Delve Report - 2004 07 - July

Magazine Overview

This issue of DELVE REPORT, dated July 2004, features a cover story on the ambitious concept of a "stairway to heaven" – a space elevator. The magazine delves into a variety of scientific and speculative topics, including astronomical phenomena, theoretical physics, and reports of unidentified flying objects (UFOs).

Scientists Work on Stairway to Heaven

The lead article details a proposal from scientists at Los Alamos National Laboratory to construct a space elevator. This ambitious project aims to create an elevator shaft extending 100,000 km into space, designed to launch payloads more affordably than current methods. Lab scientist Bryan Laubscher emphasizes the strategic importance of owning such technology, stating, "The first country that owns the space elevator will own space." The concept involves a 32-million-storey-tall cable made of carbon nanotubes, attached to Earth's equator and deployed from orbit. Solar-powered crawlers would transport satellites and probes along the shaft, with plans to add more cables for additional elevators. The article also touches upon the economic and technical details, as well as potential health risks associated with the project.

UFO Sightings and Phenomena

Several articles report on UFO sightings and related phenomena:

• Mexican Air Force Pilots Film Objects: Mexican air force pilots captured video of 11 unidentified flying objects over Campeche state on March 5. The objects, described as bright lights, moved rapidly and appeared to surround the air force jet. Radar detected only three of the objects. Investigator Jaime Maussan hailed this as "historic news" due to the backing of armed forces.
• Possible Gas Phenomenon: Julio Herrera, a nuclear science researcher, suggested that gases in the atmosphere, particularly from oil and gas production in the Campeche region, might explain the lights. Infrared equipment captured the objects, which appeared to accelerate and change course.
• UFO Spotted Over Winnipeg: Three air traffic controllers in Winnipeg reported seeing an unidentified flying object on March 28, traveling at over 400 km/h. Canada documents about 700 UFO sightings annually.
• UFO Sightings Grip Iran: Iran experienced a wave of UFO sightings, with state television showing a sparkling white disc filmed over Tehran. However, the head of the Astronomical Society of Iran suggested the sightings might be consistent with the planet Venus, its light filtered through the atmosphere.
• Fire in the Sky Confirmed: A meteor, described as a bolide, flashed across the skies of the U.S. Northwest, causing booms and stunning witnesses. It was confirmed as a natural phenomenon.
• Meteorite Crashes in New Zealand: A grapefruit-sized meteorite crashed through a New Zealand family's living room ceiling, narrowly missing occupants. The rock was found to be hot to the touch.
• Alberta Farmer's Meteorite: A farmer in southern Alberta identified a strange-looking rock he found in 1992 as a meteorite, the 15th space rock recovered in Alberta.

Theoretical Physics and Cosmology

The issue explores advanced physics concepts:

• Black Hole or Neutron Star?: Two researchers from York University discovered evidence of a new black hole or neutron star at the center of a supernova, approximately 30 million light years away. This discovery could confirm theories about the remnants of dying stars.
• Hawking Alters Black Hole View: Stephen Hawking has revised his long-held theory about black holes, now suggesting they can eventually reveal details about the objects they swallow, rather than emitting only generic radiation. He also no longer believes black holes offer passage to other universes.
• Are There Parallel Worlds?: This article delves into string theory and M-theory, which propose the existence of extra dimensions. The concept of "brane worlds" suggests our universe is a three-dimensional membrane within a larger "bulk," potentially coexisting with other parallel branes. Gravity is proposed as the only force that might interact between these branes. The article discusses how these theories might explain dark matter and offers a new perspective on the Big Bang, suggesting a cyclical model of cosmic expansion and contraction.
• Hidden Dimensions: The article explores potential ways to detect extra dimensions, including examining gravitational interactions at extreme distances, analyzing gravitational waves, and observing particle collisions at accelerators like the Large Hadron Collider.

Other Astronomical Discoveries

• Embryo of Flying Dinosaur: A 121-million-year-old fossil containing the embryo of a flying reptile, a pterosaur, was discovered in China.
• Orbiting Telescope Discovers a 'Baby' Planet: NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope may have discovered the youngest planet ever detected, less than 1 million years old, orbiting the star CoKu Tau 4. This discovery challenges current theories of planetary formation.
• Solar Storms and Mars' Water: Researchers suspect that powerful solar storms may have stripped away the water that once covered Mars, due to the planet's lack of a protective magnetosphere.
• Phoebe's Icy Nature: Images from the Cassini spacecraft suggest that Saturn's moon Phoebe is an icy body, possibly originating from the outer solar system.

Other Articles

• North Star's Instability: Astronomers report that Polaris, the North Star, is more variable in brightness and pulsation period than previously thought, with historical records showing significant dimming over centuries.
• Atlantis Mystery: A German scientist claims to have found evidence of the lost city of Atlantis off the coast of Spain, based on satellite images of rectangular structures in a river delta near Cadiz, which he believes match Plato's descriptions.
• Sasquatch Sighting: Two residents of Yukon reported seeing a sasquatch on the Alaska Highway.
• New Theory for 'Great Dying': A NASA scientist proposes that a meteor impact, rather than volcanic activity, may have caused the mass extinction event 250 million years ago that preceded the dinosaurs.
• Berry Believes in Ghosts: Actress Halle Berry shares her belief in ghosts and sensing their presence.
• Sending Messages to Space: A company called Endless Echoes offers a service to send voice messages into space via radio waves for less than $25.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The magazine consistently explores cutting-edge scientific theories, astronomical discoveries, and unexplained phenomena. There is a clear interest in the frontiers of physics, cosmology, and space exploration, alongside reports on UFOs and other mysteries. The editorial stance appears to be one of open inquiry, presenting various theories and eyewitness accounts, while also grounding reports in scientific investigation and data where available. The inclusion of articles on topics like Atlantis and Sasquatch suggests a broad interest in the unexplained and historical mysteries.