The Agents of F.L.A.S.K.

[Tiki Tom]

I'd be less cynical about Oak Island if those two yahoos on the "reality" show had a clue. I know it's for show, but they cannot possibly be as dumb as they appear on TV.

My apologies for reviving this old thread, but the adventure continues: Minor buzz in the press has been caused by the announcement that researchers and "experts" have discovered a Roman sword and Roman shipwreck off of Oak Island, thus "rewriting History". To say I'm skeptical would be a giant understatement. Nonetheless, it is a fun story. Shouldn't someone call in the grand-kids of Dr. Henry Walton "Indiana" Jones, Jr. ??

http://www.bostonstandard.co.uk/new...uld-rewrite-history-of-the-americas-1-7118097

 

[HudsonHawk]

My apologies for reviving this old thread, but the adventure continues: Minor buzz in the press has been caused by the announcement that researchers and "experts" have discovered a Roman sword and Roman shipwreck off of Oak Island, thus "rewriting History". To say I'm skeptical would be a giant understatement. Nonetheless, it is a fun story. Shouldn't someone call in the grand-kids of Dr. Henry Walton "Indiana" Jones, Jr. ??

http://www.bostonstandard.co.uk/new...uld-rewrite-history-of-the-americas-1-7118097

I've been out of the country for a month, so I'm catching up watching. I see in the season finale they finally got around to putting a camera down the hole. And they found nothing. Imagine that.

 

[Tiki Tom]

Bigfoot! What say you?

http://idahostatejournal.com/outdoo...cle_4a6b89c4-d49d-52e9-94fd-7678d5ca400c.html

For me, it is hard to believe that even a small breeding population of creatures that size could remain hidden in a place as trampled-upon as North America. But then again, we humans tend to stick to the roads and built up areas. A couple of years ago I flew from the Great Lakes to L.A. on an unusually clear day. I was stunned at the amount of forests, mountains, and generally undeveloped land down below. (Especially coming from Europe, where every valley seems to have its village.) Am also somewhat at a loss to explain all the sightings that seem to come from upstanding citizens. Are they seeing black bears on their hind legs? Seems absurd that country folk wouldn't immediately recognize them as such.

 

[Inkstainedwretch]

I want to know what's really at Area 51.

 

[tonyb]

I want to know what's really at Area 51.

Ichiro Suzuki.

 

[Blowtorch]

@Tiki Tom, thank you for recommending this thread! I'll feel quite at home here, I think!
Also I have to ask, are you familiar with "Magic and Mystery of Tibet" by Alexandra David-Neel?

 

[Blowtorch]

It is maddening to me that "The Discovery of Tibet" is only available in French, (similar to how Heyerdahl's "Jakten Pa Odin: Pa Sporet Av Var Fortid" in which Thor sets out to prove Norse mythology is rooted in historical fact, is only to be found in Norwegian text), and I'm hoping the David-Neel book can scratch that Tibetan itch

 

[Tiki Tom]

Re: Tibet ...rumors of the mystical "powers" of Tibetan monks are intriguing. There are of course stories that they can recall very exact details of their past lives, that they can make themselves invisible, that they can levitate themselves, etc. (All fairly low-level super powers by MARVEL standards.) A famous Harvard study confirmed that they can elevate their body temperatures to an amazing degree and that they can also slow their metabolisms remarkably.
http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2002/04/meditation-dramatically-changes-body-temperatures/
http://www.inquisitr.com/3477070/harvard-researchers-reveal-monks-super-human-powers/

Regarding the more remarkable powers, however, It seems to be more legend than verifiable scientific fact. Still --when combined with Yeti tales and stories of hidden cities in the darkest recesses of the Tibetan Plateau-- it's enough to make me want to visit.

I will keep my eyes out for "Magic and Mystery of Tibet" by Alexandra David-Neel. Thanks for the tip.
(The kid in the picture above seems also to be able to make his shadow disappear. Amazing!)

 

[Tiki Tom]

Stumbling out of the Himalayas (lucky to still have my hide) and into India, I was in search of sea transport. Fate eventually led me to the ancient city of Trivandrum, on the coast, at the very tip of the subcontinent; A hot, humid place with limpid palm trees lining a mirror calm bay. Settling into a seat on the terrace of an old wreck of a British hotel, I almost spilled my gin and tonic on my white linen suit when I saw the following article in the local English-language rag, “New India Express”. It was about a hidden treasure in the very city I was currently visiting…

Quote: “It is popularly believed that vault B of the temple is stacked with silver plates, gold and precious stones besides ancient idols. Local belief is that opening the vault will bring destruction upon the ancient temple and the people at large.”​

http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/kerala/2017/jul/08/to-open-vault-b-or-not-travancore-royals-cite-curse-of-the-gods-historians-say-its-bunkum-1625973.html

A quick Google search soon gave me more information:

Quote: “Ropes of gold several meters long, Napoleonic coins, Venetian jewelry, diamond belts, emeralds the size of ostrich eggs, and barrels of golden rice…these are just some of the treasures said to have been hidden within Padmanabhaswamy Temple. But insufferable dangers may also be lurking for those who dare to open the temple’s mysterious sealed door. Would you take the risk?”​

http://www.ancient-origins.net/ancient-places-asia/risky-wealth-would-you-dare-open-mysterious-sealed-door-padmanabhaswamy-temple-021616

My mind reeled. However, before I could I could develop a proper plan to investigate the interior of vault B, I was paid a visit by the local constabulary. It was all a wretched misunderstanding related to a completely separate matter. However, after some embarrassed apologies, the authorities nonetheless insisted that I'd perhaps be happier if I were to leave the country. Vault B would have to wait until another time.

 

[Blowtorch]

So awhile ago I'd joined a reading group, where you read a book and then meet to discuss it. And I wondered when they were going to review something good...imagine my amazement when this afternoon I got a notification for "Lost City of the Monkey God". Very cool...

 

[Tiki Tom]

So awhile ago I'd joined a reading group, where you read a book and then meet to discuss it. And I wondered when they were going to review something good...imagine my amazement when this afternoon I got a notification for "Lost City of the Monkey God". Very cool...

A great true adventure, indeed. I hope they do justice to Theodore Morde. Not only was he a golden era jungle explorer of the region but ---if memory serves me correctly--- he also served in the OSS during WWII. Maybe he was one of the prototypes for Indiana Jones, I don't know. One thing that I never bought was the story that Theodore Morde committed suicide in the USA in the 1950s. I think there is another version of the story that says he died suspiciously in the UK. At any rate, I prefer to believe that he died at the hands of nefarious government agents of one stripe or another. Let us know what you think of the book!

 

[Bugguy]

What happened to the 115 colonists dropped off on Roanoke Island, VA in 1587? Gone when the ship returned in 1590 - essentially no trace.

BTW... the previously mentioned reality TV folks dug up a bunch of farm fields to prove conclusively nothing.

 

[3fingers]

“It is popularly believed that vault B of the temple is stacked with silver plates, gold and precious stones besides ancient idols.

Geraldo Rivera got a lot of mileage out of similar claims involving Al Capone's vault. He found some scrap lumber and a wine bottle.

 

[scottyrocks]

I was always intrigued as to how the ark stayed afloat with two woodpeckers on board.

Not to mention termites.

 

[Tiki Tom]

I want to know what's really at Area 51.

It’s pretty to think that they are busy back-engineering alien technology, but more realistically they are probably coming up with new stuff the old fashioned way; hypothesis, trial, and error. Gravity shielding May or may not be an actual thing. Manipulating space/time/gravity may or may not be in its infancy. The multiverse might be spot on, or just the product of an over-active imagination. But I like the way that everything is open for questioning and experimentation.

 

[Blowtorch]

I am unsure if you folks peruse Netflix at all, but there's a series available streaming there, entitled "Top 10 Secrets and Mysteries" which tackles a related set of ten baffling topics which fit in with this thread well in every episode. I am enjoying it quite a bit, and it reminds me quite a lot of the old "In Search Of" series, hosted by Leonard Nimoy.

 

[Tiki Tom]

I am unsure if you folks peruse Netflix at all, but there's a series available streaming there, entitled "Top 10 Secrets and Mysteries" which tackles a related set of ten baffling topics which fit in with this thread well in every episode. I am enjoying it quite a bit, and it reminds me quite a lot of the old "In Search Of" series, hosted by Leonard Nimoy.

So, what is the most plausible outstanding mystery that you’d like to dig into?

 

[Hurricane Jack]

Tonight’s topic of discussion is “what long enduring historical mystery makes you want to put on your brown fedora and try to solve it?”

Just seeing this thread for the first time & caught somewhat unprepared among my most enduring mysteries would be the Lost Dutchman's Gold Mine in the Superstition Mountains of Arizona, although I would tend to believe the US government recovered the gold a long time ago.

 

[Hurricane Jack]

Modern mysteries to ponder:

Why are Russia, China, Japan, India, North Korea & South Korea all trying to get to the moon before private profiteers like Robert Bigelow, Richard Branson, or Elon Musk do?


Why are there now 28 countries making territorial claims to parts of Antarctica & staked out there including the original treaty of 7? Why are the world's powerful dignitaries making secret trips there?

 

[Tiki Tom]

my most enduring mysteries would be the Lost Dutchman's Gold Mine in the Superstition Mountains of Arizona, although I would tend to believe the US government recovered the gold a long time ago.

I grew up in Southern California and my dad was into the legend of the Lost Dutchman Mine. When I was a pre-teen we’d take family vacations into the California and Arizona deserts. He was not a serious treasure hunter, but we did bring home collections of odd quartz and other rocks. My dad had a couple of books on the Lost Dutchman Mine. The one I specifically remember was The Sterling Legend: The Facts behind the Lost Dutchman Mine.

https://www.amazon.com/Sterling-Leg...528716097&sr=1-1&keywords=the+sterling+legend

Could such a mine really exist? The tale has certainly been embroidered with a lot of colourful lore; Indian curses, the Peralta Stone maps, the very real character of Jacob Waltz and his gold and his stories (backed up by several witnesses) Not to mention the wonderfully named Superstition Mountains and the fact that many people have gone missing or died hunting for the treasure, including in just the last few years. (My advice: don't go treasure hunting alone in the Superstition Mountains.)

Here is a pretty good blog on the topic of “is there any evidence that the mine really exists”. Most interesting is the claim that some samples of Waltz’s gold were analysed with the result that they did not come from any known deposit in Arizona. Also the fact that Waltz was able to save a friend’s struggling business by paying off her debts in gold says something!

https://oroblanco.wordpress.com/2015/05/02/is-there-any-evidence-that-the-lost-dutchman-gold-mine-really-exists/

About those stone tablets:

https://www.desertusa.com/lost-dutchman/lost-dutchman-1.html

It is all really fascinating stuff. And –as far as treasure stories go--- the location is fairly accessible to anyone.

Do I believe? Well, it seems unlikely… but there is so much good detail to the story that you have to wonder if it’s not built on some tiny kernel of truth. If I lived in Phoenix, I’d probably become a hobbyist on the subject (that and also talking to witnesses of the Phoenix Lights!)