THE PARACAST NEWSLETTER
April 21, 2012
Amazing Crop Circle Evidence and Psychic Phenomena Explored on The Paracast
Special Announcement: The Paracast is heard Sundays from 2:00 AM until 5:00 AM Central Time on the GCN Radio Network and affiliates around the USA, and online across the globe via download and on-demand streaming.
Please Consider a Donation to The Paracast: Although ads help cover a small part of our expenses, the income they produce is never enough. Also, we do not receive any revenue from the ads placed on the show by our network or local stations. So we hope you're able to help fill the gap if you can to help us cover increasing server costs and other expenses -- or perhaps provide a little extra cash for lunch. No contribution is too small (or too large
. We have a Donate link on our home page, below the logo and audio player. There's also a Donate link on our forums, at the bottom of the sidebar on the right. Or just send your PayPal donation direct to sales (at) theparacast (dot) com.
Attention U.S. Listeners: Help Us Bring The Paracast to Your City! In the summer of 2010, The Paracast joined the GCN radio network. This represented a huge step in bringing our show to a larger, mainstream audience. But we need your help to add additional affiliates to our growing network. Please ask one of your local talk stations if they are interested in carrying The Paracast. Feel free to contact us directly with the names of programming people we might be able to contact on your behalf. We can't do this alone, and if you succeed in convincing your local station to carry the show, we'll reward you with one of our special T-shirts, and other goodies. With your help, The Paracast can grow into one of the most popular paranormal shows on the planet!
Please Visit Our Brand New Online Store: You asked, and we answered. We are now taking orders for The Official Paracast T-Shirt and an expanded collection of other specially customized merchandise. To get your T-Shirt now featuring our brand new logo, just pay a visit to our online store at The Official Paracast Store to select your size and place your order. We also offer a complete lineup of other premium merchandise for your family, your friends and your business contacts.
Sunday, April 22, 2012: The Paracast covers a world beyond science, where UFOs, poltergeists and strange phenomena of all kinds have been reported by millions across the planet.
Set Up: The Paracast is a paranormal radio show that takes you on a journey to a world beyond science, where UFOs, poltergeists and strange phenomena of all kinds have been reported by millions. The Paracast seeks to shed light on the mysteries and complexities of our Universe and the secrets that surround us in our everyday lives.
Join long-time paranormal researcher Gene Steinberg, co-host Christopher O'Brien, and a panel of special guest experts and experiencers, as they explore the realms of the known and unknown. Listen each week to the great stories of the history of the paranormal field in the 20th and 21st centuries.
This Week's Episode: Gene and Chris present crop circle investigator Nancy Talbott. During this episode, we'll be reporting the very latest developments in her ongoing research, including key lab reports. Much of this material is already posted on her site: BLT Research - Crop Circle Science, so you can follow the evidence that she'll be revealing on this week's show. Nancy will also offer an update on the unusual phenomena reportedly experienced by Robbert van den Broeke, a young Dutchman and possible psychic, who lives in the southern Netherlands' village of Hoeven.
Christopher O'Brien's Site: Home - Our Strange Planet
Nancy Talbott's Site: BLT Research - Crop Circle Science
Robbert van den Broeke's Site: Robbert van den Broeke \ Home
Reminder: Please don't forget to visit our famous Paracast Community Forums for the latest news/views/debates on all things paranormal: The Paracast Community Forums. We recently completed a major update that makes our community easier to navigate, and social network friendly.
Another Look at the Need for Evidence
By Gene Steinberg
A very important subject in our paranormal universe is the threshold of evidence. What does it take to convince skeptics of the reality of a strange event, such as a UFO sighting, or perhaps a strange creature traipsing through the forest? Perhaps even more important, what does it take to convince mainstream science that such things are real?
With a UFO sighting, a simultaneous visual and radar report, both showing something weird in the same location, is considered compelling. When it comes to still photos and movies, the evidence is rather more questionable. In the old days, hoaxers used models, hubcaps and other implements with which to fake photos. These days, you don’t need physical objects. A decent knowledge of how to manipulate photos in Adobe Photoshop may deliver results that may sometimes even fool professionals. When you’re manipulating images on the pixel level, it isn’t hard to add or subtract content, such as removing the telltale cables holding the model of an alleged spaceship overhead, but clumsy cutting and pasting and possible digital artifacts will reveal the truth.
At best, photographic evidence may work best when buttressed with the testimony of several independent eyewitnesses who describe basically the same thing, considering the imprecision of human interpretation of surprise events of short duration. So even if an investigator is unsure of the validity of visual evidence, assuming no smoking guns confirm that it’s a fake, reasonably consistent testimony from witnesses who don’t appear to be in collusion with one another still paints a compelling picture of something strange going on.
Then there is trace evidence. If a UFO is seen landing in a field, you may discover clear and present evidence of the impact of heat and possible radiation in the soil, grass or bushes that may lie within or near the site. But persuading a scientist to actually take the readings, examine the evidence and take samples, may be extremely difficult. Even then, the existence of such evidence will not necessarily indicate that an alien object landed. What about a helicopter? Well, that depends on the shape of the crushed remains. If it’s a big circle, well you have to wonder what sort of object made those impressions.
That takes us to the peculiar appearances of so-called crop circles around the world. Certainly a fair number of them have been created by would-be artists who want to show off the work. But it’s also true that UFOs have been reported in the vicinity of some of these crop circles around the time they first appear. What are we to make of that?
There are also the highly personal experiences that are not accompanied by any sort of physical or photographic evidence. Someone sees a strange apparition in the attic, or while taking a stroll at night along a lonely country road. Or maybe they find objects displaced in their kitchen. Even if a so-called paranormal investigator or ghost hunter travels to that home and sees the moved objects left untouched, that doesn’t prove how they got to the new locations. Even stacked pots and pans could have been put there by someone playing a prank, but if it happens when nobody is present, you have to wonder just what may be afoot.
Now if you’re a regular listener to The Paracast, you have heard guests who claim to possess evidence of all sorts of strange events. Often that evidence is, in whole or part, posted on their Web sites or in a book or magazine article, so you can judge whether the data is credible or not. On some occasions, the guest will promise to post the evidence, but somehow it never seems to happen, or they will refuse claiming they’ll only give it out to a credentialed scientist.
You may also Google information on paranormal happenings only to find that the alleged evidence varies in quality. Some of the photographs and soil trace readings seem unusual, while others seem to be little more than amateurish fakes. In the end, you may have to simply place your trust in someone you don’t know, hoping their words, and the sound their voice will be sufficient for you to make a decision about their credibility.
As you know if you’re a regular listener, your humble hosts will continue to ask guests to prove their case. When the evidence is available for public consumption, there’s a lot to talk about, although it still may take professional investigators, scientists and engineers to figure out what it all means. Or maybe you can only depend on your gut to tell you whom to believe and whom to disbelieve. Certainly if you’ve experienced some strange events yourself, or have family members or friends who have had paranormal experiences, you may have something with which to judge the claims of others.
In the end, though, the real question is whether it’s really possible to prove that UFOs and other unusual events are real, hoaxes, or just products of someone’s imagination. The jury is still out on that one.
The Paracast Copyright 1999-2012 Making The Impossible, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Privacy Policy: Your personal information is safe with us. We will positively never give out your name and/or e-mail address to anybody else, and that's a promise!
April 21, 2012
Amazing Crop Circle Evidence and Psychic Phenomena Explored on The Paracast
Special Announcement: The Paracast is heard Sundays from 2:00 AM until 5:00 AM Central Time on the GCN Radio Network and affiliates around the USA, and online across the globe via download and on-demand streaming.
Please Consider a Donation to The Paracast: Although ads help cover a small part of our expenses, the income they produce is never enough. Also, we do not receive any revenue from the ads placed on the show by our network or local stations. So we hope you're able to help fill the gap if you can to help us cover increasing server costs and other expenses -- or perhaps provide a little extra cash for lunch. No contribution is too small (or too large
. We have a Donate link on our home page, below the logo and audio player. There's also a Donate link on our forums, at the bottom of the sidebar on the right. Or just send your PayPal donation direct to sales (at) theparacast (dot) com.Attention U.S. Listeners: Help Us Bring The Paracast to Your City! In the summer of 2010, The Paracast joined the GCN radio network. This represented a huge step in bringing our show to a larger, mainstream audience. But we need your help to add additional affiliates to our growing network. Please ask one of your local talk stations if they are interested in carrying The Paracast. Feel free to contact us directly with the names of programming people we might be able to contact on your behalf. We can't do this alone, and if you succeed in convincing your local station to carry the show, we'll reward you with one of our special T-shirts, and other goodies. With your help, The Paracast can grow into one of the most popular paranormal shows on the planet!
Please Visit Our Brand New Online Store: You asked, and we answered. We are now taking orders for The Official Paracast T-Shirt and an expanded collection of other specially customized merchandise. To get your T-Shirt now featuring our brand new logo, just pay a visit to our online store at The Official Paracast Store to select your size and place your order. We also offer a complete lineup of other premium merchandise for your family, your friends and your business contacts.
Sunday, April 22, 2012: The Paracast covers a world beyond science, where UFOs, poltergeists and strange phenomena of all kinds have been reported by millions across the planet.
Set Up: The Paracast is a paranormal radio show that takes you on a journey to a world beyond science, where UFOs, poltergeists and strange phenomena of all kinds have been reported by millions. The Paracast seeks to shed light on the mysteries and complexities of our Universe and the secrets that surround us in our everyday lives.
Join long-time paranormal researcher Gene Steinberg, co-host Christopher O'Brien, and a panel of special guest experts and experiencers, as they explore the realms of the known and unknown. Listen each week to the great stories of the history of the paranormal field in the 20th and 21st centuries.
This Week's Episode: Gene and Chris present crop circle investigator Nancy Talbott. During this episode, we'll be reporting the very latest developments in her ongoing research, including key lab reports. Much of this material is already posted on her site: BLT Research - Crop Circle Science, so you can follow the evidence that she'll be revealing on this week's show. Nancy will also offer an update on the unusual phenomena reportedly experienced by Robbert van den Broeke, a young Dutchman and possible psychic, who lives in the southern Netherlands' village of Hoeven.
Christopher O'Brien's Site: Home - Our Strange Planet
Nancy Talbott's Site: BLT Research - Crop Circle Science
Robbert van den Broeke's Site: Robbert van den Broeke \ Home
Reminder: Please don't forget to visit our famous Paracast Community Forums for the latest news/views/debates on all things paranormal: The Paracast Community Forums. We recently completed a major update that makes our community easier to navigate, and social network friendly.
Another Look at the Need for Evidence
By Gene Steinberg
A very important subject in our paranormal universe is the threshold of evidence. What does it take to convince skeptics of the reality of a strange event, such as a UFO sighting, or perhaps a strange creature traipsing through the forest? Perhaps even more important, what does it take to convince mainstream science that such things are real?
With a UFO sighting, a simultaneous visual and radar report, both showing something weird in the same location, is considered compelling. When it comes to still photos and movies, the evidence is rather more questionable. In the old days, hoaxers used models, hubcaps and other implements with which to fake photos. These days, you don’t need physical objects. A decent knowledge of how to manipulate photos in Adobe Photoshop may deliver results that may sometimes even fool professionals. When you’re manipulating images on the pixel level, it isn’t hard to add or subtract content, such as removing the telltale cables holding the model of an alleged spaceship overhead, but clumsy cutting and pasting and possible digital artifacts will reveal the truth.
At best, photographic evidence may work best when buttressed with the testimony of several independent eyewitnesses who describe basically the same thing, considering the imprecision of human interpretation of surprise events of short duration. So even if an investigator is unsure of the validity of visual evidence, assuming no smoking guns confirm that it’s a fake, reasonably consistent testimony from witnesses who don’t appear to be in collusion with one another still paints a compelling picture of something strange going on.
Then there is trace evidence. If a UFO is seen landing in a field, you may discover clear and present evidence of the impact of heat and possible radiation in the soil, grass or bushes that may lie within or near the site. But persuading a scientist to actually take the readings, examine the evidence and take samples, may be extremely difficult. Even then, the existence of such evidence will not necessarily indicate that an alien object landed. What about a helicopter? Well, that depends on the shape of the crushed remains. If it’s a big circle, well you have to wonder what sort of object made those impressions.
That takes us to the peculiar appearances of so-called crop circles around the world. Certainly a fair number of them have been created by would-be artists who want to show off the work. But it’s also true that UFOs have been reported in the vicinity of some of these crop circles around the time they first appear. What are we to make of that?
There are also the highly personal experiences that are not accompanied by any sort of physical or photographic evidence. Someone sees a strange apparition in the attic, or while taking a stroll at night along a lonely country road. Or maybe they find objects displaced in their kitchen. Even if a so-called paranormal investigator or ghost hunter travels to that home and sees the moved objects left untouched, that doesn’t prove how they got to the new locations. Even stacked pots and pans could have been put there by someone playing a prank, but if it happens when nobody is present, you have to wonder just what may be afoot.
Now if you’re a regular listener to The Paracast, you have heard guests who claim to possess evidence of all sorts of strange events. Often that evidence is, in whole or part, posted on their Web sites or in a book or magazine article, so you can judge whether the data is credible or not. On some occasions, the guest will promise to post the evidence, but somehow it never seems to happen, or they will refuse claiming they’ll only give it out to a credentialed scientist.
You may also Google information on paranormal happenings only to find that the alleged evidence varies in quality. Some of the photographs and soil trace readings seem unusual, while others seem to be little more than amateurish fakes. In the end, you may have to simply place your trust in someone you don’t know, hoping their words, and the sound their voice will be sufficient for you to make a decision about their credibility.
As you know if you’re a regular listener, your humble hosts will continue to ask guests to prove their case. When the evidence is available for public consumption, there’s a lot to talk about, although it still may take professional investigators, scientists and engineers to figure out what it all means. Or maybe you can only depend on your gut to tell you whom to believe and whom to disbelieve. Certainly if you’ve experienced some strange events yourself, or have family members or friends who have had paranormal experiences, you may have something with which to judge the claims of others.
In the end, though, the real question is whether it’s really possible to prove that UFOs and other unusual events are real, hoaxes, or just products of someone’s imagination. The jury is still out on that one.
The Paracast Copyright 1999-2012 Making The Impossible, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Privacy Policy: Your personal information is safe with us. We will positively never give out your name and/or e-mail address to anybody else, and that's a promise!