Close encounters! Pentagon is creating an official office to investigate unidentified aerial phenomena after a June report couldn't explain 143 of 144 UFO incidents dating back to 2004

• The Pentagon is creating a group to study unidentified aerial phenomena 
• The Airborne Object Identification and Management Synchronization Group will be part of the office of Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence & Security
• In September, DailyMail.com reported the government may create a permanent office to study UAPs
• In June, the Pentagon reported offered no explanation for 143 of the 144 UFO incidents dating back to 2004

In the wake of the woefully insufficient Pentagon report from June in which the U.S. government admitted it could not explain the vast majority of unidentified aerial phenomena, the Department of Defense is increasing its effort, creating an official group to study these events.

The announcement, made late Tuesday, will see the establishment of the Airborne Object Identification and Management Synchronization Group (AOIMSG), succeeding the U.S. Navy's Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force; it will be part of the office of Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence & Security.

The AOIMSG will work across the Department of Defense and the entire U.S. government 'to detect, identify and attribute objects of interests in Special Use Airspace, and to assess and mitigate any associated threats to safety of flight and national security,' according to a press release issued by the DoD.

The move to formally establish the office was made the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence & Security Ronald S. Moultrie, who was directed by Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks and Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines.

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In May, a video was released that appeared to show a UFO buzz a US stealth ship near San Diego before diving under the water back in July 2019

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The Pentagon is creating a group to study unidentified aerial phenomena. The Airborne Object Identification and Management Synchronization Group will be part of the office of Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence & Security

'Incursions by any airborne object into our SUA pose safety of flight and operations security concerns, and may pose national security challenges,' the release added.

'DOD takes reports of incursions – by any airborne object, identified or unidentified – very seriously, and investigates each one.'

The DoD said more guidance on who will be the director of the AOIMSG and other details about the office will be issued in the 'coming weeks.'

Nick Pope, a former employee and UFO investigator for Britain's Ministry of Defense, said he welcomes the move as it should make for better coordination between the interested parties.

'It further destigmatizes the issue by acknowledging the national security implications,' Pope said in an email to DailyMail.com.

Pope however, questioned the timing of the announcement: 'Putting this out just before Thanksgiving is also an indicator that the Pentagon is frustrated with the issue and doesn't want a wider public conversation on any of this.' 

In September, DailyMail.com reported that the U.S. government was looking into creating a permanent office to study 'unidentified aerial phenomenon' (UAPs). 

The move to formally establish the office was made the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence & Security Ronald S. Moultrie, who was directed by Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks (pictured) and Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines

Earlier this month, Haines made surprising comments that appeared not to rule out the presence of an intelligent civilization not of this Earth.

'There's always the question of "is there something else that we simply do not understand, that might come extraterrestrially?"' Haines said, when asked about the Pentagon report, according to The Hill.  

As part of the 2022 National Defense Authorization Act from the House of Representatives, there was a provision to create a permanent office under the Secretary of Defense to investigate reports of unidentified aerial phenomena, according to NextGov, which first reported the news. 

The 5-page section of the 1,362 page report, which was included by Rep. Ruben Gallego, seeks to take on what the Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon Task Force did with its report and make it permanent. 

Included in the duties of the proposed office would be to:

1. 'Developing procedures to synchronize and standardize the collection, reporting, and analysis of incidents regarding unidentified aerial phenomena across the Department of Defense.
2. Developing processes and procedures to ensure that such incidents from each military department are reported and incorporated in a centralized repository.
3. Establishing procedures to require the timely and consistent reporting of such incidents.
4. Evaluating links between unidentified aerial phenomena and adversarial foreign governments, other foreign governments, or nonstate actors.
5. Evaluating the threat that such incidents present to the United States.
6. Coordinating with other departments and agencies of the Federal Government, as appropriate.
7. Coordinating with allies and partners of the United States, as appropriate, to better assess the nature and extent of unidentified aerial phenomena.'

The section also proposes that a new UAP office deliver a report to Congress once a year for the next five years and even provide 'an update on any efforts underway on the ability to capture or exploit discovered unidentified aerial phenomena.' 

The legislation was passed in late September night by a 316-113 vote. 

 The Senate Armed Services Committee's version of the act, however, does not include a permanent office for the investigation of UAPs.

In June, the Pentagon released its report on the subject of UAPs, however it offered no explanation for 143 of the 144 observations dating back to 2004.

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On June 25, the long-awaited report from the Pentagon on the subject of 'unidentified aerial phenomenon' (UAPs) offered no explanation for 143 of the 144 observations dating back to 2004

In July, NASA Administrator and former astronaut Bill Nelson said it's likely that humans will get some kind of indication that intelligent life outside of our own exists in the universe. 

'If you have a universe that is 13.5 billion years - it is so big - is there another chance for another sun and another planet that has an atmosphere like ours?' Nelson said at the time.

'I would say yes, so I think we're gonna get some indication that there is intelligent life out there.'

He added that NASA has been 'involved for years' looking for life, referring to NASA's Astrobiology program.

'We're looking for life on Mars, on the other planets, in the cosmos, trying to determine other suns that have planets with a habitable atmosphere,' Nelson pointed out.

In June, former President Barack Obama said that if another civilization exists in space other than our own, it could upend most facets of life.

'And so I would hope that the knowledge that there were aliens out there would solidify people’s sense that what we have in common is a little more important,' Obama said in response to a hypothetical question that humanity has become aware of intelligent life beyond this planet, but is unable to get in touch with them.

'But no doubt there would be immediate arguments about like, well, we need to spend a lot more money on weapons systems to defend ourselves,' the 44th President continued.

'New religions would pop up. And who knows what kind of arguments we get into. We’re good at manufacturing arguments for each other.' 

More than two-fifths of Americans said in August that they believed that UFOs are alien space craft, up from 33 percent in 2019. 

A similar survey, published in July, said two-thirds of all Americans believe extraterrestrial life exists, but almost 90 percent believe they are not a threat. 

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One of the videos was captured off the coast of Jacksonville, Florida, in 2015 (pictured)

US Navy pilots spot ANOTHER UFO rotating above the Atlantic Ocean

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The other video shows the notorious 2004 'Tic Tac' incident (pictured) that was recorded over the Pacific Ocean

The declassified June 25 report, which came from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, added that it lacks sufficient data to determine the nature of mysterious flying objects. 

'In 18 incidents, described in 21 reports, observers reported unusual UAP movement patterns or flight characteristics,' the report reads.

'Some UAP appeared to remain stationary in winds aloft, move against the wind, maneuver abruptly, or move at considerable speed, without discernable means of propulsion. In a small number of cases, military aircraft systems processed radio frequency (RF) energy associated with UAP sightings.

'The UAPTF holds a small amount of data that appear to show UAP demonstrating acceleration or a degree of signature management. Additional rigorous analysis are necessary by multiple teams or groups of technical experts to determine the nature and validity of these data.

'We are conducting further analysis to determine if breakthrough technologies were demonstrated.'   

The term UFO has been more recently replaced by unidentified aerial phenomenon, especially in light of the U.S. Pentagon declassifying three videos in April 2020.  

Only one of 144 reports of UFOs - or Unidentified Aerial Phenomena as the government calls them - can be explained while the others can barely be classified 

The government report says there are 144 reported UFOs - or UAPs - between 2004 and 2021. 

These reports include a spherical flying object buzzing over Navy warships and disappearing into the Pacific ocean, a tic-tac shaped flying object mimicking Super Hornet pilots' maneuvers and pyramid-shaped flying objects. 

The only one that can be explained with 'high confidence' is a deflated balloon. 

Because the reported UAPs showed unusual flight characteristics and displayed a range of appearances and behaviors, the report groups the UAPs into five categories.  

1. Airborne clutter - These objects include birds, balloons, recreational unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) or airborne debris like plastic bags that muddle a scene and affect an operator's ability to identify true targets, such as enemy aircraft.

2. Natural atmospheric phenomena - Natural atmospheric phenomena includes ice crystals, moisture and thermal fluctuations that may register on some infrared and radar systems.

3. USG or U.S. industry developmental programs -  Some UAP observations could be attributable to developments and classified programs by U.S. entities. The report states, 'We were unable to confirm, however, that these systems accounted for any of the UAP reports we collected.'

4. Foreign adversary systems - Some UAP may be technologies deployed by China, Russia, another nation, or a non-governmental entity but the report says the US is unaware that any nation has technology that's been reported.

5. A catchall 'other' bin - Most of the UAP described in the dataset probably remain unidentified due to limited data or challenges to collection processing or analysis and may require additional scientific knowledge and advances to categorize them. 'The UAPTF intends to focus additional analysis on the small number of cases where a UAP appeared to display unusual flight characteristics or signature management,' according to the report.

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NASA’s SOFIA Confirms Planetary System Similar to Ours

Last week, NASA announced that its flying observatory, SOFIA (short for Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy) completed a study of a nearby planetary system that is very much like our solar system, centered on the star Epsilon Eridani, also known as Eps Eri.

SOFIA is the world’s largest airborne observatory and flies at altitudes between 39,000 and 45,000 feet, above more than 99% of the water vapor in the atmosphere, making it possible to obtain astronomical data that are impossible to access from telescopes on the ground.

Eps Eri is 10.5 light-years away, and is one of the closest stars to Earth that is of a similar type as Earth’s sun. It’s a little smaller and a little dimmer, but is comparable in terms of temperature, luminosity and mass.

Interestingly, Eps Eri is one of two stars (the other was Tau Ceti) that were examined by Frank Drake in 1960 as his first radio astronomy observation, using the Tatel Telescope in West Virginia. Eps Eri and Tau Ceti were selected because of their proximity to Earth’s solar system, because of their similarities to Earth’s sun and because they are single stars thought likelier to be able to host a potentially habitable planet in a stable orbit.

Although Frank Drake did not observe a signal from Eps Eri during that first SETI observation, it continues to be the subject of various types of observations, including from SOFIA, focusing on Eps Eri ‘s circumstellar debris disk.

Debris disks are comprised of rocky or icy material orbiting a star that can be left behind after a planet has been formed. In Earth’s solar system, we have two debris disks: the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, and the Kuiper Belt which is located beyond Neptune and includes Pluto, now reclassified as being part of the debris remaining after planetary formation.

In 1983, astronomer Fred Gillett found evidence for a Kuiper Belt-like debris disk around Eps Eri using data from the Infrared Astronomy Satellite, IRAS.  In 2009, SETI Institute scientist Dana Backman, who worked with Gillett on analyzing the IRAS data and now manages SOFIA mission Outreach for the Institute, discovered a debris disk similar to the asteroid belt around Eps Eri using the NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope. In fact, the Spitzer data indicated two asteroid belts around Eps Eri, one in approximately the same position as in Earth’s solar system, and a second between the first belt and the comet ring, at about where Uranus’s orbit would be in our system.

"The Eps Eri system probably looks a lot like ours did when life first took root on Earth," said Backman at the time. "The main difference we know of so far is that it has an additional, third, ring of leftover planet construction material."

Other observations of Eps Eri had previously revealed a planet similar in size to Jupiter at a similar distance from its parent star. Backman’s Spitzer observations indicated that the innermost debris belt around Eps Eri is made of silicate material, like our asteroid belt, and is located just inward of the Jupiter-like planet’s orbit, also like our asteroid belt.  Subsequently, an alternative theory was put forth, suggesting that the planetary debris around Eps Eri wasn’t configured in two belts, but rather in a broad sheet, which would not correlate with the positions of planets.

Now, new observations from SOFIA, which has a larger telescope diameter than Spitzer – 100 inches vs. 33.5 inches and thus, 3x better spatial resolution – confirmed that Eps Eri’s debris disk is concentrated into at least one narrow belt of debris, similar to our solar system’s asteroid belt.  This confirms Dana’s hypothesis that in the Eps Eri system, as in our solar system, the formation of large planets results in adjacent debris belts.

Full details about NASA’s announcement can be found here.

To learn about the SETI Institute’s other activities with SOFIA through its Airborne Astronomy Ambassadors (AAA) program, click here.

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We May Have Found a Way to Cheat the Second Law of Thermodynamics

• Physicists created a new quantum theorem for entropy, and included is a possible exception.

The Second Law of Thermodynamics says that entropy in the universe must always increase. It's an immutable law of physics, and it's the reason you can't get free energy or perpetual motion machines. But a group of physicists may have found a way to break this law, at least in some specific circumstances.

The researchers, from Argonne National Laboratory, have developed a theoretical model where the Second Law is violated on a molecular level. Their results are published in the journal Science Direct.

The basic idea behind the discovery is the H-theorem, which says if you mix a hot thing and a cold thing, the mixture will end up somewhere in the middle. The H-theorem relies on a statistical interpretation of the way molecules move around. Because it's pretty much impossible to keep track of every single molecule, physicists just treat them as groups and use statistics to figure out how they'll behave.

The team from Argonne decided to look at the problem through the lens of quantum mechanics. They created a quantum H-theorem that is, at least theoretically, more accurate than the traditional theorem. Their new formula revealed that in some special cases, entropy might actually decrease, at least in the short term.

A few years before Boltzmann proposed his H-theorem, another physicist had an idea for a way to cheat the Second Law. James Clerk Maxwell proposed a hypothetical thought experiment: What if a small demon sat between the hot and cold things and controlled their mixing? The demon would only allow hot things to go one way and cold things to go another. Essentially, the demon could unmix the mixture.

It turns out that this doesn't actually violate the Second Law because the demon creates more entropy than it eliminates. Today, we use electricity to play this role, unmixing hot and cold things with our air conditioners and refrigerators. But the researchers' model suggests a quantum demon that could actually violate the Second Law.

This is all theoretical, of course. But if the theory pans out, quantum demons might someday power our air conditioners and refrigerators, saving you electricity and cheating the current laws of physics at the same time.

Source: Argonne National Laboratory via Futur

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King Tut: DNA Results

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Airbus unveils its self flying 'Uber air' taxi: Vahana set to take to the skies by 2020 and can be summoned by smartphone

• Airbus is creating flying taxis called CityAirbus, and an autonomous helicopter under Project Vahana
• Aerospace group says passengers will be able to summon self-piloting flying taxi on their smartphone
• Prototype testing will begin in 2017 and Airbus hopes to have a model for sale on the market by 2020
• It seat one person under a canopy that retracts like a motorcycle helmet visor and operates like a helicopter

Sitting in bumper to bumper traffic during rush hour could soon be a thing of the past.
Airbus is working on a fleet of air taxis with the hopes of relieving urban congestion and the firm has unveiled its first conceptual renderings.
Called Vahana, this sleek self-flying aircraft seats one passenger under a canopy that retracts similar to a motorcycle helmet visor and the vehicle is designed to operate like a helicopter.

Airbus has been working on a fleet of air taxis with the hopes of relieving urban congestion and the firm has unveiled its first conceptual renderings. Called Vahana, this sleek self-flying aircraft seats one passenger under a canopy that retracts similar to a motorcycle helmet visor and is summoned like an Uber

Project Vahana began earlier this year and is one of the first projects at A³, the advanced projects and partnerships outpost of Airbus Group in Silicon Valley.
‘At Vahana, we are passionate about personal flight. The aircraft we’re building doesn’t need a runway, is self-piloted, and can automatically detect and avoid obstacles and other aircraft,’ A³ chief executive Rodin Lyasoff wrote on the Vahana website.
‘Designed to carry a single passenger or cargo, we’re aiming to make it the first certified passenger aircraft without a pilot.’
The conceptual renders suggest that the air taxis will take off and land vertically, as there are helicopter-like struts, and tilting wings each with four electric motors, reports CNN Money.
And there is space for one passenger, who will sit under a canopy that retracts like a motorcycle helmet visor.
The team at Vahana aims to have a full-sized prototype in the air by the end of 2017 and a model for sale on the market by 2020.
Airbus noted last year that one of Vahana's first projects will be working with Uber to create a new business model for helicopter operators.
The French firm first announced plans for its flying taxis in August, which they said will be CityAirbus and passengers will be able summon these vehicles with their smartphone.
Airbus said that the biggest challenge in creating the CityAirbus taxi, will be making it fly autonomously.
The taxi will first be operated by a pilot, but will become self-driving once national regulations allow it.

MEET VAHANA  
Project Vahana began earlier this year and is one of the first projects at A³, the advanced projects and partnerships outpost of Airbus Group in Silicon Valley.
The first conceptual renders have been revealed showing a sleek self-flying aircraft with room for one passenger who sits under a canopy that retracts similar to a motorcycle helmet visor.
Its also believed that the air taxis will take off and land vertically, as there are helicopter-like struts, and tilting wings each with four electric motors.
The team at Vahana aims to have a full-sized prototype in the air by the end of 2017 and a model on the market for sale by 2020.

'Many of the technologies needed, such as batteries, motors and avionics are most of the way there,' Rodin Lyasoff, the Airbus executive in charge of the project, said.
This is just starting to be introduced in cars, but no examples of it for aircraft currently exist.


Project Vahana began earlier this year and is one of the first projects at A³, the advanced projects and partnerships outpost of Airbus Group in Silicon Valley. There is space for one passenger, who will sit under a canopy that retracts like a motorcycle helmet visor

AIRBUS' PROJECT CITYAIRBUS: SELF-FLYING TAXIS THAT ARE SUMMONED LIKE UBERS
Airbus is designing a fleet of self-flying taxis called CityAirbus.
The taxis will first be operated by a pilot, but will fly themselves once national regulations allow it.
As well as flying taxis, Airbus is also creating an electric, autonomous helicopter in a project called Project Vahana.
The idea is that the helicopter can be used for both commercial and personal use.
In February, Airbus also announced a new project called 'Skyways' in which they are creating a parcel-delivery system above the University of Singapore campus.
Airbus hopes to conduct its first flight tests on the University of Singapore campus by 2017.

'That's one of the bigger challenges we aim to resolve as early as possible,' said Lyasoff.
The company thinks one way it could work would be for group vehicles, similar to car-sharing.
'We believe that global demand for this category of aircraft can support fleets of millions of vehicles worldwide,' Lyasoff said.
'In as little as ten years, we could have products on the market that revolutionise urban travel for millions of people.'

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The conceptual renders suggest that the air taxis will take off and land vertically, as there are helicopter-like struts, and tilting wings each with four electric motors

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The team at Vahana aims to have a full-sized prototype in the air by the end of 2017 and a model for sale on the market by 2020. Airbus noted last year that one of Vahana's first projects will be working with Uber to create a new business model for helicopter operators

Officially underway since February, the project’s team of internal and external developers and partners have agreed on a vehicle design and is beginning to build and test vehicle subsystems.

As well as flying taxis, Airbus is also creating an electric, autonomous helicopter in a plan called Project Vahana.

The idea is that the helicopter can be used for both commercial and personal use.

Airbus hopes to conduct its first flight tests on the University of Singapore campus by 2017.

Rodin Lyasoff, Airbus' lead engineer on Project Vahana, said: 'Many of the technologies needed, such as batteries, motors and avionics are most of the way there.'

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Traffic during rush-hour can be a nightmare for commuters today, and with 60 per cent of the world's population expected to live in cities by 2030, the problem is only going to grow. The French firm first announced plans for its flying taxis in August, which they said will be CityAirbus and passengers will be able summon these vehicles with their smartphone

While it might currently seem like something out of a science fiction film, Airbus CEO, Tom Enders, said: 'It's not crazy to imagine that one day our big cities will have flying cars making their way along roads in the sky.

'In a not too distant future, we'll use our smartphones to book a fully automated flying taxi that will land outside our front door – without any pilot.'

In February, Airbus also announced a new project called 'Skyways' in which they are creating a drone parcel-delivery system above the University of Singapore campus. 

The team hopes by demonstrating the safe operation of Skyways, this could help shape the regulatory framework for unmanned aircraft system operations, and potentially increase acceptance for passenger flight testing.

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In February, Airbus also announced a new project called 'Skyways' in which they are creating a parcel-delivery system above the University of Singapore campus. As well as flying taxis, Airbus is also creating an electric, autonomous helicopter in a plan called Project Vahana. The idea is that the helicopter can be used for both commercial and personal use

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Bangkok in Thailand is one of many cities which is notorious for huge traffic jams and delays getting from one place to another. However, by 2030, the population of Bangkok is set to hit 11.5 million which will further increase congestion. Airbus hopes to conduct its first flight tests on the University of Singapore campus by 2017

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The idea of flying taxis brings to mind, The Jetsons, who live in a futuristic utopia in the year 2062, filled with elaborate robotic contraptions, aliens, holograms, and whimsical inventions like their flying car (pictured)

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