines is possible, the process is known to be difficult and risky.

© C Harris Lynn, 2008

UPDATE:  This story has been tampered with; some text, and the links were removed.  Link was replaced, though it may not match the original intent of the article. - 2018

Yeti Hair Analysis Inconclusive

According to experts at England's Oxford Brookes University, hairs donated by passionate mande barung believer and cryptozoologist, Dipu Marak, match no known indigenous species.

The mande barung is India's Bigfoot. Standing approximately 10' tall and weighing-in at somewhere near 650-700 lbs., the creature has been spotted by eyewitnesses for decades in the heavily-forested East, West, and South Garo Hills. It is thought to be herbivorous and its hair is said to be black and gray. According to one analyst, the mande barung also suffers from split-ends.

Marak secured the hair samples from a jungle sighting in 2003. The experts, which include microscopy analysts and a primatologist, have concluded they are not from a boar, bear, or macaque (a local, Indian monkey). DNA analysis will be performed on the hairs to determine more information, but they note they are very similar to hairs produced by Sir Edmund Hillary. He claimed those were hairs of the yeti, or abominable snowman.

"Mande barung" translates to "forest man."

© C Harris Lynn, 2008

My Biological Clock is Ticking

(From NY Daily News)

Medical researchers claim to have "verified" that men also have a biological clock which begins "ticking" in their mid-30s.

For years, popular belief has held that women have a "biological clock" that starts "ticking" in their late-20s to early-30s -- a biological impetus to have children, if not necessarily to "settle-down" and start a family in the traditional sense. Medical science has, as usual, been somewhat behind in verifying this biological connection, leaving many to speculate on sociological, familial, and other (non-biological) factors as the source of this very real yearning.

But men have (as usual) been left out of the equation, as it was also commonly-held that men could have children well into old age, and so did not feel this natural urge. However, new research, from over 12,000 couples in France shows that men also have this natural wont to sire children, and it also tends to start in our early 30s.

To be honest, I knew this for a while, as I began having these same desires a few years back. But -- like many of the so-called "experts" -- I chalked it up to just wanting to get laid regularly.

© C Harris Lynn, 2008

Wetlands to Blame for Global Warming?

Biologists and researchers said that Arctic wetlands may have been to blame for recent global warming conditions.

A multitude of scenarios and theories were forwarded, all having to do with biological factors, as opposed to human ones, such as increased waste and a general lack of concern for the atmosphere. In particular, emissions from wetlands, the release of carbon dioxide from permafrost, and a release of methane from seawater. Most data suggests these effects are centralized to the Arctic region.

Of course, we should pull our own weight, but scientists say this indicates the recent climatic changes are biological in nature and will likely run their course without human intervention.

© C Harris Lynn, 2008

House of the Phallus

Nestled in the small fishing village of Husavik, nearly 500 miles from Iceland's capital, lay the Icelandic Phallological Museum -- a pee-pee museum.

Curator, Sigurdur Hjartarson, began collecting peni when he was a school administrator.  At the time, he says it was "just a hobby" and he had no idea he would one day run a museum dedicated to the subject.  Of all the phalli on display, Hjartarson has paid only for one -- an elephant's penis.  The largest in the collection is from a sperm whale (5'5"); the smallest, from a hamster (at only 2mm, it must be viewed under a microscope).

The one penis he is missing is that of a human's, but he has five donors from around the world who have offered theirs for display once they're done with it.  The Icelandic Phallological Museum attracted 6000 visitors in 2007, 60% of whom were female.

© C Harris Lynn, 2008

Moon Plants

A team with links to the ESA (European Space Agency) have found that plants like marigolds can thrive in a rocky, lunar-like environment.

While some excited researchers suggested this may lead to the terraforming of the moon, others say such an idea is pure "science fiction." Many have theorized that, if we can find some way to grow flora on planetary objects such as the moon, there is a chance for human habitation. Others have said the idea is without merit.

Of course, a makeshift environment would have to be provided for them at first, but if they can take root and thrive on their own, a threadbare system of water circulation and recovery could be established. Plants have been grown on the space station with some success and the process here is not altogether dissimilar. Outside of the Earth's atmosphere, the plants are subject to higher doses of radiation and other factors.

More information.

© C Harris Lynn, 2008

You're an ANIMAL!

We just got one step closer to the world of comics and RPGs.

Scientists at Newcastle University have created the world's first part-human, part-animal embryos. While they only survived for up to three days, the hopes are that they will be useful in understanding, possibly even curing, a range of illnesses, including Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. The Catholic Church called the advancement "monstrous."

The scientists created embryos from cows' eggs because human eggs are in short supply. They say the embryos would never be allowed to develop beyond two weeks, at which point they are still only about the size of a pinhead. Researchers want to extract stem cells from the embryos for further testing.

Of course, the Catholic Church considers the entire concept "immoral" and sinful, but who really cares what a bunch of poncing, aged queens think? Sadly, if the cures for any diseases come from this type of research, the Catholic flock will gladly avail themselves of said treatment; poetic justice would be a thinning of the herd by Papal Decree -- when it is adjudicated that Catholics who use such treatments are Sinners who must face a slow, agonizing, and painful death.

© C Harris Lynn, 2008

UPDATE:  Not only was this post tampered with and the links removed, the source links online have been tampered with and/or removed.  One was accessed as recently as January 12. - 2018

Baby Boy's Shooting Blanks!

Recent research has led scientists to theorize that problems involving male genitalia, such as decreased sperm count and testicular cancer, are determined by factors in the womb during the 8-12 week stage.

Research performed at the University of Edinburgh suggest that low levels of male hormones, or androgens, during this critical period of development may lead to a host of health issues, including cryptorchidism (testes not descending properly), hypospadias (urinary tract opening in the wrong place on the penis), and disorders that only become apparent later in life.

Further, the distance between the penis and anus (the anogenital measurement) may give doctors an indication as to what the hormone levels were in the womb, even later in life. The shorter the distance, the less confident doctors can be that the right hormones were present, and/or that they acted properly.

In other words, it's all women's fault!

© C Harris Lynn, 2008

Exciting News for Spinal Cord Injury Patients

A team at the University at Cambridge has been working with a bacterial enzyme called chondroitinase in the treatment of spinal cord injuries, which digests the scar tissue around severed nerves. While nerves can regenerate, they generally cannot make it past the scar tissue. Not only does chondroitinase eat away this scarring, it also promotes nerve plasticity -- which might allow for undamaged nerves to grow around the scar tissue and reconnect, effectively replacing lost ones.

While researchers warn not to get excited by this news -- there have been no trials on patients yet -- they have had some promising results in lab testing. They believe that this method, combined with rehabilitative exercises, may give new hope to people with recent spinal column injuries.

I was particularly interested in this because of my Degenerative Disc Disease. Honestly, I do not know how much it has to do with that, but if I understand my condition correctly, it can lead to spinal cord injury as it progresses. As it is right now, I am already on Neurontin, but that is used for lots of things -- many medicines are.

These injuries can take many forms, from loss of feeling to paralysis.

© C Harris Lynn, 2008

New Mammal Found

A new mammal has been discovered in the mountains of Tanzania.

The Rhynochocyon udzungwensis is a type of giant shrew, also known as a sengi, was caught on camera. Roughly the size of a small housecat, it looks kind of like an anteater, with a long, narrow snout and bristly, rust-colored hair all over its body.

Despite the name, the creature actually is not related to the shrew. Elephant shrews are only found in Africa and the name comes from a mistake made by those who first discovered them, due to their physical similarities to shrews from Europe and America. It really is related to anteaters, however.

© C Harris Lynn, 2008

This One Time, the World Had Huge Crabs

Now this is what The OddBlog is all about... kinda.

European scientists claim to have found the claw of a prehistoric 8' sea crab!  The claw is nearly 400 million years old and was found in a Prum, German quarry.  It has been named Jaekelopterus rhenaniae.  The size tells scientists arachnids and insects (and similar creatures) were larger than even they once thought.  The largest modern scorpion is only 30cm.; the claw measures 46 cm!

Researchers theorize higher oxygen levels in the atmosphere may have led to the gigantic size of these and similar invertebrates, such as cockroaches.  The larger specimen would likely have been killed-off first by predators, as they are easier to spot.  While many would have lived entirely on land, others, like this one, would have led an aquatic or semi-aquatic life.

Scientists think Jaekelopterus rhenaniae lived in swamps, ponds, and similar environs.

Milk Does a Birthday Good

A new study has shown that vitamin D may slow the aging process, but the study stops short of claiming cause and effect. Apparently, vitamin D shortens the DNA strands of telomere within each cell, which effectively "slows" aging.

Now, this is good news and everything, but I want to admonish readers not to take it too far. These studies are released at a rate of something like 10 a day and are paid for by vested interests, so none of them can be trusted anymore. They don't even really bother to hide that fact any longer, and a study that "proves" the exact opposite of this one's is only a week away.

That being said, I truly believe that the vitamins and minerals which should be present in all our bodies plays a far greater role on literally everything than we have been lead to believe up to now. The pharmaceutical companies would have you think that all of your flaws and "deficiencies" can only be effectively corrected through manufactured, prescription medications, but I have always said this is not the case. This study at least confirms that certain vitamins appear to have a greater effect on aspects of our lives that we may not even have considered before.

The original article can be found here on the BBC.