Meticulous Visual Recreation Of Moon Landing Shows It Wasn't A Hoax
Graphics giant Nvidia has used its latest GPU to debunk several common Apollo hoax arguments.
Well known for its range of high performance computer graphics cards, Nvidia has demonstrated its latest dynamic lighting technology by recreating the site of the famous Apollo 11 moon landing in an effort to prove that the event really happened.
In particular the company has focused on producing an accurate recreation of a well known photograph taken by Neil Armstrong showing Buzz Aldrin descending the steps of the lander while the area around him is engulfed in shadow.
Conspiracy theorists have long argued that this particular image is evidence that the landings were hoaxed because Aldrin, despite being within the shadowed area, is somehow brightly lit, indicating that there must have been some other light source situated nearby.
"We talked to a lot of experts in the field to re-create what happened on the moon that day," said GeForce general manager Scott Herkelman. "We re-created perfectly what they made and how the reflection would look off the suits, duct tape [and] aluminum foil."
By recreating the scene the team was able to demonstrate that Aldrin was actually being lit by sunlight that was bouncing off the surrounding lunar surface. "The sun is hitting the dust, and it's illuminating the backside of the Apollo module and astronaut," said Herkelman. Read more at io9
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The Lioness Of Winchmore Hill
On Tuesday 22nd April 2008 I appeared on BBC London Radio with JoAnne Goode and Paul Ross to discuss mystery big cats around London, so what better way to celebrate reaching the fiftieth Saturday Strangeness installment than with another ‘big cat’ tale from the capital…
In the March of 1994 there were reports that a lioness was on the loose in North London and had been sighted by a Linda Bostock in broad daylight, who described the felid as having, “…short golden hair and big padded paws.” Of course, the elusive cat never showed up despite calls flooding in to the local police switchboard – echoing reports from 20th January in the same year around the Northolt area of West London, where sightings of a puma-like cat took place near the station. A Robert Delane claimed the animal, “…was three-feet tall and four-feet long with a velvety biscuit-coloured coat.”
Back at Winchmore Hill, residents jammed the police board with several sightings of the giant cat, which matched the same description of the Northolt prowler. More than thirty police officers swarmed upon the area and created more panic than what it was worth, as they paraded through the streets with megaphones warning parents to keep their children inside. Pets were also deemed at risk and pupils at the local schools were not allowed home until the matter was cleared up.
Of course, no lioness, or even a puma turned up. Despite a helicopter whirring in the skies over Palmers Green and marksmen from London Zoo lurking in the bushes with tranquiliser guns, the only thing that reared its head was the occasional domestic cat and a bull mastiff. There never was a lioness on the roam, but there most likely had been a puma, in fact there had been one for more than forty years, or certainly generations spawned from the original Surrey ‘puma’ which made its name in the ’50s and ’60s.
All the beast of Winchmore Hill did was prove how inadequte police investigations continue to be with regards to cat-flaps concerning mystery felids, and leaves us asking the question – who is the bigger threat, the puma or the police? - Londonist
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Hotel Bethlehem
The 1st house built in Bethlehem, PA was constructed on this site in 1741, to be later replaced by the Eagle Hotel in 1823. In 1922, Charles Schwab, president of Bethlehem Steel, decided he wanted more modern digs to live in and the Hotel Bethlehem was born. It even had running water!
But it came with more than hot and cold water. Over the years, people have reported being tapped on the shoulder by the unseen, bodiless voices have called out employee's names, there are reported cold spots, and even sightings of unplugged vacuum cleaners gliding across the rugs (we wish we had one of those haunting our carpets!)
The Bethlehem was built over the site of the old Eagle Hotel, which was demolished to clear land. The bricks and mortar may be gone, but the Eagle's legacy lingers; the guests and staff seem to have found a permanent home in its replacement building.
The oldest spook is Mrs. Brong, the wife of an innkeeper dating back to the Eagle Hotel days. She's been spotted in the kitchen and the restaurant. They know it's her because she's barefoot, just as she liked to be in her flesh and blood days.
One famous spook that never checked out is that of actress and songbird of the 1890s, May Yohe. She grew up in the hotel that her grandfather once owned, and has been reported on the third floor gazing out a window, singing, playing the piano in the lobby, and in the exercise room reliving her childhood.
Francis "Daddy" Thomas, who lived in the hotel during colonial times, is another ghost that likes to play pranks on the staff in the boiler room. In fact, one engineer refuses to work in the area.But he's a friendly guy who used to be early Bethlehem's welcome wagon to visitors.
There's also a woman dressed in Victorian garb that appears in the kitchen and floats out to the dining room, only to disappear. Ghosts of children have been reported playing throughout the Hotel, and another has been seen on the mezzanine - maybe a young May Yohe?
Some guests have requested room transfers because of the spectral shenanigans in the building. In room 932, for example, a couple saw a spook standing by the bed in his boxer shorts and undershirt. Another time, guests saw a man at their bed, and he wanted to know what they were doing in his room. EVPs recorded the voice of a spirit named Mary. Paranormal phenomena is commonplace; we particularly like the wallpaper changing color.
One set of potential spirits they won't discuss is that of the five elderly guests who died in a fire there in 1989, caused by a faulty iron cord. - Reader Submission
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Ghost Stewardess Seen At Suvarnabhumi Air Crash
Amid the search for technical explanations for the Thai Airways International (THAI) landing mishap at Suvarnabhumi airport, public curiosity has been stoked by a passenger’ s account suggesting divine intervention aided the emergency operation
A passenger claimed to the host of a radio programme to have spotted a woman thought to be a cabin crew member in a traditional outfit helping evacuate people from the A330-300 aircraft, which veered off the runway on Sunday night after arriving from China.
A traditional outfit is worn by female cabin crew during flight, but they typically switch to the airline’s skirt and blouse uniform before landing A THAI source said the passenger’ s story has bewildered airline executives and crew particularly those on board Flight 679.
The crew insisted none among them were wearing the traditional outfit when the accident took place The source said the passenger may have seen a guardian angel who “stepped in” to help.
An Airports of Thailand (AoT) source said some airport fire brigade and emergency response personnel claimed to have seen a woman in traditional spirit house dress shuffling into and out of their office, causing crackling in their radio transmissions.
The AoT source said Suvarnabhumi has seven spirit houses at the airport to ward off ill fortune
The first one is Sarn Thepparak, erected before the airport was inaugurated in 2006.
AoT former president Chotesak Artpawiriya said technical glitches and accidents at the airport persisted despite the presence of the spirit house He later ordered six more to be constructed
He recalled an incident in which a bomb disposal expert at the airport exhibited signs of being possessed by a deity The man said he was a wandering spirit called Phor Kae Ming who needed a home.
The last spirit house was constructed to be a dwelling place for the wandering spirit - Hungzai
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Hi folks...Sean & I are attempting to advance the Arcane Radio brand on Stitcher Radio. I am asking my 'Phantoms & Monsters' readers to simply go to Arcane Radio at Stitcher.com, listen to the podcasts and leave us a review. There are several upgrade plans in the works for Arcane Radio...including the addition of live broadcasting. Thanks again...Lon
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