Algae as Fuel

With the navy's move shifting toward newer and greener fuel bases, it's clear that the new fleet's primary concerns list fuel among their top priorities.  And now a ship running off of algae promises to be one of the most effective and interesting looking steps toward a military that not only protects the people of its nation but can utilize resources from almost any source, even growing its own fuel onboard or harvesting it from the sea.  The move is part of a cooperative to make the fleets entirely independent of fuel by the year 2020.

Listed among the possibilities for fuel sources in the year 2020 are nuclear reactors to power ships, solar panels to be used as backup and supplementary generators, and a new development - algae laced fuels.  The fuel currently being used relies on 50% algae and 50% diesel fuel.  The emissions have been hailed as being far less toxic and unlike ethanol, the fuel does not require a massive burning off of food crops in order to sustain it.  The claim that the emissions are less toxic than ethanol may be misleading as the term "toxic" does not necessarily mean lower carbon emissions, but the move is certainly a step toward a more sustainable and economically intelligent military.

The ship was first tested the 22nd of October during a training exercise involving several ships in a wargame-like scenario.  And the exercise has been hailed largely as a huge success.  Is this the military of the future?  Can we expect a green military concerned with its environment as much as it is with victory?

The development is not, however, motivated entirely by ecological interest alone.  In fact, the military in producing this algae driven fuel is in fact making a very intelligent tactical decision as well.  As fuel supplies are a concern in the United States, a lack of fuel or requiring fuel resources to be stockpiled and stored away may grind a military force to a halt.  If the fuel supply were disrupted in any large way, it could rush military forces in a predictable and tactically unsound way toward supply lines in an attempt to retake them.  But if the military were to run exclusively off of power sources that were easily replaced and even grown on the ships themselves this could drop the costs and the supply chain almost entirely from the equation.

But it's not quite the holy grail of military technologies just yet as development still must be made for growing and processing the fuel.  At the moment with the systems in place the algae based fuel systems can cost up to $23,320 per 55-gallon container.  And if this sounds outrageous, keep in mind it is only $24 per gallon over the current cost of diesel.  While the diesel itself is relatively cheap, its transportation requires such a large cost that in just a few years this and other technologies may actually save the military money in the long run in addition to being tactically superior.

Did God create Man or Man create God?

DOES GOD EXIST?

Here is one of the most controversial and most debated issue that exist from the day man 'created' god. Many would have asked this question at some point at some time in life- 'Does God Exist?' and they would have got an answer be it either positive or negative. Well in today's world religion plays an important role everywhere be it politics, education, various issues and even terrorism.

Why Religion was founded?

There are many religions although Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Judaism and Buddhism are the most followed ones. Scientist predict that humans had been living on this planet for about 70,000 to 1,00,000 years. But even the oldest of the religions are not older than 5000 years. What made humans to create religions, create god, rituals, practices, etc. From my understanding and experience HUMANS ALWAYS NEED QUICK SOLUTIONS TO QUESTIONS. The solution need not be perfectly correct but it must be satisfying to all and SIMPLE. There are a lot of unanswered questions about universe, nature, etc. Early humans who were not so intelligent as we are today(This might be true about us too when future generations see us as nomadic) were so much fascinated by all the things around them. To give an explanation they created GOD. Then to add spice to the concept, they brought all the doctrines, practices which we see in today's religions. For every question for which they can't find a solution, they attributed it to majestic effect of GOD, because the solution is SIMPLE and satisfying. However they also made some assumptions. GOD has no beginning, no end, he can simultaneously listen to all of us inside our heads, he answers prayers, he gives us what we ask, he punishes us when we do wrong.. blah blah blah.. By adding more things they gave more and more powers to god. To make things more interesting they created a nemesis for god and its satan or devil or whatever they term it. Every evil or bad thing is associated with him.

Ok now everybody thinks that everything is fine and religions teach morals and are making humans 'good' but now comes the main issue- there is not only one religion alone in this world. There are a lot of them! Religious texts which speak about many things does not convey good about the non followers or followers of other religions. This automatically makes the staunch followers of a religion to develop enmity for other religions. This has even lead to terrorism in today's world! Consider a normal human behaviour- A person forms a group to promote his ideologies. What does he want? More members in his group!! That's what religions wanted to. They wanted to make people follow them. The more the people follow the more stronger they become. Every religion talks about brotherhood among its own religious group members but not on humanity as whole. They consider the non followers as evil, cruel, etc.. This clearly shows the motive. Not to forget about different facts within a religion itself. They have their own fight inside too. Even though there are good things done in the name of religion, i feel that there are more bad things happening and going to happen.

Religion vs Science

Speaking about the relationship between science and religion! One of my favourite topics and every time it makes to laugh at all those folks who say the latest scientific facts had been stated long back in their religious texts. Then why would anyone reinvent and announce them? The time when religions were found, became the dark age of humanity. This was the period in which most scientific practices were abolished, banned since it questioned the religions texts. There were a lot of ancient mathematicians, scientists in ancient Rome, Greece who did a lot of very interesting work and did many inventions but all of a sudden after them there was a long break until Galileo, Copernicus and others showed themselves. Why is this gap? Who created it? The culprit is the religion! Even in the medieval times if someone had to do scientific work they had to go underground to save their heads. This shows the stupidity and arrogance of religious dogma which says it should not be questioned. Simply ridiculous because most of the findings, inventions, discoveries come from questioning which was prohibited by religions. However humans came out of the darkness to find the truth in science. Now when science has taken an upper hand religions claim they are scientific if not superior to science. I don't understand how these people could relate scientific discoveries which required a lot of intelligence to religious dogma which is nothing but stupidity. No wonder some religions today proclaim themselves as scientific religion!

Now coming back to the most important concept in religion- ' GOD CREATED UNIVERSE AND EVERYTHING IN IT'. This is what believed by most of people today. I almost laugh at their ignorance and blind belief. Have you people heard of scientific discoveries today? What is universe? Our universe is composed of billions and billions of galaxies with each galaxy consisting of billions and billions of stars. Can you imagine the number? Now consider the distance between stars! Its in 'Light years'. Light has the fastest speed today(may be there might be some particle in future which can travel faster than light) and it takes years for it to travel between stars! Then imagine the colossal size of universe.

Now what is the basic ingredient that makes all these? Its atoms and particles inside them which are very very minute that it takes most powerful microscope to view them. Now there are even theories emerging to show the composition of the particles like protons, electrons themselves. Science is fascinating.

Human intelligence had grown but along with it also their stupidity too! Despite all these proved facts most of the humans still attribute all these to unproven 'God'. Ridiculous isn't it? Even the scientific discoveries are attributed to god. The religious folks not only relate science to them but also the scientists who are behind it. They claim that most scientists are theists. They do not leave even the greatest scientist 'Albert Einstein' himself claiming that he believes in 'God' although he clearly states he does not believe in personal 'God' and used the term in simply metaphorical ways. Recently today's greatest scientist 'Stephen Hawking' stated the same about universe against the existence of GOD. After this i can see a lot of hatred comments against him and ridiculously even about his scientific knowledge! This virtual blindness is the result of the blind faith in religion. The difference between religion and science is wide. Science always accepts mistakes and it continuously changes, improves and relies only verified solutions. Religion on the other hand is clearly dogma, does not change. For instance newtons theories are challenged by Einstein's and are even replaced by Einstein's theories. This is science. But can you ever change a religious text which states god created universe in 7 days into something like it took 8 days? Never! Clearly religion cannot even come near science and there are light years distance between them.

Politics and Religion

Well if the religions do not benefit science they do benefit Politics! Most politicians are concerned about their vote banks and nothing else( remember the group example i said. It applies even here). To attract large vote banks they have a simple way- Religion. Even in America which is a considered as a hot bed for science the motto is 'God bless America'. Can any USA president openly criticize religion nor any scientist would escape criticism if he criticizes religion. Certainly not. Politics is one of the major reasons why religion is still thriving today.

The Blind Superstitions

What about the ridiculous stories told by religions. Worst thing is people even believe in them! The concept of heaven, hell, God flying, recreation, concept of soul, all are noting but ridiculous. The stories in religious texts do not even use slightest of brain! I feel they are even hard to believe than fairy tales. Also we should not question them. Ridiculous isn't it. Most religions say God is responsible for our actions but we will be pushed to hell if we do wrong. Does this makes sense? If god does everything why should we get punishment? Worse thing is about prayers. Whatever we need we can pray to god and he will provide. Its awful that many people believe in prayers more than they believe in themselves.

Cruel things done by religion

Now speaking about cruelties done by religion- It starts from long back when no followers were persecuted, the crusades, conflicts between religions to present day's terrorism. Consider two people, two staunch followers of different religions, both don't have any enmity but they might hate each other just because religion! There had been a lot of bloodsheds in the name of religion if not the most. Certain 'self proclaimed' intelligent speakers claim that atheism had even lead to bloodshed citing to two most dictators namely Hitler and Stalin. I request them to use some logic. Hitler and Stalin did not do cruelties in the name of Atheism or just because they are atheist. But many cruelties are the strait effects of religion. I think people are witnessing many and I need not provide examples. The worst thing is how apostate are treated by religions. People do have their own options and rights and religions should not override them. Many religions even persecute apostates. Is this what religions proclaims as good?

The future of Religions

Do we need God and religion these days? Definitely not! Do god exist and whether anyone had seen him?- Definitely not! Humans had found better solutions to questions but these religions are like bad old habits. Its difficult to get rid of them but ultimately we should and we will! There is no space for blind faiths in this era of scientific truths. Most people culminate religions in the mind of their young at an early age. Even worse most education institutions have religions as their backbone and spread them in the young minds. Teach kids to believe in themselves rather than believing in non-existent 'God' or 'prayers'. If this is stopped I am sure religions would be wiped off faster.

Design unveiled for world's fastest car

Farnborough:

A British team aiming to smash the current land speed record has unveiled the design of a pencil-shaped car that it hopes will travel at more than 1,000 miles (1,609 kms) an hour.

After three years of aerodynamic research, construction is about to begin on the Bloodhound Supersonic Car which will be powered by a jet engine and a rocket with the record attempt slated for 2012 in South Africa.

"We have fixed the shape," said Andy Green, the Royal Air Force fighter pilot who will drive the Bloodhound as it attempts to speed into the record books.

"Because of the modelling we have done, we know this shape will go to 1,000 miles an hour. Now we are actually going to get on and build it."

The same team, led by Briton Richard Noble, hold the current record of 763 mph set in 1997. At that stage Green became the first man to travel at supersonic speed on land, breaking the sound barrier.

Powered by a combination of a Typhoon fighter's jet engine and a Falcon rocket, the car unveiled at the Farnborough International Air Show will develop 135,000 horse power or 180 times the power of a Formula 1 car.

The record attempt, on a dry lake bed, will see it accelerate from stationary to 1,000 mph (1,609 kmph) in 4.5 miles (7.25 km) in 45 seconds.

But the team say their mission is not just to break the land speed record - they want to inspire the next generation of engineers and technologists.

Since the project was announced in October 2008 at the Science Museum in London, more than 1.5 million British school children have become involved in the Bloodhound Education programme.

"God Helmet"

In the University of Sudbury, Canada, there is a device that reportedly synthesizes paranormal experiences by manipulating the brain by using electromagnetic stimulation at specific and complex frequencies and patterns. Test subjects report with relative consistency that their experiences using the "God Helmet" are so profoundly spiritual that they feel absolutely real. But does this make illegitimate the experiences of those who simply had the experiences outside of Dr. Michael Persinger's lab?

It's a deeply important and prevalent question. Is the paranormal an internal or an external force? And would the discovery of an internal source for consistent paranormal activity cause said activity to lose its paranormal "edge" and immediately cause it to become mundane? To examine the subject, let's take a look at the concept of near death experiences. Throughout time, near death experiences have manifest to people of all religious backgrounds, ages, and lifestyles with some regularity. Often these experiences are seen as sharing several themes in which the subject appears to see concepts and objects beyond their understanding along with strong emotions that either trigger inescapable fear and dispair or equally dramatic peace and understanding with the universe around them. It is the intensity of these emotions that often give them cause to change their entire lives (generally in a way they would consider to be better) and give hope to not only them, but those with whom they communicate. And there has been an incredibly thorough study of what exactly causes this going on since the 1970's. And Dr. Michael Persinger thinks he has the answer. Unfortunately, it is not one many want to hear.


An out of body experience is one where a person who is near death perceives themselves leaving their body and stepping outside of it into a room where they quickly find themselves drawn to a tunnel with a light at the end of it. As they travel down this tunnel, they are often met with spiritual imagery that is significant to them. Usually it's positive and hopeful, but occasionally it is negative and terrifying. As they go through the experience they often are told at the end that they must return to Earth for reasons beyond the understanding of the patient having the experience, and they awaken shortly thereafter. Is this a Jungian concept of death and transformation manifest into a dream state brought on by incredible trauma and stress? Or is the brain perceiving an external world which is triggered by this stress and trauma?


Dr. Persinger's study has shown that those wearing the "god helmet," a motorcycle with electrodes attached to it that bombard areas of the brain with specific magnetic frequency, can manifest any number of hallucinations ranging from speaking with dead relatives to seeing ghosts to actually feeling death and the experiences that follow.


But to say the god helmet can consistently explain the paranormal as a hallucination would be comparable to claiming that a television proves that the people on it were fictional. Is it not possible for the experiences to parallel real experiences without necessarily proving or disproving the existence of these concepts outside of the self?

Exorcism Via Internet

A Brazilian man claiming to be possessed by a dybbuk, or spirit, sought the spiritual guidance of Rav Chaim Kanievsky through friends of his. What he received was the first documented case of an exorcism performed via the internet telephone program Skype. It was a far different scene from exorcisms performed in films and was the first such "remote" exorcism performed by a Rabbi using the internet.

When Rav Chaim first heard the pleas of a small group of friends who said their friend was possessed, he asked several questions in order to ascertain whether this was indeed a dybbuk or merely mental illness manifesting as some form of supernatural oppression complex. When he ascertained that the demon appeared to be real, he recommended they speak with a more expert Rabbi on the subject of dybbuks. He recommended Rav Shteinman who forwarded them to Rav Dovid Batzri who is a well respected expert in the field of exorcisms. Unfortunately Rav Batzri was in Israel far from the Brazilian man's home. The solution? Patch Rav Batzri in through a live Skype feed and attempt the exorcism remotely.


As the exorcism began through live video, they did not connect with the entity and the exorcism failed. Of course this was no surprise to Kanievsky, who declared that remote exorcism would not be more successful via video phone as the person's presence was required for the ritual to succeed. Curently the Brazilian man is recovering from the exorcism, but it is unknown if the ritual was a success. After the Skype experiment failed, his friends arranged for him to travel to Israel where the exorcism took place under the guidance of myriad Rabbis, but including Kanievsky and Shteinman.


The inability of Rabbis to perform an exorcism may sound like bad news, but consider this: If an exorcism fails through an internet connection it would stand to reason that evil spirits (using a generalized editorial term) cannot travel directly via information but require some form of vessel in order to transport themselves. This may be good news for those who genuinely believe themselves afflicted by the ghosts of haunted websites or email chain letters. So this would put to rest the concept of spectral negative energy traveling through email altogether.


It may sound laughable, but the sheer number of chain letters traveling through the information superhighway at any given moment driven by superstition is absolutely staggering. If the experiment performed by Rav Batzri was any indicator of ghostly transferal through the electronic medium then these were sent out of false fears "just to be safe."


On the other hand, every medium throughout history that developed also evolved mystically. First it was images, hieroglyphs, and runes that were magically imbued or likewise cursed. Then it was the spoken word, incantations, and chants that held magical power. After that it was books, such as the Egyptian book of the dead. Film has now been likewise magically imbued, but it is now the internet that appears to become an almost haunted spectral place. How do we know the images of ghosts we so casually transmit from one place to another and the texts we have running through the very space around us and encompassing everywhere a wireless internet port is available isn't likewise haunted somehow?

Regeneration

Scientists have discovered that there is a gene within us all that prevents fast healing and limb regeneration, and that it can be turned "off" in some mice.  The discovery hopes to harbor in a new age where organ donation will not be required for patients to recover from damaged tissue, and we could grow our arms and legs back even if they were crippled beyond repair or removed entirely.

The P21 Gene, as it is called, was first discovered in creatures such as flatworms, which can turn from one organism into two if cut in half.  Could scientists one day sever an arm and hope to recover an entire human from the tissue?  Academics from the Wistar Institute have many speculating that this science fiction theory may one day soon become a reality.

The primary difference between a damaged animal with typical healing associated with those with the P21 gene and those lacking the gene has to do with how cell tissue forms after the damaged tissue begins the healing process.  Traditionally, the P21 gene results in damaged tissue turning into a scar, and closing up a wound in the simplest way possible.  The P21 gene, when turned off, allows for the development of a blastema, which is a source of rapid cellular development.  The structure allows all cells of damaged animals to behave more like embryonic stem cells than typical cells of adult humans.  The embryonic cells have within them the blueprints for the greater whole and move to make that whole more like the original.  Scientists hope to be able to deactivate the P21 gene after birth temporarily and be able to allow for a cellular re-growth of damaged limbs and organs that could result in life long after normal cellular regeneration would stop.

Imagine losing a finger in a carpentry accident.  Normally the wound would have to be cauterized and/or succored, then the area where the wound was would eventually close up leaving scar tissue.  But you would in the end be minus a finger.  With the P21 cellular regeneration, DNA from the healing cells would regenerate the finger slowly and re-grow it complete with bones, nerve endings, and all other required elements into what would eventually become a new digit just like the first.

There is, however, a downside to creatures with an inactive P21 gene.  The P21 gene is used largely to prevent cancer.  Luckily, mice with reported inactive P21 genes have not reported any increase in cancer.  Hopefully this trend will continue as research is done on humans.  Cellular division on this scale is virtually unprecedented in humans.  If scientists can find a way to render the P21 inactive, it could revolutionize the medical industry forever.  As with most things, however, many people fear that the technology will not be developed if there is no money in it.  But there are incredibly potent avenues for research to become quite profitable, as the process itself would no doubt be a very expensive one.  In the future, we may no longer have to worry about losing organs and/or limbs if this research becomes as fruitful as scientists hope.

"Power Armor"

In the fictional battlefields of sci-fi future specially trained soldiers are often depicted as using "power armor" to help them jump incredibly high, lift vehicles over their heads, and carry incredibly heavy equipment without being weighed down by its encumbrance.  So called Power Armor was once thought as a fantasy, but developers in Japan have embraced the idea and developed powered exoskeletons for law enforcement.

 

The suits have jointed motors that take the strength of the user and amplify it.  If a user lifts up a 100 lb dumbbell, but can only lift 70 lbs the suit can pick up the slack.  Sensors indicate the weight of the object, and cut the difference making a 100 lb dumbbell feel as though it weighed a far easier 50 lbs.  The suit itself braces the back and arms lifting as much as it can and distributing the rest to the user's muscles.  There is also a voice recognition system that takes commands the user gives.  For example, there is a considerably different muscle response from jumping over a vehicle to lifting a heavy crate.  Though the suits are not yet designed to be able to jump like this, it serves as an example of future dexterous endeavors that may be undertaken by the developers.

Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology's Professor Shigeki Toyama is leading a team working to develop the power-suits.  Toyama is planning on developing a corporation to start production and sales of the power suits before December of this year.  Soon the product could be sold to law enforcement and military contracts, but also could be useful in warehouses and on farms where strength is key.

What will the cost be?  If you're planning on reenacting your favorite scene from Aliens using one of these suits you may have to pay one million yen (equivalent to $12,500 US) unless you want to wait until mass production halves the cost of the suit, which the makers estimate will likely happen shortly assuming demand for the suits is high enough.  Unfortunately, these suits are not being currently considered for sales overseas.  Of course this is natural at the moment, since the development stage is testing the market for a new product like this that has never been seen before.  It is likely that there will soon after be limited access in the US and then eventually a sister company will be set up that will produce the suits for military and industrial contracts shortly afterward.

Potential developments from this product would also be incredibly useful for astronauts should they ever find themselves on a planet surface such as Mars.  If the motor functions can amplify strength, they could also be calibrated to assist Mars explorers in gathering materials without worrying about their muscles becoming too used to the light surface of Mars.

Will the future of technology be implementing suits to enhance the strength of its users?  It's no secret that mobility is of the greatest importance to the military.  And if technological strength can be translated into physical strength, then it seems there will be far more physical powerhouses in the battlefield of tomorrow.

The Girl Who Never Ages

A young girl is under the scrutiny of scientists who say she may be one of the most important finds in the often sought fountain of youth.  The girl has been alive for seventeen years, but still looks and behaves like a one-year-old child.  She weighs 16 lbs and is only 30 inches in height.  Most people who see her say Brooke Greenberg is only a toddler.  But Brooke Greenberg is almost old enough to vote.  Scientists say the child is suffering from a rare genetic mutation.  And if scientists map her genome as they are hoping to do, they may find out why.

Brooke, age 17

When many scientists look at Brooke Greenburg, they see an opportunity to discover why we age.  When her mother sees her, she sees the girl who will never grow up - literally.  Researchers at the University of South Florida School of Medicine, led by Richard Walker, have suggested that the girl's rare condition is an opportunity for the team to study something that they have been attempting to uncover for years: why we age.  There are several theories, but the actual mechanics behind the aging process are often unclear or misleading.  "If we can compare her genome," Walker says, "to the normal version then we might be able to find those genes and see exactly what the do and how to control them."

Age is a matter that all humans have to come to terms with at some point in their lives.  We are born, we reach a peak age, and then we begin gradually to deteriorate before we die.  But what about a world where we didn't age?  That's the question several scientists are proposing.  If genes could be studied accurately, then not only could the aging process potentially be halted, there are some who suggest it could even be (in some ways) reversed.  Of course this field of research is still new, and there are a thousand different avenues of research that could help the whole world.

Meanwhile, life for Melanie and Howard Greenberg goes on in the suburb where they live.  It's a struggle as they continue to help Brooke through her life as an eternal toddler, changing her, rocking her to sleep, and attempting to teach her to speak.  Brooke crawls, smiles, and giggles when tickled, but has not yet mastered the art of speech.  In addition, she has suffered several potentially deadly illnesses and conditions.  But the girl who may hold the future in her genes is not without hope.  As research into her condition continues she may not only help others, but herself as well.  Scientists have already discovered that parts of her body are aging, just at different speeds.  Those researching her case have suggested that it's likely that her genes have been damaged in such a way that it makes it difficult for her body to coordinate the rate at which her body develops.  Scientists suggest if they could only figure out which gene, they could switch it on and off at will.  And maybe switching it on in Brooke would help her develop into an adult.  Would it be possible to then stop aging for the rest of us?

Mystery Signal Faster than Speed of Light

A radio signal coming from deep space has been tracked by scientists and measured with a sideways trajectory to be moving faster than the speed of light.  The strange object is located somewhere within the nearby M82 galaxy and was first picked up last May as astronomers at the Jodrell Bank Center for Astrophyics near Macclesfield, UK were tracking a nearby stellar explosion thought to be unrelated.

The object appears to be transmitting radio waves that do not follow the patterns of traditional radio waves associated with known astronomical phenomena.  The galaxy M82 (also known as Messier 82) is approximately at RA 9h55m52.72s Dec 69'40'50.30" if one was to use an astronomical charting program or search "Messier 82."

The bright spot is baffling scientists, and many believe the signal indicates an object of artificial origin.  Could this be the life we have been searching the skies for so long?  Or could it possibly be an unknown natural phenomenon or even a hoax?  If it indeed turns out to be a hoax, scientists have been unable to determine how it could have been perpetrated for the last two years that it has been observed.

The most unexplainable aspect of this isn't that we have observed an object transmitting radio waves.  Of course any number of natural phenomena is capable of sending out radio signals.  The problem is, no one is sure how it could be emitting radio waves in the steady signal it is, if it was a micro-quasar and not be emitting X-rays as well.  A micro-quasar is an object that is created by an exploding star.  The problem with the microquasar theory, is twofold.  First, no known microquasar has ever sent out such a strong radio signal as what has been observed with the M82 anomaly.  Second, the lack of X-rays is clearly indicative of something else.  Of course what that is, exactly is entirely unknown to scientists.

One theory posits that it may be an extraterrestrial signal, the likes of which SETI has been scanning the skies looking for, for years.  They propose that the only way the speed of light could be transcended would be to create an artificial spacecraft capable of moving faster than light speed.  Then again, our understanding of this concept is only in its infant stages, and we don't even know if what we're observing is possible yet.

Another theory is that a black hole or an unknown object similar to a black hole is growing, gathering all the energy around it into itself.  If such an object were in any number of the unexplored types of environments within space, it is possible it could be moving like a chain in a way that looks like it may be traveling, but in reality could simply be creating new radio sources simultaneously over a vast distance just as the previous one dies out.  Whatever the source, we're sure to be hearing quite a bit from M82.  And perhaps in time we'll notice a pattern (either from artificial or natural origin) that could help us decode its source and purpose.

Bleeding Image

Church officials are dictating caution after an incident in Argentina leaves many people filled with awe.  An image of Christ in the small church has begun to weep what many are calling blood from a head wound from where the crown of thorns is said to have rested.  The image has been sending chills up the spines of many devout believers and giving hope to throngs of people that pray for the image will prove to be genuine and give them hope.

The church has been skeptical of new claims of holy images suddenly manifesting a form of divine revelation such as a statue or icon bleeding or otherwise displaying divine properties.  Additionally the challenges facing those who attempt to verify or debunk these cases are facing increased challenges as means of propagating hoaxes either out of genuine intentions of giving hope to people worldwide or to seek fame and profit from their fake images increases in its complexity.  The further along the craft of perpetrating hoaxes comes the more challenging it will be for those attempting to discover the truth will be in this and many other matters of a supernatural or divine nature.  As a result the church has purposefully held a sort of moratorium on divine images manifesting privately to small organizations in the hopes of not investing their time after a slew of hoaxes in 2009 and the beginning of 2010.  And it appears father Jorge Gandur is not wishing to deceive people either.  After the image was discovered he held a meeting to tell the public to be careful before declaring this image genuine.  He furthermore cautioned that there had been hoaxes elsewhere in the past and though it may be tempting to consider this incident a factual one, that it could be devastating for some who placed their faith in a miracle that never took place.

But one must admit that the image is compelling to look at.  A single gash of red flows down from the left brow past the eyes and mouth in a way many historians suggest may have been exactly like the crown of thorns.  The church has been inundated with massive amounts of visitors making the pilgrimage from all over the area and church has been subsequently held mass outside to avoid dangerous overcrowding in the building.  Streets are packed with people all wishing to catch a glimpse of the perplexing mystery.  Father Gandur has also declared himself on the side of the people saying he will not support a hoax, and that divine wisdom would in time make it apparent whether the bleeding image was a genuine miracle or not.

In 2004 a statue of the Virgin Mary was seen to be weeping oil with a perfumed smell to it.  Upon closer inspection the statue was seen to be weeping a commercially available oil that could be bought from several vendors from the area.  As further analysis was done it became apparent that the statue was likely a hoax, much to the chagrin of many believers.  There are, however, several other icons such as the one in Syracuse New York in 1949 that to this day remains largely unexplainable.