Info-ParaNet Newsletters Volume I Number 453 Thursday, August 15th 1991 Today's Topics: Hi Clark!! (none) How to build your own dinosaur or reptilian... Gulf Breeze News Bentwaters Update glossary of terms Re: Bennewitz Re: The Coverup Re: ROSWELL on UNSOLVED MYSTERIES Re: Alternative hypothesis for UFOs? l in 40 Re: Alternative hypothesis for UFOs? Re: NEW PLANET Bennewitz Redux Re: subscription cancellation Re: **** Warning ***** Re: UFOs and Superconductors Re: Bennewitz Redux Re: **** Warning ***** Re: Bennewitz Redux Re: Alternative hypothesis for UFOs? Re: Alternative hypothesis for UFOs? Rainbow Declaration, (Long) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: dg-rtp.dg.com!grossg Subject: Hi Clark!! Date: 13 Aug 91 15:38:14 GMT From: grossg@dg-rtp.dg.com (Gene Gross) Say, old salt, wondered if I was getting through. I'm posting this from my UNIX system at the office. I've finally gotten my PC fixed. I swapped out the new 40 meg hard drive for an IDE 80 meg, and that seemed to fix the problem. I'm slowly loading all my old software back onto the system, so it might be another week or two before I'll be able to modem out into the world from home again. Well, back to the salt mines -- or is that the grind stone!? Later, Gene Gross -------------------------------------------------------------------- From: ecn.purdue.edu!lush Subject: (none) Date: 13 Aug 91 19:33:36 GMT From: lush@ecn.purdue.edu (Gregory B Lush) Subject: How to build your own dinosaur or reptilian... ...with things you probably have around your house. The following excerpts are from NYTimes, June 25, 1991 p C1. Begin Quoting: Scientists Study Ancient DNA for Glimpses of Past Worlds by Malcolm W. Browne Will it one day become possible to breed a living dinosaur for genes preserved in fossils? Although most scientists regard such an idea as unrealistic, a few have begun to conclude that it can no longer be dismissed out of hand. With luck, ingenuity, they say, geneticists might one day recover enough dinosaur DNA to create a beast that is reasonably close to the original. A major reason for their surprising optimism is the recent development of a laboratory technique called the polymerase chain reaction, or PCR. A method for amplifying minute quantities of genetic material, even if old and fragmentary, it has prompted a run by scientists on museum collections of extinct animals and plants, as well as on ancient human remains, in the hope of extracting any DNA, the basic genetic material, that has survived the centuries. (GBL: Switch now to a diagram with a side heading of:) Recipe for a Dinosaur 1. Find a bead of amber that contains a blood-sucking insect from the age of dinosaurs. 2. Extract genetic material from blood cells of a bitten dinosaur, and amplify DNA with the PCR technique. 3. Process and inject into embryo of an alligator. 4. Wait until it hatches. The recipe, suggested by Dr. George O. Poinar, Jr. of the University of California at Berkeley, makes many as-yet-untested assumptions, but exemplifies scientists' new hopes of recovering useful information from fossils with a method that allows the minutest samples of DNA to be analyzed. (Back to main article.) Paleontologists and anthropologists have begun using the technique as a window into the past, through which evolutionary paths, migration patterns, kinship and other relationships can be brought to light. Some early fruits of this research will be reported at 'Ancient DNA,' the first such international meeting, to be held at the University of Nottingham in England next month. How much of the distant past will prove visible through the PCR window is still a matter of conjecture. No one can yet answer the most basic questions, including how long DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid, can survive, how much can be inferred from degraded sections of the huge DNA molecules, or how trustworthy the extraction processes may be. (skipping...) 'Obviously, we couldn't reconstruct an extinct animal today, even if we had all its DNA,' he said in an interview. 'However, my belief is that there are dinosaur cells inside biting flies trapped in amber of Cretaceous age and older. It's just a matter of finding the dinosaur DNA and getting it out.' This idea, suggested by Dr. Poinar, was the basis of the best-selling science-fiction novel 'Jurasic Park,' by Dr. Michael Crichton (1990, Knopf). In the book, dinosaur DNA is combined with DNA in the eggs of modern amphibians or reptiles and the eggs are then incubated to produce live dinosaurs. The book is being made into a movie directed by Steven Spielberg. 'I think the idea is quite plausible,' Dr. Poinar said, 'and I feel the possibility for doing something like this will exist in the future.' While some microbiologists and paleontologists agree that dinosaur resuscitation might just be possible, others, including Dr. Svante Paabo of the University of Munich, a molecular geneticist who has investigated the DNA of various extinct species, discount the notion. 'I would say no, it can't be done,' Dr. Paabo said in an interview. Dr. Paabo, formerly of the University of California at Berkeley, worked with Dr. Allan Wilson and Dr. Russell G. Higuchi in 1984 on a landmark study of the DNA of the quagga, an extinct South African animal related to the horse. from an analysis of DNA extracted from a 140-year-old quagga skin preserved in a German museum, the Berkeley group determined that the quagga was a very close relative of the modern plains zebra and a much more distant relative of the horse. Dr. Paabo believes it would be impossible to recreate the quagga from its DNA, much less recreate a dinosaur. 'It's really impossible to do things like that,' he said. "It's theoretically possible to isolate the gene for a certain character, and introduce it into another species, if you thought that was worthwhile, which I do not. You could find the gene for the typical quagga color pattern, for example, and introduce it into a zebra. You would end up with something that looked like a quagga, but in reality, it would just be a zebra that looked like a quagga.' (There's more; I'm stopping here.) What has this to do with aliens? Well, if you meet a reptilian from Beta Repticula, you might want to ask him who his father is! (Please don't think that I believe there are reptilian aliens here.) That last sentence that I quoted is interesting. They seem to agree that one cannot recreate an extinct reptile, but you can make something LOOK like an extinct reptile! Is this limited to animals? Couldn't the same be done to humans? We have a lot more DNA available from humans than from extinct reptiles. Could you make Fred look like Barney (or Frieda!) with the right substitution of DNA? What if there were indeed aliens found on the Roswell site? With extraction of their DNA, could one make a human LOOK like an alien? If you now 'see' an alien, how can you be sure it doesn't just LOOK like an alien? (All this, assuming of course, that there are aliens to reproduce!) All you need is a (un)willing host. Haven't there been 'abductions' involving pregnancies? I heard once where a man can be a host for some time for a fetus. If a man can do that, could a cow also be a host for part of the pregnancy period? Could this explain cattle mutilations? Do we really need aliens to be responsible for mutilations or could it be a generic bunch of 'scientists.' No proof of anything here, just something to think about. Greg (lush@ecn.purdue.edu) -------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Michael.Corbin@p0.f428.n104.z1.FIDONET.ORG (Michael Corbin) Subject: Gulf Breeze News Date: 13 Aug 91 23:55:00 GMT > Anyway, the investigator's opinion is that most of the redlight > sightings are for real, while many others are caused by people fooling > around with flares. Since it's a seaside area, parachute flares are very > easy to come by. Thanks for the update. I would be curious to know how they determine which are the results of red-light flares and the real sightings? Thanks again. Mike -- Michael Corbin - via FidoNet node 1:104/422 UUCP: !scicom!paranet!User_Name INTERNET: Michael.Corbin@p0.f428.n104.z1.FIDONET.ORG -------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Michael.Corbin@p0.f428.n104.z1.FIDONET.ORG (Michael Corbin) Subject: Bentwaters Update Date: 13 Aug 91 23:57:00 GMT Thanks for the information. Mike -- Michael Corbin - via FidoNet node 1:104/422 UUCP: !scicom!paranet!User_Name INTERNET: Michael.Corbin@p0.f428.n104.z1.FIDONET.ORG -------------------------------------------------------------------- From: vanth!jms Subject: glossary of terms Date: 14 Aug 91 05:37:32 GMT From: vanth!jms@amix.commodore.com (Jim Shaffer) lush@ecn.purdue.edu (Gregory B Lush) writes: +I have been having trouble understanding what some people +are saying lately regarding 'gray' aliens because it seems +as though each person has a different meaning when they +speak of 'The Grays.' Would it be a good idea for ParaNet +to form a glossary of terms so that it is more clear +what is being said? The subject came up on alt.alien.visitors not too long ago, and I agreed that it was probably something that should be done, but I never decided exactly how to go about it. I mean, I tend to ramble on quite a bit, and if I wasn't careful I could end up writing a complete history of the phenomenon or something. We do need something of the sort, but it should be SHORT and TO THE POINT. +So that single individuals needn't do all the work, perhaps +the moderators could 'farm out' certain words for inclusion +and then simply edit them to suit uniformity. I'm sure that +readers have many ideas of their own for words to be included. +People can therefore just post them with a defining +sentence/paragraph. Everyone else can then pick it +apart and say what a great/lousy definition it is. Sounds good to me. Any volunteers for anything? Once I get my network connection fully switched over, I'll try to post some myself. -- uunet!cbmvax!amix!vanth!jms, in transition to uunet!snark!vanth!jms 'We're only immortal for a limited time.' (Rush, "Dreamline") -------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Linda.Bird@f100.n1010.z9.FIDONET.ORG (Linda Bird) Subject: Re: Bennewitz Date: 14 Aug 91 02:23:00 GMT Hi ! Sorry to take so long to answer - was out of town. I lloked at the catalog for Beckley's New Age/UFO Conf. and it is Al Bielek who will be talking on Sunday, Sept. 8. (Not Bennewitz) The catalog says: "Besides the Philadelphia Experiment, Bielek details additional Top Secret "Black" Projects which could lead to great advancements if the "Powers That Be" would come forward with information bound to shock all." Thanks for clearing this up! Linda -- Linda Bird - via FidoNet node 1:104/422 UUCP: !scicom!paranet!User_Name INTERNET: Linda.Bird@f100.n1010.z9.FIDONET.ORG -------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Linda.Bird@f100.n1010.z9.FIDONET.ORG (Linda Bird) Subject: Re: The Coverup Date: 14 Aug 91 02:25:00 GMT Hello Kurt, I have the article ready to send and will "snail" it out to you tomorrow!! Regards, Linda -- Linda Bird - via FidoNet node 1:104/422 UUCP: !scicom!paranet!User_Name INTERNET: Linda.Bird@f100.n1010.z9.FIDONET.ORG -------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Linda.Bird@f100.n1010.z9.FIDONET.ORG (Linda Bird) Subject: Re: ROSWELL on UNSOLVED MYSTERIES Date: 14 Aug 91 02:29:00 GMT Hello Steve: So what did you think of "Unsolved Mysteries" over there?? Best, Linda -- Linda Bird - via FidoNet node 1:104/422 UUCP: !scicom!paranet!User_Name INTERNET: Linda.Bird@f100.n1010.z9.FIDONET.ORG -------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Linda.Bird@f100.n1010.z9.FIDONET.ORG (Linda Bird) Subject: Re: Alternative hypothesis for UFOs? Date: 14 Aug 91 02:39:00 GMT Hi Clark, In a message to Will Martin on Aug. 10, you mentioned an animal called a "brachiopod" with a brain, etc. and referred to this creature as a dinosaur. I humbly hate to nit-pick, but my "Dictionary of Geologic Terms" tells me that a brachiopod is a "marine, shelled animal with two shells, etc." Did you perhaps mean a brontosaurus? Thanks, and I am here to tell ya that people correct MOI all the time! Best always! Linda -- Linda Bird - via FidoNet node 1:104/422 UUCP: !scicom!paranet!User_Name INTERNET: Linda.Bird@f100.n1010.z9.FIDONET.ORG -------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Linda.Bird@p0.f8.n1012.z9.FIDONET.ORG (Linda Bird) Subject: l in 40 Date: 12 Aug 91 18:31:10 GMT Hi Mike, The first person I heard use the figure "l in 40 persons has been abducted" was *Bill Cooper* on a radio program some time back. He may have obtained that information from elsewhere (as he is prone to do). Regards, Linda -- Linda Bird - via FidoNet node 1:104/422 UUCP: !scicom!paranet!User_Name INTERNET: Linda.Bird@p0.f8.n1012.z9.FIDONET.ORG -------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Michael.Schuyler@f201.n350.z1.FIDONET.ORG (Michael Schuyler) Subject: Re: Alternative hypothesis for UFOs? Date: 11 Aug 91 16:23:00 GMT Re: Holographic Universe & Time travel Those who KNOW time travel violates the laws of physics can just skip this message... For others, there are a couple of good books if you want to pursue this line. "The Aquarian Conspiracy" by Marilyn Ferguson touches on this idea and is a good source for further reading as well. One recent book is "The Holographic Universe," by Michael Talbot, which goes into detail on the potential physics of holography and potential explanations for psychic phenomenon. A third is "The Holographic Paradigm," edited by Ken Wilber. NONE of these treatments are sensationalistic; they are all sober treatments of the subject. -- Michael Schuyler - via FidoNet node 1:104/422 UUCP: !scicom!paranet!User_Name INTERNET: Michael.Schuyler@f201.n350.z1.FIDONET.ORG -------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Clark.Matthews@f4.n1012.z9.FIDONET.ORG (Clark Matthews) Subject: Re: NEW PLANET Date: 12 Aug 91 21:09:00 GMT PP>NEW YORK (AP) -- Astronomers say they have detected the PP>first known planet outside the solar system, an object that PP>orbits a very dense star and is perhaps 12 times as massive PP>as Earth. .... PP> Other researchers have reported apparent detections of PP>planets outside the solar system before, but some reports PP>have been refuted and none is widely accepted. Hi Pete. Not to take anything away from Harvard, but the Nobel Prize-winning astronomer Fred Van de Kamp "discovered" planets around Barnard's Star in the the late 1950s, by taking measurements of the perturbation of the star itself. To my knowledge his calculations have never been refuted and, in fact, they are widely accepted. I think this Harvard stuff is "new old news". Sure, they'd *like* to be the first group to find planets outside the solar system, but... How soon we forget. Best, Clark -- Clark Matthews - via FidoNet node 1:104/422 UUCP: !scicom!paranet!User_Name INTERNET: Clark.Matthews@f4.n1012.z9.FIDONET.ORG -------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Clark.Matthews@f816.n107.z1.FIDONET.ORG (Clark Matthews) Subject: Bennewitz Redux Date: 13 Aug 91 22:50:00 GMT To: uunet!cbmvax!amix!vanth!jms Jim, re: Bennewitz > He apparently hasn't given up though, because as I said > recently he's > issued more stories about the base near Dulce. > What kind of stories is Paul Bennewitz telling about Dulce? I'm very surprised, needless to say. Best, Clark -- Clark Matthews - via FidoNet node 1:104/422 UUCP: !scicom!paranet!User_Name INTERNET: Clark.Matthews@f816.n107.z1.FIDONET.ORG -------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Jim.Shaffer@f4.n1012.z9.FIDONET.ORG (Jim Shaffer) Subject: Re: subscription cancellation Date: 14 Aug 91 08:28:00 GMT The proper way of getting off an Internet mailing list is to send to the -request address (in this case, infopara-request), not to the mailing list itself. Why do so many people have trouble understanding this? -- Jim Shaffer - via FidoNet node 1:104/422 UUCP: !scicom!paranet!User_Name INTERNET: Jim.Shaffer@f4.n1012.z9.FIDONET.ORG -------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Jim.Shaffer@f4.n1012.z9.FIDONET.ORG (Jim Shaffer) Subject: Re: **** Warning ***** Date: 14 Aug 91 08:41:00 GMT I just had to reply to your message about the brain. On last week's episode of "Prime Time Pets," there was a story about a dog who could sense when his owner was about to have an epileptic seizure. What's more, this situation apparently isn't unique! It only happens with certain dogs and certain people, but it's not unique. The medical community speculates that the dogs can detect chemical changes in the brain. Personally, I prefer Bearden's avalanche discharges/scalar interferometry theory :-) I wonder if Bearden knows about this? -- Jim Shaffer - via FidoNet node 1:104/422 UUCP: !scicom!paranet!User_Name INTERNET: Jim.Shaffer@f4.n1012.z9.FIDONET.ORG -------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Jim.Shaffer@f4.n1012.z9.FIDONET.ORG (Jim Shaffer) Subject: Re: UFOs and Superconductors Date: 14 Aug 91 08:44:00 GMT That is absolutely amazing. Thank you very much for posting it! -- Jim Shaffer - via FidoNet node 1:104/422 UUCP: !scicom!paranet!User_Name INTERNET: Jim.Shaffer@f4.n1012.z9.FIDONET.ORG -------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Jim.Shaffer@f4.n1012.z9.FIDONET.ORG (Jim Shaffer) Subject: Re: Bennewitz Redux Date: 14 Aug 91 08:50:00 GMT See my reply in private mail. I would've replied sooner except I haven't gotten anything over the Internet again for a while. I'm in the process of moving my connection to another node, but I'm still picking up mail from the old one so that shouldn't be the problem. By the way, did you hear one of the proposals for the Philadelphia navy yard property if it gets shut down? Disneyland North! I think this is Bielek's big chance -- he could design a time-travel ride for them! (I'm sure you could too, for that matter...) -- Jim Shaffer - via FidoNet node 1:104/422 UUCP: !scicom!paranet!User_Name INTERNET: Jim.Shaffer@f4.n1012.z9.FIDONET.ORG -------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Clark.Matthews@f4.n1012.z9.FIDONET.ORG (Clark Matthews) Subject: Re: **** Warning ***** Date: 14 Aug 91 10:00:00 GMT In a message to Clark Matthews <08-14-91 01:41> Jim Shaffer wrote: JS>I just had to reply to your message about the brain. On JS>last week's episode of "Prime Time Pets," there was a story JS>about a dog who could sense when his owner was about to JS>have an epileptic seizure. What's more, this situation JS>apparently isn't unique! It only happens with certain dogs Jim, this may strain credibility, but... It happens with people's **plants**, too! A botanist in California was measuring the electrochemical activity of various types of plants. He had them hooked up to simple EEG monitoring recorders 24 hours a day, and he was comparing the paper tapes of EEG activity in his plants with daylight cycles and other data to see what influence certain factors had on plant growth & activity. Then, one day, the botanist was involved in a car crash several miles from his home. When he eventually got home (much later the day of the crash), he looked at his experiment and found that the EEG monitors **had gone wild** at the instant of the crash. ALL OF THE PLANTS REGISTERED REACTIONS. Needless to say, several new experiments are in progress to measure the effect of external stimuli on the *caretakers of plants* at various *distances* from the plants themselves. Distances of many tens of miles do not seem to be a factor in the instantaneous response of plants to traumatic stimuli on their caretakers. As an aside to this, take a look at the two files on Kirlian photography if you haven't done so already. They're in the Keely General Section: KIRL1.ZIP and KIRL2.ZIP. Best, Clark -- Clark Matthews - via FidoNet node 1:104/422 UUCP: !scicom!paranet!User_Name INTERNET: Clark.Matthews@f4.n1012.z9.FIDONET.ORG -------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Clark.Matthews@f4.n1012.z9.FIDONET.ORG (Clark Matthews) Subject: Re: Bennewitz Redux Date: 14 Aug 91 10:04:00 GMT In a message to Clark Matthews <08-14-91 01:50> Jim Shaffer wrote: JS>By the way, did you hear one of the proposals for the JS>Philadelphia navy yard property if it gets shut down? JS>Disneyland North! I think this is Bielek's big chance -- ME TOO!! But won't he look a little mawkish with those big ears and silly Mickey Mouse lederhosen? But maybe there's a place for him there as Pinocchio, if his nose can stand it. I hear implants are getting much safer these days... Cheers, Clark -- Clark Matthews - via FidoNet node 1:104/422 UUCP: !scicom!paranet!User_Name INTERNET: Clark.Matthews@f4.n1012.z9.FIDONET.ORG -------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Clark.Matthews@f4.n1012.z9.FIDONET.ORG (Clark Matthews) Subject: Re: Alternative hypothesis for UFOs? Date: 14 Aug 91 11:16:00 GMT In a message to Clark Matthews <08-13-91 19:39> Linda Bird wrote: LB> In a message to Will Martin on Aug. 10, you mentioned an LB>animal LB>called a "brachiopod" with a brain, etc. and referred to LB>this creature LB>as a dinosaur. True. Alas, they were around before dinosaurs were a twinkle in a Crocodilian's eye. Of course I meant theropods, which were the entire suborder of nasty bipeds like Tyrannosaurus and Albertosaurs and Allisaurus. They gobbled up sauropods with gusto. I stand corrected. But I don't apologize for the clam cocktail I had before posting that errant message. *Burp* Clark -- Clark Matthews - via FidoNet node 1:104/422 UUCP: !scicom!paranet!User_Name INTERNET: Clark.Matthews@f4.n1012.z9.FIDONET.ORG -------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Clark.Matthews@f4.n1012.z9.FIDONET.ORG (Clark Matthews) Subject: Re: Alternative hypothesis for UFOs? Date: 14 Aug 91 11:20:00 GMT In a message to Clark Matthews <08-11-91 09:23> Michael Schuyler wrote: MS>Re: Holographic Universe & Time travel MS> MS>Those who KNOW time travel violates the laws of physics can just skip this MS>message... Thanks Michael. Actually, Dr. Hawking can keep reading as far as I'm concerned... MS>recent book is "The Holographic Universe," by Michael Talbot, which goes into MS>detail on the potential physics of holography and potential explanations MS>for psychic phenomenon. Just spent almost 1/2 hour poring over this book greedily at Barnes & Noble. It's next on my hit parade, after the new Roswell book! MS> A third is "The Holographic Paradigm," edited by Ken Wilber. Thanks for this! I hadn't heard of it. Can you tell me the publisher? I'd appreciate it. Best, Clark -- Clark Matthews - via FidoNet node 1:104/422 UUCP: !scicom!paranet!User_Name INTERNET: Clark.Matthews@f4.n1012.z9.FIDONET.ORG -------------------------------------------------------------------- From: ParaNet.Information.Service@p0.f428.n104.z1.FIDONET.ORG (sm) Subject: Rainbow Declaration, (Long) Date: 14 Aug 91 14:51:00 GMT The following is being posted by request. It is very long (12 messages). It is not copyrighted according to the author, John Brandenburg, and he encourages that everyone pass it around. It is being reproduced in its entirety as it appeared in the MUFON Proceedings. ParaNet makes not claim to its accuracy or content, and in no way endorses the material. THE RAINBOW DECLARATION AND HUMAN DESTINY IN THE COSMOS by John E. Brandenburg, Ph.D. (From the MUFON Symposium Proceedings) John E. Brandenburg, Ph.D. John E. Brandenburg Ph.D. is a theoretical plasma physicist living in Alexandria, Virginia. He is employed by a private scientific research firm in the Washington, D.C. area. Dr. Brandenburg received his B.A. in Physics in 1975 form Southern Oregon, A Masters in Applied Science form the University of California at Davis in 1977 and a Ph.D. in Plasma Physics in 1981, also at Davis. His thesis was on confinement of a plasma of very energetic ions and cold electrons using strong magnetic fields for the purposes of controlled nuclear fusion. During his graduate studies Dr. Brandenburg held a working fellowship at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and pursued research in the area of controlled fusion. On receiving his Ph.D., he became a staff physicist at Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico. There he performed research on controlled fusion and electron beam weapons. He left Sandia in 1984 to assume his present position. His current work involves both directed energy weapons and space defense problems. Dr. Brandenburg has been involved in investigations of the Face on Mars and other Martian objects since 1984. Together with Vincent DiPietro and Gregory Molenaar, the two pioneers in this area, he is a member of the organization Mars Research and is a co-author of Unusual Martian Surface Features Edition IV. John Brandenburg became interested in space travel and extraterrestrial life at an early age. He joined MUFON as a Consultant in Plasma Physics and is the author of the "Rainbow Declaration," a statement of principles to govern the relations of peoples of different worlds. He was a featured speaker at the MUFON 1989 International UFO Symposium in Las Vegas, NV where he presented a paper titled "The Cydonian Hypothesis." Dr. Brandenburg may be contacted at 4732 Rouge Court, Alexandria, VA 22312. THE RAINBOW DECLARATION AND HUMAN DESTINY IN THE COSMOS By John E. Brandenburg, Ph.D. ABSTRACT In this paper I will talk about the destiny of humanity in the Cosmos as it is now unfolding before us. I will also talk about the Rainbow Declaration, which is my attempt to bring together what is good and precious form the human heritage with what we now know of the Cosmos, to the end that humanity's future will be good and it will achieve its appropriate destiny. However, this paper is really about knowledge and dialogue. I. INTRODUCTION: STAR TREK OR STAR WARS? I Corinthians 13: 9-12 "For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. When I was a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then I shall know even as also I am known." When we speak of knowledge and the human future, we are speaking of the increase of knowledge. In the future, humanity will know much more than it knows now. It will go places it has never been, do and feel things it has never before experienced. Every important aspect of this knowledge will be to learn more about the other peoples with whom we share the Cosmos. Part of that process of learning is going on now. However, this is not a scientific investigation like any other we humans have done. It is not like studying the motion of bacteria in a test tube; it is a dialogue. A dialogue is what occurs between two or more sentient beings; it is basically an exchange of information. Humanity is probably now engaged in a dialogue with peoples from other planets that orbit other stars. This dialogue has its origins in the distant past, but it seems to have only begun in earnest in the last fifty years. Many species seem to have been involved, but only a few species seem to be playing an active continuing role in the present course for this dialogue. We know something of this dialogue, which appears to be between primarily our government and the extraterrestrials. What is reported from this dialogue will be discussed in this paper; however, the reported dialogue will also be used to help create a vision of human destiny in the Cosmos. It was the consistent theme of the popular series, Star Trek, that the human race would become a great and enlightened power in the Cosmos and be joined in partnership with peoples kindred to humanity. This partnership, known as the Federation, was made up of interstellar powers more or less in agreement on the ideals of democracy, freedom, and dignity of the individual, reverence for life and even reverence to God. In this Federation, the idea of separate species of intelligence was occasionally transcended so that beings looked on each other as kindred despite their differing biological form. An equally hopeful, but somewhat darker and more mysterious, vision of the human future was seen in Star Wars. In this vision the humans had created an Evil Empire and against it a Rebel Alliance composed of humans and other species battled desperately. The theme of Star Wars was hope and the struggle between good and evil on both physical and moral planes, with good being aided by the Force. So there exist different vision of the future. It is my belief that something more like the world of Star Trek will be the ultimate destiny of humanity and that this destiny is something that we should strive for. But how will such a destiny be accomplished? Can we avoid Star Wars completely or is it also prophetic? In particular, how will our interaction, our dialogue, with more technologically advanced peoples of the Cosmos, who are already starfaring and have reportedly already arrived here, affect us and how will this shape our destiny? Is our destiny Star Wars or Star Trek. Humanity is reportedly now engaged in a dialogue with extraterrestrial peoples. Ufology exists because of a state of honest ignorance of this dialogue on the part of the public. Honest ignorance can be defined as a recognized lack of knowledge. The ufology movement is a brave vanguard of humanity that admits its ignorance of the Cosmos and those who dwell in it and seeks to erase this ignorance. Because of this we know Ufology will one day cease to exist in its present form because of new knowledge that will appear. Those in Ufology are brave not only because they risk ridicule from those who cling to the everyday, but because this is the real Cosmos we live in -- not a fairy tale -- and some pieces of knowledge we will gain we may wish we did no know. But learning unpleasant truths is a essential part of maturing. If you turn away some truths because you cannot bear them, you can never really grow up. But we in Ufology are determined to grow and mature and know. Knowledge is power, knowledge confers authority, and knowledge confers responsibility. For these reasons, governments often guard certain knowledges carefully. One of the most important concepts in our government's classification system to safeguard secrets is the concept of "need to know." Authorities decide what must be done in a situation and who must do it and then portion out, ideally, only those knowledges to each person that are necessary for them to do their job. Usually, such secrecy and portioning out of knowledge occurs in situations thought to gravely impact our nation's security and defenses. The authority given the government to restrict certain knowledge is a sacred trust that derives from its duty to defend us. But, if the government is concealing a dialogue with extraterrestrials, is it defending us from the knowledge of the E.T.'s existence, or is this secrecy only part of an effort to defend us from some subgroup of the E.T.s themselves? I think the answer is some of both, but is this consistent with democracy? -- ParaNet(sm) Information Service - via FidoNet node 1:104/422 UUCP: !scicom!paranet!User_Name INTERNET: ParaNet(sm).Information.Service@p0.f428.n104.z1.FIDONET.ORG ********To have your comments in the next issue, send electronic mail to******** 'infopara' at the following address: UUCP {ncar,isis,boulder}!scicom!infopara DOMAIN infopara@scicom.alphacdc.com For administrative requests (subscriptions, back issues) send to: UUCP {ncar,isis,boulder}!scicom!infopara-request DOMAIN infopara-request@scicom.alphacdc.com To obtain back issues by anonymous ftp, connect to: DOMAIN ftp.uiowa.edu (directory /archives/paranet) ******************The**End**of**Info-ParaNet**Newsletter************************